James 4:12

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER. 'Aleph (') A B, Vulgate, 'and judge' [ ho (G3588) nomothetees (G3550) kai (G2532) kritees (G2923)], 'There is one (alone) who is (at once) Lawgiver and Judge; (namely), He who is able to save and destroy.' God alone is Lawgiver, and therefore Judge, since it is He alone who can execute His judgments: our inability in this shows our presumption in trying to be judges. WHO ART THOU ... The order is emphatic 'But (in 'Aleph (') A B, Vulgate) thou, who art thou that,' etc. How rashly arrogant in judging...

12_There is one lawgiver _(134) Now he connects the power of saying and destroying with the office of a lawgiver, he intimates that the whole majesty of God is forcibly assumed by those who claim for themselves the right of making a law; and this is what is done by those who impose as a law on others their own nod or will. And let us remember that the subject here is not civil government, in which the edicts and laws of magistrates have place, but the spiritual government of the soul, in which the word of God alone ought to bear rule. There is then one God, who has consciences subjected by right to his own laws, as he alone has in his own hand the power to save and to destroy. It hence appears what is to be thought of human precepts, which cast the snare of necessity on consciences. Some indeed would have us to shew modesty, when we call the Pope antichrist, who exercises tyranny over th...

11-17 Our lips must be governed by the law of kindness, as well as truth and justice. Christians are brethren. And to break God's commands, is to speak evil of them, and to judge them, as if they laid too great a restraint upon us. We have the law of God, which is a rule to all; let us not presume to set up our own notions and opinions as a rule to those about us, and let us be careful that we be not condemned of the Lord. "Go to now," is a call to any one to consider his conduct as being wrong. How apt worldly and contriving men are to leave God out of their plans! How vain it is to look for any thing good without God's blessing and guidance! The frailty, shortness, and uncertainty of life, ought to check the vanity and presumptuous confidence of all projects for futurity. We can fix the hour and minute of the sun's rising and setting to-morrow, but we cannot fix the certain time of a...

Verse 12. _THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER_] και κριτης, _And judge_, is added here by AB, about _thirty_ others, with both the _Syriac_, Erpen's _Arabic_, the _Coptic, Armenian, AEthiopic, Slavonic,_ _Vulgate_, two copies of the _Itala, Cyril_ of Antioch, _Euthalius,_ _Theophylact_, and _Cassiodorus_. On this evidence Griesbach has received it into the text. The man who breaks the law, and teaches others so to do, thus in effect set himself up as a _lawgiver_ and _judge_. But there is only one such lawgiver and judge-God Almighty, who is _able to save_ all those who obey him, and _able to destroy_ all those who trample under feet his testimonies. _WHO ART THOU THAT JUDGEST ANOTHER?_] Who art thou who darest to usurp the office and prerogative of the supreme Judge? But what is that _law_ of which St. James speaks? and who is this _lawgiver_ and jud

THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER - There is but one who has a right to give law. The reference here is undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Legislator of the church. This, too, is a most important and vital principle, though one that has been most imperfectly understood and acted on. The tendency everywhere has been to enact other laws than those appointed by Christ - the laws of synods and councils - and to claim that Christians are bound to observe them, and should be punished if they do not. But it is a fundamental principle in Christianity that no laws are binding on the conscience, but those which Christ has ordained; and that all attempts to make other laws pertaining to religion binding on the conscience is a usurpation of his prerogatives. The church is safe while it adheres to this as a settled principle; it is not safe when it submits to any legislation in religious matters as...

EXPOSITION JAMES 4:1 REBUKE OF QUARRELS ARISING FROM PRIDE AND GREED. A terribly sadden transition from the "peace" with which James 3:1. closed. JAMES 4:1 WHENCE WARS AND WHENCE FIGHTINGS AMONG YOU? The second "whence" (πόθεν) is omitted in the Received Text, after K, L, Syriac, and Vulgate; but it is supported by א, A, B, C, the Coptic, and Old Latin. WARS … FIGHTINGS (πόλεμοι … μάχαι). To what is the reference? Μάχαι occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in...

THERE IS ONE LAWGIVER,.... The Alexandrian copy, and others, and the Syriac, Ethiopic, and Vulgate Latin versions, add, "and judge". Who is the one only Lord God, Isaiah 33:22. This is a character that may be applied to God the Father, who gave the law to the people of Israel, both the judicial and ceremonial law, and also the moral law; from his right hand went a fiery law, and to him belongs the giving of it; and also to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus who is King of saints, and lawgiver in his house; who has given out commandments to be observed, and laws of discipline for the right ordering of his house, and kingdom, to be regarded; and particularly the new commandment of love, which is eminently called the law of Christ; and which is most apparently broke, by detraction and speaking evil one of another: now there may be inferior and subordinate lawgivers, as Judah is said to be God's...

James 4:1. _From whence come wars and fightings among you?_ Whether between nations, or parties or individuals,-if there be wars and fightings, whence do they come? James 4:1. _Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?_ Do they not arise from one desiring something, and another desiring the same thing? Is there not a competition or emulation of an evil kind, in which each one prefers himself, and seeks not the good of his neighbor? James 4:2. _Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not,-_ This is nature's way of trying to get by contention what it desires to possess,-fighting, and warring

SAVE (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 1:16). _...

JAMES 4:12 @o`# (1) {C} Because manuscript evidence for and against the inclusion of o` before nomoqe,thj is rather evenly balanced, with no compelling considerations arising from either palaeography or syntax, the Committee retained the article but enclosed it within square brackets....