James 4:12

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy Here again we have to trace a latent sequence of thought. The Giver of the Law is, St James implies, the only true and ultimate Judge (comp. 1 Corinthians 4:4-5), able to award in perfect equity the sentence of salvation or destruction. Men who are called by His appointment to exercise the office of a judge do so as His delegates. Those who are not so called do well to abstain altogether from the work of judging. The description of God as "able to destroy" presents a striking parallel to Matthew 10:28; the question "Who art thou that judgest another?" to Romans 14:4. On this point at least St Paul and St James were of one heart and mind. The word "destroy" does not necessarily either include or exclude the idea of annihilation.