Tiago 3
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 3
Wiersbe - James has explained to us two characteristics of the mature Christian: he is patient in trouble (James 1) and he practices the truth (James 2). In this section, he shares the third characteristic of the mature believer: he has power over his tongue. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Some suggest that James shifts from faith/works to the tongue because the relationship between faith and works is very evident in one's speech. John
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Wiersbe explains that James links the tongue with the whole body "because words usually lead to deeds. During World War II we were accustomed to seeing posters that read LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS! But loose lips also wreck lives." (Bible Exposition Commentary) Roy Gingrich quips "If we can make the lion (the tongue) behave, surely we can make the cats and the dogs (the body’s other members) behave." (The Book of James) Able (dunatos) to bridle (chalinagogeo) the whole (holos) body (soma) as well - NIV = "able to keep his whole body in check." Amplified = "able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature." James explains how the spiritual state of the perfect man can be most easily discerned -- by listening to what/how he speaks! Since he is able to bridle and control his tongue, he is able to control his whole body, most likely referring to the passions of his body, not just his words. In other words, he is able to control the old self, the fallen flesh. How is this even possible? There is only one way to curb or check the flesh and that is to "Walk (present imperative) by the Spirit and you will (ABSOLUTELY) not fulfill the desires of the flesh (DOES NOT SAY WON'T HAVE DESIRES BUT WON'T ACT ON THEM)." (Gal 5:16+ - NOTE ORDER - SPIRIT FIRST, THEN FLESH IS SUPPRESSED, NOT VICE VERSA) And if one is walking by the supernatural power of the Spirit, he or she brings forth fruit, one component being self-control (Gal 5:23+ egkrateia = It is self-control proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself, and for the believer is only possible by depending on the power of the indwelling Spirit ). Spirit enabled "victory" over one's tongue is intimately related to "victory" over one's whole body! 🙏 THOUGHT - As an aside, if what comes out of our mouths as believers is one of the most accurate "barometers" (so to speak, pun intended!) of our state of spiritual maturity, I would submit it is also a measure of the man or woman who is most consistently filled with or controlled by the Holy Spirit. Why? Because Ephesians 5:18+ which describes the filling is IMMEDIATELY followed in the Greek text with the verb lalountes which is the verb laleo and in present tense could be translated "continuously speaking" (it is also a participle). In other words, the first notable "fruit" of a Spirit filled believer is their speech, what comes out of their mouth. Applying this observation, it would seem theologically reasonable to state that one of the best ways to be a perfect man or woman is to be one who is continually being filled with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, Who frankly is the only Power stronger than the power of the tongue! Conversely, if one is not continually filled with the Spirit, the chances of stumbling in what one says (and not being able to bridle the whole body) is considerably greater, in fact is very likely! Upshot? Be continually filled (present imperative - command not a suggestion) with the Spirit! 🙏 Another Thought - Notice the context of Paul's charge "do not grieve (present imperative with a negative) the Holy Spirit of God" in Eph 4:30+. What command has he just issued in Eph 4:29+? "Let no unwholesome (sapros = rotten, putrid) word proceed (present imperative with a negative - either stop doing this or do not begin doing it - and only way to keep this command is to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." So cleary "rotten words" will grieve the Holy Spirit. This is a slippery slope, for when we grieve the Spirit, we short-circuit the power to control our tongue! Rotten words need to be quickly confessed and repented, lest a downward spiral begins! 🙏 Another Thought - How do you know when the Spirit is truly controlling your tongue? (1) Praise to God (2) Speaking words of gratitude and thanksgiving (3) Love to sing godly choruses, hymns or spiritual songs (4) Speak words of love and edification. 🙏 A Final Thought - This subject of "tongue control" brings to mind the radical transformation that took place in Peter. Before Pentecost, he was open his mouth primarily to "exchange feet" (so to speak)! After Pentecost, after receiving the gift of the Spirit and His power (Acts 1:8), his speech was supernaturally transformed! One one hand in the Gospels, as an immature disciple, he often lost control of his tongue and had to be either reproved or taught by the Lord, but after Pentecost, his spiritual discipline was evident by his controlled speech, now possible because He was controlled by the Spirit giving us a good illustration of a "perfect" (mature) believer. Able (1415)(dunatos from dunamai = referring to power one has by virtue of inherent ability and resources; cf dunamis) means powerful, able, strong, describing that which has sufficient or necessary power to not stumble and to bridle the whole body. As Jesus said "The things that are impossible with people (ED: LIKE CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE!) are possible (SAME WORD - dunatos) with God.” (Lk. 18:27+) Paul gives us a clue as to how we can tap into God's supernatural strength (dunatos) when he asked Jesus three times to remove the thorn in the flesh "And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power (dunamis) is perfected (teleo) in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power (dunamis) of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am (present tense) strong (dunatos). (2 Cor 12:9+, 2 Cor 12:10+) And so the only man or woman who can possibly achieve this objective of "Christian maturity" is the one who is learning more and more to jettison self reliance and to rely more wholly on the Holy Spirit for the supernatural power (the dunamis) to kill sins of the tongue and body (See Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible). In Romans 8:13+ Paul gives us one of the most important passages in the NT in regard to progressive sanctification (growth into a mature man or woman, more like Christ) declaring that " if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Dunatos in NT - able (6), could (1), impossible*(1), influential men(1), man of power(1), mighty(3), mighty one(1), possible(12), power(1), powerful(1), strong(3), strong enough(1). Mt. 19:26; Mt. 24:24; Mt. 26:39; Mk. 9:23; Mk. 10:27; Mk. 13:22; Mk. 14:35; Mk. 14:36; Lk. 1:49; Lk. 14:31; Lk. 18:27; Lk. 24:19; Acts 2:24; Acts 7:22; Acts 11:17; Acts 18:24; Acts 20:16; Acts 25:5; Ro 4:21; Ro 9:22; Ro 11:23; Ro 12:18; Ro 15:1; 1 Co. 1:26; 2 Co. 10:4; 2 Co. 12:10; 2 Co. 13:9; Gal. 4:15; 2 Ti 1:12; Titus 1:9; Heb. 11:19; Jas. 3:2 Given the evil propensity of a tongue not controlled by the Spirit, we might all do well to ponder Isaiah's words from time to time -- "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isa. 6:5) Bridle (5468)(chalinagogeo from chalinos = bridle + ago = lead) means to guide with a bit and bridle and figuratively to hold in check, to restrain, to control. Only other use is James 1:26+ "does not bridle his tongue." The picture James paints is one with which all his readers were familiar - so just as a huge horse was led by the mouth, a perfect man follows the "bit and bridle" of his own mouth. Hiebert adds "The picturesque term "to keep... in check" (chalinagōgēsai) denotes that he is able to restrain his whole body effectively to prevent its use by sin, as well as to guide and direct its activities in desirable ways. He exercises self-mastery over his whole body, so that, like a horse under a stiff rein, it does his bidding." (Commentary on James or digital copy) John
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Wiersbe: Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces. The bit must overcome the wild nature of the horse, and the rudder must fight the winds and currents that would drive the ship off its course. The human tongue also must overcome contrary forces. We have an old nature that wants to control us and make us sin. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Donald Burdick - A very small bit "can turn the whole animal." So a man who controls his tongue can control his whole being (ED: SEE NOTE ON TONGUE CONTROL). (The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition or here) Gary Holloway - Not just control, but restraint is pictured by the horse’s bit. (ED: ENABLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT - SEE Php 2:13NLT+) We must say “whoa” to our words before we speak them too hastily. (James & Jude - Page 79) To bridle your tongue, Give God the reins of your heart. Bruce Barton applies this illustration - If a person's impulsive speech is uncontrolled, his or her whole life is headed in the wrong direction....We should let Christ (ED: VIA INDWELLING SPIRIT OF CHRST'S POWER) bridle our mouths instead of speaking out every time a thoughtless word comes to mind. (James - Page 74) Simon Kistemaker applies this illustration - If, then, man controls powerful horses with small bits placed in their mouths, he certainly should be able to control his own tongue. The points of comparison are mouth and body. (Ibid) ED COMMENT: The only way he is "able to control his own tongue" is by continual submission to the Spirit Who enables this fruit of self-control See preceding note. The alternative is fleshly "self-control" which can work for a while as we "bite our tongue" to keep from sounding off! But eventually your flesh will fail and give sway to the lusts of the flesh which can result in all manner of negative communication!" Direct (3329)(metago from meta = change of place/position + ago = lead) means to change the direction, to move from one side to another, to turn about, guide in another direction. Louw-Nida - to cause to move from one place to another by bringing or leading - 'to direct, to steer, to guide" Only used by James to describe horse's bit (James 3:3) and the ship's rudder (James 3:4) which though small were able to effectively "turn about" large things. The meaning in the Septuagint (Lxx) the meaning is to convey from one place or person to another, to carry into captivity (1 Ki 8:47, 48, 2 Chr 36:3). Metago in the Septuagint (Lxx) - 1 Ki. 8:47; 1 Ki. 8:48; 2 Chr. 6:37; 2 Chr. 36:3; Est. 8:12 🙏 THOUGHT - (This has been alluded to above) There is one other interesting application of James' illustrations (of bridle and rudder). Just as the bit/bridal is guided by a rider of the horse and the rudder is guided by a pilot, so too the tongue is guided by either the Spirit or the flesh! And as a corollary thought, one can get a good sense of whether or not he or she is filled with/controlled by the Spirit by the words that fly off of their tongues! (See preceding discussion of tongue control). Let's apply this illustration - the bridle guiding the horse... If we would permit the Spirit of God to put His bridle in our mouths (resting on our tongues) in order that we might obey Him, He like the horse back rider, would be able to guide our whole body! The Connection to Praütēs: This is precisely why James uses this illustration in the same chapter as his discussion of wisdom and gentleness. The bit is the perfect picture of praütēs: The horse is not weakened by the bit Its strength is fully retained but redirected and governed This is exactly what genuine wisdom does to a person — it bridles the most powerful and dangerous member, the tongue, without destroying the person's strength or passion The Deeper Point: An uncontrolled tongue = an unbroken horse = power without governance = destruction. A bridled tongue = a broken horse = power under wisdom's control = usefulness and beauty. James's argument is that you cannot claim wisdom if your tongue is running loose because wisdom, by its very nature as the subjective genitive source of praütēs, will bridle it. The bit is not the enemy of the horse's strength. It is what makes that strength purposeful. Prayer of a young lady - Lord, of all patience and understanding, I confess unto you today the wild and untamed nature of my tongue. It slips the leash of my will and goes off on paths of its own choosing. It has wounded my parents, scarred my friends and sent my little brother crying upstairs to bed. When it has calmed down I am surprised at the wild chase it had and the strange things it did. Yet, Oh God, I know that it is mine and in sorrow I confess my ownership. The hate of its words was the hate of my heart. The gossip that it carried was but my own innermost self brought out into the open. Its falsehood grew out of my own fears. Teach me, my Father God, something of the patient understanding of Jesus when He looked at the faults of other people. Save me from foolish anxiety and thoughtless plans, thus put Thou a bridle on my tongue. James 3:4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. (NASB95) Amplified Likewise, look at the ships: though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines. Phillips Ships too, for all their size and the momentum they have with a strong wind behind them, are controlled by a very small rudder according to the course chosen by the helmsman. Wuest Behold also the ships, though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, are guided by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the steersman leads him. NET Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot's inclination directs. GNT ἰδοὺ καὶ τὰ πλοῖα τηλικαῦτα ὄντα καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνέμων σκληρῶν ἐλαυνόμενα, μετάγεται ὑπὸ ἐλαχίστου πηδαλίου ὅπου ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος βούλεται, NLT And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. KJV Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. ESV Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ASV Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. CSB And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. NIV Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. NKJ Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. NRS Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. YLT lo, also the ships, being so great, and by fierce winds being driven, are led about by a very small helm, whithersoever the impulse of the helmsman doth counsel, NAB It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot's inclination wishes. NJB Or think of ships: no matter how big they are, even if a gale is driving them, they are directed by a tiny rudder wherever the whim of the helmsman decides. GWN The same thing is true for ships. They are very big and are driven by strong winds. Yet, by using small rudders, pilots steer ships wherever they want them to go. BBE And again ships, though they are so great and are moved by violent winds, are turned by a very small guiding-blade, at the impulse of the man who is using it. are driven by strong winds: Ps 107:25-27 Jon 1:4 Mt 8:24 Ac 27:14-38 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 ILLUSTRATION #2 SHIP AND RUDDER Look (command to pay attention) at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder - Again James presents the striking contrast between a small component that has the power to control a huge structure. He is building his case for the power of the relatively small member of our body, the tongue. The human tongue also must vercome contrary forces. Warren Wiersbe - "Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces. The bit must overcome the wild nature of the horse, and the rudder must fight the winds and currents that would drive the ship off its course. The human tongue also must overcome contrary forces. We have an old nature that wants to control us and make us sin." (Bible Exposition Commentary) A T Robertson on ships...so great - If James had only seen the modern mammoth ships. But the ship on which Paul went to Malta carried 276 persons (Acts 27:37+). Look (BEHOLD)(2400)(idou) is the second person singular aorist middle imperative of eidon which means to see, perceive, look at. In the NT idou is used as a demonstrative particle that draws attention to what follows. Idou in the middle voice means "you yourself look, see, perceive!" The aorist imperative is a command emphasizing "Do it now! Don't delay!" Idou is used by the Biblical writers to (1) prompt or arouse the reader's attention (introducing something new or unusual), (2) to mark a strong emphasis ("Indeed!" Lk 13:16) and (3) to call the reader to pay close attention (very similar to #1) so that one will listen, remember or consider.
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Wiersbe - (Bible Exposition Commentary) ILLUSTRATION - Stulac - Years ago I visited a college friend at his home. On campus we had enjoyed a significant sharing of personal values and philosophies, much of it through discussion of literature, history and music. When we met at his home, he wanted me to hear a certain Mahler symphony that expressed some of his aspirations toward the attainment of love and peace. We listened together in silent pleasure, caught up in the music and our high ideals--until, at a particularly moving point in the symphony, my friend's mother broke the spell by entering the room and asking a mundane question about supper. Her innocent interruption received a fierce verbal rebuke from her son. How dare she spoil the exquisite music! Startled and embarrassed, she retreated from the room, but the damage to our mood had been done. The damage to our illusions had also been done. My friend and I talked about the incident. What good were ideals of love and aspirations to "self-actualization" if we could not control our tongues enough to speak respectfully to other human beings? The spirituality was only a feeling, an illusion, if it could not purify our behavior in the practical matter of what we said. Exactly so, writes James. He returns now to a theme he introduced in 1:19 and emphasized in 1:26, to provide his most complete explanation of this issue--controlling our tongues. Robert
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Wiersbe - When the Spirit came at Pentecost, there were tongues of fire from heaven to enable the Christians to witness; but it is also possible for the tongue to be “set on fire from hell”! (Bible Exposition Commentary) World (2889)(kosmos) has several meanings, but the one which is most apropos for James 3:6 is that by BDAG which defines kosmos as "the sum total of everything here and now." In addition kosmos is a system or arrangement (in context a system of evil). The tongue is the totality or sum total of iniquity, which John defines clearly as "sin" writing that "All unrighteousness (adikia) is sin."(1 Jn 5:17). James' other uses of kosmos - Jas. 1:27; Jas. 2:5; Jas. 3:6; Jas. 4:4; Iniquity (unrighteousness, wickedness)(93)(adikia from a = not + dikê = right) is an activity which is unjust, a condition of not being right, whether with God, according to the standard of His holiness and righteousness or with man, according to the standard of what man knows to be right by his conscience. The tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body - Phillips paraphrases it "It can poison the whole body." Amplified has "The tongue is so constituted in our members." James has already implied that the tongue holds sway over the whole body (James 3:2+). Now James says that when the unbridled tongue begins to spew forth evil, this evil stains and pollutes the entire personality (the soma - a few commentators say soma may also refer to the Church which is often called a body)! James is echoing his half-brother Jesus Who taught "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles (koinoo in the present tense) the man.” (Mt 15:11, see also Mt 15:18-20, Mt 12:34, 35, cf Mk 7:15). And here in James defiles is in the present tense signifying an ongoing evil, polluting effect on one's body! Woe! These pictures make me want to cry out to the Holy Spirit to make Psalm 141:3 my continual protection! It's probably not a bad prayer to frequently pray! (And add David's prayer which gets to the "heart" of the matter in Ps 19:14!) Curtis Vaughan on defiles the body - This means that the tongue, wrongly used, pollutes man's whole personality, soils his whole nature, leaves a deadly stain upon him (cf. Matthew 15:11). It does this by permitting itself to be used as an organ for sin. (James: Bible Study Commentary) George Guthrie: Further, the tongue is set among the members of the body as that which defiles, or pollutes, the whole. Though a different Greek verb is used, this point brings to mind the teaching of Jesus that what comes out of a person defiles the person (Mk 7:20). James’s statement drives home one of the striking difficulties of dealing with the tongue—this world of unrighteousness, as a member of the body, is part of us, and the consequences of its presence are great! When uncontrolled, the tongue is an agent of spiritual and moral pollution that corrupts the entire body. (Hebrews, James) Donald Burdick thinks that "In reality, he is not referring to the tongue of flesh but to the intelligent, communicating mind that uses the tongue as its instrument. So the mind corrupts the whole person." (The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition or here) 🙏 THOUGHT - That makes sense because similarly Jesus said out of the mouth comes that which fills the heart (the control center of men, which would include the mind). Words come from the physical brain which is why a stroke makes a person aphasic (unable to speak). But the spiritual aspect that oversees the physical brain is usually referred to as the "heart" (not the physical heart of course). Now are you really confused? The point is that the tongue is composed of four muscles, but the motor input to those muscles comes from the brain and this is what Burdick is referring to. J Vernon McGee's comment also alludes to the heart - It is interesting to note that Paul said, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Ro 10:9, italics mine). In other words, we are to sing a duet, the tongue and the heart are to be in tune. The Lord Jesus said, "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Mt 12:34) -- what is in the heart will come out. Someone has said, "What is in the well of the heart will come out through the bucket of the mouth." If it is in your heart, you are going to say it sooner or later. It is interesting that when our Lord came to that dumb man, the Gospel writer is very careful to say, "He touched his mouth!" My friend, if He has touched you, He has touched your mouth also. Set (2525)(kathistemi from katá = down + hístēmi = to set or stand) means literally “to stand or set down". In this context it means to take a position, to come forward, to appear. James used this same verb in James 4:4+ "makes himself an enemy of God."
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Wiersbe - The tongue cannot be tamed by man, but it can be tamed by God. Your tongue need not be "set on fire of hell" (James 3:6). Like the Apostles at Pentecost, it can be set on fire from heaven! If God lights the fire and controls it, then the tongue can be a mighty tool for the winning of the lost and the building up of the church. The important thing, of course, is the heart; for it is "out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). If the heart is filled with hatred, Satan will light the fire. But if the heart is filled with love, God will light the fire. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Brian Bell has an interesting thought that "All the filth of the city accumulated there (Gehenna), so too the evil of our sinful hearts seems to accumulate on our tongues." (The 2 Ounce Beast) Hell (only use outside synoptic Gospels all others spoken by the Lord Jesus)(Gehenna) (1067)(geenna from Hebrew gay = valley + Hinnom) is literally the valley of Hinnom, the ravine or valley southwest of Jerusalem where the refuse and filth, human excrement, bodies of dead animals, and bodies of criminals were cast and burned. This same location was also the ancient site of Canaanite (and even some Israelite) rituals in which they sacrificed children to the pagan god Molech (who was of course not a god even with a little "g")! (see 2 Ki 23:10, Jer 7:31; Jer 19:5–6; Jer 32:35) These fires in the "Valley of Hinnom" were continually burning, which is an apt symbol of the future home of all unrepentant, unregenerate wicked men and women (cf "eternal fire" in Mt 25:41). In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36). Gehenna was a maggot infested, foul, forbidding place where the fire, smoke, and stench never ceased. It is thus fitting that geenna is where sin and unrepentant sinners will one day find their "resting place". And the reality of it should prompt all of us to pray for open hearts to the Gospel and to proclaim the Gospel whenever we have opportunity (for often "opportunity only knocks once.") John Painter: Gehenna -- The notion of the fires of hell may have developed from the Hebrew Gehinnom (Gk. geenna, Eng. “Gehenna”), the Valley (Ge) of Hinnom. In earlier times, this valley was the place where the devotees of Baal and Moloch sacrificed their children in fire. The valley later became the rubbish dump for Jerusalem, where corpses and garbage rotted and burned. In rabbinical and early Christian sources, Gehenna becomes the place of punishment for the wicked. In the NT, there are only twelve references to Gehenna, eleven of them in the Gospels and the other one in James 3:6. In the Gospels, all references are sayings attributed to Jesus. Six involve overlaps between Matthew and Mark and can be reduced to the single saying that it is better to lose one part of the body than to be cast whole into Gehenna (Matt. 5:29, 30; 18:9; Mark 9:43, 45, 47); Matt. 10:28 more or less corresponds to Luke 12:25 concerning whom to fear, the one with power to cast a person into Gehenna; Matt. 5:22 says that whoever calls someone a fool is bound for Gehenna; Matt. 23:15 speaks of the Pharisees making a convert twice as much a child of Gehenna as themselves; in Matt. 23:33 Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and asks how they will escape Gehenna. All but Matt. 23:15 refer to Gehenna as the destination of the wicked. Matthew 23:15 refers to Gehenna as the source of the wicked: “a child of Gehenna.” (James and Jude (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament)) Gehenna - all 12 uses - Matt. 5:22; Matt. 5:29; Matt. 5:30; Matt. 10:28; Matt. 18:9; Matt. 23:15; Matt. 23:33; Mk. 9:43; Mk. 9:45; Mk. 9:47; Lk. 12:5; Jas. 3:6 Related Resources - Eternal Punishment Gehenna - Holman Bible Dictionary Hell - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Hades (Sheol) - to be differentiated from Gehenna (See also Sheol) International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Gehenna McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Gehenna The Jewish Encyclopedia Gehenna Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Gehenna Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Gehenna Gehenna (2) How Does Hell Actually Set Fire to the Tongue? 1. Hell as the Domain of Satan - Behind Gehenna stands the devil himself — the original slanderer (diabolos = slanderer), the accuser, the deceiver. When the tongue: Slanders, Deceives, Destroys reputations, Spreads hatred and division. It is drawing its fuel and inspiration from the same source as Satan's own work. The tongue becomes his instrument in the world. 2. Hell as the Realm of Corruption - Gehenna was a place of: Rotting garbage, Perpetual burning, Uncleanness and defilement. James is saying the uncontrolled tongue taps into this same reservoir of moral corruption and brings the atmosphere of hell into human relationships, homes, churches, and communities. 3. Hell as Ultimate Destructive Power - Fire from Gehenna is consuming and irreversible. James is saying: Words once spoken cannot be unspoken. Reputations destroyed by the tongue may never recover. Relationships burned by words leave permanent scars. The destruction is out of proportion to the small size of the tongue. Just as Gehenna consumed everything thrown into it the tongue's fire consumes indiscriminately. The Terrifying Implication: James is not being merely metaphorical here. He is making a spiritual causation argument: An unbridled tongue is not just a personality flaw, a social problem, a communication issue. It is a tongue plugged into hell's power supply, drawing energy from the darkest spiritual source in existence! QUESTION - What does it mean that the tongue is a fire (James 3:6)? ANSWER - James 3:6 compares our tongues to fire. To understand this metaphor in context, we need to begin in verse 5: “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” Fire can be either constructive or destructive depending upon its containment. So it is with the tongue. Fire is one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. With fire we cook food, heat our homes, and destroy garbage that would otherwise overwhelm us. Likewise, the gift of speech is of great benefit. With our tongues we communicate information, express affection, and praise God. A tongue under control can speak life and truth into our world (cf Eph 4:29), bless and discipline our children, and transfer the wisdom God has given us (Proverbs 18:21). But, like fire out of bounds, our tongues can also do great damage. Like a grassfire touched by a sudden breeze, our words can take off, spreading far and wide in ways we never imagined. James 3:9–10 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” A tongue out of control can tear down self-worth, destroy relationships, and order the execution of evil plans. Like a grassfire touched by a sudden breeze, our words can take off, spreading far and wide in ways we never imagined. Gossip, slander, cursing, and lies are all symptoms of a wildfire tongue (Exodus 23:1; Leviticus 19:16; Proverbs 16:27; 2 Corinthians 12:20). One has but to witness the rapid spread of a scandalous rumor to see that the tongue is like a fire. Our flesh does not have the power to tame the tongue; only the Holy Spirit can. James 3:8 warns that the tongue’s fire easily becomes unmanageable: “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” So what are we to do? If the tongue cannot be tamed, how are we to control it? The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control (Galatians 5:22–23), which is exactly what we need to put out the fire of the tongue. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” When we consider the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13), we know that our tongues belong to Him. Bitter words, hateful words, and foul words must be crucified with the flesh (Galatians 2:20; 5:24), or they will dominate our speech. Our flesh does not have the power to tame the tongue; only the Holy Spirit can. Whatever good gift God creates, Satan perverts. The tongue is one such area Satan has corrupted, which is why the Bible says the tongue has been “set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). We defy Satan’s evil attempts to destroy our lives through the tongue when we commit ourselves daily to the lordship of Jesus. We can offer ourselves every day as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), and we can specifically focus on giving our tongues over to the Lord. “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). We can ask the Lord to make us more conscious of the words we speak and quickly repent of any comment that dishonors Him. Our tongues can be compared favorably to fire when we use our words to warm hearts, spread truth, and destroy lies. To keep our tongues under control, we can start every day with the prayer David prayed: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). JAMES 3:6—Does the “course of nature” refer to reincarnation? Norman Geisler MISINTERPRETATION: James refers to the “course of nature,” which has been translated “wheel of beginning.” Some take this to be a reference to reincarnation, since they believe life goes around in cycles of birth, death, and rebirth (into another body), and so forth. CORRECTING THE MISINTERPRETATION: The subject James is writing about is the power and persuasiveness of the human tongue, with its far-reaching effects. The “course of nature” refers to ongoing of life in general, not the recycling of individual souls. Beyond this text, James affirmed forgiveness of sins (cf. 5:20) and petitionary prayer (5:15–18), both of which are contrary to the doctrine of karma behind reincarnation, which affirms that whatever is sown in this life must be reaped in the next life (no exceptions). Finally, even if there were some question as to how this verse should be interpreted, an unclear passage should always be understood in the light of a clear one. And the Bible clearly opposes reincarnation (see John 9:3; Heb. 9:27). (Norman Geisler - When Cultists Ask) The Tongue That Defiles He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. —Proverbs 13:3 Today's Scripture: James 3:5-12 My words have an effect on others; they also have an effect on me. When I speak evil, I not only reveal the sin in my own heart (Luke 6:45), I also reinforce that evil and cause it to grow. Jesus said it’s not what goes into my mouth that defiles me, but what comes out. James put it another way: “The tongue . . . defiles the whole body” (James 3:6). My untamed tongue corrupts me. On the other hand, when I refuse to give expression to impure, unkind, ungodly thoughts, I begin to choke and strangle the evil in my soul. That’s why the wise man said in Proverbs 13:3 that we must guard our mouth. When we do that, we starve the evil that is gnawing insidiously at the root of our soul. Do we want to put an end to the evil that so easily rises within us? With God’s help, we must learn to control our tongue. You may say, “I’ve tried to, but I have no power to subdue it.” James agreed: “No man can tame the tongue” (James 3:8). But Jesus can. Ask Him to “keep watch” over your mouth (Psalm 141:3), and hand the bridle of your tongue to Him. Reflect & Pray Lord, set a guard upon my lips, My tongue control today; Help me evaluate each thought And watch each word I say. —Hess Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. —Proverbs 21:23 Greek Fire 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. —James 3:6 Today's Scripture: James 3:1-12 Greek fire was a chemical solution that was used in ancient warfare by the Byzantine Empire against its enemies. According to one online source, it was developed around ad 672 and was used with devastating effect, especially in sea warfare because it could burn on water. What was Greek fire? Its actual chemical composition remains a mystery. It was such a valuable military weapon that the formula was kept an absolute secret—and was lost to the ravages of history. Today, researchers continue to try to replicate that ancient formula, but without success. One source of catastrophic destruction among believers in Christ, however, is not a mystery. James tells us that the source of ruin in our relationships is often a very different kind of fire. He wrote, “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body” (James 3:6). Those strong words remind us how damaging unguarded words can be to those around us. Reflect & Pray It seems, Father, that sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Forgive us for speaking destructively to fellow Christians, and teach us to use wise words that can encourage and build their walk with You. To bridle your tongue, give God the reins of your heart. Small Spark, Big Fire The tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! —James 3:5 Today's Scripture: James 3 In June 2002, the Hayman fire destroyed more than 137,000 acres of beautiful mountain forest in Colorado. Smoke darkened the skies, choking residents of cities 40 miles away. Thousands of people evacuated their homes, and millions of dollars were spent fighting a blaze that began with a single match. Small spark, big fire. That’s the way James described the damage done by our reckless and careless words. “See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. . . . It defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (3:5-6). The Bible urges us not to underestimate the destructive potential of what we say. One incendiary remark can kindle an inferno of emotional harm. The best way to avert the flames of anger is to keep from striking that first match. We must let the wisdom of God check our thoughts before they leave our tongues. “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (v.17). Reflect & Pray One careless word can be a spark Igniting anger into flame; It can destroy relationships And bring reproach to Jesus' name. —Sper Words can't break bones, but they can break hearts. The Point of No Return The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body. James 3:6 Today's Scripture & Insight: James 3:1–12 It wasn’t as simple as just crossing another river. By law, no Roman general could lead armed troops into Rome. So when Julius Caesar led his Thirteenth Legion across the Rubicon River and into Italy in 49 bc, it was an act of treason. The impact of Caesar’s decision was irreversible, generating years of civil war before Rome’s great general became absolute ruler. Still today, the phrase “crossing the Rubicon” is a metaphor for “passing the point of no return.” Sometimes we can cross a relational Rubicon with the words we say to others. Once spoken, words can’t be taken back. They can either offer help and comfort or do damage that feels just as irreversible as Caesar’s march on Rome. James gave us another word picture about words when he said, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6). Lord, please guard my heart and my words today. May I speak only words that please You and bring health and healing to others. Read What Do You Do with a Broken Relationship? at discoveryseries.org/q0703. When words become weapons, our relationships soon become casualties. THE SECRET OF A CONTROLLED TONGUE BY THEODORE EPP Is it not strange that the tongue can be praising God one moment and be slandering some person the next moment, often right in the church where the tongue had been used to praise God? We may even hear the preacher talk about not slandering others, but before we leave we will say things concerning others that amount to slander. Such inconsistencies are not found in nature, but out of the human being can come both bitter and sweet words. Remember that the tongue speaks only what is in the heart. Godly words can come only from a godly heart. To have a godly heart we must follow the instructions found in Romans 6. We must know what our position is in Christ; we must reckon, or count, upon it as being true because it is true; and we must yield ourselves completely to Christ (see vv. 6,7,11-13). This involves our intellect, emotions and will. Words come from our thoughts, and thoughts come from the mind; therefore, it is possible to control our words by controlling our minds. We who know Jesus Christ as Saviour can have our minds controlled by "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). He alone is worthy and is able to give us victory. "Set a watch, 0 LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Ps. 141:3). The Silent Pen The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. — James 3:18 Today's Scripture & Insight: James 3:1-12 Former US President Harry Truman had a rule: Any letters written in anger had to sit on his desk for 24 hours before they could be mailed. If at the end of that “cooling off” period, he still felt the same sentiments, he would send the letter. By the end of his life, Truman’s unmailed letters filled a large desk drawer. How often in this age of immediate communication would even 24 minutes of wise restraint spare us embarrassment! In his epistle, James addressed a universal theme in human history when he wrote about the damage an uncontrolled tongue can bring. “No man can tame the tongue,” he wrote. “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). When we’re gossiping or speaking in anger, we find ourselves outside the lines of what God desires. Our tongues, our pens, and even our keyboards should more often fall silent with thanks in our hearts for the restraint God provides. All too often, when we speak we remind everyone of our brokenness as human beings. Reflect & Pray Help me, Lord, to use my words not to tear down others or build up my own reputation, but to seek the good of others first, and in so doing to serve You and Your kingdom. Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. —Proverbs 21:23 Thoughts from Don Anderson on James 3:6 (source) It is a "FIRE." It can consume and turn to ashes the character of a person in a moment. It burns in the following ways. (1) SPEAKING IDLE WORD - not according to the truth. ~ You don't know all the details, but to have something to talk about, you fill in your own. Psalm 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile. Psalm 120:2 Deliver my soul, Oh Jehovah, from lying lips. (2) INSINUATING EVILS - You don't really know if this juicy little morsel is true or not, but it sure makes an exciting conversation. Psalm 52:2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. Proverbs 4:24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you (3) SPEAKING OF THINGS WHICH REFLECT ON THE CHARACTER of another child of God. - Proverbs 18:8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body. Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends. (4) MAGNIFYING FAULTS "You can't hold a fellow down in the ditch unless you stay there with him." Booker T Washington (5) WORDS THAT BELITTLE Psalm 64:3 Who whet their tongues like a sword and have aimed the arrows, even bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the innocent. (Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow) It is human nature to speak of FAULTS rather than VIRTUES. It is so easy to point out weaknesses. It is so easy to be critical. It is hard to say words of affirmation. The tongue is not only a "FIRE" but it is: "THE SUM TOTAL OF INIQUITY". It is "THE SUM TOTAL OF INIQUITY'' in that it: SUGGESTS SIN to us and to others1 COMMITS SIN by LYING and GOSSIP, and EXCUSES and DEFENDS SIN in justifying itself.
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Wiersbe - As it spreads, fire destroys; and the words we speak have the power to destroy. For every word in Hitler's book, Mein Kampf, 125 lives were lost in World War II. Our own words may not have caused wars or wrecked cities, but they can break hearts and ruin reputations. (Bible Exposition Commentary)
Tiago 3
Wiersbe - The deceptive thing about poison is that it works secretly and slowly, and then kills. How many times has some malicious person injected a bit of poison into the conversation, hoping it would spread and finally get to the person he or she wanted to hurt? As a pastor, I have seen poisonous tongues do great damage to individuals, families, classes, and entire churches. Would you turn hungry lions or angry snakes loose in your Sunday morning service? Of course not! But unruly tongues accomplish the same results. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Poison (2447)(ios from híemi = to send) is something sent out and one Greek meaning is thus arrow, a meaning not found in the NT. Ios is used in the NT to mean poison or venom. The idea is something that is emitted since venom is ejected or emitted from a serpent's fangs. Ios also means rust as if emitted by metals (James 5:3 = "Your gold and your silver have rusted") Ios is used in Ro 3:13 "“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” “THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS” Solomon records Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21) In the psalms we read.. "The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth. They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear." (Ps 58:3-4) Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. (Ps 52:2-4) Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of those who do iniquity, 3 Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow, 4 To shoot from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear. 5 They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who can see them?” Psalm 64:2-5) They ("Evil men" Ps 140:1) sharpen their tongues as a serpent; b Selah. (Psalm 140:3) Lord, set a guard upon my lips, My tongue control today; Help me evaluate each thought And watch each word I say. —Hess Bite your tongue before your tongue bites others. Adrian Rogers - Watch the words of your mouth. One of the marks that a man has been born again is that his tongue is now controlled. You see, when we're talking, we can't be listening. And so, the same Bible that says, "Be ready to hear," says, "Be slow to speak." You see, the two are mutually incompatible: A wise old owl lived in an oak The more he saw the less he spoke The less he spoke the more he heard. Why can't we all be like that wise old bird? (Author Unknown) A wise owl indeed, because he learned to listen. Most of us would be amazed, if we just knew how much we rattle on. Most of us would be amazed, if somebody were to follow us around with a tape recorder, and tape everything we say in entire day, and then reduce it to print, and make us read it back at the end of the day. And, If all that we say In a single day, With never a word left out, Were printed each night In clear black and white T'would make [strange] reading no doubt. And then just suppose Ere one's eyes he could close He must read the day's record through; Then wouldn't one sigh, And wouldn't he try A great deal less talking to do? And I more than half think That many a kink Would be smoothed in life's tangled thread If one-half that we say In a single day Were just left forever unsaid. (Author Unknown) LIFE APPLICATION - EXCUSES FOR SPEAKING YOUR MIND Contemporary wisdom says that people should assert themselves and say what they really feel; speak out, rather than stifle. There are many rationalizations for the unrestrained use of the tongue. We say: "Somebody had to tell him off." "It was good to get it off my chest." "I sure gave her a piece of my mind." "Maybe what I said will do him some good." "I felt better for saying it." Instead of making excuses for sounding off, we can exercise restraint and allow God's peace and wisdom to guide what we say. Our society encourages us to speak out in a thoughtless way, totally disregarding the deadly impact our words may have. Christ's attitude is for us to deal with our anger and frustration honestly and maturely but to use restraint in how we reveal these feelings to others. (Life Application Bible Commentary – James) Ron Mehl who is a pastor in Portland, Oregon has written a great little book called Right With God. In this book he talks like James when it comes to the matter of the tongue: REALIZE THAT ONLY GOD CAN CHANGE THE WAY YOU SPEAK. Every now and then you read a horrible story of a child mauled by some wild animal that had supposedly been domesticated. “It was tame!” the keepers protest. “It never hurt anyone else.” But somehow, this “tamed” cougar, leopard or wolf suddenly reverted back to an old instinct—to lash out, to maim, to kill. Our tongue has that same awful potential. Just when we think we have our mouths under control, something will set us off, and we will maul someone with angry or bitter words. You’ll never be able to train your tongue to bring life instead of death. Only God can turn bitter water sweet. Hold Your Tongue Read: James 3:1-12 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. —Psalm 141:3 When Bernard Baruch was an ambitious young businessman, he asked the wealthy J. P. Morgan to partner with him in a Texas sulfur mining venture. Geologists had given the project a favorable report, but there was still some risk. Morgan was interested until Baruch said, “You’ve taken bigger gambles than this.” Morgan glared at him and then replied in an icy tone, “I never gamble.” The word gambles had killed the deal. Morgan thought that investing was respectable but that gambling was a sin. If one word, innocently misspoken, can cost millions, think of how much damage malicious words can cause. They can ruin a person’s reputation and destroy the closest relationships. James minced no words in warning about the power of the tongue. He said it’s easier to control a horse, guide a mighty ship, and tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures than to control the tongue (James 3:3-8). He called it a “fire” ignited by hell itself (James 3:6), and “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). Lord, set a watch upon my lips, My tongue control today; Help me evaluate each thought And guard each word I say. —Hess Speaking without thinking is like shooting without taking aim. Daniel Akin Sermon - Steve Stephens drives home the importance of our words in our marriage. He writes, “There is nothing more painful than having unhealthy communication with the one you love. It is through communication that we connect and our spirits touch. If that connection becomes contaminated, it is only a matter of time before the whole relationship is poisoned. . . . I have gathered together some close friends and asked them what not to say to your spouse. Here is their list: “I told you so.” I can talk to you until I am blue in the “face and it doesn’t do any good.” “You’re just like your mother.” “I can do whatever I like.” “You’re always in a bad mood.” “If you don’t like it, you can just leave.” “It’s your fault.” “Can’t you do anything right?” “What’s wrong with you?” “That was stupid.” “All you ever do is complain.” “All you ever do is think of yourself.” “I can’t do anything to please you.” “If you really loved me, you’d do this.” “You get what you deserve.” “You’re such a baby.” “Why don’t you ever listen to me?” “Turnabout’s fair play.” “Can’t you be more responsible?” “You deserve a taste of your own “medicine.” What were you thinking?” “What’s your problem?” “You’re impossible.” “I can never understand you.” “I don’t know why I put up with you.” “Do you always have to be right?” A Battle Over Words Read: James 3:1-12 Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. —Matthew 12:36 Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster recently came under attack. According to company president John M. Morse, protesters demanded that a specific word be deleted because it is derogatory and offensive. Morse pointed out that dictionary publishers don’t invent words or decide the meanings that words will have. A dictionary merely lists and defines the words of our language. Society does the inventing and reinventing of words. Morse concluded by suggesting that rather than protesting the dictionary’s treatment of words, “We can choose our own words responsibly and protest the use of the word by those around us and by influential people in the media, the entertainment industry, and elsewhere.” That’s good advice! Words are important to God. Jesus said that we will be judged for “every idle word” we speak (Mt. 12:36). And in the book of James, 15 of the 108 verses are devoted to the use of the tongue and the words we speak. Lord, guard our tongues so what we say Won't hurt and carelessly offend; Give us the gracious speech of love, With words that soothe and heal and mend. —Sper A well-chosen word can speak volumes. THE TONGUE, SPEECH A Malaysian court has ruled that using derogatory and vulgar language about your superiors at work is acceptable, as long as you do it behind their backs. The Industrial Court ruled in the case of a secretary who was fired because she sent e-mail from the office computer to several friends, griping about her superiors. In a twelve-page statement, the court said, "The court agrees that if derogatory, insolent, and impertinent (words) are used toward the superior officers directly it would construe a serious misconduct on the part of (the woman)". The court added, "But if those words or language are only used behind their backs and only between a few friends it would not be a misconduct. Those words are not meant to be heard by the senior officers." The court compared the woman's comments about her superiors to tea room chitchat. Though the court awarded back wages and compensation, the court said the company did not have to give the woman her job back because the trust between her and her employers had been broken. (Jim Wilson - Fresh Illustrations) Warren Wiersbe - My wife and I once drove through a safari park, admiring the animals as they moved about in their natural habitat. But there were warning signs posted all over the park: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR! DO NOT OPEN YOUR WINDOWS! Those "peaceful" animals were capable of doing great damage, and even killing. Some animals are poisonous, and some tongues spread poison. The deceptive thing about a poison is that it works secretly and slowly, and then it kills. How many times has some malicious person injected a bit of poison into the conversation, hoping it would spread and finally get to the person he or she wanted to hurt? As a pastor, I have seen poisonous tongues do great damage to individuals, families, classes, and entire churches. Would you turn hungry lions or angry snakes loose in your Sunday morning service? Of course not! But unruly tongues accomplish the same results. James reminds us that animals can be tamed; and, for that matter, fire can be tamed. When you tame an animal, you get a worker instead of a destroyer. When you control fire, you generate power. The tongue cannot be tamed by man, but it can be tamed by God. (Pause for Power) The Power of Words - Woodrow Kroll In regions of Southeast Asia there is a snake called the "two-step." If it bites you, you take two steps and die (BUT SEE NOTE). Its venom swiftly paralyzes your nervous system, which stops your heart. But even if you don’t visit Southeast Asia, you’re in peril of something else that is just as deadly (James 3:8). Words have the potential to kill relationships, paralyze love, poison minds, destroy faith, stain purity and deface reputations. Job recognized the capability of words to destroy when he exclaimed to his friends, "How forceful are right words!" After bearing up under the onslaught of Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 4:1–5:27), he was brought to the point of frustration. Instead of helping, his well-meaning companion only served to undermine his friend with his words (v. 27). It is no small matter when we open our mouths. When our words are right, they can be a powerful force for good. But when they are wrong, they work like a deadly venom. Instead of being helpful, they are destructive. Rather than building up our friends, our words can tear them down. Those who are weak and helpless (Job’s reference to the "fatherless" refers to these kinds of people) can be blown away by what we say. Be careful today how you speak to others. Consider your words before you say them. Especially in times of crisis, the right word can bring healing and encouragement, while the wrong word can destroy your relationship with another person. Be sensitive to God’s Spirit. Seek His guidance before you express yourself. And ask God to set a guard over your mouth to keep you from saying the wrong thing (Ps. 141:3). On Listening Read: Exodus 16:1-8 Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. — Ecclesiastes 5:2 God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason,” the saying goes. The ability to listen is an essential life skill. Counselors tell us to listen to each other. Spiritual leaders tell us to listen to God. But hardly anyone says, “Listen to yourself.” I’m not suggesting that we have an inner voice that always knows the right thing to say. Nor am I saying we should listen to ourselves instead of to God and others. I’m suggesting that we need to listen to ourselves in order to learn how others might be receiving our words. The Israelites could have used this advice when Moses was leading them out of Egypt. Within days of their miraculous deliverance, they were complaining (Ex. 16:2). Although their need for food was legitimate, their way of expressing the need was not (v.3). Whenever we speak out of fear, anger, ignorance, or pride—even if what we say is true—those who listen will hear more than our words. They hear emotion. But they don’t know whether the emotion comes from love and concern or disdain and disrespect, so we risk misunderstanding. If we listen to ourselves before speaking out loud, we can judge our hearts before our careless words harm others or sadden our God. — Julie Ackerman Link Words spoken rashly do more harm than good Taming A Tiger Read: James 3:1-8 No man can tame the tongue. —James 3:8 My granddaughter Bree loved the circus, but she was afraid of the tiger. She had no reason to be, however, because the huge old cat had been tamed and was caged. It was hopelessly overweight, and I suspect it no longer had any teeth. Along with its lion friends, the striped beauty went through its routine in meek subjection. You can tame a tiger, a lion, a leopard, a cheetah, and other wild animals, especially if you work with them from birth. But according to the apostle James, you cannot tame the human tongue. He wrote, “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (3:8). James used other vivid analogies to illustrate the enormous power of this little member of the body. A bit in a horse’s mouth can turn the animal to the right or to the left (v.3). A ship’s rudder can steer a huge vessel in a raging storm (v.4). A single match or even a small spark can start a fire that can destroy an entire forest (v.5). So too, though the tongue is a small organ, it can do great harm. Lord, set a watch upon my lips, My tongue control today; Help me evaluate each thought And guard each word I say. —Hess He cannot speak well who cannot hold his tongue. READ: James 3:1-12 AN uncontrolled tongue can get us into a ton of trouble. For many of us, the problem started early. We became aware of it when we took home a report card with this note from the teacher: "Good student, but he talks too much." As adults, the problem reveals itself in other situations, such as when we're on the phone and our mind says, "Don't spread gossip about Jane," but our mouth says, "You wouldn't believe what I heard about Jane!" Or after we've spoken harsh words to the kids. The struggle to control our tongues can seem like a losing battle. No wonder James called the tongue "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8). Given our natural tendency to get into trouble with our tongues, what can we do to control them? James said that "no man can tame the tongue," but God can, and He offers help from several sources. Consider these principles: Don't let your tongue speak evil (Psalm 34:13). Use your tongue to praise God (Psalm 51:14-15). Promote health with wise words (Proverbs 12:18). Don't bad-mouth others (James 4:11). Instead of boasting, trust God (James 4:13-16). Lord, make me conscious today of the words I choose and the way I use them. May my lips be so full of praise for You and encouragement for others that they have no opportunity to do any harm. W.A. Criswell: Do you remember those three little monkeys? One has his eyes covered--see no evil.One has his mouth covered--speak no evil. And one has his ears covered--hear no evil. The whole body. A gossipy tongue is a dangerous thing If its owner is evil at heart. He can give whom he chooses many a sting That will woefully linger and smart. But the gossipy tongue would be balked in its plan For causing heartburning and tears, If it weren't helped out by the misguided man Who possesses two gossipy ears… If I am not to be a talebearer and a whisperer and a defamer and a slanderer then what am I to do? This is what I am to do. I am to speak beautifully, graciously, and kindly. The apostle Paul writes, “Speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another … Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." G. Coleman Luck: Remember, as indicated earlier, that no man can tame the tongue, but there is One who can. Bitter waters were made sweet at Marah when a divinely revealed tree was cast into them (Ex 15:23-26+). So as the tree--the cross of Christ-- becomes real in our lives, as we trust in the Lord Jesus and walk in faith with Him, the bitter waters of Marah will become sweet, and our tongues instead of producing evil will be a blessing to all about us. Taming The Untamable No man can tame the tongue. — James 3:8 Today's Scripture & Insight: James 3:1-12 From Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs to Siberian foxes, humans have learned to tame wild animals. People enjoy teaching monkeys to “act” in commercials or training deer to eat out of their hands. As the apostle James put it, “Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind” (James 3:7). But there is something we cannot tame. All of us have trouble getting a little thing called the tongue under control. “No man can tame the tongue,” James tells us (James 3:8). Why? Because while our words may be on the tip of our tongue, they originate from deep within us. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). And thus the tongue can be used for both good and evil (James 3:9). Or, as scholar Peter Davids put it, “On the one hand, [the tongue] is very religious, but, on the other, it can be most profane.” Reflect & Pray Lord, my mouth sometimes speaks words that don’t honor You. Thank You that by Your Spirit my untamed tongue can be brought under divine control. Please guard my mouth today. To rule your tongue, let Christ rule in your heart. Careless Speech He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. —Proverbs 17:27 Today's Scripture: James 3:1-12 When my wife and I were visiting a church for a special musical program, we arrived early to get a good seat. Before the program began, we overheard two members seated behind us complaining about their church. They criticized the pastoral staff, leadership, music, ministry priorities, and several other things that made them unhappy. They were either unconcerned about or oblivious to the presence of two visitors in their midst. It occurred to me that their unfortunate conversation could have pushed us away if we were there looking for a new church home. Worse, what if we were seeking God and their disgruntled opinions had driven us away? Their careless speech was not just a matter of the words they used or attitudes they displayed, it also demonstrated their lack of concern for the impact those words could have on others. Reflect & Pray Lord, I need Your help that I might control my thoughts and words today. I want to be a blessing to others, to lift them up that they might see Your goodness. Amen. Discretion of speech is better than eloquence with words. Taming The Tongue He who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19 Today's Scripture: Proverbs 10:18-32 At amusement parks, the bumper-car ride is always popular. People enjoy driving recklessly for a few minutes, bumping deliberately but harmlessly into other people’s cars. Some people have a bumper-car mentality in their relationships with others. Using blunt words, they deliberately bump into others’ feelings, which is anything but harmless. Solomon wrote, “He who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19). But James said, “No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8). He said that with the tongue we bless our God who created us, but we also curse those whom He has created (v.9). Lest we think that Christians do the blessing and non-Christians do the cursing, we need to remember that James was writing to Christians. To tame our tongues, we need God’s help. In Romans 6:13, Paul said that we need to make a choice—to present the parts of our body “as instruments of righteousness to God,” not “as instruments of unrighteousness to sin.” 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 To bridle your tongue, give God the reins of your heart. SOME TALK ABOUT TALK "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips." -- Psalm 141:3 A man attended a meeting where the guest lecturer was extremely long-winded. When the listener could stand it no longer, he got up and slipped out a side door. In the corridor he met a friend who asked, "Has he finished yet?" "Yes," the man replied, "he's been through for a long time, but he's not aware of it. He simply won't stop!" The idea of coming to the point and saying something worthwhile is also good counsel for us as we talk with others each day. If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that much of our conversation is nothing more than empty talk. The Lord Jesus warned, "For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment" (Mt. 12:36). Pause a minute and think about what your usual conversation is like. What is the subject of most of your discussions? Do you talk too much and not give opportunity for others to speak? Is your speech profitable to others? And above all, do your words glorify God? The Lord can enable you to speak words that build up others and don't just fill the air. Today, make these words of David your prayer: "Set a guard, How easy it is to use many words And give little thought to the things you say! So, willingly yield your lips to the Lord And hearts will be blest by them every day. -- Dennis J. De Haan If your mind goes blank don't forget to turn off the sound Related Pithy One Liners Related to the Tongue Bite your tongue before your tongue bites others. Think twice before speaking once. Words once spoken cannot be recalled. Loose lips reveal a loose heart. The tongue reveals what the heart conceals. Your tongue writes checks your character must cash. Speak less. Listen more. Better a closed mouth than an open wound. The tongue can heal or kill. A sharp tongue cuts deepest. The tongue has no bones, but it can break hearts. The tongue starts fires no water can quench. Control your tongue, or your tongue will control you. If your heart is right, your words will be right. What fills the heart spills from the mouth. Before you speak, ask if it is true, kind, and necessary. A careless word may leave a lifelong scar. Wisdom weighs words before releasing them. Grace is heard before it is seen. The quickest way to reveal your heart is to open your mouth. Every word is a seed; every conversation is a harvest. Angry words leave permanent footprints. Silence is often the wisest reply. A gentle tongue is stronger than a clenched fist. The tongue is small, but its consequences are enormous. Your words build bridges or burn them. The mouth is the overflow valve of the heart. Speak to bless, not to bruise. A bridled tongue marks a mature believer. The hardest member to master is the smallest. A loose tongue sinks lives. Think before you speak—or regret after you speak. Words travel farther than you do. Speak life, not strife. A controlled tongue reflects a controlled heart. The tongue is a thermometer of the heart. Every idle word has an eternal audience. Gossip is betrayal disguised as conversation. The tongue never outruns the heart. When the heart is full of Christ, the mouth speaks of Christ. Bite your tongue before your tongue bites others. The tongue reveals what the heart conceals. Every word is a seed; every conversation is a harvest. The mouth is the overflow valve of the heart. A bridled tongue marks a mature believer. Speak to bless, not to bruise. The tongue starts fires no water can quench. Your words build bridges or burn them. Control your tongue, or your tongue will control you. What fills the heart spills from the mouth. James 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; (NASB95) Amplified With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God’s likeness! Phillips We use the tongue to bless our Father, God, and we use the same tongue to curse our fellow-men, who are all created in God's likeness. Wuest By means of it we eulogize the Lord, even the Father, and by means of it we curse men who have been made in the image of God. NET With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God's image. GNT ἐν αὐτῇ εὐλογοῦμεν τὸν κύριον καὶ πατέρα καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς καθ᾽ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγονότας, NLT Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. KJV Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. ESV With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. ASV Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: CSB We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God's likeness with it. NIV With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. NKJ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. NRS With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. YLT with it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God; NAB With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. NJB We use it to bless the Lord and Father, but we also use it to curse people who are made in God's image: GWN With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God's likeness. BBE With it we give praise to our Lord and Father; and with it we put a curse on men who are made in God's image. With it: Ps 16:9 Ps 30:12 Ps 35:28 Ps 51:14 Ps 57:8 Ps 62:4 Ps 71:24 Ps 108:1 Ac 2:26 we bless our Lord and Father: 1Ch 29:10,20 Ps 34:1 63:4 145:1,21 Isa 29:13 Eph 1:3 1Pe 1:3 with it we curse men: Jud 9:27 2Sa 16:5 19:21 Ps 10:7 59:12 109:17,18 Ec 7:22 Mt 5:44 26:74 Ro 3:14 who have been made in the likeness of God: Ge 1:26,27 5:1 9:6 1Co 11:7 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 SPEAKING WITH A "FORKED TONGUE" Having mentioned the tongue being filled with deadly poison congeners up the image of a deadly viper and here we see the image of a forked tongue which such a viper would possess! (cf the first lie from a forked tongue Ge 3:1, 4) Presumably James had first hand experience with this incongruous speech among believers because in verse 10 with continues the thought of blessing and cursing he addresses them as my brethren and then explains that such duplicitous speech was not right in the body of Christ. Simon Kistemaker has an interesting introduction to James 3:9-12 - After such a lengthy exposition about the nature of the tongue, we can expect members of the church to object. They believe that those whom the grace of God has touched are able to control their tongues. But do Christians who praise the name of God the Father act differently from persons who refuse to praise his name? Do Christians speak with the tongues of angels? Hardly. (Exposition of James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude) To curse someone is not just to swear at him or her; it is to desire that he or she be cut off from God and experience eternal punishment. Douglas Moo: This activity of blessing, in which we praise and honour God, is cited by James as the highest, purest, most noble form of speech. The lowest, filthiest, most ignoble form of speech, on the other hand, is cursing. The word of the curse, which is the opposite of blessing (cf. Deut. 30:19), was seen to have great power in the ancient world. To curse someone is not just to swear at him or her; it is to desire that he or she be cut off from God and experience eternal punishment. Jesus prohibited his disciples from cursing others; indeed, they were to ‘bless those who curse you’ (Luke 6:28; cf. Rom. 12:14). What makes cursing particularly heinous is that the one whom we pronounce damned has been made in God ’s likeness (James’ further allusion to Gen. 1:26 [cf. v. 7] is clear). The rabbis cautioned against cursing for the same reason: one should not say ‘“Let my neighbour be put to shame” – for then you put to shame one who is in the image of God’ (Bereshith Rabba 24, on Gen. 5:1). (James: An Introduction and Commentary - Page 163) John MacArthur introduces this passage explaining that "the tongue is characterized by what might be called its perfidy to compromise. Perfidy refers to deliberate breech of trust, or treachery, and the unbridled tongue is frequently guilty of such evil. The tongue is not just wild and raging like an animal, but clever, plotting, and subtly deceptive. It is hypocritical and duplicitous, eagerly willing to deceive in order to achieve its own advantage." (MacArthur Commentary) With it - With our mouth, our tongue. We bless our Lord and Father - To bless God is the highest use of our tongue (cf Ps 33:1, Ps 147:1). On one hand our tongue can praise God, speaking a good word about Him. Lord and Father - Surprisingly, this is the only place we find this specific title for God. The phrase "OUR Lord and Father" shows that James is addressing believers. The writers of the NT frequently recorded blessing God the Father... Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3 ) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3). Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3) We bless (present tense = indicating this is what one usually does) (2127)(eulogeo from eu = good + lógos = word) means speak good or well, to praise, to extol. When eulogeo is used by men toward men it means to speak well of with praise and thanksgiving (English "Eulogy" = an address in praise for one deceased ). To say good or positive things. Eulogeo can be from men to God, from men to men, and from God to men. J
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Wiersbe - MIXED MESSAGES If you and I are going to have tongues that delight, then we must meet with the Lord each day and learn from Him. We must get our "spiritual roots" deep into His Word. We must pray and meditate and permit the Spirit of God to fill our hearts with God's love and truth. But James issued a warning: a fountain cannot give forth two kinds of water, and a tree cannot bear two different kinds of fruit. We expect the fountain to flow with sweet water at all times, and we expect the fig tree to bear figs and the olive tree to bear olives. Nature reproduces after its own kind. If the tongue is inconsistent, there is something radically wrong with the heart. I heard about a professing Christian who got angry on the job and let loose with some oaths. Embarrassed, he turned to his partner and said, "I don't know why I said that. It really isn't in me." His partner wisely replied, "It had to be in you or it couldn't have come out of you." The tongue that blessed the Father, and then turns around and curses men made in God's image, is in desperate need of spiritual medicine! How easy it is to sing the hymns during the worship service, then after the service, get into the family car and argue and fight all the way home! "My brothers, this should not be." (Pause for Power) James 3:11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? (NASB95) Amplified Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter? Phillips Have you ever known a spring to give sweet and bitter water simultaneously? Wuest The spring does not pour forth out of the same opening the sweet and the bitter [water], does it? NET A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? GNT μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν; NLT Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? KJV Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? ESV Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ASV Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? CSB Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? NIV Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? NKJ Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? NRS Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? YLT doth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter? NAB Does a spring gush forth from the same opening both pure and brackish water? NJB does any water supply give a flow of fresh water and salt water out of the same pipe? GWN Do clean and polluted water flow out of the same spring? BBE Does the fountain send from the same outlet sweet and bitter water? from the same opening, Jas 3:11 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 FRESH AND SALTY? James asks two sets of rhetorical questions (James 3:11-12) as a means of explaining and illustrating how unnatural it is for cursing and blessing to come out of the same mouth of a born again believer (James 3:9-10). As new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17+) believers have a new source of supernatural power to replace natural negative speech with positive God glorifying speech. In this life of course, no believer will reach perfection in the area of "tongue control", but our daily goal should be steady progression toward greater and greater degrees of Christ-likeness as we learn to rely wholly on His Holy Spirit. Jesus taught in Matthew 12:34-37+ that a man’s words are a reliable indicator of the state of his heart. What we say indicates who we are, whether we are still in Adam (unregenerate) or in Christ (regenerate)... “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? (THEY COULD NOT BRING FORTH "FRESH WATER"!) For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. 35 “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. 36 “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you will be justified (YOUR SPEECH WILL SPEAK OF WHO YOU REALLY ARE - LOST OR BORN AGAIN!), and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34-37+) Does a fountain (pege) send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? - The rhetorical question expects a strong negative reply. Fresh and bitter water cannot come from a fountain at the same time. The impossibility of this occurring should cause believers to realize how vital it is to learn to submit our tongue to the control of the Spirit. 🙏 THOUGHT - So think of your heart as a fountain and examine your own heart by examining what comes out of your mouth. When we are filled with the Spirit and under His control our speech will most likely be "fresh water," that which honors God. But if we do not heed Paul's command (only possible as we are empowered by the Spirit) to "not let sin reign (present imperative with a negative) in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts" (Ro 6:13+), then we are giving our fallen, sinful flesh an opening from which to spew forth "bitter water." We have a choice (and responsibility) regarding how we can respond, but it a mysterious truth that while we are 100% responsible, we are also 100% dependent on the Spirit to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. For more discussion on this principle see "Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible" (100/100). Zodhiates adds "The tongue is only an instrument of the mind and heart and is appropriately located in between the two. It is the faculty of the external manifestation of the thoughts of man and the will of man. Without a command from the mind and permission from the will, the tongue cannot speak either good or evil." (borrow Faith, Love & Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James) Oswald Chambers - If a cup is filled only with good water, it cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how badly it is jarred. THOUGHT: What Chambers states would seem to be a picture of a man or woman who is "filled with" the Spirit and under His control, so that when the "pop test" occurs, what comes out of us is what fills us. Of course, this presupposes that we are "prepared" for the "pop test." If we have not walked out of the house "filled with the Spirit," then clearly our "vessel" is vulnerable and if "bumped" by adverse words or deeds, is far more likely to "spill" bitter water, so to speak. Alec Motyer: [The tongue’s] pollution, not its sweetness, prevails (11). The question James asks expects the answer ‘no’, and for a very obvious reason. Suppose two separate sources of water flowed together into the same outlet, one sweet water, the other brackish and unpalatable, we would never know of the double source because the bitter flavour would prevail. That is what would prove to be the stronger element; that is what would leave its mark. So the tongue needs guarding lest it leave a bitter taste behind it wherever it makes itself felt. (The Message of James - The Tests of Faith) Ralph Martin: The point he makes is that one spring does not alternate between producing good and bad water. It is either one or the other, and the “tragedy of the tongue” (Moo, 129) lies, in fact, in this vacillation and consequent contamination. The spring was made to produce one type of water; likewise the tongue was created to bring forth only one type of speech—namely, a “good” speech (of blessing). Unfortunately, while the spring “stays” within its assigned boundaries (as the wild animal submits to human authority), the tongue continues to go against its nature and, ultimately, against its creator. The power (and poison) of the tongue (Jas 3:8) can be seen from the fact that while fresh water added to salt water does not produce fresh water, salt water added to fresh causes the water to be salty. The poison of the tongue is all-pervasive. (James, Volume 48 - Page 121) John
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Wiersbe - The problem, of course, is not the tongue; it is the heart. It is easy to have "bitter envying and strife" in our hearts (James 3:14). "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man" (Matt. 15:18). "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). As we fill our hearts with God's Word, and yield to the Holy Spirit, He can use us to bring delight to others, and we will be refreshing fountains and trees. As I close this chapter, let me suggest that you start using the "Twelve Words That Can Transform Your Life." If you use these words and sincerely mean what you say from your heart, you will find that God will use you to be a blessing and encouragement to others. There are only twelve of them, but they work. "Please" and "Thank you." When you use these three words, you are treating others like people and not things. You are showing appreciation. "I'm sorry." These two words have a way of breaking down walls and building bridges. "I love you." Too many people read "romance" into these words, but they go much deeper man that. As Christians, we should love the brethren and even love our enemies. "I love you" is a statement that can carry tremendous power. "I'm praying for you." And be sure that you are. When you talk to God about people, then you can talk to people about God. Our private praying for people helps us in our public meeting with people. Of course, we never say "I'm praying for you" in a boastful way, as though we are more spiritual than others. We say it in an encouraging way, to let others know that we care enough for them to meet them at the throne of grace. Yes, the smallest but largest troublemaker in all the world is the tongue. But it does not have to be a troublemaker! God can use our tongues to direct others into the way of life, and to delight them in the trials of life. The tongue is a little member, but it has great power.Give God your tongue and your heart each day and ask Him to use you to be a blessing to others. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Don Anderson - If our lives are under the control of the HOLY SPIRIT, the Spirit will produce within us TONGUE CONTROL as one of the EVIDENCES OF HIS WORK. This truth is true throughout the epistle. If we are ever going to move forward toward MATURITY IN THE FAITH, it is going to be the HOLY SPIRIT... Who teaches us how to GROW TALLER THROUGH TESTING, Who is going to GIVE US VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION so that our growth is not stunted by sin, Who will GUIDE US INTO ALL TRUTH so growth will be produced by the Word, PRODUCING His fruitage of LOVE IN OUR LIVES that knows no discrimination working in lives that will PRODUCE DEEDS THAT MANIFEST A LIVING FAITH, and who ALONE CAN CONTROL THE TONGUE. Devotional Questions - Paul Apple - page 145 1) Do churches and Christian training institutions push people too quickly into positions of teaching and spiritual leadership without observing the cautionary tone of this passage? 2) Think of instances where you did not control your tongue. How harmful was your speech? How much did you later regret what you had said? What steps did you take to try to correct the situation? How difficult is it to make amends once the damage has been done? 3) What are some of the different types of harmful speech? What does the Book of Proverbs have to say about each different type? (study out some passages) When we are under pressure and squeezed the hardest, what type of speech pops out of our mouth? 4) Do we treat even unbelievers as those who have been "made in the likeness of God" or do we treat them with contempt? Don Anderson's lessons from James 3:1-12 Our spiritual maturity is reflected by a controlled tongue. We will be held accountable for our words at the Judgment seat of Christ. The tongue can only reflect one nature at a time. The Holy Spirit is the only One who can control the tongue. Though little, the tongue can do extensive damage. Illustration from George Sweeting Faith that Works - Sweeting quotes a sportswriter who wrote this satirical description I am more deadly than the screaming shell from the howitzer. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, and wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless. My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea, and often as innocent. I never forget and seldom forgive. My name is Gossip. Olives On A Fig Tree Read: James 3:1-12 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. —James 3:10 When I became a Christian as a young teenager, I remember watching closely the men of our church. Most of them lived solid, consistent lives. They were good examples to a young person saved out of a non-Christian environment, and I owe them a debt of gratitude. But one man in our church did not set a good Christian example, and he caused me great confusion. He was probably the most outspoken in expressing his commitment to the Lord. Not only did he give glowing testimonies, but he also collared people in the church and challenged them to a deeper spirituality and commitment. Yet his speech was inconsistent. I remember that when he was a counselor at our youth camp he sometimes made off-color remarks. And on more than one occasion, as my Sunday school teacher, he made degrading comments about the pastor and others in the church. Once I even heard him use the Lord’s name in vain. I do not ask for mighty words To leave the crowd impressed, But grant my life may ring so true My neighbor may be blessed. —Anon. Children of the King should use the language of the court. The tongue can spread suspicion, And reputations steal; But when the Lord controls our tongue, Its words will soothe and heal. -Sper Destroy gossip by ignoring it. James 3:13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. (NASB95) Amplified Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom. Phillips Are there some wise and understanding men among you? Then your lives will be an example of the humility that is born of true wisdom. Wuest Who is wise and well informed among you? Let him demonstrate from the source of a good and beautiful manner of life his works in meekness, which [meekness] is characterized by wisdom. NET Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. GNT Τίς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν ὑμῖν; δειξάτω ἐκ τῆς καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πραΰτητι σοφίας. NLT If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. KJV Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. ESV Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. ASV Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. CSB Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom's gentleness. NIV Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. NKJ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. NRS Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. YLT Who is wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom, NAB Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. NJB Anyone who is wise or understanding among you should from a good life give evidence of deeds done in the gentleness of wisdom. GWN Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. BBE Who has wisdom and good sense among you? let him make his works clear by a life of gentle wisdom. Who among you is wise Jas 3:1 Ps 107:43 Ec 8:1,5 Jer 9:12,23 Mt 7:24 1Co 6:5 Ga 6:4 understanding: 2Ch 2:12,13 Job 28:28 Isa 11:3 Da 2:21 Let him show: Jas 2:18 Isa 60:6 2Co 8:24 1Pe 2:9 by his good behavior : Php 1:27 1Ti 4:12 Heb 13:5 1Pe 2:12 3:1,2,16 gentleness of wisdom: Jas 3:17 1:21 Nu 12:3 Ps 25:9 45:4 149:4 Isa 11:4 29:19 61:1 Zep 2:3 Mt 5:5 11:29 21:5 2Co 10:1 Ga 5:23 6:1 Eph 4:2 Col 3:12 1Ti 6:11 2Ti 2:25 Tit 3:2 1Pe 3:4,15 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 The wisdom controlling the tongue (James 3:13–18) 1. The challenge to the wise to show his wisdom (James 3:13) 2. The evidence of false wisdom in control (James 3:14–16) a. The manifestation of this wisdom (James 3:14) b. The character of this wisdom (James 3:15) c. The outcome of this wisdom (James 3:16) 3. The evidence of the true wisdom in control (James 3:17–18) a. The characteristics of this wisdom (James 3:17) b. The fruit of this wisdom (James 3:18) (Commentary on James or digital copy) TRUE WISDOM IS DEMONSTRATED The NLT paraphrase is helpful in interpreting this verse - "NLT If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom." Wisdom and understanding are a lot like faith which James described in James 2:14-26, because they are basically invisible inner qualities which are proven in one's actions or behavior. (which would include speech). Demonstrate your living faith by living with godly wisdom. Faith is demonstrated by works, and wisdom is demonstrated by good behavior and gentleness. In the preceding section James spoke of the importance of controlling one's tongue and now in James 3:13-18 speaks of the importance of controlling one's mind so to speak (pun intended). And clearly what and how we think will influence what and how we speak. Just as the "fruit" of an ungodly tongue is destructive like a fire, so too ungodly wisdom is destructive causing disorder and every evil thing! While some writers feel James is speaking primarily to teachers (James 3:1), there is nothing in this section which indicates it would not also be addressing all the brethren who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. And so I agree with John MacArthur's analysis of James 3:13-18 - "Some interpreters believe the phrase who among you refers only to the teachers, or would-be teachers, addressed in James 3:1. But it seems more probable that, like the intervening section on the tongue (James 3:2-12), this section on wisdom (James 3:13-18) applies to everyone in the churches to whom James was writing, true believers and mere professed believers. James is seeking to identify who is truly skilled in the art of righteous living. "In what way are you wise?" he is saying, in effect, "and in what way are you understanding? The answer will reveal not only your inner character but the spiritual condition of your soul." (James MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 168) (Bold added) Dale Allison: As 3:13 directly follows the discourse on the tongue, one may infer that the wise and understanding are those who take 3:1-12 to heart. Such people will not curse (vv. 9-10) but make peace (vv. 17-18). They will not boast (vv. 5, 14) but abandon selfish ambition (vv. 14, 16). They will not succumb to restless evil (vv. 8, 16) but will pursue reason and righteousness (vv. 17-18). James (ICC): A Critical and Exegetical Commentary - Page 568 Ron Blue ties James 3:13-18 with the section on the tongue James 3:1-12 - A key to right talk is right thought. The tongue is contained in a cage of teeth and lips, but it still escapes. It is not intelligence that keeps the lock on that cage; it is wisdom—a wisdom that is characterized by humility, grace, and peace. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary - Page 28) (ED: wisdom and the "Restrainer," the Holy Spirit!) Do you really want to be wise? Stulac explains James' question In regard to the nature of wisdom, first the impact of the question in 3:13 must be faced: Who is wise and understanding among you? For those who do not care about true wisdom but only want the status of being thought wise, the question is a challenge; James's answer will expose them for what they are. For those who honestly aspire to being wise, the question is an invitation; James' answer will divulge the way to attain their aspirations. James is saying, "I am about to tell you the nature of true wisdom; treasure this." Let all readers, then, first examine their own hearts before reading beyond the question posed in 3:13. Do you really want to be wise? Then we must submit to James's answer about the requirement of true wisdom. Consistent with his previous instructions, James again requires actions that authenticate words. Who claims to be wise? Let him show it by his good life. Today the phrase good life has taken a connotation of a prosperous, pleasurable life. James, of course, is talking about quite another matter: moral goodness. His phrase is kales anastrophes, "good conduct" or "good behavior." He elaborates: Let him show it . . . by deeds. James is thinking with the same verb deiknymi and noun ergon as in 2:18; his point must be very close to that earlier verse. Genuine wisdom, like faith, is a practical matter; it shows up in how one lives. Literally James says, "Let him show by good behavior his deeds in the humility of wisdom." Wisdom, then, is not something I will merely possess in my head; if I am wise at all, it is something I will demonstrate in my conduct. (James 3 - IVP Commentary) African Study Bible - It is easy to confuse being smart with true wisdom. Many use their academic credentials to brag. They may create bitterness, envy, strife, or confusion. They act self-important and offend many. Can we say such credentialed people are wise? It is easy to confuse being smart with true wisdom. Also, many people confuse knowledge and wisdom. When knowledge is properly applied to how we live, it can bring wisdom. D Edmond Hiebert on beginning with a question - The interrogative approach, with its personal appeal, aims at the conscience of each of his readers. His question does not imply that none is wise but challenges to self-examination those who rashly assume that they are. (Commentary on James or digital copy) Steven
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Wiersbe: Wisdom was an important thing to Jewish people. They realized that it was not enough to have knowledge; you had to have wisdom to be able to use that knowledge correctly. All of us know people who are very intelligent, perhaps almost geniuses, and yet who seemingly are unable to carry out the simplest tasks of life. They can run computers but they cannot manage their own lives! 'Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom' (Prov. 4:7)… Any person enamored with the wisdom of this world ought to read the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians and notice how much Paul has to say about God's wisdom and man's wisdom. Man's wisdom is foolishness to God (1 Cor. 1:20), and God's wisdom is foolishness to man (1 Cor. 2:14). Man's wisdom comes from reason, while God's wisdom comes from revelation. Man's worldly wisdom will come to nothing (1 Cor. 1:19), while God's wisdom will endure forever. (Bible Exposition Commentary) R Kent Hughes quotes J I Packer on divine wisdom writing "The experience of God’s wisdom is like learning to drive a car. When driving it is important to make appropriate responses to the constantly changing scene, to exercise soundness of judgment regarding speed, distance, and braking. If you are going to drive well, you must not fret over the highway engineer’s reasoning for an S curve; the philosophy that produced red, green, and yellow traffic lights; or why the lady in front of you is accelerating while her foot is on the brake. Rather, “You simply try to see and do the right thing in the actual situation that presents itself. The effect of divine wisdom is to enable you and me to do just that in the actual situations of life.” In order to drive well, you need to keep your eyes wide open to what is before you and use your head. To live wisely, you must be clear-eyed about people and life, seeing life as it is, and then responding with a mind dependent on the wisdom of God. Being wise does not mean we understand everything that is going on because of our superior knowledge, but that we do the right thing as life comes along. Some drivers may have immense knowledge about everything, but they cannot drive well at all. Others who are less knowledgeable consistently do the right thing as they wisely drive through life." (James: Faith That Works - Page 148) QUOTES ON WISDOM Someone once quipped that "Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it." J. I. Packer said that "Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it." John
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Wiersbe applies the ruth about jealousy (zeal) with several pithy questions - Is our zeal for the Lord spiritual or carnal? Do we rejoice when others succeed, or do we have secret envy and criticism? Do we feel burdened when others fail, or are we glad? When the wisdom of the world gets into the church, there is a great deal of fleshly promotion and human glorification. Beware! Douglas Moo - Some who pride themselves on their wisdom and understanding are displaying a jealous, bitter partisanship that is the antithesis of the meekness produced by true wisdom. (James: An Introduction and Commentary - Page 169) Burdick says selfish ambition speaks "of a self-seeking attitude bent on gaining advantage and prestige for oneself or one's group." It is a desire for personal glory. (The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition or here) Selfish ambition ("party spirit" - used again in James 3:16)(2052)(eritheia from eritheuō = to spin wool thus working for personal gain) means self seeking, strife, contentiousness, extreme selfishness, rivalry, one who seeks only his/her own. In its only pre-New Testament occurrences (in Aristotle), eritheia refers to the selfish ambition, the narrow partisan zeal of factional, greedy politicians, so this word may also convey the notion of rivalry, party-spirit, or factiousness. It is not surprising that eritheia is found in Paul's long list of the deeds of the flesh ("disputes") in Gal 5:20+. Eritheia describes personal gratification and self-fulfillment at any cost, which are the ultimate goals of all fleshly endeavors. The word suggests the vice of a leader who creates a party for his own pride: it is partly ambition, partly rivalry. Eritheia has no room for others, much less genuine humility. It is that ultimate self-elevation rampant in the world today which is the antithesis of what the gentle, humble, selfless, giving, loving, and obedient child of God is called to be in Christ and only possible in the power of His Spirit. Hiebert adds that "The basic thought of eritheia seems to be that of one who, for personal advantage, works to promote a definite cause in an unethical manner. It thus denotes a party spirit, or factiousness....Thus it denotes a willingness "to use unworthy and divisive means" to promote one's own views or interest. It is a temper tragically injurious to Christian fellowship." (Commentary on James or digital copy) John