“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.” (James 4:11)
As was observed earlier in these comments on James, every chapter in this epistle has something to say about the tongue, gossip or words of our mouths.
How could these scattered, persecuted Christians be involved in such a sin as described in our text? The answer is, that it is part of human nature. One has only to see how the Israelites spoke against their leader, Moses, when he had brought them out of Egyptian slavery and bondage and through the waters of the Red Sea.
Not only does the abrasive critic of his brother speak evil of his brother, he speaks evil of the law and becomes a judge of the law. This gossip becomes the arresting officer, the prosecuting attorney, the jury, the judge and the executioner.
My mother-in-law often said, “If you can’t say something good about someone just don’t say anything.”
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