Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary James 4:12

"One [only] is the lawgiver and judge, [even] he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor?" — James 4:12 (ASV)

In passing judgment, this critic of a fellow-Christian has usurped a position of authority that is reserved for God alone. God is the “one Lawgiver and Judge.” Since he gave the law, he is qualified to judge those who are responsible to keep it. That he is “able to save and destroy” is proof that he is in a position to enforce the law, rewarding those who keep it and punishing those who violate it. “But you—who are you?” catches James’s full force here. With shattering bluntness, he crushes any right his readers may have claimed to sit in judgment over others. This is not to rule out civil courts and judges, but it does root out the harsh, unkind, critical spirit that continually finds fault with others.