Thorough Reasoning (διαλογισμός) and Thorough Judge (διακρίνω)
“Thorough reasoning” refers to inner deliberations or reasoning, primarily used to describe the reasoning within the heart of man. From the heart proceed malignantly evil deliberations, along with murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, and the like (Matthew 15:19). It is the things that come out of the heart that defile a man (Matthew 15:20). The heart is the center of a human being, where the person and determinate will reside; therefore, it is where determinations are made. Within the heart, deliberations are formed that influence a person’s actions.
In working out our own salvation—not gaining it, but using it, for salvation is obtained only through faith—we are to do all things apart from complaining and disputing. Disputing in this passage refers to the inner deliberations or reasonings which, when added to grumbling, are not beneficial for the working out of our salvation (Philippians 2:14).
When men are not thankful and fail to maintain a proper opinion of God, they become futile in their inner reasonings, which in turn corrupt their hearts (Romans 1:21). Such inner deliberations cause a person to profess himself to be wise while becoming a fool, thereby exchanging the incorruptible glory of God for that of corruptible man, birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things (Romans 1:22–23).
Among the brethren, we are not to receive one who is weaker in the faith for the purpose of deliberating over doubts (Romans 14:1). Under grace, the food we eat and the days we observe do not defile us unless we act against our conscience, for in doing so we act out of doubt. Doubting is a thorough judging for the purpose of justifying an action we perceive to be a violation of God’s expectation of us. Acting while doubting is sin for the Christian (Romans 14:23).
Peter was instructed by God not to doubt going with the Gentiles who stood at his door while he was residing in Joppa, for an angel had instructed Cornelius to send for him (Acts 11:12). Peter could have judged his way out of entering the home of a Gentile, but God used this opportunity to show the Jews that Gentiles were now being accepted into the Church along with them. After this event, when Peter returned, those of the circumcision questioned how he could eat with uncircumcised men. Peter explained his vision and instructions, along with what happened when he shared with them the resurrection of Christ. Based on these facts, the Jews accepted that God had also granted the Gentiles repentance unto life (Acts 11:18).
The root concept of “thoroughly judging” is not always used in a negative way. When it is done for the purpose of justifying an action that is otherwise contrary to God’s standard, it is doubting. However, it may also be used in a positive way, as when we thoroughly judge our own actions so that we do not face discipline from the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:31–32).
In James 2:4, the one who shows partiality sets himself up as one who thoroughly judges the reasonings of others. Likewise, if a person eats and drinks of the Lord’s table apart from thoroughly judging the Lord’s body, he eats and drinks discipline and even scourging upon himself (1 Corinthians 11:29). Doubting is not in view here; rather, it is the proper judging of one’s actions to ensure that fellow saints are treated as equals within the body.
There are times when we must use thorough judging, not doubting. For example, when dealing with those engulfed in sin: on some we are to have mercy by making a thorough judgment concerning their actions, but others we are to save with fear, pulling them out of the fire while being indifferent to the defilement of the flesh (Jude 20–23).