KOINONIA KILLERS
 
When Jesus hung on the cross, He said that the bulls of Bashan had surrounded Him (Psalm 22:12). The religious leaders of the day had completely misjudged Jesus, becoming so angry with Him that all they wanted to do was kill Him. 
 
tend to be very judgmental. They become easily angered and will charge even though we mean them no harm. The same thing happens when we are attacked by those who are judgmental. Their anger always stems from some skewed idea, some misconception that causes them to become angry, just like a bull. 
 
One Strong’s Greek definition of the word criticized is “to snort with anger”. Sounds like a bull, doesn’t it? I have noticed that often when I believe something about someone or misread something they did, it quickly creates deep anger in me. There is enough of a pattern to it, that now when I become angry with people, I am able to step back to see to what misjudgment I am making about them.
 
As I looked back upon a string of broken relationships, where we once enjoyed some close koinonia, I saw where my anger contributed to the breakdown. It stemmed largely from my being judgmental of them, saying things about them that I would not have said to them. I have also been misjudged in return, which was not only painful, but contributed to my wanting to end these relationships. I have found that being judgmental will kill a marriage, split a church, and ruin relationships, often before they have a chance to grow.
 
So often, we think we are being discerning when we are really just being judgmental. This Study Guide begins by looking carefully at what Jesus taught concerning being judgmental and takes us towards the need to become more discerning. My hope is that this book will help you to recover some valuable relationships before it is too late.