“My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:10).
The final usage in Scripture of the phrase “ought not” is in James 3:10. Here is condemned an inconsistent use of one’s tongue. There ought not to be a vacillation between blessing God and cursing humans made in God’s image. Such inconsistency is unacceptable.
There are several other inconsistent pairings addressed in Scripture. Consider what other things ought not to be:
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God’s inherent nature ought not to be thought of in material terms. “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising” (Acts 17:29).
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Young children ought not to be expected to care from their adult parents (2 Corinthians 12:14).
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Gossiping and being a busybody ought not to be among God’s holy people (1 Timothy 5:13).
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False teachers whose idle and deceptive words subvert the faith of others ought not to be teaching such things; therefore, their mouths must be stopped (Titus 1:10-11).
Some things go together like oil and water: A Christian’s inconsistent tongue, a material concept of the one true God, young children taking care of their irresponsible parents, gossiping and busybodying among God’s people, false doctrine within the body of Christ.
These are things which ought not to be.
