SPEAK NO EVIL! – James 4:11-12

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on July 25, 2012 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; July 25, 2012

James 4:11-12

Theme: We must not speak evil of one another in the Body of Christ.

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

There are certain sins that we as Christians have no difficulty recognizing as evil.  And in this morning’s text, we find a sin being described that the Bible condemns in terms as unambiguously or unsparingly as it describes any other.  But we as Christians typically react to this particular sin in a spirit far different from the way we react to others.  This is a sin that we don’t often think of as being ‘quite so bad’.  It doesn’t bother us to find this sin in our midst quite as much as it does to find others.  It’s one that we even tend to justify.  In fact, truth be told, it’s a sin we rather enjoy—a sin the works of which,as Proverbs 28:22 puts it, “are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.”  It’s the sin of speaking evil of others

In our passage this morning, James—with his typical ‘pastoral-directness’—calls this sin for what it is.  He lets us know that when we speak evil of someone else in the Body of Christ . . .

I.    WE MAKE OURSELVES OUT TO BE AGAINST OUR OWN FAMILY (v. 11a).

A. “Evil-speaking” within the Body of Christ can take one of at least four forms:

1. Propagation of an outright lie about a fellow believer.  This is a very serious thing to do; because as the Lord Jesus tells us, this is to engage in a practice that the devil himself is the “father” of (see John 8:44).

2. Manipulating the telling of a truth into a lie.  This was what the devil did to deceive the woman in the garden.  He took what God said and twisted it (see Genesis 3:1-5).

3. Hastily sharing something as true before we’ve really investigated it.  In order to prevent someone from being put to death on the basis of such an error, the Old Testament law required that there be more than just one witness against someone (see Deuteronomy 19:15)

4. Sharing something that is in fact true and investigated, but sharing it needlessly.  There is obviously a time for sharing something about another in the Body of Christ—but that’s only to be done in the context of church discipline (see Matthew 18:15-20)—not as a matter of gossip.  As Proverbs 11:13 puts it; “A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.”  Very few of us are willing to tell an out-right lie in the church family; but we’re all to willing to share an unnecessary “truth” out of a desire to diminish someone else.

B.  Pastor James writes, “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren . . .”  James establishes our family relationship with each other as Christians, calling us “brothers”.  (And note that he uses the word for “brothers” three times in verse 11 alone!)  This is James’ favorite word for his readers in this letter.  When he uses it, he reminds us that we have a common Father (in the Person of the God who adopted us), a common Brother (in the Person of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son), and a common kinship (in that we are brought together into God’s family as His children and are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit).  How evil, then, for us who are in the Body of Christ—united in such a wondrous way—to “speak evil of one another”!  It would be to act as if what the Bible says, when it teaches us that we are “brethren”, is a lie.

II.     WE MAKE OURSELVES OUT TO BE ABOVE GOD’S LAW (v. 11b).

A. As James goes on to say, “He who speaks evil of a brother and judges a brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law.  But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.”  This reminds us of Jesus’ principle in Matthew 7:1; “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  What Jesus meant by this—and what James meant as well—was that we’re not to judge the motives and character of people in a way that’s somehow distinct from God’s commandments and instructions; or that is somehow apart from any clear evidence of sin.

B.  We’re not talking here about occasions when it is right and proper to make a judgment  about something being “right” or “wrong”.  That’s something we—who are bearers of God’s revealed truth—must do in a fallen world such as ours.  But how can we know when it’s a proper and just thing to do?  A good rule to follow is to consider the ‘authority’ behind the judgment.  If it’s a matter of a humble submission to the judgment that God has already declared in His word, then—obviously—we must “judge”.  But if it’s a matter of the arrogant creation of our own fleshly criteria for judgment—in defiance, we might say, of God’s “judgment” in Scripture—then we must not “judge”.  James is saying, then, that  judging a brother in that second way is tantamount to speaking against and judging the law.  And this would be because of two things:

1. When we speak against a brother in an improper way, we are ourselves directly breaking God’s law.  We are—right then—doing something that God said in His law not to do.   (see Leviticus 19:16-18).  Clearly, whenever anyone speaks against his brother or judging his brother in the way that Jesus meant (and that James says to stop doing), such a person is breaking this primary commandment from God.

2. When we determine to speak against a brother or judge a brother in this way, we are, in essence, telling God that His laws aren’t sufficient enough.  We are presuming to know how to modify God’s rules for living and make them even better!  We are actually claiming to have a better standard of judgment for people than God Himself does!  When we thus judge our brother, we are daring to sit in judgment of God’s law.  And when we sit in judgment of God’s law, we are not, ourselves, doing it and are refusing to submit ourselves to it.  We are falling on to the wrong side of James 1:22; where James says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

III.   WE MAKE OURSELVES OUT TO BE IN CHRIST’S PLACE (v. 12).

A. James affirms, “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.  Who are you to judge another?”  When we speak against our brother, we presume to be his judge; and when we presume to be his judge, we are actually making ourselves out to sit in the place of authority that may only be occupied by the One true Judge—Christ Himself!  We make ourselves out to be in the place that only Jesus Christ Himself has the right to occupy! (See Deuteronomy 32:39; Matthew 10:28; 28:18; Acts 17:30-31).

B.  Only Jesus—the God-Man—is qualified to be the judge of people.  Consider that:

1. He alone has full wisdom and insight into the thoughts and motives of people.  He does not see things as mere men see them; “for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

2. He alone knows how to deal with the sin of our brother in a way that is perfectly balanced with justice and mercy.  Of Him alone can it be said that He is a Judge who is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:6-7).

3. He willingly gave Himself as the sacrifice for sins on His cross, and alone paid the full penalty for sin—and thus, He alone can declare the brother trusts in Him ‘free from condemnation’ with regard to whatever charge is brought against him.  As the Bible tells us, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.  Who is he who condemns?  It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.(Romans 8:33-                                              34).

C.  James’ literal words in the Greek are emphatic: “But you—who are you [that are] judging the neighbor?”  This reminds us once again of the great sin of Lucifer that is described for us in Isaiah14:12-14.  When we presume to be the judge of our brother, we are behaving like Satan in that we are, in essence, pridefully saying, “I will create the standard of right and wrong for other men.  I will seat myself above the law of God.  I will sit in the judgment seat against my brother.  I will make myself like the Most High!”  When we are behaving pridefully in this way, we are actually behaving in a way that imitates the devil himself.  Quite literally so, in fact; for did you know that the root meaning of the Greek word for “devil” (diabolos) is “the slanderer”?  In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren”.  Just knowing that we do the devil’s own work when we speak evil of one another should be enough to make us want to stay far from such a practice!

* * * * * * * * * *

What should we do about this sinful tendency in us?  First, we should repent of the sin of gossip and slander.  We must stop doing it outright.  In the grammar of the original Greek, James is literally saying, “Stop speaking against one another, my brethren.”  He is assuming that it’s going on already, and is ordering that it stop.  We need to ask God to show us where we have offended Him and injured others in this sin; and allow His Holy Spirit to apply His conviction to us in this area.

Second, we need to gently and lovingly—but firmly and resolutely—confront it when we see one another doing it in the church.  When we hear a conversation turning to open slander, we need to say, “I’m sorry, but I must excuse myself from this kind of a conversation.”  Or, when we hear gossip being shared with us about someone else, we need to ask, “Have you discussed this matter with them yet?”  (That question, by the way, usually puts and end to it!)

Third, as we look at the evil of this sin, we need to replace this practice with what God would have us do instead.  It helps to look at Jesus.  As God in human flesh, Jesus had more knowledge of people’s personal ‘dirty laundry’ than anyone.  He displayed that He was intimately aware of even the inner-most thoughts and private actions of the people He was in contact with.  (See for example Matthew 9:4; 12:24-25; John 1:48; 4:17-19, 29).  He, as John said, “knew all men” (John 2:24-25).  And yet, nowhere do we find Him gossiping or slandering specific people and revealing bits of information in order to take advantage of them—not even His enemies.  We find that He grew up increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52); and that people “bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).  He was characterized by a perfect balance—“full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  Even while on the cross, surrounded by evil, wicked mockers, He didn’t rail back at His enemies—but simply prayed for them (Luke 23:34).

Finally, we need to be honest and agree together that this is a sin that has no place in the Body of Christ.  In fact, we need to recognize that no one who has fellowship with a holy God can practice it (Psalm 15:1-3; 50:16-20; Romans 1:28-32; 2 Corinthians 12:20).  May God help us to confess it and put it far from ourselves.