Tiago 3
William Barclay · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 3
Barclay: In the Early Church the teachers were of first rate importance. Wherever they are mentioned they are mentioned with honor… In the New Testament itself we get glimpses of teachers who failed in their responsibility and their task, and who become false teachers. There were teachers who tried to turn Christianity into another kind of Judaism, and who tried to introduce circumcision and the keeping of the law (Acts 15:24). There were teachers who taught others, but who themselves lived out nothing of the truth which they taught, teachers whose whole life was a contradiction of their instruction, and who did nothing but bring dishonor on the faith they represented (Romans 2:17-29). There were some who tried to teach before they themselves knew anything (1 Timothy 1:6,7). There were false teachers who would pander to the false desires of the crowd (2 Timothy 4:3). But apart altogether from the false teachers, it is James's conviction that teaching is a dangerous occupation for any man. His instrument is speech and his agent the tongue… We may find in this passage four characteristics of the wrong kind of teaching. (i) It is fanatical. The truth it holds is held with unbalanced violence rather than with reasoned conviction. (ii) It is bitter. It regards its opponents as enemies to be annihilated rather than as friends to be persuaded. (iii) It is selfishly ambitious. It is, in the end, more eager to display itself than to display the truth, and it is interested more in the victory of its own opinions than in the victory of the truth. (iv) It is arrogant. Its whole attitude is pride in its own knowledge rather than humility in its own ignorance. The real scholar will be far more aware of what he does not know than of what he knows. TEACHERS Let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment (James 3:1). The best kind of leadership produces fellowship. Charles Swindoll has an imaginary illustration that vividly depicts the power of our words - If you ever see a wild animal prowling your neighborhood, you can call your local animal control agency to round it up and haul it off. The dogcatcher can take stray dogs to the pound or return loose dogs to their owners. Feral cats can be caught, skunks chased off, raccoons lured away. All these wild and roaming animals can be rounded up. Why not have a catcher and a pound for stray words? Now that’s an occupation that could earn a decent living in any economy! Imagine a razor-toothed invective cornered by a couple word catchers: “Careful now, careful—that’s a mean one!” “Who would let such a thing loose?” “Aw, some guy got worked up and unleashed it on his poor wife.” “I’d hate to see what that gal feels like now.” “Like shredded wheat, probably.” “Well, let’s get this pit bull of a word off the street before it bites somebody else.” Now then, let’s say you’re home and these same word catchers suddenly ring your doorbell. “Excuse me, sir,” they ask, “does this word belong to you? We caught it running loose out there, backbiting everyone where you work. Your boss said it sounded like it was one of yours.” You take a long look at their catch and sure enough, you let that little gossip out on Wednesday and by Saturday it’s ruined a dozen weekends. Red-faced, you claim your nasty words and send the word catchers away. Of course, word catching is an imaginary profession. But my guess is if you could find a way to round up and return people’s words in time to stop their damage, it would be a lucrative business in our world of loose lips and unrestrained tongues. I know there are a few nasty ones I’ve let loose in my life that I would have paid almost anything to take back. I’m sure you’ve got your list, too. (Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter - Page 66) Loose Lips Sink Ships On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This sneak attack disabled much of the U.S. Pacific naval fleet and destroyed many aircraft, propelling enraged Americans to arms. World War II took place on both land and sea, but it was clear that, for the war being waged in the Pacific, aircraft carriers were the most important weapon. The fear of enemy spies finding out key locations of U.S. naval vessels prompted the government to wage a publicity campaign. They sent advice to GIs about what to say and not say when writing letters home, when carrying on conversations, or if captured by the enemy. Posters carried the message to the home front: Loose Lips Might Sink Ships. The epistle of James also warns those in the Lord's army that the lips can do devastating damage: our lips can make our ships sink or float! Last week James emphasized what we do—our works—not what we say. Just in case his readers got the wrong idea, James gave clear instructions to counterbalance the works-only idea: Saying and doing go hand in hand. Modern Christians have the same problem with works, thinking, If I don't drink, smoke, or swear, I'm okay. Yet they engage in gossip, slander, and backbiting. They may build up the body of Christ with their actions while their loose lips spring leaks in the body of Christ. (Womens Bible Journal) The Teacher And The Tongue Warm-up: James 3:1–12 If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man . . .James 3:2 Words, said Aristotle, are what set human beings above the lower animals. Not necessarily. Words can bring us down: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers,” writes James, “because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check” (James 3:1–2). I’m a teacher by trade—a vendor of words. It’s a good profession—one of the “greater gifts” we’re encouraged to seek (1 Corinthians 12:31)—yet there is peril in the task: Teachers are more culpable than others. We’re at risk because we multiply words, and as the wise man said, “When words are many, sin is not absent” (Proverbs 10:19), a text which, as Augustine said, “frightens me a good deal.” James indicts all of us when he says, “If anyone is not at fault in what he says, he is a perfect [mature] man, able to keep his whole body in check.” Like good physicians everywhere, Dr. James invites us to stick out our tongue because that member of our body, more than any other, reveals the state of our being. Our tongues tell on us; we’re only as good as our words. Don Anderson's Summary of Study of James from chapter 1-3 In our study of James, with the subject POINTERS FOR PROGRESS, we "' have noted thus far that we: 1 GROW TALLER THROUGH TESTING, GROWTH IN STUNTED BY SIN_, GROWTH IS PRODUCED BY THE WORD, MUST LEARN TO LOVE THE UNLOVELY, and FAITH IS DEAD WITHOUT DEEDS. Now we treat another very practical area of Christian maturity and that is the subject of: 6. STRIVING FOR TONGUE CONTROL. Ways Christ can be seen in me: Attitude in Test Victory in Temptation Intake of Word Love without Partiality Living Faith Tongue Spiritual Maturity is reflected by a controlled tongue. Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds. You can't do that when you are flying words. Careful with fire is good advice, we know. Careful with words is 10 times doubly so. Thoughts unexpressed sometimes fall back dead, but God, Himself, can't kill them once they're said. Spirituality does not guarantee infallible judgment. Spirit-filled people are less likely to make mistakes of judgment than their secular counterparts, but perfection eludes us all, whatever our level of spiritual development. Even the apostles made mistakes that required divine correction. Spiritual leaders who have given such a significant share of their lives to knowing God, to prayer, and to wrestling with the problems of renewal and revival may find it difficult to concede the possibility of misjudgment or mistake. Surely leaders must be people of strength and decisiveness, to stand for what they believe. But willingness to concede error and to defer to the judgment of one’s peers increases one’s influence rather than diminishes it. Followers will lose confidence in leaders who appear to believe they are infallible. It is strange but true that a perception of infallibility in one area of life often coexists with great humility in other areas. Many influential Christians have fallen before the temptation of indispensability. It seems that Christians are especially prone to it. They cling to authority long after it should have passed to younger people. I met a wonderful Christian in his nineties who was still superintendent of his church’s Sunday school. Younger people were willing and available, but no one in the church had been able to approach this saint about retirement. One unfortunate consequence is that young people who have energy to fill a role are held up and stagnate. Sometimes sincere and well-meaning followers encourage the notion of indispensability, which feeds a leader’s ego and makes him or her even less objective about performance in office. And we can become less objective about our work as we get older. Missionaries who have raised a church to believe that they are indispensable have done the church an injustice. From the earliest days of the work, missionaries should be planning on working their way out of a job. National leadership needs to learn how to depend on the Lord, how to train its own spiritual leaders, and how to take responsibility for the work. (J Oswald Sanders) James has been talking about the Christian and his WORKS in chapter 2 the first 12 verses of chapter 3 his WORDS, and in the last 6 verses, about the Christian's WISDOM
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Barclay: Its standards are earthly standards; its sources are earthly sources. It measures success in worldly terms; and its aims are worldly aims. George Stulac: The wisdom that does not produce a good lifestyle (v. 13) is, in sum, characterized by ‘the world, the flesh and the devil’. In each of these ways, it is the direct antithesis of ‘the wisdom that comes from above’ – heavenly in nature, spiritual in essence and divine in origin. (James - Page 171) William Baker - We (BELIEVERS) are people of two radically different realms, the heavenly and the earthly/demonic. This world is more influenced by the demonic, and this kind of "wisdom" can easily seep into everything we do, even ministry. Thus, we find the church being run, evangelism being done, counsel being offered by wisdom from the world. The church gets run by worldly management techniques, evangelism gets watered down by a half gospel that avoids the harsh reality of human depravity in order to avoid offending someone, and counseling gets corrupted by secular psychology. (James Commentary - Twenty-First Century). (Bolding added) George M. Stulac - Earthly origin, in frequent New Testament usage, implies inferiority to heavenly origin. (Who Is Wise Among You? 3:13-18) Douglas Moo says that earthly suggests a “perspective that fails to consider God’s realm and will” (The Letter of James) D Edmond Hiebert says "As "earthly" it springs out of and is limited to the frail and finite life of unregenerated humanity and associated with its turbulent affairs." (Commentary on James or digital copy) Earthly ("earth-bound" - NEB)(1919)(epigeios from epi = upon + ge = the earth) means of or belonging to the earth as distinguished from heaven. Terrestrial. Existing upon the earth. Louw-Nida - "pertaining to human, earthly activity (primarily in contrast with divine activity)." Belonging to human existence is the idea in James 3:15. Epigeios - 6x - Jn. 3:12; 1 Co. 15:40; 2 Co. 5:1; Phil. 2:10; Phil. 3:19; Jas. 3:15 No uses in the Septuagint. Gilbrant on epigeios - The seven New Testament instances of epigeios reflect a dualism between the “heavenly” and the “earthly.” John (3:12) records Jesus’ comments to Nicodemus that he would hardly believe “heavenly things” (ta epourania) since he did not believe the “earthly things” (ta epigeia) which Jesus had just told him. Such a contrast is not necessarily disparaging of earthly matters. The same can be said of its use in 1 Corinthians (e.g., 15:40; at the same time, the contrast is developed to highlight the superiority of the heavenly; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44,47,48). In other texts “earthly” carries a definitely inferior meaning and suggests “worldly” or “sinful” or “fleshly” passions (Philippians 3:19; James 3:15). The temporal contrast between heaven as eternal and earth as temporal (intimated in 1 Corinthians 15:40) is illustrated in 2 Corinthians 5:1 (our “earthly house” [our body]). The usage in Philippians 2:10 reveals an expression used to encompass every aspect of creation, “in heaven, and . . . in earth (epigeiōn), and . . . under the earth,” which will confess Jesus is Lord. Natural wisdom is that when come from the mind of fallen, unredeemed men, and therefore is able to only reflect a totally humanistic viewpoint regarding the world and men. Paul writes that "God made foolish the wisdom of the world. (1 Cor 1:20) 🙏 THOUGHT - Let's get practical. What do you allow into your mind? What feeds your psyche? Are you reading secular books (self-help, etc, which have now infiltrated Christian bookstores!) that can only give you earthly, natural and demonic wisdom? Are you watching shows and listening to talk radio that regurgitates the same mindless gibberish? Beloved, as an alien and stranger (short timer) on earth, you need to change your intake from earthly to heavenly, from the temporal to the eternal. Is it any wonder that so many believers are filled with worries, anxieties, fears, doubts, uncertainties, if their primary source of wisdom is the world! Let the words of Paul help you to rearrange and prioritize what type of wisdom you allow into your mind and heart - "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice (present imperative) these things (cf, GOOD BEHAVIOR in James 3:13) and the God of peace will be with you (NOTICE FRUIT OF PEACE IS SAME AS WITH HEAVENLY WISDOM! - James 3:18)." (Php 4:8-9+) "Therefore if (SINCE) you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking (present imperative) the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind (present imperative) on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, [who is] our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Col 3:1-4+) (See Vertical Vision) Natural is also translated sensual (KJV, NKJV, ASV) which aptly describes this earthly wisdom as that which seeks to accommodate our (animalistic) senses. John
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Barclay wrote "An uncontrolled tongue is like a world hostile to and ignorant of God. It is the part of us which disobeys, defies, and rebels against God." (James 3 Commentary) What James is saying is that the tongue can kindle a destructive fire which can destroy all life. The tongue itself is kindled with the very "FIRE OF HELL." From birth to the grave this fire in our mouths burns and destroys. A careless word may kindle strife; A cruel word may wreck a life. A bitter word may hate instill; A brutal word may smite and kill. A gracious word may smooth the way; A joyous word may light the day. A timely word may lessen stress; A loving word may heal and bless. -- Author unknown James 3:7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. (NASB95) Amplified For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea animal, can be tamed and has been tamed by human genius (nature). Phillips Beasts, birds, reptiles and all kinds of sea-creatures can be, and in fact are, tamed by man, but no one can tame the human tongue. Wuest For every creature, quadrupeds and birds and reptiles and marine life, is controlled and has been controlled by mankind. But the tongue no one in the human race is able to control. NET For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. GNT πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ πετεινῶν, ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων δαμάζεται καὶ δεδάμασται τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ, NLT People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, KJV For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: ESV For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ASV For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind. CSB Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, NIV All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, NKJ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. NRS For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, YLT For every nature, both of beasts and of fowls, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the human nature, NAB For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, NJB Wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish of every kind can all be tamed, and have been tamed, by humans; GWN People have tamed all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures. BBE For every sort of beast and bird and every living thing on earth and in the sea has been controlled by man and is under his authority; is tamed: Mk 5:4 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 Youtube Video Verse by Verse Teaching on James 3 5W/H Questions on James 3 for teaching and personal study WILD BEASTS HAVE BEEN TAMED James presents the picture of the possibility of taming wild animals of all sorts in preparation (v8) to accentuate the impossibility of taming the tongue. Burdick observes that "James shifts almost unnoticeably from discussing the power of the tongue (James 3:3-6) to a discussion of its perversity (James 3:7-12). Actually James 3:6, in depicting the tongue's influence, is already describing its perversity." (The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition or here) For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race - We can tame animals, animals that walk, fly, crawl and swim and animals from each of these groups has been tamed. Every species is a generalization, for no one has ever trained a crocodile or a hippopotamus. Species...race (5449)(phusis from phuo = to bring forth) means natural condition, nature, natural order, being, essence, kind, species. Phusis is “that which belongs to a person or thing by virtue of its origin,” then, “its essential character.” Nature speaks of the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing. Notice phusis is used twice, first for species, then for (human) race. This statement hearkens back to the description in Genesis where we read "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.... God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Ge 1:26, 28). Hiebert - The ancient world took pride in mankind's ability to subdue, tame, and control the animal kingdom. (Commentary on James or digital copy) MacArthur makes the pithy pronouncement that in light of the fact that animals have been tamed, "they are less primitive and more civilized and controllable than the unregenerate, unsanctified tongues of their masters." Augustine makes an excellent point - "Does your own human nature prevent you from taming your tongue? Let us understand, my dearly beloved, that no human being can tame the tongue, and so we must take refuge in God, who will tame it. Consider this analogy from the animals that we tame. A horse does not tame itself. A camel does not tame itself. An elephant does not tame itself. A snake does not tame itself. A lion does not tame itself. In the same way, a person does not tame himself or herself. In order to tame a horse, a camel, an elephant, a lion, or a snake, a human being is required. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that God should be required in order for our human tongue to be tamed." Is tamed...has been tamed (1150) see below on damazo. The word does not necessarily mean domesticate, but to subdue or subjugate. James uses the present tense and the perfect tense. Hiebert explains "The present tense pictures human nature's domination of animal nature as a fact repeatedly being observed. As Kistemaker remarks, "We see this displayed in a circus performance where wild animals obey their trainer who merely cracks a whip, snaps his fingers, or claps his hands." The use of the perfect tense "have been tamed" adds that history is replete with such examples....It is standing proof of the inherent superiority of human nature over animal nature." Brian Bell - You see this truth at any Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus. Over the years we’ve been able to train Gentle Ben, Lassie, Flipper, Shamu, even Barney! But there’s one beast not even PT Barnum could tame...the tongue! (The 2 Ounce Beast) Barnhouse from his book Let Me Illustrate - At the trainer's signal a 16-foot whale, weighing 34,000 lbs., leaped straight out of the water until his tale was a foot above the surface; he opened his mouth to receive the handful of fish and fell back into the pool with a splash. A second whale took one end of a rope from another trainer and carried it 100 feet down the pool to the first trainer. When the two trainers pulled the rope so that it was six feet above the surface, the second whale broke the water and jumped the mpe. For an hour whales, porpoises, sea lions and seals went through their paces at Marineland, near Pacific Palisades. Here before our eyes was a striking illustration of James 3:7: "For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind." When I saw this truth, I was forced to admit the truth of the next line: "But the tongue can no man tame ... " I asked the Lord to keep mine cleansed so that it might praise the Lord in holiness. (AMEN!) My friend is a Texas Aggie and has a little Dachshund dog ("weiner dog") and when you ask him "Do you want to be a Texas Longhorn," he rolls over and plays dead! (Aggies and Longhorns have a longstanding rivalry in the state of Texas). COMMUNICATING WITH CARE I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue. --Psalm 39:1 Take my lips, and let them be Filled with messages for Thee; Take my voice and let me sing Always, only, for my King. --Havergal Mind what you say, or you may say whatever comes to mind. Taming the Wild Beast For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:7-8 Deep in the jungles of India, a serious threat looms over the native missionaries and their people as they lay asleep in their thatched huts. Very little warning precedes the sudden attack of the dangerous Bengal tiger. The animal has a very menacing presence, stretching 500 lbs. over a ten foot frame. Its natural killer instinct having been honed since the tender age of six months, this beast is fearful of no one. Upon approaching its unsuspecting victim, it quickly chooses between two methods of capture. It may leap upon the back of the prey or pin it down with its powerful claws. The tiger employs one weapon of destruction: its razor-sharp teeth set in a vice-like jaw. Cunningly, the Bengal may drag the victim 1,500 feet to hide the evidence of his dastardly deed. An attack by one of these dangerous animals would fulfill every person's worst nightmare. Amazingly, God compares a seemingly harmless member of the human body to a ferocious beast like the Bengal: the tongue. James chapter three even declares this tiniest instrument of speech to be harder to tame than the most ravaging creatures in nature. Its propensity for destruction is much greater. Few people recognize the sinister capabilities of the tongue. Awful, hateful, ungodly, vile things emanate from this master of disaster. Only when we allow God to control the content that proceeds out of our mouths can the violent tongue be truly tamed. (James Scudder - Living Water) The first screw to get loose in a person's head is usually the tongue. James 3:8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. (NASB95) Amplified But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison. Phillips It is an evil always liable to break out, and the poison it spreads is deadly. Wuest It is a restless, unstable evil, full of lethal poison. NET But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. GNT τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν οὐδεὶς δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων, ἀκατάστατον κακόν, μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου. NLT but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. KJV But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ESV but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ASV But the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. CSB but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. NIV but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. NKJ But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. NRS but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. YLT and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison, NAB but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. NJB but nobody can tame the tongue -- it is a pest that will not keep still, full of deadly poison. GWN Yet, no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison. BBE But the tongue may not be controlled by man; it is an unresting evil, it is full of the poison of death. it is a restless evil: Jas 3:6 Ps 55:21 57:4 59:7 64:3,4 full of deadly poison: De 32:33 Ps 58:4 140:3 Ec 10:11 Ro 3:13 Rev 12:9 James 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Youtube Video Verse by Verse Teaching on James 3 5W/H Questions on James 3 for teaching and personal study THE UNTAMABLE NATURE OF THE TONGUE James almost seems to paint himself into a corner (so to speak). On one hand he says a religious man must “keep a tight reign on his tongue” (James 1:26) and now he says, “No man can tame the tongue” (James 3:8). We might be inclined to throw up our hands and cry "Which is it James?" J
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Barclay: It is characteristic of the natural man. The word which James uses is difficult to translate. The word is psuchikos, which comes from the word psuche. The ancients divided man into three parts--body, soul and spirit. The body (soma) is our physical flesh and blood and constitution; the soul (psuche) is the physical life which we share with the beasts; it is no more than animal life; the spirit (pneuma) is that which man alone possesses, that which differentiates him from the beasts, that which makes him a rational creature and kin to God. This is a little confusing for us, because we are in the habit of using the word soul in the same sense as the ancient people used the word spirit, whereas to them the word soul meant the physical life which is not peculiar to man, but which is shared by all the animal creation which has life. So then, what James is saying is that this wrong kind of wisdom is no more than an animal kind of thing; it is the kind of wisdom which makes an animal snap and snarl with no other thought than that of prey or personal survival. The wrong kind of wisdom is the wisdom which a man shares with the animals and which is part of his lower nature. Robert Johnstone gives us an excellent extended explanation of natural (sensual) wisdom (It is long but worth reading--I had to read it twice.) - The wisdom which displays itself in bitterness (and alas, brethren, in the history of the church of Christ, how often has fancied wisdom displayed itself in bitterness! how much of real knowledge and mental power has been wasted in such bitterness!)—this wisdom is not from heaven; but as it displays itself on earth, so it is also of ‘earthly’ origin. And, being ‘earthly,’ it is ‘sensual.’ (NATURAL) The word so translated occurs in the New Testament several times, but is rendered ‘sensual’ only here and in a verse in Jude, where ‘mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts,’ (Jude 1:18+) are described as ‘worldly-minded (psuchikos), devoid of the Spirit’ (Jude 1:19+). Elsewhere the rendering is ‘natural,’ as in the contrast between the ‘natural body’ and the ‘spiritual body’ in 1 Cor. 15:44 ("it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.")., and in the statement in the second chapter of the same epistle, that ‘a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14+). According to its derivation, the original word strictly means ‘belonging to the soul.’ The contrast with spirit and the spiritual, which is expressed in the passages that I have quoted from First Corinthians and from Jude, and implied in that now before us, is the key to the exact meaning. Sometimes in Scripture, as commonly among ourselves, man is spoken of as consisting of a body and a soul, in which case ‘soul’ is used in the widest sense. Sometimes, however, we have three constituent elements mentioned or alluded to—the body, soul, and spirit (ED: See Dichotomy versus Trichotomy). According to this division, the ‘soul’ comprehends only those energies and capacities of mind and heart which have to do with the world known by our bodily senses,—man’s mental and emotional nature in so far merely as he is the highest of the animals—an animal able to buy and sell, as the beaver can build a hut and a dam; the ‘spirit’ is that highest power of a rational being by which it can apprehend the idea of God, and hold communion with Him,—by which through faith it can live under the influences of an unseen world. The ‘spirit’ should be the governing principle, holding the whole nature under a firm and healthful sway. But, as you know, brethren, in man, as he now is by nature, the spirit is darkened, perverted, and weakened; it is dethroned through sin; and only the enlightening and strengthening energy of God’s Spirit can enable our spirits to take their rightful dignity and rule. Where the spirit does not rule, the soul—that is, as we have seen, the mental and emotional nature in so far as it is occupied with the world open to the senses—tends to become ever more and more subject to the lowest element of our constitution, the appetites of the body. Hence the Apostle Paul, in the Epistle to the Romans, distinguishes all men into two classes—those who are ‘in the flesh,’ and those who are ‘in the spirit;’ the standard on which the division is based being that which I have now indicated: ‘Ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you’ (Ro 8:9+). You see, then, that when James here calls the wisdom that bore bitter wranglings as its fruit a wisdom ‘of the soul,’ with an implied and well understood contrast to that wisdom of the spirit which ought to regulate all the thoughts and feelings, words and actions, of Christians, he means that it belongs entirely to the lower elements of our nature, and that its characteristics are simply those of the wisdom belonging to the men of the world, whose aim is personal honour and aggrandisement. The words which this wisdom utters may be of God’s glory, but their real aim is man’s glory. Its plans and procedure have all reference to self and to this world of the senses, though the subjects it discusses may belong to the invisible world, the world known to faith. Rightly understood, then, brethren, you cannot but feel how searching and scathing this word of the apostle is; and it is interesting to notice, that the very same tempers which are here denounced as unspiritual, merely ‘of the soul,’ are those which the Apostle Paul specifies as peculiarly grieving to that Divine Spirit through whose indwelling alone man’s spirit has rule over his lower nature. ‘Grieve not (present imperative with a negative) the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you’ (Eph. 4:30–32+). From the completeness with which the distinction between soul and spirit has been lost to our modern thought, it seems impossible to give the idea of the word before us exactly in any translation. ‘Sensual’ and ‘animal’ suggest too exclusively the action of the very lowest propensities of our nature, though, as we have seen, the tendency of the ‘soul,’ when ungoverned by the ‘spirit,’ is steadily towards subjection to these. Perhaps, on the whole, ‘natural,’ in its well understood opposition to ‘spiritual,’ is the best word. (Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James)(Bold added) Demonic (only NT use; not in Septuagint)(1141)(daimoniodes from daimonion = demon) is an adjective which describes that which pertains to or proceeds from demons. It is used only here in James 3:15 and describes this wisdom as "demon-like" or "devilish" (of the devil). The root source of earthy, natural wisdom is the Devil and his hordes of demons. Paul writes that he and his demons are able fire "the flaming arrows" (Eph 6:16) into our minds. In that Ephesians passage Paul is addressing believers who can at least take up the shield of faith to extinguish the demonic arrows. But unbelievers have no defense against his demonic input! Of course the prototype for this hellish wisdom is Satan's confrontation of a sinless man and woman in the garden of Eden when he tempted Eve telling her if she did what God had forbidden, she would not die (an overt lie) and would actually be like God (another lie). Indeed she thought would gain wisdom, which she did, but it was earthly, natural and demonic and ultimately deadly!. Moses records... For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Ge 3:5,6+) So from the very beginning earthly, natural wisdom had its source in Satan's tempting words and he has not ceased this evil activity ever since. Little wonder that what the world thinks is wisdom is at times overtly evil and completely unrighteous! Ungodly wisdom has the same "hellish" source as an ungodly tongue "which is set on fire from hell." Hiebert - Behind this "wisdom," marked by jealousy, crafty party factions, and egotistical boasting, James detects the work of the demons in seeking to corrupt the harmony and very life of the Body of Christ. (Commentary on James or digital copy) Johnstone on demonic/devilish - But something more awful still has to be said of this wicked wisdom. Like all wisdom among men on moral questions, which is only ‘earthly,’ only ‘natural,’ it is ‘devilish’—devil-like. Our first parents yielded to the temptation to sin, because they considered that the tree was ‘to be desired to make one wise;’ (Ge 3:5,6+) and this was the wisdom—a wisdom kindred to that of Satan, whose lie seduced them—full of envy and falsehood, moving ever in the atmosphere of selfishness and malignity. Where zeal even regarding religion shows itself in unholy tempers like these, the fire of this zeal is fire from the bottomless pit. The ‘spirit’ of man is in action here as well as the ‘soul;’ but, alas, the grandeur of the capabilities of this constituent of our being only deepens the debasement; and the spirit ‘made but a little lower than the angels’ of light, links itself with the lost angels of darkness. (Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James)(Bold added) Paul describes how demonic wisdom has infiltrated the church... But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5+) For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. (2 Cor 11:13-15+) Glenn Spencer observes that "Satan has his theology. It is cloaked in Church talk, but it is dangerous and its origin is Hell. That's right! Many Churches have been infiltrated with the doctrines of Hell. Satan is smart and shrewd (Ge 3:1+). He knows how to peddle his wickedness. He propagates his evil in Bible language and many Christians swallow it hook, line and sinker. Even with the temptation of Christ the devil was slick and sly (cf Lk 4:1-13+). He was worldly wise in his approach. He even used Scripture. Actually he misused Scripture." (ED: And Jesus responded with wisdom from above which trumped Satan's earthly wisdom! It did then and it does now. Therefore it behooves all believers to be steeped in the Scriptures, that they might be enabled to take of the "Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." - Eph 6:17+). CONTRAST OF UNGODLY AND GODLY WISDOM James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. (NASB95) Amplified For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices. Phillips For wherever you find jealousy and rivalry you also find disharmony and all other kinds of evil. Wuest for where jealousy and contentiousness are, there, in that place, are restlessness and instability and every base deed. NET For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. GNT ὅπου γὰρ ζῆλος καὶ ἐριθεία, ἐκεῖ ἀκαταστασία καὶ πᾶν φαῦλον πρᾶγμα. NLT For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. KJV For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. ESV For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ASV For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. CSB For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. NIV For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. NKJ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. NRS For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. YLT for where zeal and rivalry are, there is insurrection and every evil matter; NAB For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. NJB Wherever there are jealousy and ambition, there are also disharmony and wickedness of every kind; GWN Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil. BBE For where envy is, and the desire to get the better of others, there is no order, but every sort of evil-doing. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist: Jas 3:14 1Co 3:3 Ga 5:20 there is disorder: Ge 11:9 Ac 19:29 1Co 14:33 every evil thing: 1Jn 3:12 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 FETID FRUIT OF WORLDLY WISDOM Fetid means offensively malodorous. My wife and I returned from several weeks away from our home and immediately detected a fetid smell upon entering the house. It took us two days to discover the rotting potatoes hidden in a bin out of view! It has taken us many more days to rid the house of this fetid smell. The fetid fruit of worldly wisdom is similar, because you can "smell" something is not right in a church body, but it may take a while to discover. Even sadder it may take much longer to reverse the adverse effects of disorder and wickedness that are reaped when seeds of worldly (earthly, natural, demonic) wisdom are sown! For (gar) (Term of explanation - always pause and ask what is the writer explaining?) - James justifies his strong condemnation of earthly wisdom in the preceding verse explaining the fruit of wisdom which is earthly, natural and demonic! Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist - Amplified - "For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition)." Notice how James repeats these two negative markers of ungodly, worldly wisdom - Jealousy (see preceding note on zelos) and Selfish ambition (see preceding note on eritheia). And as James taught in James 3:14, both of these sinful attitudes are hidden in and originate from the heart. Steven
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Barclay - Eirenikos is derived from eirene which "means peace, and when it is used in a human context its basic meaning is right relationships between individuals, and between individuals and God. The true wisdom produces right relationships. There is a kind of clever and arrogant wisdom which separates people from one another, and which makes them look with superior contempt on others. There is a kind of cruel wisdom which takes a delight in hurting others with clever but cutting words. There is a kind of depraved wisdom which seduces men and women away from their loyalty to God. But the true wisdom at all times brings people closer to one another and to God. (James 3 Commentary) Eirenikos in the Septuagint - Gen. 34:21; Gen. 37:4; Gen. 42:11; Gen. 42:19; Gen. 42:31; Gen. 42:33; Gen. 42:34; Num. 21:21; Deut. 2:26; Deut. 20:11; Deut. 23:6; 1 Sam. 10:8; 1 Sam. 11:15; 1 Sam. 13:9; 2 Sam. 6:17; 2 Sam. 6:18; 2 Sam. 20:19; 2 Sam. 24:25; 1 Ki. 2:35; 1 Ki. 3:15; 1 Ki. 8:63; 1 Ki. 8:64; 2 Ki. 16:13; 1 Chr. 12:38; Est. 5:1; Ps. 35:20; Ps. 37:37; Ps. 120:6; Prov. 7:14; Jer. 9:8; Jer. 38:22; Obad. 1:7; Mic. 7:3; Zech. 6:13; Zech. 8:16 Notice how the list of traits like gentle, reasonable, etc, serve to practically undergird and ensure that this wisdom is peaceable. Daniel Doriani: The considerate are willing to yield, not quick to demand. They are forbearing and slow to fight (Titus 3:2). Since this is a trait of the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 10:1), all disciples, including church overseers, must be gentle (1 Tim. 3:3; 1 Peter 2:18). Gentle (1933)(epieikes from epí = upon - intensifies meaning + eikós = fair, equitable) is a Greek word that is difficult to translate. Louw-Nida says it means "pertaining to being gracious and forbearing." The idea would be to be sensitive to other's needs and patient with them. This word includes the ideas of gentle (free from harshness, sternness, or violence), forbearing (holding oneself back from especially with an effort; controlling oneself when provoked), yielding, equity (freedom from bias or favoritism), lenient (mild and tolerant disposition, exerting a soothing or easing influence), unassertive, fair, fitting, appropriate, suitable, proper. Used 5x in NT - Phil. 4:5; 1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 3:2; Jas. 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:18. New Linguistic and Exegetical Key on epieikes - The word signifies a humble patience, a steadfastness able to submit to injustice, disgrace, and maltreatment without hatred and malice, trusting in God in spite of all of it Douglas Moo says that epieikes “indicates a willingness to yield to others and a corresponding unwillingness ‘to exact strict claims’.” It is a quality that Jesus possessed (2 Cor. 10:1), and it is a requirement for elders in the local church (1 Ti 3:3). Barclay - The person who is epieikēs is someone who knows when it is actually wrong to apply the strict letter of the law. Such a person knows how to forgive when strict justice dictates that there is a perfect right to condemn. Such a person knows how to make allowances, when not to stand upon individual rights, and how to soften justice with mercy, and always remembers that there are greater things in the world than rules and regulations. It is impossible to find an English word to translate this quality. The poet Matthew Arnold called it 'sweet reasonableness', and it is the ability to extend to others the kindly consideration we would wish to receive ourselves. (James 3 Commentary) Daniel Doriani on reasonable: “Submissive” (NIV) is ordinarily translated “open to reason” (ESV, RSV; Greek, eupeithēs ). It also means “easily persuaded” or “compliant.” The submissive person is docile, ready to obey, and willing to get along with others. He or she is willing to defer to others where appropriate. Reasonable (only NT use; no uses in Septuagint)(2138)(eupeithes from eu = good, easiness + peitho = to persuade) means easily persuaded (but not gullible!), willing to yield, compliant, congenial, open to reason. The person who displays godly wisdom that is reasonable is willing to defer to others and is open to adopt someone else's position, belief or course of action when given sufficient reason and when so doing would not violate basic Biblical doctrines or moral principles. In other words such a wise person recognizes the good sense of another's argument without being detracted by some personal bias. James 1:19+ would be a good description of the eupeithes person who is "quick to hear." Godly wisdom that is reasonable does not push its own rights or opinions without listening to and respecting the rights and opinions of others. It is easy to see how this trait undergirds peaceable. In short, the one with wisdom that is reasonable knows when to yield rights or opinions, including when he is proven wrong (THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY NEED TO RELY ON THE HOLY SPIRIT'S SUPERNATURAL ENABLEMENT!). In classic Greek eupeithes was used of submission to military discipline and for observance of legal and moral standards in ordinary life; i.e., one who willingly submits to a fatherly will. Barclay notes that eupeithes has "two meanings. (a) Eupeithēs can mean always ready to obey. The first of the eighteenth-century churchman William Law's rules for life was: 'To fix it deep in my mind that I have but one business upon my hands, to seek for eternal happiness by doing the will of God.' If we take the word in this sense, it means that the truly wise are always ready to obey whenever God's voice comes to them. (b) Eupeithēs can mean easy to persuade, not in the sense of being pliable and weak, but in the sense of not being stubborn and of being willing to listen to reason and to appeal. Coming as it does after epieikēs, it probably bears this second meaning here. The true wisdom is not rigid but is willing to listen and skilled in knowing when wisely to yield. (James 3 Commentary) Full (3324)(mestos) signifies full up, full to the utmost, "stuffed". It refers to a quantity beyond what could or should be expected. Mestos - Matt. 23:28; Jn. 19:29; Jn. 21:11; Rom. 1:29; Rom. 15:14; Jas. 3:8; Jas. 3:17; 2 Pet. 2:14. Hiebert - The adjective "full" underlines that this heavenly wisdom is characterized by an abundant measure of mercy. Such a life also will be full of "good fruit" (karpōn agathōn). (Commentary on James or digital copy) Full of applies to both mercy and good fruits which are therefore taken together as one attribute of godly wisdom. The idea is that our mercy is not all talk but includes action demonstrating the reality of our claim to be merciful, and in this way is similar to the dynamic in James 2:14-26 where James says genuine faith is authenticated by good works, practical good deeds. So if we see someone in need and "do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" (James 2:15-16+) God's wisdom motivates us to build up rather than tear down. As
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Barclay on eleos - The Greeks defined it as pity for the one who is suffering unjustly; but Christianity means far more than that by eleos. (a) In Christian thought, eleos means mercy for those who are in trouble, even if the trouble is their own fault. Christian pity is the reflection of God's pity, and that went out to men and women not only when they were suffering unjustly but also when they were suffering through their own fault. We are so apt to say, of someone in trouble, 'It is his own fault' or 'She brought it on herself', and therefore to feel no responsibility ourselves. Christian mercy is mercy for all who are in trouble, even if they have brought that trouble on themselves. (b) In Christian thought, eleos means mercy which produces good fruits, that is, which results in practical help. Christian pity is not merely an emotion; it is action. We can never say that we have truly pitied anyone until we have given our help. (James 3 Commentary) Robert Johnstone on full of good fruits - Heavenly wisdom is ‘full of good fruits:’ it abounds with them; and hence, whenever it is present, you cannot fail to find them; or, if you do fail, the wisdom must be miserably stunted and blighted by the influence of worldliness. On the healthy tree every branch is laden with the fruits of mercy. By them will the reckoning be at the judgment. ‘Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.’ (Mt 10:42) And let not any poor, and ignorant, and uninfluential Christian think that from the narrowness of his sphere he cannot be ‘full of mercy and good fruits.’ The Lord’s mode of reckoning is not like man’s. In casting into the temple treasury the two mites that came out of deep poverty and deep love, the widow was far more ‘full of good fruits’ than the rich men who cast in many times the sum with no self-sacrifice and little true love. (Mk 12:42-44) Ever and anon, on a Highland hillside, one passes a little rocky cup filled with cool crystal water from a deep unfailing spring. The little cup barely affords a draught to the traveller, and yet, because it fails not, what a multitude of weary wayfarers does it refresh and invigorate, generation after generation; and how green and beautiful the little rill that trickles from it keeps a long stretch of the mountain-side! So, however little the cup of cold water be that you are able to give in Christ’s name, it will refresh many hearts in a lifetime if it be kept ever full, ever ready. (Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James) Good (18)(agathos) means intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent (marked by or disposed to doing good). Fruits (plural = speaks of the variety of fruit produced)(2590)(karpos) is used in its literal sense to refer to fruit, produce or offspring, which describes that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism. Figuratively, karpos is used of the consequence of physical, mental, or spiritual action. Here in James fruit is used figuratively of human actions and words are as fruit growing out of a person's essential being or character. The classic example is the supernatural fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23+). "The many acts of practical mercy mature in a rich harvest of variegated fruit." (Hiebert) Daniel Doriani on unwavering. - First, James commends unwavering loyalty to God later in this section of his epistle (Jas 4:7–8). Second, unwavering makes a better pair with the next term, “insincere” (literally, “not hypocritical”; Greek, anypokritos). James’s virtues form clusters. The opening trio “peace-loving, considerate, and submissive” all point to a unified church, and the final pair both indicate a wholehearted faith, a faith without wavering or hypocrisy. Unwavering (impartial - NIV)(87)(adiakritos from a = without + diakrino = to separate, distinguish, judge) means making no partial distinctions, impartial. Not tending to cause divisions or factions within a group. Friberg - "(1) as being without uncertainty unwavering, unshakable (2) without making distinctions impartial, free from prejudice (God's wisdom does not treat one person a certain way and someone else another away.)." Barclay says adiakritos "means that it is not wavering and swaying; it knows its own mind, chooses its course and abides by it. There are those who think that it is clever never to make one's mind up about anything. They speak about having an open mind and about suspending judgment. But Christian wisdom is based on Christian certainties which come to us from God through Jesus Christ." (James 3 Commentary) Utley on without hypocrisy - This term implies free from prejudice or divided loyalties and may relate to 2:4 or even 1:6. This was a theatrical term used of one who never played a part for personal gain. It speaks of a transparent genuineness (cf. Rom. 12:9; 2 Cor. 6:6; 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:22). John
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Barclay says that "The true wisdom is anupokritos, without hypocrisy. That is to say, it is not a pose and does not deal in deception. It is honest; it never pretends to be what it is not; and it never acts a part to gain its own ends." (James 3 Commentary) Webster defines a hypocrite as "One who feigns to be what he is not; one who has the form of godliness without the power, or who assumes an appearance of piety and virtue, when he is destitute of true religion." Adam Clarke on without hypocrisy - “Without pretending to be what it is not; acting always in its own character; never working under a mask. Seeking nothing but God’s glory, and using no other means to attain it than those of his own prescribing.” Without hypocrisy (It is sincere; free of pretense)(505)(anuopkritos from a = without + hupokrinomai = to pretend from hupó = under, indicating secrecy + krino = to judge) is literally without play acting, without playing the part or without hypocrisy. Anupokritos describes that which is unhypocritical, genuine (faith, love and wisdom in Scripture) and without show or pretense (pretense = a claim made or implied and especially one not supported by fact). Used 6x in NT - Rom. 12:9; 2 Co. 6:6; 1 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:5; Jas. 3:17; 1 Pet. 1:22. In short godly wisdom is sincere, so that what you see is what you get! The person with godly wisdom is not "playing the part." Moo adds that this person is "stable, trustworthy, transparent—the kind of person consistently displaying the virtues of wisdom and on whom one can rely for advice and counsel." Does this describe you (and me) dear reader? As Steven
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Barclay reminds us that eirene "means right relationships between individuals," so "what James is saying is this: 'We are all trying to reap the harvest which a good life brings. But the seeds which bring the rich harvest can never flourish in any atmosphere other than one of right relationships between individuals. And the only people who can sow these seeds and reap the reward are those whose life work it has been to produce such right relationships.' That is to say, nothing good can ever grow in an atmosphere where people are at variance with one another. A group where there is bitterness and strife (selfish ambition) is a barren soil in which the seeds of righteousness can never grow and out of which no reward can ever come. Those who disturb personal relationships and are responsible for strife and bitterness have cut themselves off from the reward which God gives to those who live a godly life." (James 3 Commentary) Fruit (2590) see note above on karpos Righteousness (1343)(dikaiosune from dikaios = being proper or right in the sense of being fully justified being or in accordance with what God requires) is the quality of being upright. In its simplest sense dikaiosune conveys the idea of conformity to a standard or norm and in Biblical terms the "standard" is God and His perfect, holy character. Dikaiosune characterizes a life or lifestyle in conformity to justice, law and/or morality as ordained by God. Dikaiosune is rightness of character before God and rightness of actions before men. Righteousness of God could be succinctly stated as all that God is, all that He commands, all that He demands, all that He approves, all that He provides through Christ. Johnstone - When James says that ‘the fruit righteousness is sown,’ the expression is one implying a lively anticipation of results; as if a man planting acorns were to tell you that he was sowing an oak forest, or a farmer should this spring be said to sow next winter’s bread. The field in which the seed is sown is the human mind and heart, immeasurably the noblest and richest soil to be found on earth. The grandest created thing certainly must be a soul that can grasp the idea of a Creator, and can love that Creator as a Father. Is sown in peace by those who make peace - If you sow peace, you will reap peace, which is what wisdom from above sows. On the other hand, if you sow worldly wisdom (with its "seeds" of selfishness and strife) you will reap disorder and every evil thing (conflict, disharmony, etc). (cf Gal 6:7-10+). The Amplified Version functions almost like a "mini-commentary" - "[The fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]." Alexander Ross on sown in peace - Peace is the atmosphere in which, or the conditions under which we may expect the good seed to ripen to the fruit which is righteousness. And the sowers are not merely lovers of peace, but makers of peace. Steven Cole makes an excellent point that "also implicit in the verse is the fact that a harvest is not accidental or serendipitous. No farmer sits around doing nothing all year, then goes out into the field and says, “Whoa, look at that bountiful harvest!” If there is a harvest, it’s in part because he has worked hard to cultivate that harvest. If you see a church or a home where there is peace, it is because the members have worked to cultivate peace. They have listened to one another, respected one another, judged their own selfishness and pride, and sought to live in accordance with godly wisdom, not worldly “wisdom.”" G Campbell