James 4:11, commentary and pictures

Speak not evil of fellow believers nor judge them, whether by criticizing and condemning their actions and motives, by insinuation and suspicion, or by murmuring against those God has called to lead and teach. To speak evil of a brother and judge him is to speak evil of God's law and to judge the law, setting oneself above it as judge instead of obeying it as a doer. God alone is Lawgiver and Judge with power to save and to destroy, and Christ alone is appointed judge, for only He reads hearts and brings hidden things to light, so condemning others usurps the Creator's place. Such speech is no light matter but great sin, for words once spoken cannot be unsaid, growing with repetition into false reports that poison faith, alienate brethren, divide the church, and do the work of the accuser. The command therefore calls for humility before God, self-examination instead of criticism, cleansing of the false tongue, constant guarding against spreading or receiving evil reports, and loving, courteous care for souls for whom Christ died.

What Evil Speaking Means

The command means exactly what it says, forbidding fellow believers to speak evil of one another and to judge a brother. It forbids judging motives and actions, criticizing, condemning, and insinuations that spread suspicion, even criticism of others for acting or thinking differently. It belongs with the apostles' exhortations governing bearing, words, and actions in the body — peace, kind affection, kindness, courtesy, speaking the same thing, unity in mind and judgment, and living in peace with God's presence — teaching what manner of persons believers ought to be in view of the uncertainty of life. Keeping it requires sincere speech with no false words that are not meant, cleansing of the false tongue, affliction and mourning and weeping over sin, turning laughter into mourning and joy into heaviness, and humbling self in the sight of the Lord so He will lift up. Keeping it is part of seeking grace to overcome pride, self-esteem, self-importance and satanic traits, and thorough transformation of character in this respect is necessary to be saved.

It specially forbids lightly bringing accusation against those God has called as His ambassadors, leaders and teachers of His people. God has laid the heavy burden of His work upon His servants and has honored them, so they are to be honored and not murmured against in jealousy. Believers must not yield to jealousy against those God has honored, and God will hold the people accountable for the manner in which they treat His servants. The judgment visited upon Miriam is a rebuke to all who do so.

It forbids making a trade of a brother's mistakes and sins or condemning him, especially when the condemner is more guilty before God. Such conduct exposes a contradiction between a person's life and profession. No one in the church is to lift up and build up self by tearing down brethren, making a brother appear the worst possible while setting forth his own virtues in contrast with him. No one is to use indignation against some supposed wrong in a brother to lead others to appreciate his own virtues, yet this command has had too little weight with many whose names stand registered on the church books.

It forbids both spreading an evil report and listening to it or passing it on. Speaking to others about a brother's or neighbor's faults instead of first addressing the offender privately is sinful, and distress about the fault does not excuse this further sin, since neglecting the duty to correct privately cannot be remedied by speaking evil to someone else. Obeying requires constantly guarding the tongue and refusing to misuse the precious talent of speech, and when entering a neighbor's home believers are to come not to hear gossip but to be a help and a blessing, sowing seeds of truth as witnesses who encourage, enlighten, and make the things of God plain. When a talebearer brings an evil report about a brother or sister, courage is required to stop him, to refuse to let the mind be filled with disagreeable reports because they spoil peace of soul, to quench every evil suggestion, to seek only mental food that strengthens every good purpose, to keep Jesus dwelling in the heart as an honored guest, and to turn instead to asking God's blessing, living by faith that works by love and purifies the soul. When members see eye to eye they carefully study their words in order to be a blessing and to bring no reproach upon a brother, because speaking evil of another brings reproach back upon the speaker, and loving the neighbor as oneself puts an end to idle, mischievous whisperings, while the converting power of God sanctifies speech so that it is used to His glory and never to the injury of souls.

It does not forbid loving correction of those who do wrong, but it forbids merciless, thoughtless condemnation. No man has been placed on the judgment seat to judge his brother and define the character of his sin. Correcting fellow men, and especially brethren in the faith, requires wisdom from God and a growing experience in spiritual things so that spiritual things may be called by their right name. Those who judge their brethren try to remove a mote from the brother's eye while a beam is in their own eye that must first be removed before they can see clearly to help the brother. When things are thought not to be as they ought to be, the command forbids judgment and criticism by one man alone, but requires investigation by wise, true-hearted men whose lives give evidence that they are able to judge wisely and discreetly.

Judging Brother Judges Law

To speak evil of a fellow believer and to judge him is to speak evil of God's law and to judge the law itself. The one who does this takes the place of a judge of the law instead of obeying it as a doer, setting himself up above it rather than submitting to it. This is no light matter, for judging motives and actions, criticizing, faultfinding, accusing, and condemning fellow human beings usurps the Creator's prerogative, since God alone is Lawgiver and Judge who brings hidden things to light and makes the counsels of the heart known. The command therefore calls for avoiding evil speech, strife, harsh and divisive speech, and judgment of one another, and for humility before God, prayer for His help to overcome this sin, self-examination rather than criticism of others, and seeking reconciliation with those believed to have wronged them, because the use of the tongue has everlasting consequences.

To speak against the law and to judge it means to treat its commands as having no binding force. It includes teaching people to dissolve obligation to any or all of God's commandments and to set aside any part of them. Such teaching opposes Christ's gospel and betrays Him even when presented as honoring Christ and magnifying His work, and faith must never be preached in a way that weakens or cancels obedience to any commandment.

The verse belongs to James 4:5-12, which is to be read and studied word by word as for life and practiced in daily life, not merely read. It teaches that God's moral law remains binding on all who believe in Jesus Christ and must be obeyed, serving as the great moral looking-glass against which words, spirit, and actions are compared. Obeying it requires heart work first in these last days, especially by Seventh-day Adventists, and only by being doers and not forgetful hearers will they know the work the Lord has given them to reach lost souls, while to the larger number of professed believers these chapters remain a dead letter.

Such speech is not merely unkind toward a fellow believer but speaks against God's law and denies Christ. Climbing onto the judgment seat to condemn another shows that Christ is not enthroned in the heart. A critical spirit drives the Spirit of God from the soul.

God Alone Is Judge

James 4:11 teaches that to speak evil of a fellow believer and to judge him is to speak evil of God's law and to judge the law, putting oneself in the place of judge over the law instead of obeying it as a doer. God alone is Lawgiver and Judge, with authority to save and to destroy, and judging and condemning fellow human beings usurps the Creator's prerogative by taking His place and passing sentence upon one another. He alone brings hidden things to light and makes the counsels of the heart known, so judging motives and actions is no light matter. The verse therefore calls believers to turn from evil speech and judgment of one another, overcoming this sin through humility and prayer for God's help. It forbids merciless, thoughtless condemnation, not loving correction of those who do wrong.

Judgment belongs to Christ, who alone is appointed Judge because He took humanity upon Himself and lived a perfect life. Human beings cannot read hearts, do not know whom God approves or condemns, and must recognize their own ignorance and show mercy, remembering that they too will need mercy. No one is appointed to sit in judgment over others; each person's duty is to discipline himself, attend to his own spiritual life, and humbly leave judgment to Christ while approaching others with humility. Speech must be guarded so as not to discourage those whom God commends and sustains, but to pursue a course that builds up both self and the church.

God has not placed any man upon the judgment seat to measure brethren, pronounce sentence upon them, press judgment upon them, or define the character of their sin. To judge and rule another with a rough, hard, harsh, controlling spirit is out of order and not after Christ's order, but is self ruling while not under the control of the Holy Spirit, and all heaven beholds words uttered in that spirit. Such harsh judgment and censure does great harm and permeates the churches, spoiling the work of God, as if guarding the interests of the churches required harshness and human control. Correcting fellow men, and especially brethren in the faith, requires wisdom from God and a growing experience in spiritual things so that spiritual things may be called by their right name, lest one try to remove a mote from a brother's eye while a beam remains in his own eye that must first be removed. Instead of examining one another, brethren are to meet together with humble minds, feeling their weakness and defects, ask the Lord to enlighten their understanding and fill their hearts with His love, and examine the Scriptures; then Satan is defeated, difficulties imagined from molehills into mountains vanish, and love, compassion, and respect take the place of jangling and accusation.

Harm Done by Violation

Speaking evil of another and judging motives and actions is not a light thing but a great sin. It is especially encouraged when many believers are brought together in one place until many become absorbed in looking and listening for evil. Words spoken against a brother can never be unsaid. Suspicions sow seeds that spring up to bear a harvest of evil whose greatness will not be known until the last great day when every thought, word, and action is brought into judgment. Lightly bringing accusation against those God has called as His ambassadors, leaders, and teachers is specially forbidden, for God has laid the heavy burden of His work upon His servants and has honored them, and He will hold the people accountable for how they treat them, so they are to be honored and not murmured against in jealousy, and the judgment visited upon Miriam is a rebuke to all who do so.

Thoughtless, unkind words grow with every repetition as one and another adds a word until the false report assumes large proportions and great injustice is done. By unrighteous suspicions and unrighteous judgments tale-bearers hurt their own experience and sow seeds of discord in the church. While finding fault with brethren and sisters they neglect the work God has given them to do, which they would see and change if they saw things as God sees them.

Such words foster suspicion and distrust, poison faith, and alienate brothers from one another. They hinder God's work rather than restore and strengthen those who are weak. They divide brethren and do Satan's work, for Satan is an accuser of the brethren and exults when the leaven of dissatisfaction works in human hearts. This comes from not understanding self, misinterpreting the words and deeds of others from a finite standpoint, being led astray by imagination, and employing unsanctified feelings and tongues in a service and work that is unholy and unlike Christ.

It brings weakness into the church and places an obstruction in the way of a fellow Christian for which the speaker has an account to settle with God. It brings pain to Christ who is present when it is done and speaks things that should never find utterance. Evil and unjust speech wounds those who love God and truth and are trying to serve Him. False, harmful words can confuse and deeply distress people, and uncontrolled speech makes the speaker an instrument of Satan's work against them.

Thinking and speaking evil of a brother can wound and tear him down, often from fear that he will gain greater influence, and this wrong influence can harm the church. It trammels a fellow worker by imaginings and suspicions, by what is heard or supposed, by standing aloof and criticizing anything supposed not exactly right, by putting on criticizing glasses and magnifying every defect, and by making his way unpleasant. Continuing in such evil speaking proves a hindrance to ministers and people in the church, in the office of publication, and in the different branches of the work unless hearts are humbled. Instead brethren are to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord so He will lift them up, stop hindering a fellow worker, make a clear path, lay hold and help all they possibly can, give room to work, and help and encourage.

Making a brother's mistakes and sins a subject of attack is especially wrong when the one condemning him is more guilty before God. Such conduct exposes a contradiction between a person's life and Christian profession when the life does not match it. Speaking evil of another brings reproach back upon the speaker, so when church members see eye to eye they carefully study their words in order to be a blessing and to bring no reproach upon a brother. Evil reports carried from place to place about any person and any institution destroy confidence and make hearts sad and sore, and they turn the lame, those weak in the faith, out of the way.

Faultfinding and discouragement turn fellow servants into opponents, when Christians should instead keep God's interests in view and serve under Christ, their Captain. Speaking against fellow believers and judging them is incompatible with serving God faithfully. A truly converted person does not dwell on others' faults, speak harshly, or heap abuse on those who have gone wrong, for God has not appointed believers to punish the erring in this way.

Living Out the Command

Obedience begins with humbling the self before the Lord so that He may lift up, choosing self-examination instead of criticism of others. Sincere speech with no false or empty words is required, with cleansing of the false tongue, affliction and mourning and weeping over sin, and turning laughter into mourning and joy into heaviness. Grace must be sought in prayer to overcome pride, self-esteem, self-importance, and satanic traits of character, for thorough transformation in this respect is necessary in order to be saved. The use of the tongue carries everlasting consequences, and harsh, divisive speech must give way to humility and reconciliation with those believed to have done wrong.

Evil speaking and evil thinking are to be renounced by solemn pledge, as much needed as the pledge against intoxicating liquor, covering speech against any person and any institution. Such speech is rubbish in the soul temple and a barrier that must be removed by humbling the heart before God, confessing wrongs, and clearing away bitter feelings. When this is done the Sabbath can be kept to the glory of God.

Keeping the command requires constantly guarding the tongue and refusing to misuse the precious gift of speech by speaking evil of a brother or passing on an evil report heard about him. It requires both refusing to spread evil reports and refusing to let the mind be filled with them, for they spoil peace of soul. When a talebearer comes with an evil report about brother or sister, courage is needed to stop him, to quench every evil suggestion, to seek only mental food that strengthens good purpose, and to keep Jesus dwelling in the heart as an honored guest. Instead believers are to come as a help and blessing, sowing seeds of truth, encouraging, enlightening, making plain the things of God, asking His blessing, and living by faith working by love which purifies the soul. Loving the neighbor as self puts an end to idle, mischievous whisperings, and converting power sanctifies speech to God's glory and never to injury, since speaking evil of another brings reproach back upon the speaker.

Instead of examining one another, brethren are to discipline themselves and attend to their own spiritual life. They are to meet together with humble minds, feeling their weakness and defects, ask the Lord to enlighten understanding and fill hearts with His love, and examine the Scriptures. Criticism of others for acting or thinking differently, and insinuations that spread suspicion, must give way to harmony and unity. Then Satan is defeated, imaginary difficulties magnified from molehills into mountains vanish, and love, compassion, respect, harmony, and unity take the place of jangling and accusation.

A fellow worker must no longer be hindered or trammeled by imaginings and suspicions, by hearsay or supposition, by aloof criticism of anything supposed not exactly right, by magnifying every defect through criticizing glasses, or by making his way unpleasant. Instead a clear path is to be made, room given to work, and all possible help and encouragement extended, for continuing in such evil speaking hinders ministers and people, the publishing work, and the different branches of the work unless hearts are humbled. Hard feelings are not to be carried, but personal difficulties settled, alienation and differences removed, and unity sought through prayer and honest confession. Speech must be guarded so as not to discourage those whom God commends and sustains, with each one pursuing a course that builds up self and the church.

Keeping the command means the heart filled with the love of Christ, loving one another as brethren, and being pitiful and courteous in dealing with souls so precious that God gave His only Son for their redemption and Christ died for them. Strife and contention are bitter fruit not borne on the Christian tree, and those inclined to make discord need the transforming power of grace. Carefulness in how such souls are treated, with Christ's love revealed in the life, is the sign of discipleship to church and world and a strong argument for genuine conversion, while those who like ministering angels work for the salvation of souls become closely allied to God.