Judge Righteous Judgment | Clip 2 | Derek Prince

Summary

Derek Prince teaches that Christians have a responsibility to make some judgments, but that this responsibility has boundaries and must be exercised fairly.

Matters Christians should judge

• Disputes between believers: Prince says these should be handled within the church rather than taken to secular courts. He recounts a church dispute over money that reached a civil court, whose judge reportedly called it a reproach that the church had not resolved it itself.
• Doctrinal error that causes division: Citing Romans 16:17, he says the church should identify and avoid people whose teaching contradicts received doctrine and becomes a source of division.
• Ministries and spiritual claims: Churches should test people who claim to be apostles, prophets, or otherwise speak for God. Prince stresses that this is a collective responsibility, not simply an individual’s verdict.
  • Prophets and prophecy should be judged by their fruit and discerned by other people with the relevant ministry, rather than accepted automatically because someone speaks loudly or claims spiritual authority.
  • Church officers, such as deacons, should be examined before appointment; leaders are responsible for assessing their character, conduct, and doctrine.
• Spiritual manifestations: He says believers should test spirits rather than accept every spiritual message. The central test he highlights is a person’s or spirit’s confession of Jesus Christ—particularly whether Jesus is acknowledged as Lord and as having come in the flesh.
• Core doctrine versus secondary disputes: Prince distinguishes the basic confession about Jesus from matters he regards as secondary, such as worship-day practices or women’s head coverings. He warns against dividing over lesser issues while treating denial of the core confession as serious.

Matters individuals should not judge

• A fellow believer’s conduct when it does not affect one’s own life or lead one to act against conscience. Prince says an individual’s jurisdiction is limited; when judgment is needed beyond that, it belongs to the church.
• Other people’s children, unless their conduct directly affects the person judging.
• Members of another church or Christian group. If a matter needs attention, Prince recommends that it be handled by the leaders of the respective churches—“shepherd to shepherd,” rather than “sheep to sheep.”
• He warns against speaking evil of fellow believers or taking authority that has not been given. He describes unauthorized judgment as meddling in matters outside one’s responsibility.

Prince’s five principles for righteous judgment

1. Judge righteously. Judgment must be fair and consistent with God’s standards.
2. Establish the facts. Do not rely on rumor or unverified reports. Prince points to the biblical examples of investigation and diligent inquiry before acting.
3. Let the accused face the accusers. The accused must have an opportunity to hear the charge and answer it.
4. Require at least two reliable witnesses—preferably three. A person should not be condemned on the testimony of a single witness.
5. Hold witnesses accountable. People giving testimony must be prepared to stand behind it. Prince cites the Mosaic principle that a false witness should face the consequence the accused would have faced if the accusation had been proved.

He adds that judgment should have a proper purpose and, when wrongdoing is established, be followed by appropriate action. He presents these safeguards as consistent with divine practice, the law of Moses, the Sanhedrin, Roman legal principles, and church practice.

Overall warning

Prince cautions that judging outside one’s authority makes a person a “busybody” and amounts to taking the judge’s place. He concludes with James’s warning against speaking evil of or judging a brother, emphasizing that God is the ultimate lawgiver and judge.

Speakers and sources featured

• Derek Prince — the main speaker.
• Audience members — briefly respond to questions, including identifying believers as the sheep in Jesus’ metaphor.
• Biblical texts quoted or cited: Romans 16:17; Revelation 2:2; Matthew 7:15–20; 1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 Timothy 3:10; 1 Corinthians 12:1–3; 1 John 4:1–3; 2 John 7–11; Genesis 18:20–21; Deuteronomy 13:12–15, 17:6–7, 19:15–21, and 5:17–20; John 7:24, 7:51; Acts 25:15–16; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; 1 Peter 4:15; James 4:11–12; and Romans 1:30. He also refers to Paul’s teaching about differing practices concerning food and religious days in Romans.
• Other named or cited sources: Prince’s book How to Judge Prophecy; Bob Mumford, whose humorous “new beatitudes” are mentioned; and a newspaper report about the Canadian church dispute.