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When taken to excess, even things that are unarguably good become a problem. Sometimes, things turn into their very own opposites when taken just a little bit too far. An excess of courtesy is discourtesy. Excess of sorrow laughs, excess of joy weeps.

It is the same with excess of caution and piety. When Christians use the "don't judge" scriptures in excess caution or excess piety they are being incautious and impious.

Christians need only consider their responsibilities in rearing their own children in order to understand the balance in judging and correcting error. No Christian parent would willingly ignore sinfulness and misbehavior, nor even ignorance and bad manners in their children. It is worldly foolishness that advises (or even demands) that parents not actively discipline their children for sinfulness and misbehavior. The responsibilities of spiritually mature Christians (elders) within the body of Christ and the pressures of the world in opposition are much the same as with parents.

Having said that, I suggest looking at the following verses while considering the correct balance in discerning and correcting error.

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them". (Acts 20:28-30).

Alert and mature Christians notice and oppose both error from without "come in among you" and error from within "from among your own selves."

I offer these thoughts with respect and good will as between brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thank you for sharing your views, dear delacoert!

In my Christian walk - including the raising of my daughter and step-children - I have kept the distinction between judging the matter and judging the person.

For instance, I would say to one of the kids "that was a stupid thing to do." I would not say "you are stupid."

Likewise, I discern the fruits of someone speaking about Christ - and his doctrines - but I refrain from judging him personally. Christ's teaching here in the Sermon on the Mount (both from Matthew 7) deals with judgment first and then discernment:

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. - Matthew 7:1-5

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. - Matthew 7:15-20

We are to judge matters among ourselves and choose to suffer wrong rather than sue for damages:

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather [suffer yourselves to] be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that [your] brethren. - I Corinthians 6:1-8

However, we are also commanded to discern the evil in the midst of our assembly and eject the evil doer for his own sake and for the sake of the assembly.

It is reported commonly [that there is] fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, [concerning] him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth. - I Cor 5:1-8

I choose to judge matters but not people because I am not certain whether I have removed the beam in my own eye.

The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jer 17:9

God's Name is I AM.