James - Chapter 3
James 3:1-18
Wisdom seen through control of the tongue shows a transformed heart.
James now shifts into his second major subject, which is wisdom. He will cover this subject from 3:1 through 4:12. In his first section he examines the connection between speech and wisdom. In particular, he focuses upon the tongue, the organ by which we deliver our words.
James teaches now that words can be both wise and deadly. The tongue is a small organ with great power, which can actually control the direction one one’s life. The mature person is one who is known to be able to control the tongue. It is thought that this discussion centered on problems evident within the church at Jerusalem. Certain teachers were using their tongues to criticize others and were probably being criticized in return.
This group of verses unfolds the strong teaching of James in four ways:
Those who want to be teachers should know of the particular difficulty of controlling the tongue (1-2).
The tongue has incredible power (3-6).
Powerful as it is, the tongue is difficult to keep under control (7-8).
The tongue reveals its evil nature by showing that double mindedness that is typical of sin (9-12).
3:1
“… be not many masters (teachers)…”
Not many of you should become teachers. In the early church there were no colleges or seminaries to train up a good and constant supply of well-formed teachers. The Lord called by the Spirit those he wanted to become teachers and gave them understanding of His word.
1st Cor 12:28: After apostles and prophets, God’s teachers were next in line of importance to develop His kingdom on earth. These early teachers were responsible for the moral and spiritual instructions of the congregation. Teachers were held in great honor but here lies a potential problem if they may become filled with themselves and puffed up. Also, a serious problem was those who entered the position falsely and taught their own opinions instead of God’s word. Remember that this was a problem for the church when the Judaizers taught that Christians had to be circumcised to gain God’s grace (Acts 15). Some teachers also had become hypocrites, teaching one way but living another way.
Teaching falsely leads to misleading God’s people and causes great harm to those young in the faith.
3:2
James begins to introduce the concept of control of the body (including of course the tongue) by the metaphor of being able to bridle the whole body. James will use several metaphors to express this teaching and all are based upon how control is rendered on something larger by controlling something smaller.
His use of the phrase “perfect man” does not mean one who is sinless (such as only Jesus was) but is meant to denote pure, complete, and whole.
3:3-4
Now James gives further illustrations of those things that must be under control in order to properly fulfill their necessary function.
Horses, large and powerful creatures, are controlled by means of a small bit in the mouth, which allows the rider to maintain complete control and guidance using this small tool. Notice how James inserts also the small phrase concerning obedience that results from control. He could likely have made the same point without the obedience phrase but chose to include it to expand the meaning and make it far more profound.
Ships were probably the largest man made objects seen in those days, except perhaps a very few large buildings. James shows that even though ships are great in size and are driven by the wind, they are turned by the use of the helm. A small tool again brings a large thing under control.
The person who controls the bit or helm rudder (his tongue) now has control over the horse or ship (his body).
3-5
While the tongue is a little member, it boasts great things. We should remember that it brings forward BOTH good and evil by its use.
In those days in the land the scrub brush of the outer areas could easily be ignited to great fire, sometimes beyond control, by a small spark. Huge destruction may result from a single small spark. Notice how James shows the importance of this part of the message by starting the sentence with the word “Behold”. Such a strong beginning provides us with a good warning that great truth is coming. We see it in verse 6.
3:6
The tongue is liked to a fire. It is capable of corrupting the whole person. Speech can burst forth into evil action. The world of iniquity is in opposition to God and the tongue is potentially a tool for evil. It is in his speech that a man is identified as hostile to God, showing his inner character. His whole body is defiled by the tongue as it sets on fire the course of the man and nature and can lead to the fire of hell.
The actual Greek word is Gehenna (for hell) and refers to the large pits of garbage outside the walls where the fires of disposal never ended.
The inspiration for the evil tongue is found in the fire of hell, and that is also its destination.
3:7-8
James takes his concept even further arguing that actually the tongue is itself evil, filled with poison, and unable to be tamed.
We recall that one of the responsibilities of mankind was to hold dominion over the animal kingdom, beasts, birds, serpents, and fish. (Gen 1:28). While man has been able to bring those creatures to his service or use, even domesticating some, man is yet to be able to subdue his own tongue. Now James teaches us that the tongue is “an unruly evil”. Do we agree?
As with serpents that are poison, the human tongue can even bring death. Psalm 140:3 tells us:
“They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders poison is under their lips.”
3:9-10
While the tongue is used to curse men, it is also the same tongue that is used to praise God. It is our tool to pray, sing praises, and thank the Lord for His blessings. In the day of James, Jews were expected to offer prayers of praise to God three times daily.
James also takes a large step beyond this teaching by saying that since men are made in the image and likeness of God, when other men curse them, these men are also cursing God himself. The same tongue that is used to praise God is used to curse Him. James closes this verse with some of his most profound words, “My brethren, these things ought not so to be”.
3:11-12
To further illustrate the perversion of man as opposed to nature, James offers teaching from nature to close out the point.
Does a fountain give both good and bad water?
Does a fig tree bear olives?
Can a vine bear figs?
Nothing in nature uses one part of itself to do both good & evil. Only men do so with the two uses they find for the tongue.
John Calvin taught this point well when he wrote: “a slender portion of flesh contains the whole world of iniquity”.
Jesus also used this point well when he taught that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but rather that which comes out of his mouth that defiles him. While Jesus was speaking about the issue of food laws of the Jews, he also made strongly the point that that the mouth expresses the heart in which are found “evil thoughts”. Matt 15:11-19.
No other member of the body brings so much destruction to the godly life.
3:13
Looking backward to verses 1-12, we saw the problem of destructive speech, and now we look forward to thoughts on the problem that such speech brings on the Christian community. James will expand this area of thought strongly in chapter four.
James tells us that believers should be followers of those who are true wise men, good teachers who show their works with humility of their wisdom. Again, we are shown that those who are strong in faith not only have knowledge but also demonstrate that knowledge by how they live.
Remember that a humble person has no need of a defense of their wisdom as they are showing it by their own character.
3:14
Envy and ambition are the marks of false teachers. James may be referring back to those mentioned in 3:1, and we should note James does not teach just of envy but of “bitter envy” and in the original language uses the same word used in 3:12 concerning bad water.
Now James further teaches that we must discover what lies at the core of a person’s being? Is it true wisdom from above or is it ambition? True wisdom will show itself in a good life filled with loving deeds done in an humble spirit. Envy and ambition will show themselves in a life led in selfish ways.
When those who do not hold true wisdom and are filled with a sense of rivalry or competition they should not pretend to have God’s wisdom. To do so, compounds the wrong.
3:15
Now James uses three terms, with each being less desirable that the one before it, to describe the true origin of false wisdom.
There is earthly wisdom, which arises from this world. There is sensual, or unspiritual wisdom, which arises out of the inner thoughts of the person themselves. There is finally devilish wisdom, arising from under the control of evil spirits who are the servants of Satan.
3:16
James now describes the kind of life that flows from this pretend wisdom. Personal ambition and the strife it brings causes church difficulty and lets loose disorder and evil within the assembly. The peace of Christ is no longer present and proper spiritual discipline has broken. The ultimate result is confusion.
3:17
Contrasted to verse 16, James now presents the other (and more proper) side to wisdom. Here he is strongly teaching moral virtue and practical goodness, which echo back somewhat to the law. (Remember James was a strong Jewish leader previously). Look at what he teaches that becomes the results of true wisdom brought from above:
PURE – PEACE LOVING – GENTLE – CONSIDERATE – FULL OF MERCY AND GOOD FRUIT – IMPARTIAL (UNDIVIDED) – SINCERE (TRUE AND GENUINE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY).
3:18
James concludes this section with a summary. Where there is no real wisdom, there is divisiveness (as shown before) but where true wisdom exists, peace brings the fruit of righteousness.
