Doer or Judge?

I’ve had far too many moments where I zero in on someone else’s sin. I feel superior and super spiritual because I don’t sin in THAT way. Then there are those times when I have gone a step further and questioned whether the person sinning is even a Christian. If they were a Christian, they wouldn’t keep repeating that sin. To make matters worse, I’ve shared those thoughts with others. In today’s verses, James addresses this sinful thinking and speaking.

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. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? [1]

James 4:11-12

My Bible includes verses 11-12 under the section title “Warning Against Worldliness.” Some commentators consider it a continuation of 3:13-4:10. Certainly, verses 4:11-5:6 represent prideful sins that contradict what Daniel Doriani calls “Gospel humility” (called for in verse 10). Verses 11-12 can be associated with worldly wisdom, jealousy, selfish ambition, fights and quarrels, friendship with the world and two ways of living. Yet, they are also an independent section – independent but pulling in the above themes.

We are considering only two verses today, but as we work our way through to verse 5:6 over the next few weeks, James indictments intensify. He goes from calling his readers brothers (vs 11) to addressing you who say (vs 13) and you rich (vs 5:1). Some have questioned whether James shifted to addressing unbelievers after verse 12, but regardless, his teaching is beneficial for all of us. In each of these three sections, James gives us a “God is…” truth set against our human weakness. In each of these three sections, James continues to present a choice between serving God or serving self.

“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers” (vs 11a) – the Greek means to speak against. It can include critical speech, accusations, slander (false), or gossip (true but shared with the wrong people and wrong intent). In the Old Testament it was used for those speaking against the authority of Moses and God (Numbers 21:5). Peter used the Greek katalaleō in terms of a false accusation. Proverbs 10:18 calls a slanderer a fool, and David wrote, “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy” (Psalm 101:5). Speaking evil or slandering is a sin of speech rooted in selfish ambition and jealousy. James’ readers may have been speaking evil in a variety of the above ways. James says to stop!

“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” (vs 11b). What in the world is James talking about? We don’t speak evil against the law. Do we?

First, the law could refer specifically to the Old Testament law and even more specifically to Leviticus 19:16: “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” But more likely, James is also including Jesus’ teaching. Go back to James 2:8: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.”

It then follows that speaking evil against one another is failing to love others and to show humility. In other words, we are disregarding God’s law to love our neighbors and to choose humility over pride. We think we are above the law. We believe we can pick and choose what we want to obey. Douglas Moo writes, “Since James contrasts ‘judging the law’ with ‘doing the law’, he apparently thinks that failure to do the law involves an implicit denial of the law’s authority. However high and orthodox our view of God’s law might be, a failure actually to do it says to the world that we do not in fact put much store by it.”[2]

In chapter 1, we learned that genuine faith hears and does the Word of God. Our obedience is evidence of genuine faith. When we choose not to obey parts of God’s Word (which is actually breaking it all, vs 2:10), we speak evil against and judge the law.

But what else is James saying? Not only are we speaking evil against and judging the law, but we are setting ourselves up as judges. Let’s look at the meaning of judge and judging. It is important to define terms like this. In a conversation with someone, I used judge to mean condemnation. The other person used judge to mean discerning good or bad fruit in a believer’s life. We went round and round until we realized we were using different definitions.

James uses judge in the condemnation sense. Condemning another contradicts Paul’s encouragement: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If we are in Christ, we are no longer condemned. Jesus paid the price for our sin and imputed His righteousness to us. Douglas Moo explains, “James’ concern is with jealous, censorious speech by which we condemn others as being wrong in the sight of God.”[3]

Judging brings another’s faith into question. Paul supports James in his letter to the Romans:

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”[4]

Romans 14:1-13, emphasis added

Judging is a form of worldly wisdom (vs 2:4). We make a false judgment, or we focus on another’s speck of sin and ignore the log of sin in our own eye (Matthew 7:1-5). We are puffed up with pride, lacking humility and love, and blind to our own sin while condemning another for theirs. We fail to show the mercy and grace we have been shown.

But judging does something else that should humble and drive us to repentance. When we set ourselves up as judges, we highjack God’s rightful position as judge. “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy” (vs 12a). God alone has authority to destroy (condemn) or save.

God does establish a place for humbly, gently, lovingly helping to restore someone who is caught in sin (Galatians 6:1; Matthew 18:15-17), but there is a difference between this judgment and the judgment James describes. The first has a goal of restoration and is motivated by love. The latter, here in James, has a goal of tearing down and is motivated by selfish ambition and jealousy not love.

James ends verse 12 with a question for self-evaluation: “But who are you to judge your neighbor?” This question should cause us all to pause and reflect, to weigh our words and motivations before we speak accusingly. “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body” (Proverbs 16:24).

As we weigh James’ question, we should remember that apart from God’s mercy, we are all condemned. We should be devoted to restoring another in need not announcing their need or using it against them. Jesus’ atonement that speaks, “No condemnation!” over you speaks the same mercy and grace over the brother or sister in Christ you are tempted to speak evil against. Will you be a doer of the law of love or a judge?

Reflection

1.     Think of a time someone judged, slandered, or falsely accused you. How did you feel? How did you respond?

2.     Think of a time you judged, slandered, or falsely accused someone else. What was your motivation? After studying today’s passage, how would you handle it differently?

3.     Think of a time someone humbly, gently, lovingly came alongside you to help restore you when you were ensnared in a sin. How did you respond?

4.     Do you need to hear the truth that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? Is there someone you know that might need to hear that truth?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 4:11–12.

[2] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 156–157.

[3] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 157.

[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 14:1–13.