1. In his commentary on James, John Macarthur tells the story of a happy little family that lived in a small town in North Dakota. Each evening the neighbors saw the husband and father being greeted at the gate by his wife and two small children. When the weather was nice, they would see the father and children playing on the lawn while the mother and wife looked on with a smiling face. Then one day a gossip started the story that the man was being unfaithful to his wife. It was a story entirely without foundation, but it eventually came to the ears of the wife. It was more than she could bear. That night when the husband came home there was no one to meet him at the gate. There was no happy children or smiling wife to greet him when he walked into the house. There were no happy sounds in the house or fragrant aroma coming from the kitchen, only coldness and something that chilled his heart with fear. He found his family, the three of them in the basement hanging from a beam. In despair, reason left its throne and the young mother had taken the lives of her two children and then her own. In the days that followed, the truth of what happened came out. A terrible tragedy caused by a gossiper’s tongue and an untrue story.  

2. The story reminds us of what gossip and slander can do. One of the major themes of the book of James is the wrong use of the tongue. We have seen in past studies that James has had much to say about the use of the tongue. We saw in chapter 1:19 that James told us to be “slow to speak.” In a strong rebuke James said in chapter 1:26, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his own tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.”  

3. In chapter 2:12 he says, “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” In chapter three he devoted a large section to the danger of the tongue and the damage it could cause. He spoke of the tongue as being “set on fire of hell” in 3:6 and as “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”  Once again in chapter 4 he addresses the subject of the tongue and deals specifically with slander, tearing and putting people down with our words.  

4. In Noah Webster’s 1828 edition of his dictionary, he gave this definition of slander:  

“A false tale or report maliciously uttered, and tending to injure the reputation of another by lessening him in the esteem of his fellow citizens, by exposing him to impeachment and punishment, or by impairing his means of living.”¹

5. As the years have passed the definition has been toned down considerably. In the 1975 edition of Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, this definition is given:  

“The utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation.”  

6. The basic meaning is there but gone is the words “maliciously uttered,” “tending to injure” and “lessening him in the esteem of his fellow citizens.” The condensed and revised definition we have today reminds me that we don’t always view slander the way previous generations may have done so.  It is true that there is a law where one can sue for defamation of character, but as a whole, we do not take it very seriously when it comes to talking about people in a way that tears and puts them down.  

7. We Christians are good about clothing slander in respectable garments. We talk negative about others and say things that injure a persons name and character and we do so by saying such things as: “There is something I’m really concerned about,” or “I want you to share with you something that I want you to help me pray about,” or “I’m not gossiping, but there is something I think you need to know.”  

8. It is a John Calvin described, “fondly exalting ourselves by calumniating others.” We do it in such a way that makes us look like one that is so caring, so concerned, and so spiritual, when all the time it is nothing more than a way of spreading gossip, sharing rumors, and lessening a person in the esteem of another.  

9. As we look at what James had to say about slander, we see that slander is a very serious matter. It matters not what kind of garment we may clothe our slander in, it is a very serious matter in the eyes of God. Let’s notice what James has to say about slander and see the seriousness of it. First we see:  

1. A BEHAVIOR IN THAT WE ARE DISPARAGING!  

1. We read in verse 11, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren.”  The words, “speak not evil” come from a word that means to slander. It describes someone speaking of another person in a disparaging way with the intention of putting them down. It is a word that describes the spirit of ever finding fault in others.  

2. We all have known of those who were always tearing people down and always finding fault in others. They are like the fellow I read about that man that walked into Joe’s Barber Shop for his regular haircut. Joe was known for putting others and things down. As Joe cuts his hair he asks, “What’s up?” The man tells him that he going on a vacation to Rome. Joe said, “ROME? Why would you want to go there? It’s a crowded, dirty city full of crazy people.” Joe then asked how he was getting there and the man told him he was flying TWA. Joe said, “TWA? That’s a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they are always late.” Joe then asked where they were staying and the man told him that they were staying at the downtown International Marriott. Joe said, “THAT DUMP? That’s the worst hotel in the city! The rooms are small, the service is terrible and they are way overpriced.” The man then told him that they were going to the Vatican to see the Pope. Joe said, “SURE? You and a million other people. He’ll look the size of an ant.” A month later the man came into Joe’s Barber Shop for his regular haircut. Joe asked, “How was your trip? I bet TWA gave you the worst flight of your life?” The man answered, “No, it was quite the opposite. Not only were we on time in one of their new planes, it was full and they bumped us up to first class. Everyone was so nice and the service was excellent.” Joe said, “Well, I bet the hotel was just liked I described?” The man answered, “No, quite the opposite. They had just finished a $25 million remodeling. It’s the finest hotel in Rome now. They were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us the presidential suite at no extra charge.” Joe mumbled, “Well, I KNOW you didn’t get to see the Pope!” The man answered, “Actually, we were quite lucky. As we were touring the Vatican, a guard tapped me on the shoulder and explained that the Pope likes to personally meet some of the visitors and if I would be so kind to follow him. He led us into this private room and in a few minutes the Pope came in and shook our hand.”  Joe then said, “WELL, DID he say anything to you?” The man answered, “Oh, not much really. He just asked me where I had got such an awful haircut?”  

3. As I said, we all have met a few Joe’s. Notice with me how James describes slander. First we see that slander is:  

A. A Divisive Behavior  

1. Notice the emphasis James places upon our relationship as brothers in the Lord. He says, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren.” Also, “He that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother.” Three times in verse 11 he refers to the relationship that believer’s have with one another. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a spiritual family.  

2. Slander does not promote harmony and fellowship in the family, but instead hinders and hurts our relationship with one another. The Bible tells us in:  

• Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another” and “preferring one another.”

• Romans 15:7, “receive ye one another”

• Romans 15:14, “admonish one another”

• Galatians 5:13, “serve one another”

• Ephesians 4:2, “forgiving one another”

• 1 Thessalonians 4:9, “love one another”

• 1 Thessalonians 4:18, “comfort one another”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “edify one another”

3. All these suggest the effort and aim of developing our relationship as brethren, not dividing. Secondly, the James describes slander as:  

B. A Devilish Behavior  

1. In James 2:7 we saw how James stated, “Resist the devil.” The word “devil” means, “slanderer, false accuser.” In Revelation 12:10, the devil is called the “accuser of the brethren.” I don’t think any believer would consciously do the work of the devil, but when one slanders, puts people down, and speaks of another person in a disparaging way, they are doing the work of the devil. To put it very simply, when we slander others we are acting like the devil.  

2. Peter used the word translated “devil” twice in 1 Peter to describe how unbelievers talk about believers. We read:  

1 Peter 2:12, "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."  

1 Peter 3:16, "Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ."  

3. Peter tells us that when we tear down others we are acting like someone that is unsaved. Or, to put it another way, we are acting like the children of the devil rather than the children of God.

4. Mark Littleton wrote: We speak against our brothers and sisters when we complain about them, carry stories that make them look bad, judge their motives, and condemn them. Anything we say that tears them down instead of building them up is speaking against them. And such speech is one of the most common problems among Christians today.”  

5. A problem among Christians today? Yes! Yet, it should be the least of our problems. Why? It is divisive and even worst, devilish. Notice secondly with me, not only a behavior in that we are disparaging but also:  

2. A BEHAVIOR IN THAT WE ARE DEFIANT!  

1. James shows the seriousness of slander by describing it as a defiant behavior on our part. When we talk about others and tear down others it reveals a defiant heart. Let me explain. Notice that slander:  

A. Reveals Our Disregard For God’s Commands  

1. We read in verse 11, “He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law.” James tells us that when we speak evil of others we are in the same breath speaking evil of the law or the commands of God. He uses the same words that he used to describe how we slander others. He says that the slandering of others is a slandering of the law.  

2. Notice that he not speaks of slandering other but also judging others. The word “judgeth” means, “to condemn, to call into question.” Now here is one of the things that make slander, talking about others behind their back, tearing them down, so serious. When we do so, we are showing our complete disregard of God’s commandments. In essence we are saying, I am not bound by God’s command. His command does not apply to me. We are in reality condemning what God has said and calling into question His command.  

3. I think you would agree with me, that it is serious business when we question God’s commands, and think that we are not bound by His commands. Yet, that is exactly what we do when we slander others for in doing so we are slandering His law. Furthermore we see that slander:  

B. Reveals Our Disobedience Of God’s Commands  

1. No doubt when James spoke of the law he was referring back to what he said in 2:8, “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,’ ye do well.” God’s command is to love one another, not slander and tear down one another. When we tear down others we are disobeying that command.

2. James says in verse 11, “but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.” James has already spoken to us about being a doer of the word. In 1:22 we read, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Now he says that when we slander others, we are not a doer of the word or of God’s commands. We are disobeyers instead of doers.  

3. One writer said that when we slander others we commit mutiny in God’s kingdom and that we are as guilty of shattering God’s law as when Moses broker the tablets at Sinai. Let me put it in very simple words. When we talk about others and tear down others, no matter how we excuse it or justify it, we are in essence saying that God’s law does not apply to us and that we are not bound by what God says. We are defiantly and blatantly defying God’s command and that my friend is serious business.  

4. Understanding what James says ought to make us think twice before we say anything about something that would be disparaging. The final thing I want you to see about this behavior is that it is:  

3. A BEHAVIOR IN THAT WE ARE DISQUALIFIED!  

1. James not only reminds us of how serious slander is, but reminds us that we lack the qualifications to pass judgment or condemn others. We read in verse 12, “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another.” James tells us that:  

A. It Is Not Our Role To Judge Others.  

1. James reminds us that there is one Lawgiver. There is no doubt that He is talking about God. He is the one and only Lawgiver. The word “Lawgiver” speaks of one who puts His laws into place.” We are not the ones who put the laws into place. We are not responsible for the moral laws that exist in this universe nor the written laws found in God’s Word. Neither you nor me is the author of the Bible.  God is the one who put the law into the place and He is the author of the Bible. He is one and only Lawgiver, therefore it is not my role to pass judgment on people or to condemn them.  

2. James tells us that God is the only one who is able to “save and to destroy.”  God is not only the giver of the law, He is the only one who applies the law as well.  

3. Furthermore, we see that:  

B. It Is Not Our Right To Judge  

1. James says in verse 12, “Who art thou that judgest another?”  Think with me about this statement for a moment. In the Greek language, one of the ways of putting emphasis on a word is to give it first place in the sentence, when normally it would appear later in the sentence.  

2. In verse 12 the word that is written first is the word “thou.” In other words, when reading the sentence the word “thou” should be stressed. We should read it, “Who art THOU that judgest another?”   James is saying, since God is the one and only Lawgiver, who am I to judge another. Who are we to sit in judgment on others? Who are we to talk about others and pass judgment on their life? It is not our role, therefore it is not our right.  

3. In a nutshell, James is asking, “Who made you God?” What right to do we have to talk about others in a negative way? What right do we have to render our opinion about others? We are not God. When we talk about others and tear down others we are acting as if we are God. As one writer said, we are saying, “Move over God, your throne has room for me.”  

4. The next time you are tempted to share a bit of gossip, or give your opinion about someone that is negative, or pass judgment on another, ask yourself, “Who made you God?” Who give you the role or the right to do so? Let me sum all James has said by reminding you of what God says elsewhere in His words. We read in:  

Leviticus 19:16, "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord."  

Psalm 101:5, "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer."  

5. God said in Psalm 50 God speaks of the wicked and the behavior of the wicked. We read in verses 19-20, “Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. [20] Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.” Slander is a mark of the wicked.  

6. We read in Psalm 15 that God speaks of the godly man and the behavior of the godly. We read in verse 3, “He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.” A mark of a godly man is that he does not slander others.  

7. A few years ago on one of our senior citizens trips, we visited Appomattox, Virginia where General Lee surrendered to General Grant. On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee put on his finest dress uniform, mounted his horse Traveler, and rode away from this tired and battered troops to Appomattox where he would surrender his army to Grant. Lee fully expected that his men would be herded like cattle into railroad cars and taken to a Union prison and that he, as their general, would be tried and executed as a traitor. In the living room of the home where the vanquished and victor met, Lee asked grant what his terms of surrender were to be. Grant told Lee that his men were free to take their horses with them and go back to their farms and that Lee was free to go home to began a new life. Lee offered Grant his sword, but Grant refused it. Lee heaved a sigh; he came expecting to be humiliated, but was able to leave with dignity and honor. As Grant watched Lee mount Traveler, Grant took off his hat and saluted his defeated enemy. General Lee was deeply affected by the act and actions of General Grant. And as long he General Lee lived, he never allowed one critical word about Grant to be spoken in his presence.  

8. Understanding what James has said about slander, as believers, we should never allow a single negative word to be spoken in our presence about another. Amen!  

1. Quoted in “The McArthur New Testament Commentary—James” by John Macarthur.
2. Quoted in “Turning Toward Integrity” by David Jeremiah