When Jesus said, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." he placed the critical faculty where it properly belongs—in the realm of spiritual perception or the divine wisdom. The capacity to form an unbiased, correct judgment or a critical analysis founded on Truth, springs from absolute knowledge of God as Principle, and is an integral part of the mental equipment of a child of God. With spiritual discernment it pierces the density of material belief and beholds the radiant truth of creation,—man and the universe forever perfect in God's likeness. This judgment is the antithesis of condemnation or censure, for it is born of Love, and therefore could injure no one. When, however, we apply the exclusive meaning of condemn to the word criticize, as is so often done, we not only display ignorance of its real signification, but we deprive ourselves of many benefits which true criticism offers to every one with an open mind and a receptive heart.
The word criticize is derived from the Greek word krino which means to judge, esteem, select, or separate. In the Greek New Testament we find this word krino used frequently in combination with two prepositions— ana meaning up, and kata meaning down. When Paul speaks of "the things of the Spirit of God" as being incomprehensible to "the natural man" because they are "spiritually discerned," the word for discern is anakrino, implying a mental uplift or inspired vision, a judging upward —above the testimony of the physical senses. On the other hand, the word katakrino is used in the eighth chapter of John, where the record states that Jesus said to the woman, "Neither do I condemn (judge or mentally look down upon) thee."
To students of Christian Science these distinctions are illuminating; for Christian Science, being the Science of absolute truth about God, man, and the universe, teaches its students the necessity of accuracy in thought, word, and action. It teaches them also the importance of emphasizing the positive, constructive aspect of words as well as of thoughts, and thus to be on guard against accepting the negative, destructive significance which mortal mind invariably suggests.
