Qualified To Teach
Matthew 7:1

    Every one of us has logs in our eyes, and we should therefore pray to our Father in the heavens for his help in removing those logs. If one is going to give advice, should he not also practice what he is advising?  Jesus was one who did this perfectly, and his example is one in which we must all strive to follow.  If a person hasn’t learned to obey what is written in the Word nor has read or heard the Word, how much more so should he avoid teaching others about something he hasn’t even read in its entirety? For example, if someone hasn’t been married before, or if he is divorced how is it possible for him to give unmarried people or newly married couples sound advice on how to have a successful marriage. It is clear that if we want to get someone's respect, we had better be experts in the subject we are teaching.

James 3:1-18 GNB My friends, not many of you should become teachers. As you know, we teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others. 2 All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being. 3 We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. 4 Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. 5 So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. 7 We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures---wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. 9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. 10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen! 11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. 12 A fig tree, my friends, cannot bear olives; a grapevine cannot bear figs, nor can a salty spring produce sweet water. 13 Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom. 14 But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. 18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.

Another aspect about judgment is that if we are judging someone harshly on a matter, we too can expect harsh judgment when and if we find ourselves in a similar situation as the one we were judging.

Judges 1:4-7 GNB  and Judah went into battle together. YHWH gave them victory over the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.  5  They found Adonibezek there and fought him.  6  He ran away, but they chased him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.  7  Adonibezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. God has now done to me what I did to them." He was taken to Jerusalem, where he died.

On the other hand if we are kind in our judgment, then we can expect to be treated with kindness if and when we find ourselves in a similar position. Thus it goes both ways.

Acts 10:1-4 ASV  Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,  2  a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.  3  He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius.  4  And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God.

Acts 10:44-48 ASV  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word.  45  And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.  46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,  47  Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?  48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

One thing we don’t know,  is where a person's favor meter reads with God. If his favor meter is better than ours, then it’s very possible that in some later time we might find ourselves being judged by that very one. The Book of Esther is a book to read on this matter. But here are some scriptures from the Gospels:

Luke 16:1-8 GNB Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master's money, 2 so he called him in and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Turn in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.' 3 The servant said to himself, 'My master is going to dismiss me from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.' 5 So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6 'One hundred barrels of olive oil,' he answered. 'Here is your account,' the manager told him; 'sit down and write fifty.' 7 Then he asked another one, 'And you---how much do you owe?' 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he answered. 'Here is your account,' the manager told him; 'write eight hundred.' 8 As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light."

Luke 6:37-38 GNB "Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you. 38 Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands---all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you."

A very important consideration we, as Christians, must take into account is that when we judge someone, the way in which we are judging is going to determine what our Master's judgment on us shall be when his judgment comes. An interesting and very clear warning he gave was the following:

Matthew 18:23-35 GNB because the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants' accounts. 24 He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had, in order to pay the debt. 26 The servant fell on his knees before the king. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay you everything!' 27 The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go. 28 "Then the man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and started choking him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he said. 29 His fellow servant fell down and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back!' 30 But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail until he should pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything. 32 So he called the servant in. 'You worthless slave!' he said. 'I forgave you the whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to. 33 You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you.' 34 The king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished until he should pay back the whole amount." 35 And Jesus concluded, "That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Another powerful example regarding judgment and forgiveness is:

Luke 7:36-50 GNB A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat. 37 In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee's house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume 38 and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, "If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!" 40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Yes, Teacher," he said, "tell me." 41 "There were two men who owed money to a moneylender," Jesus began. "One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. 42 Neither of them could pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Which one, then, will love him more?" 43 "I suppose," answered Simon, "that it would be the one who was forgiven more." "You are right," said Jesus. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came. 46 You provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume. 47 I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love." 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" 50 But Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

And:

Luke 18:9-14 GNB Jesus also told this parable to people who were sure of their own goodness and despised everybody else. 10 "Once there were two men who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, 'I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there. 12 I fast two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all my income.' 13 But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, 'God, have pity on me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you," said Jesus, "the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great."

Also:

John 8:3-11 GNB The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. 4 "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?" 6 They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7 As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, "Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her." 8 Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. 10 He straightened up and said to her, "Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?" 11 "No one, sir," she answered. "Well, then," Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again."]

Now suppose we do good work all our lives and measure out good things to all those under our judgment, but despite our earlier efforts of kindness, we find ourselves in a very difficult and trying situation? Should we get angry with God? Remember Job? Remember Paul? Remember David? Remember Jesus? God puts us through these situations because he wants to refine our hearts to purity, and in the end he rewards us.

1 Peter 4:12-19 GNB  My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you.  13  Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed.  14  Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.  15  If you suffer, it must not be because you are a murderer or a thief or a criminal or a meddler in other people's affairs.  16  However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.  17  The time has come for judgment to begin, and God's own people are the first to be judged. If it starts with us, how will it end with those who do not believe the Good News from God?  18  As the scripture says, "It is difficult for good people to be saved; what, then, will become of godless sinners?"  19  So then, those who suffer because it is God's will for them, should by their good actions trust themselves completely to their Creator, who always keeps his promise.

James 5:9 GNB Do not complain against one another, my friends, so that God will not judge you. The Judge is near, ready to appear.

James 4:11-12 GNB Do not criticize one another, my friends. If you criticize or judge another Christian, you criticize and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it. 12 God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else? 

Therefore the best thing we can do is be good examples in our deeds to our brothers and sisters.