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James 4:11–12
“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge” (v. 11).
Quarreling because of unrestrained passions was a problem for many in the original audience of the epistle of James, and they were lapsing back into a friendship with the world (James 4:1–4). Thus, the Apostle gives instruction on how to live as friends of God and to restore peace to the church. To accomplish these goals, we must take advantage of the abundant grace that the Lord gives to His people by resisting the devil, repenting of our sin, and submitting ourselves to God’s reign by seeking to do what He commands (vv. 5–9). In other words, we need to humble ourselves, reject self-rule, and follow the dictates of King Jesus (v. 10; see 1:22–25; 2:8–13).
Today’s passage tells us that returning to God in humility, faith, and repentance must be accompanied by actions that promote harmony and unity, not fighting and division. James focuses on our speech again, directing us not to “speak evil against one another” (4:11). This emphasis makes sense, for in the heat of conflict, it is easy to fall into the use of personal insults and other sins of the tongue. James may have had in mind passages such as Leviticus 19:16, which prohibits slandering other believers, when he was writing this instruction. He almost certainly also had in view Jesus’ teaching against insulting other disciples (see Matt. 5:22).
James also tells us not to judge our brothers (James 4:11). He is not forbidding sober evaluation of others’ actions; rather, he means for us not to assume the right to determine the final spiritual end of others and not to judge other Christians as being in the wrong with God when they do not share our scruples about issues on which God has not spoken. Likely James is addressing a problem similar to what Paul deals with when he gives instruction on eating meat offered to idols. In warning us about judging other brothers, James is echoing Paul’s teaching that we are not allowed to pass judgment on fellow believers whose consciences lead them to disagree with us regarding biblically indifferent matters (see Rom. 14:1–12).
Finally, James notes that when we speak against and judge our fellow Christians, we speak against the law and usurp the prerogatives of the one true Judge of all (James 4:11–12). The law tells us not to slander, so when we slander, we are implicitly saying that the law is wrong, at least on that point. Moreover, we are standing in the place of God, who alone can judge a person’s destiny and his convictions about things regarding which God has left our consciences free.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Matthew Henry comments, “Since Christians are brethren, they should not defile nor defame one another.” Sometimes reports of the wrongdoing of others in the church must be given, but these should be given out of the motive of love for the offenders and for the church, not simply for the purpose of character assassination. We must guard against defaming other believers.
For further study
- Psalm 140:11
- Jeremiah 6:27–30
- Ephesians 4:29
- James 3:1–12
The bible in a year
- Deuteronomy 14–16
- Mark 14:10–31