Speaking Evil in the Church

People love to quote Jesus’ warning to, “judge not lest you be judged,” especially when they are doing wrong.  James 4:11-12 also warns ending with the rhetorical question, “who are you to judge your neighbor.”  It sounds like Christians are told to be silent regarding evil in the church, but in fact, Jesus gave the church the authority to make binding decisions or “judgements.”  James 4:11-12, which flows from his question about what causes fights and quarrels in the church, is a warning to those who tromp over the process Jesus prescribed for addressing wrong-doing in the church recorded in Matthew 18.  The message from these texts, “Speaking Evil in the Church,” considers James’ warning in light of Jesus’ instructions.