Yes—Scripture requires believers to judge open sin inside the church, while forbidding casual judging of other believers and judgment of the unsaved.
Paul makes a distinction between those 'without' and those 'within' (1 Corinthians 5:12). Individual believers are not to judge another believer's servant—God alone receives His own (Romans 14:4). But when gross, open sin exists among believers, the local church must confront it as a gathered body rather than look the other way.
1 Corinthians 5:12 — Paul explicitly asks whether the church should judge those within, showing this 'judging' is expected inside the assembly.
1 Corinthians 5:4 — Paul instructs the church to deal with an open sin when gathered together in Jesus' name.
Romans 14:4 — Believers are told not to judge another believer because that person stands before God alone.
1 Corinthians 4:5 — Judgment is premature until the Lord comes and brings hidden things to light.
Scripture makes a clear distinction between those outside the body of Christ and those inside. Romans 8:6-7 describes the carnal mind of the lost as death and enmity against God, which cannot be subject to God's law. So the unsaved are not under the standards believers live by. In 1 Corinthians 5:4, Paul instructs the church to deal with a member in open immorality 'in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together.' Then 1 Corinthians 5:12 asks, 'For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?' — showing the church is responsible to judge those on the inside. At the same time, Romans 14:4 tells the individual believer, 'Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth.' And 1 Corinthians 4:5 says, 'Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.'
Les Feldick teaches two sides of this question. On one hand, when a believer does not live the lifestyle you think he should, 'you're in no position to judge.' He points to Romans 14, where Paul asks, 'Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?' — God is the boss of every believer (Clip 1). He also insists we must never tell anyone, even someone 'far down the tube,' that they are going to hell, and we cannot say who is in the Body of Christ, because only God sees the heart (Clip 3). 'Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come' (Clip 5). On the other hand, when gross immorality is open and known in a local church—people living in sin or being covetous—Paul says the church has to 'make a point of it' and confront the people as a gathered body (Clip 2). This is not casual criticism; it is necessary discipline. When a born-again church member is bringing reproach to Christ's name, the church must deal with it to bring them back, and if not, to the place where God will take them home. Otherwise a little leaven takes over the whole lump (Clip 7). Les also notes that God Himself chastens believers who dabble in sin and will take them out if they will not shape up (Clip 6, Clip 4). He reminds believers that it is not our prerogative to pray for God to remove someone; final judgment belongs to God alone (Clip 4, Clip 5).
Scripture says yes. Romans 8:6-7 describes the carnal mind—the mind of those outside Christ—as death, enmity against God, and unable to be subject to God's law. Romans 14:4 warns believers against judging another person's servant, because that servant answers to his own master. Yet in 1 Corinthians 5:12 Paul asks, 'For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?' The same chapter tells the church to act when a member is living in open, gross sin rather than treating it as a private matter. So the Bible forbids one kind of judging while requiring another.
Les Feldick says the church cannot just say, 'Let them live; it's a free country.' Paul's remedy is corporate: take the couple or person, confront them as a body of believers, and when the church is gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus, deal with it. Les says the book requires the church to deal with born-again church members who are bringing reproach to the name of Christ. The goal is to bring them back, and if not, to bring them to the place where the Lord will take them home—otherwise a little leaven spreads through the whole lump.
No. Les says, 'Don't ever, ever look at anybody—I don't care how far down the tube they are—you don't look at them and say, Hey, you're going to hell.' You do not know that; salvation may come later. Likewise, a believer cannot judge whether someone else is in the Body of Christ, because only God sees the heart, and only the Lord Himself places a person into the Body.
Les teaches that God is the originator of discipline. He chastens a believer who starts dabbling in sin, and if chastening does not wake him up, God can take him out—what Paul calls the sin unto death. But this does not give believers license to pray for God to remove someone or to judge another person prematurely. Believers are told to 'judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come.'
The Unsaved Carnal Mind
Les explains Romans 8:6-7—the carnal mind of the lost is an enemy of God and is not subject to God's law, so believers are not to treat the unsaved world as if they were under Christian law.
Don't Judge Another Man's Servant
Les shows that Paul rejects even judging other believers over lifestyle; the believer is God's servant, not ours, so God alone is his judge.
The Church Must Confront Open Gross Sin
Les teaches that when blatant gross immorality is open in a local church, the congregation must confront the person or couple as a gathered body instead of ignoring it.
Only God Sees the Heart
Les warns viewers never to tell anyone they are going to hell and never to judge whether someone is genuinely in the Body of Christ, because only God sees the heart and only He places believers.
Don't Pray for God to Take Them; God May Take Them
Les says it is not our prerogative to ask God to remove a believer, but if a believer continues in known sin, God Himself may chasten and even take him home.
Judge Nothing Before the Time
Les explains 1 Corinthians 4:5—since only the Lord who commissions can judge the servant, believers are to wait and judge nothing before the Lord comes.
God Chastens and May Take a Sinning Believer
Les teaches that God will chasten a believer who dabbles in sin; if the chastening does not wake the person up, God may take him out—what the Bible calls the sin unto death.
A Little Leaven Spreads Through the Whole Church
Les says church discipline is almost impossible today, but Scripture still requires dealing with born-again members who bring reproach to Christ's name, because unaddressed sin works like leaven through the whole assembly.
1 Corinthians 5:12: For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
Paul's question highlights that believers are to judge those inside the church, while God judges those outside.
1 Corinthians 5:4: In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul's remedy for a member in open gross sin was to confront the person when the church was gathered in Jesus' name.
Romans 14:4: Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Paul uses the master-servant picture to show why we cannot judge another believer.
Romans 8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Shows the lost are carnally minded and under death, not under Christian expectation.
Romans 8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
It explains why the unsaved cannot be expected to live by God's law, since their carnal mind is an enemy of God.
1 Corinthians 4:5: Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
Paul instructs believers to wait to judge until the Lord comes and reveals hidden things.
No—it forbids one kind of judging while requiring another. Paul says believers are not to judge another man's servant or judge before the Lord comes, but the church is told to judge those who are inside when gross sin is open (1 Corinthians 4:5, 5:12; Romans 14:4).
No. Les Feldick teaches that when gross immorality is open and a couple or member is living in sin, the church must confront them corporately rather than turning away. If they don't, the leaven spreads through the whole assembly.
No. Les says only God sees the heart and only God places a person into the Body of Christ. We are not to judge whether someone is a believer or tell them they are going to hell, because salvation may still come.
Les teaches that God will chasten a believer who dabbles in sin, and if chastening doesn't wake him up, God may take him out—the sin unto death. God will not let someone drag His name through the mud.
Watch the Teaching: What the Bible Really Says About Judging Other Christians