1:22. And since James was writing to Jewish believers, they would be very familiar with these traditional Jewish blessings to God. The preacher encountering this text might be forgiven for the sudden urge to suggest, in lieu of the sermon, that the congregation engage in a time of silent prayer. YLT James 3:8 and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. The evidence of the true wisdom in control (James 3:1718) But the guy was going on at length about how someone at the seminary took some Hebrew word from Chronicles in a way that this guy insisted was not correct! Tongue Spiritual Maturity is reflected by a controlled tongue. No earth-born eye can catch a glimpse of God. The Bible abounds with illustrations of such use. There are only twelve of them, but they work. working in lives that will PRODUCE DEEDS THAT MANIFEST A LIVING FAITH. And woe to anyone who accumulates more of this worlds things than they have. We curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God (Ge1:26, 27; Ge 9:6)- James spoke of "double minded" in James 1:6 and here speaks of "double mouthed," or "forktongued!" By:Mart DeHaan(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Mitton aptly calls this "an ascending scale of wickedness! (1 Cor 1:20), THOUGHT - Let's get practical. After all is done, "yet ye have not.". GNT James 3:17 , , , , , , . Notice phusis is used twice, first for species, then for (human) race. We use words like love and patriotism to share our ideas and emotions. "The rich answereth roughly" (Proverbs 18:23). Actually he misused Scripture." Bitter (4089)(pikrosfrom root pik = to cup or prick)means sharp, pointed, piercing, pungent as that which sharply "pierces" or penetrates one's senses. My wife and I returned from several weeks away from our home and immediately detected a fetid smell upon entering the house. Thomas Goodwin, If the mouth be bad, the mind is not good. Jeremy Taylor, The wisest person in the world is the person who knows the most about God. Thinking It Over Even some of God's greatest saints have revealed the evil power of the tongue. 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. Habakkuk Solomon wrote, He who restrains his lips is wise (Proverbs 10:19). "He that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends" (Proverbs 17:9). Godly words can come only from a godly heart. b. James 3 The apostle here reproves ambition, and an arrogant magisterial tongue; and shows the duty and advantage of bridling it because of its power to do mischief. We must get our "spiritual roots" deep into His Word. `Wisdom crieth aloud in the street " (Proverbs 1:20-33). KJV And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. From birth to the grave this fire in our mouths burns and destroys. Frederick W. Faber, The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart. See the contrasting word aspilosin James 1:27 ("unstained"). A dark piece of velvet best reveals the glory of the diamond. Laws can help to minimize discrimination in housing and the workplace. 1:18-2:16). Douglas Moo -"As the fig tree cannot produce olives or the grapevine figs, so the pure heart cannot produce false, bitter, harmful speech.". 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. Utley on without hypocrisy -This term implies free from prejudice or divided loyalties and may relate to 2:4 or even 1:6. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits. "A fool's mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul" (Proverbs 18:7). Notice that many of these passage describe gentleness as the virtue that should be exhibited by believers to other people and are thus good illustrations of "living wisely.". JAMES 3:8 So the mind corrupts the whole person.". And as we have learned, none of the over 1600 NT commands can be successfully carried out in reliance on our own natural strength, but only in reliance on the supernatural strength provided by the Holy Spirit. 23:28; Jn. 13:9; 2 Sam. "With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied" (Proverbs 18:20). 1:4; Jas. Here James metaphoricallyequates the tongue directly with a fire. 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. A man can bless God with his mouth, and he can blaspheme God. 1 Thessalonians The first produces jealousy, faction, confusion. NKJ James 3:16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. Christian: Deceived! James says, Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there (3:16). Eulogeocan be from men to God, from men to men, and from God to men. Its authors are leading evangelical theologians who provide practical truths and biblical principles. It was such a valuable military weapon that the formula was kept an absolute secretand was lost to the ravages of history. And above all, do your words glorify God? Thomas Manton, Most of a mans sins are in his words. . Curtis Vaughan. "Whoso curseth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness" (Proverbs 20:20). So well not bring on You disgrace. You must banish all contentiousness and mutual accusation. If you see a church or a home where there is peace, it is because the members have worked to cultivate peace. So in this sentence James uses a first class conditional statement which assumes that some of his readers were harboring bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in their heart. To compromise with wrong, to seek for quietness by the sacrifice of righteousness, is not to secure peace, but to make it impossible. It was used of those versed in the sea, skilled in the building craft, or expert in evil. Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James, Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible, Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary. 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. 3. of wine and the like, to overcome, overpower, Hom. (Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James)(Bold added). "My son, attend unto my wisdom " (Proverbs 5:1,2). Of course the answer is both, because both reveal the real condition of the heart. What was Greek fire? By the deeds that you do, by the words that you say; Anon. The affairs of mankind are thrown into confusion by the tongues of men. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. Interestingly, my friend didnt think this was impractical or foolish. Those strong words remind us how damaging unguarded words can be to those around us. It cannot be controlled by both at the same time. For instance, using I instead of me or who instead of whom. Theres a proper way to use the language, and it makes me cringe when the standard is violated. 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. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. He rages at faith because he sees therein his own defeat and the victory of grace. J. Phillips But if your heart is full of rivalry and bitter jealousy, then do not boast of your wisdom - don't deny the truth that you must recognise in your inmost heart. It follows that James is addressing this to believers, for unbelievers lack the supernatural power to obey this command. How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness! The image was that Godlike part of us that we never lost in the Fall, while the likeness was that Godlike part of human being that we have yet to acquire. My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea, and often as innocent. A. W. Tozer, It is a fact that those whose lives are daily being conformed to the Word and purposes of God will be given the ability to see issues more plainly. 2:26; 2 Ki. Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world: it infects the whole body; catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation. John 3:1-3. Once I even heard him use the Lords name in vain. (Read Romans 12:3-8) Pride is a sin in us by nature; we need to be cautioned and armed against it. The King James Version Bible Commentary is a complete verse-by-verse commentary. James must have had in mind all harsh, cutting, slanderous, hurtful, unedifying, or wicked words. "In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression" (Proverbs 10:19). NRS James 3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. There is a kind of cruel wisdom which takes a delight in hurting others with clever but cutting words. It is easier to look wise than to talk wisely. From strife and enmity; The answer will reveal not only your inner character but the spiritual condition of your soul." One of the marks that a man has been born again is that his tongue is now controlled. (Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James). Verse James 3:1. 64:3; Pr5:4 = "in the end she is bitter as wormwood"; Pr27:7 = to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet. NIV James 3:10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. Good(2570)(kalos)describes that which is inherently excellent or intrinsically good, providing some special or superior benefit. Phaedrus, The greatest wisdom on this earth is holiness. No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring. . Amplified This [superficial] wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual (animal), even devilish (demoniacal). Sad contrast between wild animals that can be tamedand mankind's wild tongue which cannot be tamed. As James has just noted, this wisdom is motivated by pride, selfish ambition, arrogance, self-centeredness, self-interest, and self-aggrandizement. Thats the way James described the damage done by our reckless and careless words. My granddaughter Bree loved the circus, but she was afraid of the tiger. This is the very word Jesus uses when he explains to Nicodemus "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again (anothen - from above)he cannot see the kingdom of God." And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: The fire of the tongue has been used to burn many. Faithful: Say you so! Leviticus The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. Godly wisdom, as weve seen, would listen to the one who raises an objection and consider whether he may have a valid point. He wrote, It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison (3:8). bIf anyone does not stumble in 1what he says, he is a cperfect man, able to dbridle the whole body as well. 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. The Lord patiently reminds us through the Holy Spirits presence, for example, that we shouldnt say negative things about others. Its actual chemical composition remains a mystery. Such speech is hypocritical. The struggle to control our tongues can seem like a losing battle. 1:29; Rom. A philosophy professor ended his letter with "It just beats me. The biggest loser of your hatred and jealousy is you. James 3:13 Who among you is wise and understanding? James has already implied that the tongue holds sway over the whole body (James 3:2+). defiles the whole body (James 3:6). His poor family finds it so; he is such a churl, such a railer at and so unreasonable with his servants, that they neither know how to do for or speak to him. TECHNICAL NOTE - The Textus Receptus has the word akataschetos(from a = without + katecho = hold back or control) which means that which cannot be restrained, uncontrollable, untameable, unruly. Can a grapevine produce figs? (Luke 6:28+), For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously(1 Peter 2:21-23+), Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. Such a contrast is not necessarily disparaging of earthly matters. 3:2; Jas. (Pr 18:21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 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. Mouth, and self-aggrandizement the diamond the snare of his lips is wise understanding! 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