Grudge Not

Robert Wurtz II

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. (James 5:9)

 

I rarely read the Bible, and something scares me—but this verse did. I’ve been familiar with the verse nearly all my Christian life but never understood the meaning. Perhaps it’s because so many translations obscure the original text or water down the verse, causing it to lose its impact. 

 

I happened upon it doing a word study on the topic of damnation or final judgment. The Greek aorist passive of κρίνω means “damned, condemned” by God (divine passive); see BDAG, 567-69. (NICNT) Damned? Condemned? Judgment at the door? For what? 

 

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 

 

This is a terrifying picture. The Judge is “at the door,” with His hand on the latch while He’s listening and ready to execute judgment (EBC). Not just any judge, but the judge of all the earth. Not just any court appearance but the final judgment. It hearkened back to Matthew 7:1, where we are told not to judge lest we be judged.  

 

Childlike Acceptance of Scripture

 

As a child, I recall reading verses in the Gospels that struck fear in me. I asked myself, “Am I doing that? Am I guilty of that?” The same happened when I read this verse recently—some 45 years later. Fear followed by the question, “Am I doing that? Am I guilty of that?”

 

Understand that the Bible places a tremendous emphasis on how human beings treat each other and links that behavior to whether a person goes to Heaven or Hell. Jesus added an enormous focus to it. Why? Because fallen human beings seem always to be looking for an excuse to mistreat someone. 

 

Hate and Murder

 

The murderous, hate-filled nature of Satan is in the unregenerate heart (1 John 2:9, 2:11, 3:15, and 4:20) to mistreat their fellow man, and they wait for an opportunity to do it. They love and hate who they want as if they were at liberty to play fast and loose with people made in the image of God (Matthew 5:46). 

 

Worse, many people excuse their evil ways by exalting themselves over the one they mistreat. This is why granting authority to some people often leads to mistreating people when it goes to their heads. Once they believe others are somehow lesser than them, they can look down on them and mistreat them with impunity. But they are too blind to know that the Judge is watching and listening at the door.

 

How frightening! They jeopardize their everlasting soul and don’t even feel wrong doing it. Some people are arrogant enough to believe that God has allowed them special privileges to mistreat their fellow human beings. “I’m OLD said one woman, and I’ve earned the right to be mean!” Really? Tell it to the judge. 

 

Childish Savagery 

 

In grade school in the 1970s, the older kids always picked on and bullied the younger kids. When I was in junior high school, the graders mistreated the “sevies.” When I got to high school, the seniors mistreated the freshmen. 

 

Instead of being a good example like they should have been, the older students exalted themselves over the younger ones and disgraced themselves in the process. This is the nature of childish bullying and meanness. But the kingdom of God is not junior high school. 

 

Sent to Hell

 

James warns us in no uncertain terms that you are liable to be sent to hell for mistreating others, especially within the church among believers. Life is full of difficulties, but no matter how bad things get, we mustn’t turn on people and attack them out of our frustrations. 

 

The reason James’s addressees are not to turn against one another is now made clear: “so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!” [Note: ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ἰδου ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν. The aorist passive of κρίνω means “damned, condemned” by God (divine passive); see BDAG, 567-69. The perfect tense reminds one of the perfects in James 5:4, where the cries have been heard by the Lord of hosts, and the “having drawn near” of James 5:8.] (NICNT) 

 

These two sentences need to be tied together as indicating the reality of judgment and the imminence of judgment. The reality of judgment is not the reality of there being a judgment at all, [See S. H. Travis, Christ and the Judgment of God (London: Marshall Pickering, 1986), though unfortunately he is almost entirely silent on James.] but the reality of that judgment being enacted against those who choose to grumble against one another. (NICNT)

 

Judgment in James

 

Judgment is both real and vivid for James (James 2:12; James 4:11-12) and is the act of God (James 2:12-13; James 4:11-12). We need to tie this act of God’s judgment against the grumblers as divine vengeance with the human act of condemnation (katadikazō) and murder in James 5:6, which we think is lurking in the shadows of what grumbling means in James 5:9a. (NICNT)

 

The possibility of judgment, made clear in the aorist subjunctive in “so that you may not be judged,” shifts now to a different certainty in the state of affairs James now describes with the perfect tense. As the state of affairs was that God had heard the cries of the impoverished (James 5:4, perfect tense) and that the parousia (coming of the Lord) had drawn near (James 5:8), so the flipside of that hearing is that God is now “standing at the doors.” What is certain is that God is at the doors; what is potential is that the church (messianic community) might experience the sword if they do not repent. If they choose to grumble against one another, the one standing at the doors will move that potentiality into the divine reality. (NICNT)

 

Grudging

 

What are they being judged for? Grudging against one another. What is that? The Greek word stenazo means “to give vent to querulous or censorious feelings” (Mounce). It’s a word used to describe a legitimate attitude towards sin or the sight of someone’s sufferings. But when expressed towards one another, it’s a hateful, hostile, and unloving attitude and feeling. We are in danger when we have been offended and harbor ill will or a grudge (EGT). In other words, they were groaning inside from offense of some kind at best or disgust or disappointment at worst. 

 

Moreover, an impatient attitude expresses itself by groaning inside. It may come out in words, or it may not. But God hears and interprets the groaning as judging and speaking against the person (IVP see also Matthew 7:1). 

 

One may say, “I don’t hate them! Then why are you being hateful?” Why the hateful feelings? You say, Brother Robert, I didn’t know harboring hateful attitudes and feelings towards people was a sin. You do now. Behave that way again, and you will surely be accountable for it. 

 

Careless Treatment of Others

 

Paul issued a similar warning to the Corinthians, who mistreated each other even at the communion service, and said that because of it, some of them were sick and weak, and others had died (1 Corinthians 11:20). He characterized this punishment as a judgment from God that took the form of chastening. 

 

It’s impossible to read the New Testament and not see how important these things are to God. How we treat one another and how we treat people is at the very foundation of what it means to be a Christian.

 

Name Calling

 

Be careful what names you call people! Hurling insults at a person is dangerous business. 

 

Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (ESV)

 

The older and more mature you are, the more this applies to you—not less. Don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking you are a privileged character who doesn’t have to obey God.

 

 

I know a lot of deceived people. 

 

 

Again, James said, “Grudge not.” To grudge against someone is to “moan under your breath in disgust.” Acting disgusted at people, especially without cause, is one of the most dangerous things you can do, especially over trivial matters.

 

James says that even when we are persecuted, we shouldn’t grudge against people. What would God say to people acting out over trivial stuff? And this is the danger of not reading our Bible enough or at all. It’s why so many people will be shocked that they are sent to Hell on judgment day as workers of iniquity. They never took the time to learn what God’s word teaches about our behavior.  

 

As a young Christian, I memorized approximately one-third of the New Testament—something nearly everyone can do if they apply themselves, and I can tell you this—I’m terrified when I witness how some Christians behave. I’m shocked and utterly astonished at how disrespectful they talk to people. I’m vexed seeing the evil way they treat others. 

 

I’m Terrified for Them

 

The judge is standing at the door listening to you. This is the person who has the power to cast your soul and body into hell, and he is listening to you, and the picture in James 5:9 shows that he is ready to do it. 

 

Some of the strongest warnings in any writing on earth are found in Jesus’s writings, dealing with how one servant treated their fellow servant. We are all fellow servants.

 

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. (Luke 12:43-46)

 

“Cut him in sunder” means to be cut in two. What if Jesus opened the door and stepped in as soon and suddenly as He says He would and found us impatient and groaning at each other in dissatisfaction rather than being patient and firm? (see Lenski on James 5:9) They might not have treated the men and women of their day like dogs if they had believed that the judge was at the door—that Jesus was about to return and send them to Hell. 

 

Selective Love 

 

It’s not okay to treat our loved ones, friends, and people we like with respect and love and everyone else like a dog. Furthermore, signs and wonders are happening even now to let us know that the Lord is coming soon. We may not get another warning.

 

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. (James 5:9)