James lesson 17

17
3/02/10
TEACHING
vv 3: 1-18
(Continue 16)

vi “the test of the tongue” and “the test of humble wisdom”

James 3
1My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4Behold 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. 5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

13Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Last week we looked at the consequences of many teachers; determining that true teachers are gifted with wisdom from above. Contrary to this true “Gospel first delivered,” (Gal. 1: 6I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.)

we find a cacophony of “other gospels” that permeates Christendom; we see the consequence of confused, unprepared teaching, presented by “many teachers”; some malevolent, some ignorant, some lazy, all whose teachings lead to disaster.

James uses the common Jewish literary device of attributing some specific problem to a particular body part (if your eye offend you…, etc) here he depicts the tongue as the instrument of mans depravity and wretchedness. This characterization is common to both the old and new testaments (: Is. 6:5; Matt. 15: 11, 16-19: Mark 7: 20; Rom. 3: 13, 14).

The Bible has much to say about the wickedness that can be, and often is, distributed/generated by the tongue: Pss.5:9; 34:13; 39: 1; 52: 4; Prov. 6: 17; 17: 20; 26: 28; etc) You speak and the words assume a life of their own; they take off and go to places you never considered and potentially cause damage in ways that you had no inkling was possible. My grandparents illustrated this with the example of breaking a pillow outside in a breeze – now try to go and recover every one of those feathers that are now out of your control and are scattered everywhere…

1. The dangers of an uncontrolled tongue; faith and humility

In verse 2, James points out how wide spread this problem is:

• v2.For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. The tongue has immense potential to speak erroneously, sinfully; it is a graphic portrayal of human propensity to turn to wickedness, the words used here indicates an ongoing sinning. Earlier James admonished us to be “quick to listen, slow to speak…”he continues this thought now with his mention of “offend” linked to the restraint of “bridle” the whole body. A person that conducts their life in this way is “perfect” (1: 26 mature)

To further illustrate control of the body through control of the tongue, he now gives us some illustrations of controlling difficult and/or unruly things:

• v3. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. The bit in the horse’s mouth though very small relative to the horse can guide the horse wherever the rider wishes to go; the bit controls the horse for better or worse…then he moves to an even more extreme example:

• v4. 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. Compared to the size of the ship the rudder is very small, yet it guides the ship even in storms. If the rudder is not used wisely the ship will wind up in the wrong place, or even destroyed on the rocks

• v5. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. The most trivial, insignificant conversation can inadvertently, if malicious, or even “idle” can destroy far beyond what you can recover or repair…conversely, if inspired and spoken in “truth” can light, and set the world on fire!

• v7. 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: 8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God (refer to footnotes KJV study bible )

• v10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. (refer to footnotes KJV study bible and center column cross reference)

2. True and false wisdom – VII the test of humble Wisdom

James now winds up chapter three with a very serious analysis and definition of wisdom, transitioning from teachers and the tongue to the effect of wisdom on all of us, showing that wisdom is either of God or of the world/man:

• v13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom with this instruction James neatly ties vv 1: 19; 2: 26; and v1; vv2-12 in this chapter together, powerfully clinching his point: a teacher mist be humble, must be well prepared, must present the truth, soberly and respectfully.

• v14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace .

If wisdom is not from above; it is from below? Devilish? That is a shocking statement! so, if one is not teaching with that “wisdom” described in 1: 5, they are teaching the doctrine of Devils! earmarks of such teaching are self aggrandizement profit, strife, bitterness etc, contrasted by ; truthful teaching/speech, which will be peaceful, caring and enlightening, (refer to footnotes KJV study Bible )

Next week we will take up chapter four, and worldly indulgence: after all, I do have a life of my own, and I deserve a little time doing, relaxing, pleasurable things and enjoyment of nice stuff, right?


DISCUSSION
• Give one example of James description of the power of the tongue.
• Where does wisdom come from?
• What is the proper deportment of a teacher?
• What are the marks of inept and/or malevolent teaching?
• What are the marks of truthful teaching?