The letter of James - 4:11-12
Charles Vincent
The Letter of James • Sermon • Submitted
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11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
(NLT)
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
James lightens up a little in this section. After calling his readers “adulterous people” and “double minded,” James shifts his tone back to the usual brothers and sisters, or believers.
James starts off with the probation of slander.
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.
I’m going to jump to the ESV translation here. This translation is closer to a word for word translation than a thought for thought translation.
I believe the NLT does a good job at staying true to the authors intended meaning. While this is great for a general reading of the Bible, the ESV seems to be more helpful when doing an in-depth study of the scripture.
11 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.
(ESV)
11 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.
While we’re not certain what this slanderous speech was, it was most likely a result of the quarrels and fights that James refers to in verse 1. Many times when there are arguments and disagreements, the simplest issues end up leading to personal attacks and judgmental attitudes.
Notice though, James takes this thought further. First he warns his readers about speaking evil against one another. Next, he adds judgement to this warning.
Don’t slander one another, if you do slander or judge one another you are speaking evil against the law and you are judging the law.
If you speak evil of each other you are judging the law. How did James make that connection?
Interestingly, it seems he is alluding back to Leviticus. You know, the book that runs you off track anytime you try to read through the Bible in a year.
Believe it or not, but Leviticus has some “golden nuggets” buried among some of the more “weird” commandments. Let’s read through a few.
11 “Do not steal.
“Do not deceive or cheat one another.
12 “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.
13 “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.
“Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.
14 “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.
15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.
16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.
“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.
17 “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.
18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
(NLT)
11 “Do not steal.
“Do not deceive or cheat one another.
12 “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.
13 “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.
“Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.
14 “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.
15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.
I think James has already referenced that command. Now, back to the slander though.
16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.
“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.
17 “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.
18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Do you remember back in chapter 2 verse 8 when James refers to this commandment as the “royal law?”
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
(NLT)
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
It’s interesting how James takes the old testament law and implies a new covenant context.
I believe that James is arguing that, if one slanders another, he is contradicting the command that we love our neighbors. If we fail to keep the law, then we become judge over it.
The last part of verse 11 helps deliver his though.
11 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.
(ESV)
11 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.
James is contrasting “judge the law” with being a “doer of the law.” Therefor, failure to do the law implies a denial of the law’s authority.
If we look at christianity through the eyes of James, we’ll see that it is more than a set of intellectual beliefs. We’ll see christianity as a reality to be tested by the measure of obedience.
12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
(NLT)
(NLT)
12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
Just to be clear, James is not condemning proper discernment of those in flagrant disobedience to the standards of faith. Paul goes into much detail about this in & 6.
9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.
12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
(NLT)
(NLT)
9 When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11 I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.
12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
When we start to piece together what James has been discussing, a picture starts to emerge.
A bitter, selfish spirit started to emerge in the church (3:13-18) which resulted in quarrels and disputes (4:1-2) that only grew because of lack of restraint in the use of words (3:1-12), including cursing (3:10) and slanderous accusations (4:11-12). James condemns this behavior as nothing more than a manifestation of a worldly spirit (3:15; 4:1, 4) needing to be replaced by “the wisdom from above,” with meekness, reasonableness, and peaceableness (3:17). This flirtation wit the world must be seen to be incompatible with God’s jealous desire to have his peoples wholehearted allegiance (4:4-5). Yet God is willing to turn and bestow his favor if sinful pride can give way to deep-felt repentance and sincere abasement before him (4:6-10).