Tiago 3
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 3
Morgan - A Tiny Spark November 26 The power of simple words is immense, as James 3:5 indicates: “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Never was this truer than on November 26, 1095, the date of the most effective sermon ever preached by pope, preacher, or prince. It was Pope Urban II’s sermon in Clermont, France, launching the Crusades. For many years, the Christian world had fretted over the capture of Palestine by the Muslim Turks. Finally Pope Urban addressed the subject at the church council in Clermont. He spoke in an open field to both clerics and the general public, passionately describing how the Turks, an “accursed race,” had devastated the kingdom of God by fire, pillage, and sword. Jerusalem, the “navel of the world,” was laid waste. Antioch was ruined. The Holy Land was in the hands of barbarians. It must be liberated. The crowd, whipped into a frenzy, began chanting, “God wills it! God wills it!” Urban II replied, “It is the will of God. Let these words be your war cry when you unsheathe the sword. You are soldiers of the cross. Wear on your breasts or shoulders the blood-red sign of the cross.” Thousands immedately sewed the cross on their clothing or had it branded with flaming irons to bare skin. The fervor swept across the Continent. A new era in European history began as the crusading passion, inspired by its pope, took hold of its people. The era of the Crusades stretched from 1096 to 1291, and in the light of history is seen as a horrible mistake. The kingdom of God cannot be furthered militarily. The Crusades, only partially and temporarily successful in “liberating” Palestine, produced 200 years of abuses, excesses, deaths, diseases, violence, cruelty, and reproach. It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person’s entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and have been tamed. But our tongues get out of control. James 3:5b-8a (On This Day) Exaggeration He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. —Proverbs 28:13 Today's Scripture:James 3:1-13 A woman said to a preacher, “I have a habit that I know is hurting my testimony—the habit of exaggeration. I start to tell something and I go on and on enlarging the story. People suspect that it’s not true, and they lose confidence in me. I’m trying to get over it. Could you help me?” He responded, “Let’s talk to the Lord about it.” She prayed, “Lord, You know I have this habit of exaggeration . . .” At this point the preacher interrupted, “Call it lying and you may get over it!” The woman was deeply convicted and confessed her wrong. We often excuse our pet sins by giving them more acceptable names. Our bad temper we call “nerves”; our untruthfulness, “exaggeration”; our dishonesty we call “good business.” In seeking to overcome these sins, we need to bring them out in the open, call them honestly by name, and sincerely repent (Proverbs 28:13). Lord, forgive us for misusing our tongues. - Henry Bosch To stretch the truth is to tell a lie. A Small Fire The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. James 3:5 Today's Scripture & Insight: James 3:3–12 It was a Sunday night in September and most people were sleeping when a small fire broke out in Thomas Farriner’s bakery on Pudding Lane. Soon the flames spread from house to house and London was engulfed in the Great Fire of 1666. Over 70,000 people were left homeless by the blaze that leveled four-fifths of the city. So much destruction from such a small fire! The Bible warns us of another small but destructive fire. James was concerned about lives and relationships, not buildings, when he wrote, “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark” (James 3:5). But our words can also be constructive. Proverbs 16:24 reminds us, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” The apostle Paul says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:6). As salt flavors our food, grace flavors our words for building up others. Reflect & Pray Lord, I can always use help with the way I talk. For this day, help me to speak words of hope and encouragement to build up others. What will our words be like today? Small Thing, Big Impact Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification. —Ephesians 4:29 Today's Scripture:James 3:1-12 Are most people truth-tellers? Can what they say be taken at face value? Or are they like the ancient Cretans, whose reputation was that they were “always liars”? (Titus 1:12). Lies, of course, are communicated by the tongue. That small part of the human body can make a powerful impact. It can ruin a reputation. It can destroy a friendship. It can cause lasting heartache. On the other hand, the tongue can give comfort and hope in time of bereavement. It can shine the light of saving truth into the mind of someone wandering in spiritual darkness. It can praise and glorify God. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that Scripture repeatedly urges us to exercise great wisdom and care in how we use this small part of the body. Proverbs 18:21 is not exaggerating when it warns us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” David was not indulging in pointless poetry when he denounced “men . . . whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword” (Psalm 57:4). And the apostle James said that the tongue can be as destructive as a fire (James 3:1-12). Reflect & Pray Lord, set a watch upon my lips, My tongue control today; Help me evaluate each thought And guard each word I say. —Hess The tongue is a small organ that creates either discord or harmony. Bubbagate - It seemed like a harmless statement. A city councilman in Ft. Worth, Texas, was making a public announcement that a world-famous pianist would perform at the opening of the $110 million Texas Motor Speedway. A group of auto-racing fans would have an opportunity to hear renowned pianist Van Cliburn at the NASCAR Winston Cup race April 6, 1997. So, the city councilman notified the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram about the proposed event by saying, "Van Cliburn is going to play for Bubba." The general manager of the Texas Motor Speedway, Eddie Gossage, took umbrage at the councilman's words and fired off a letter to him, saying, "Please do not refer to race fans as 'bubbas' or 'rednecks.' Race fans are supposedly tourists valued by the city of Fort Worth. The use of the term 'bubba' or 'redneck' can be considered a racial epithet." The city councilman apologized by saying, "I'm sorry I called all those race fans Bubbas. I certainly didn't mean to offend them. These are valued people. I represent the Bubbas and the rednecks. They're good folks. They're not elite at all." People who expressed their opinions lined up for and against the verbal choices of the councilman. Fort Worth's mayor said, "I wish he'd used a different set of words." The lieutenant governor of Texas described Bubbas as decent, hard-working Americans. A representative of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture in Oxford, Mississippi, shared the opinion, "Bubba is a Southern diminutive of brother, sort of like mama, papa, and bubba and sista. Within the working-class white world, 'Bubba' is a term of affection." The owner of a convenience store in Crowley Texas, named "Bubba's No. 3" explained his choice of name for the store by saying, "We wanted them to know we were nice people. Bubba's nice, friendly, drives a pickup." The councilman meant no harm, but the manager of a facility that will draw huge numbers of tourists to Fort Worth was irritated by his choice of words. What was humorous to the councilman was an insult to some of his constituency. People who talk need a warning. Our improperly chosen words can offend, wound, anger, and repel. Our tongues are powerful, potentially vicious, and woefully inconsistent.(Max Anders - Holman New Testament Commentary - Hebrews & James) Careless Words The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. James 3:5 Today's Scripture & Insight: James 3:1-12 My daughter has had a lot of ill health recently, and her husband has been wonderfully caring and supportive. “You have a real treasure there!” I said. “You didn’t think that when I first knew him,” she said with a grin. She was quite right. When Icilda and Philip got engaged, I was concerned. They were such different personalities. We have a large and noisy family, and Philip is more reserved. And I had shared my misgivings with my daughter quite bluntly. I was horrified to realize that the critical things I said so casually 15 years ago had stayed in her memory and could possibly have destroyed a relationship that has proved to be so right and happy. It reminded me how much we need to guard what we say to others. So many of us are quick to point out what we consider to be weaknesses in family, friends, or work colleagues, or to focus on their mistakes rather than their successes. “The tongue is a small part of the body,” says James (3:5), yet the words it shapes can either destroy relationships or bring peace and harmony to a situation in the workplace, the church, or the family. Reflect & Pray Father, please curb my careless speech and put a guard on my tongue today and every day. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11 nkjv The Dangerous Tongue Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! James 3:5 John Wesley was known to be a colorful dresser in his day. On one Sunday, an elderly lady in his church took exception to the length of his bow tie. After the service, she approached the preacher and said with a degree of indignation, "Brother Wesley, would you admit a word of criticism?" Wesley readily agreed. The bold saint continued, "Your bow tie is much too long and it is an evidence of worldliness to me." Rather than being offended, Wesley responded, "Does anybody have a pair of scissors around here?" Minutes later the tools were supplied. "Why don't you cut the tie to suit yourself?" he said. The lady eagerly trimmed the preacher's neckpiece to her liking and then cheerfully added, "There! That is much better." But, Wesley wasn't finished. "Thank you, ma'am." he said, "Now may I use those on you?" "For what?" replied the critical saint. "To trim your tongue. It's much too long." Most of us would agree that if we had the option, we would gladly "trim" our tongue. Not to avoid inhaling that second helping of chocolate pie, but for a far more serious reason. Plainly put, this tiny member of our anatomy frequently gets us into more trouble than we've bargained for. Walking close to the Lord will help us to "trim" our tongues. It will give us a greater consciousness of the words we say and the effect they have on people. A fool's tongue is always long enough to cut his throat (James Scudder - Living Water) A War Of Words Read: Proverbs 15:1-23 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. — Proverbs 15:1 A careless word may kindle strife, A cruel word may wreck a life; A timely word may lessen stress, A loving word may heal and bless. — Anon. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. THAT DRAGON IN OUR DENTURES THE TONGUE IS A SMALL PART OF THE BODY, BUT IT MAKES GREAT BOASTS. . . . THE TONGUE ALSO IS A FIRE, A WORLD OF EVIL AMONG THE PARTS OF THE BODY. —James 3:5–6 James tells us that our tongue “is a fire,” small but able to set a whole forest ablaze! To make his point clear, he concludes that the tongue is “set on fire by hell” (3:6). If Satan has a scorched-earth policy in his warfare against the Christians, then the tongue is the front line of attack. James rings a clear warning. A transformed tongue must be a top priority for those on the growing edge of discipleship. James’s warning takes on added weight when we realize that many of us are desensitized to the problems of destructive speech. Sins of the tongue are like stealth sins that fly under the radar of our consciences. Just listen to us excuse one another with rationalizations like “Well, it’s the truth, isn’t it?” or, “If they didn’t want people to talk, they never should have done it.” The most subtle excuse among Christians is “Let me share this with you that we might pray more intelligently.” This desensitization has opened the floodgates to verbal destruction of reputations and trusted relationships. Sins like deceit, lying, and false witness need to be understood from God’s point of view. Social sins of the tongue, such as gossip and slander, must be checked. Verbal ego trips, such as boasting, flattery, and exaggeration, are clearly out of bounds. The cancer of a murmuring, contentious tongue needs to be removed. By making careless speech an acceptable part of our lives, we assume that a carnal tongue is par for the spiritual course. When that happens, our churches, schools, homes, friendships, and relationships with God are all victimized. We should remind each other that Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44) and “the accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10 KJV). Jesus is not only truth, but also our advocate, and defender. Whose work will you do? (Joseph Stowell - Strength for the Journey) Put your tongue in check. Don’t say it until the Spirit approves it! James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. (NASB95) Amplified And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man’s nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna). Phillips and the tongue is as dangerous as any fire, with vast potentialities for evil. It can poison the whole body, it can make the whole of life a blazing hell. Wuest And the tongue is a fire, the sum total of iniquity. The tongue is so constituted in our members that it defiles the entire body and sets on fire the round of existence and is constantly being set on fire by Gehenna [hell]. NET And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence– and is set on fire by hell. GNT καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ· ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν, ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως καὶ φλογιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης. NLT And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. KJV And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. ESV And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. ASV And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. CSB And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell. NIV The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. NKJ And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. NRS And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. YLT and the tongue is a fire, the world of the unrighteousness, so the tongue is set in our members, which is spotting our whole body, and is setting on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the gehenna. NAB The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna. NJB The tongue is a flame too. Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world: it infects the whole body; catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation. GWN The tongue is that kind of flame. It is a world of evil among the parts of our bodies, and it completely contaminates our bodies. The tongue sets our lives on fire, and is itself set on fire from hell. BBE And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell. And the tongue is a fire: Judg 12:4-6 2Sa 19:43 20:1 2Ch 10:13-16 13:17 Ps 64:3 140:3 Pr 15:1 16:27 26:20,21 Isa 30:27 the very world of iniquity: Jas 2:7 Ge 3:4-6 Lev 24:11 Nu 25:2 31:16 De 13:6 Jud 16:15-20 1Sa 22:9-17 2Sa 13:26-29 15:2-6 16:20-23 17:1,2 1Ki 21:5-15 Pr 1:10-14 6:19 7:5,21-23 Jer 20:10 28:16 Mt 12:24,32-36 Mt 15:11-20 Mk 7:15,20-22 14:55-57 Ac 6:13 20:30 Ro 3:13,14 Ro 16:17,18 Eph 5:3,4 Col 3:8,9 2Th 2:10-12 Tit 1:11 2Pe 2:1,2 2Pe 3:3 3Jn 1:10 Jude 1:8-10,15-18 Rev 2:14,15 13:1-5,14 18:23 Rev 19:20 is set on fire by hell.: Lu 16:24 Ac 5:3 2Co 11:13-15 2Th 2:9 Rev 12:9 James 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Youtube Video Verse by Verse Teaching on James 3 5W/H Questions on James 3 for teaching and personal study Related Passages: Matthew 15:11 “Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” HELL ON FIRE! Inspired by the Spirit, James is showing with strong words how much damage can be caused by an unbridled tongue, a "rudderless" tongue whipped around by strong winds of our fallen flesh.
Tiago 3
Morgan - The marginal reading of the Revised Version suggests the substitution of the word "by" for "for," and that would seem to be the real thought of the writer. He had been contrasting the wisdom from beneath with that from above. The first produces jealousy, faction, confusion. The second is first pure and then peaceable. Now carefully observe that he says much more than that peace is the fruit of righteousness. That is true, and it had already been said in the declaration that heavenly wisdom is first pure, then peaceable. But here the thought is that of the propagative power of life according to heavenly wisdom. Righteousness bears fruit after its kind, and that is peace. When this is sown, still in peace, it produces righteousness again, wherein is the further fruitage; and so ever on. Those who make peace had been declared by the Lord to be blessed, the sons of God. Here the blessedness is shown in its effect. The peacemakers are those who live by the heavenly wisdom, which is first pure and then peaceable, that is, by righteousness. These are the men who make peace. To compromise with wrong, to seek for quietness by the sacrifice of righteousness, is not to secure peace, but to make it impossible. On the other hand, to stand for righteousness, even though there must be conflict and suffering, is to sow the fruit wherefrom peace will come. The ways of - God are all severe, but they are the only ways of goodness. To do right at the cost of ease, is to make peace. To seek ease at the cost of righteousness, is to make peace for ever impossible. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible). Is sown (present tense = the customary practice)(4687)(speiro from spao = draw out, pull) literally means to scatter (seed) and the opposite of reaping or gathering. The emphasis is on giving, not gathering! Speiro is used figuratively to describe the sowing of the "seed" of the Word of God, the Gospel (="the word of the kingdom" - Mt13:19, cp Mk 4:14 15, 16, 18), "the ideas and precepts that have been implanted like seed in their hearts, ie, received in their hearts (Mk 4:18)." (Thayer). Jesus used speiro repeatedly in His parables (Mt 13:3, 18, 24, 31) We are all sowing some kind of seed. What kind are you sowing? Jesus gives a blessing to peacemakers declaring “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Mt 5:9+) Make (present tense)(4160)(poieo) means "to do" which focuses more on the end/achievement of the action. To give rise to or cause to happen. Louw-Nida - "to produce something new, with the implication of using materials already in existence." Peace (1515)(eirene from verb eiro = to join or bind together that which has been separated) literally pictures the binding or joining together again of that which had been separated or divided and thus setting at one again, a meaning convey by the common expression of one “having it all together”. It follows that peace is the opposite of division or dissension. Peace as a state of concord and harmony is the opposite of war. Peace was used as a greeting or farewell corresponding to the Hebrew word shalom - "peace to you". Eirene can convey the sense of an inner rest, well being and harmony. The ultimate peace is the state of reconciliation with God, effected by placing one's faith in the gospel. In eschatology, peace is prophesied to be an essential characteristic of the Messianic kingdom (Acts 10:36). William Baker - James has thus provided for us a prescription for harmony in the body of Christ. That harmony is threatened by worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom, in turn, lurks within all our minds, and our pride in trying to accomplish God's work in our own ability leads to the doing of God's work in man's way. Since everyone has an opinion on how something should be done, friction results. The prescription James offers is to seek the wisdom from above. This, I believe, comes through Scripture (ED: AND I WOULD ADD PRAYER, ESPECIALLY CORPORATE PRAYER ON CORPORATE MATTERS). If we look earnestly and in faith, we can find God's way for doing ministry in Scripture, often the last place we go. (James Commentary - Twenty-First Century). John