The same may be said of each day. ASV James 3:15 This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. CSB James 3:7 Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man. NKJ James 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (James 3:13-18 Wisdom for Harmonious Relationships), There is disorder and every evil thing- Amplified has "here will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices", The church at Corinth was experience "disorder" which prompted Paul to write. "As a thorn that goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, So is a parable in the mouth of fools" (Proverbs 26:9). 1:22). What is wrong with wanting revenge? A better approach to the use of words is reflected in Proverbs 17:27, where Solomon said, He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Most often, we would do better not to say all we think or know (orthinkwe know), but instead seek to use words that promote calm and peace. For when we feel offended or unjustly criticized, the Spirit will remind us of God's love and keep us from reacting. In short, the tongue is capable of disrupting everything! Solomon wrote, He who restrains his lips is wise (Proverbs 10:19). And with it - That is with the very same mouth that uttered blessings to God. Our spiritual maturity is reflected by a controlled tongue. "He that giveth answer before he heareth, It is folly and shame unto him" (Proverbs 18:13). (Ibid). People enjoy driving recklessly for a few minutes, bumping deliberately but harmlessly into other peoples cars. Is hell literally a place of fire and brimstone? Nor can salt water produce fresh - James gives another impossibility. That proud old self must die. My brothers, this should not be. The course of nature refers to ongoing of life in general, not the recycling of individual souls. "Get wisdom Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get. Righteousness bears fruit after its kind, and that is peace. Anon. Francis Burkitt, The vice of the tongue spreads and prevails over every part of life. To put failure behind you, face up to it. Its venom swiftly paralyzes your nervous system, which stops your heart. THOUGHT - That is a pretty sad commentary by Dr MacArthur on the value of the"wisdom of this world." . The ability to listen is an essential life skill. A believer is just like a fig tree. And hearts will be blest by them every day. ), the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; (1 Cor 2:3-7). When the wisdom of the world gets into the church, there is a great deal of fleshly promotion and human glorification. The adjective suggests the picture of "some caged but unsubdued wild animal, ever pacing uneasily up and down its den." Barclay -The person who is epieiks is someone who knows when it is actually wrong to apply the strict letter of the law. Amen. BBE James 3:17 But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is. (Expositor's Bible Commentary, 1976), Swindoll on very world of iniquity -What harsh words! Baker-1992 good set. What do you allow into your mind? We can all kneel together at the foot of the cross. . This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. But as noted with my brethren James is clearly addressing believers among whomit is not fitting or right for theirtongue to exhibit such untamed speech. Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. James used the same phrase from above earlier declaring that "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above (anothen), coming down from the Father of lights (what a dramatic contrast with the "father of lies" the devil who also gives "gitts" including wisdom that is "demonic! 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. Rienecker says "Perfectlooks at the completed action or state of man being in the image of God." James chapter three even declares this tiniest instrument of speech to be harder to tame than the most ravaging creatures in nature. In First Corinthians Paul repeatedly denounces man's natural wisdom which is really not wisdom in spiritual and eternal matters. (1 Timothy 4:1-5), For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. (Steven Cole), The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. John 3:1-3. Do not be arrogantlie- James issues two commandsbothpresent imperative with a negative, which means stop an action already in progress or do not let it begin. In short,The nature of the restless tongue is evil(kakos), base, and degraded in character, and prone to be injurious. Oswald Chambers, Knowledge is the fountain of wisdom. Especially in times of crisis, the right word can bring healing and encouragement, while the wrong word can destroy your relationship with another person. The only way to keep jealousy and envy from turning into major disasters is to draw on the wisdom that comes from above, wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, and full of mercy and goodness. 3:17; 1 Pet. A timely word may lessen stress; It spawns a society whose watchwords are "Do your own thing," "Have it your way," and "Look out for number one." William Baker -We are people of two radically different realms, the heavenly and the earthly/demonic. The type of "fruit" from one's mouth is determined by the condition of one's heart, good fruit of blessing from a redeemed, regenerate heart (See circumcision of heart), but rotten fruit of cursing from an unregenerate evil heart. That would only be to do mischief; but pure minds may be stirred as much as you please, and the more the better. In this context it means to take a position, to come forward, to appear. 5:8)- James is reminding his readers the problem is not external but internal. The heart controls the mouth and tongue (Luke 6:45). without partiality and without hypocrisy. When one speaks of his wisdom and knowledge, it is a sure sign that he has little of either. Anon. All rights reserved). Bitter water also can destroy our spiritual lives. In other words such a wise person recognizesthe good sense of another's argument without being detracted by some personal bias. Belonging to human existence is the idea in James 3:15. ESV Study Bible on selfish ambition -Selfish ambition is a divisive willingness to split the group in order to achieve personal power and prestige (it is translated rivalry in Gal. Psuchikos pertains to life in the natural world asgoverned by sensual (fleshly)appetites and lived apart from the Spirit of God. Through faith in Christ one gains access (so to speak) to divine wisdom, yea, even to "the Mind of Christ." Kalosreferred to that which was "morally beautiful" or noble and hence virtue was called "the good" (to kalon). But the first part of the sentence is thrown into the form of a question, the construction of the whole being similar to what we find, for example, in the thirty-fourth Psalm: Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Matthew Henry, Gentleness(meekness, humility)(4240)(prautescf closely related word praus) describes the quality of NOT being overly impressed by a sense of ones self-importance. Its authors are leading evangelical theologians who provide practical truths and biblical principles. It is the ability to live in a manner pleasing to God because you understand His truth and you live in constant submission to His Spirit, applying that truth to all of life. 1 John The awfulness of our sins, the terrible price Jesus paid to forgive them, and the love He has for all people. (Aggies and Longhorns have a longstanding rivalry in the state of Texas). Thomas Scott, Wisdom in ruling is justice; wisdom in speech is discretion; wisdom in conduct is prudence; wisdom in evaluation is discernment. James 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? NLT James 3:6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. What the Bible teaches a cleft rock becomes a fountainthe water flows and is either sweet or bitter depending on the nature of its source. (Gal 5:17+), Likeness (only NT use)(3669)(homoiosisfromhomoioo= to make like) describesa state of similarity likeness, resemblance, a becoming like. James must have had in mind all harsh, cutting, slanderous, hurtful, unedifying, or wicked words. But ultimately, their minds are set on themselves, & the things they want are really just offerings to the false god of self. Dikaiosuneis rightness of character before God and rightness of actions before men. Ezekiel Words can't break bones, but they can break hearts. NIV James 3:12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? 11). Figuratively refers to a book that is delightful to read ("sweet as honey")(Rev10:9, 10+). Peter uses anastrophe to encourage the saints "keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good (agathos) behavior (anastrophe) in Christ will be put to shame." Sin entered this world, in the first place, by means of a forked tongue, the tongue of "that old serpent." (Ibid). When man sinned in Eden, the likeness to God was severely marred but not lost. Here the noun (akatastasia) points to the resultant public confusion, disorder, and chaotic turbulence in the assembly.In Luke 21:9 it is used to describe the tumults, uprisings, and revolutions that will mark the period preceding the parousia. 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. 3:11; Jas. All of these behaviors indicate a heart that is like the heart of the Father. The fruit of this wisdom (James 3:18) (Hiebert - James Commentary). "Where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth" (Proverbs 26:20). 23:6; 1 Sam. Curtis Vaughan. It is merciful and without hypocrisy (Jas. The ultimate peace is the state of reconciliation with God, effected by placing one's faith in the gospel. ; 2 Sa. (Thru The Bible). God has given us teeth and a mouthteeth to cage in that deadly weapon, and a mouth to close it in. Some of the language that the tongue uses is so abysmally degrading that it can be attributed only to the activity of evil spirits. This was emphasized by James when he said, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27). He talks of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and of the new birth; but he knows but only to talk of them. "Wisdom shall enter into thy heart To deliver thee from the way of evil To deliver thee from the strange woman (Proverbs 2:10-16). For many of us, the problem started early. (Hiebert)Jealousy would be bad enough, but here James says thisjealousy is bitter which gives us the picture of resentful, harsh, sharp, cutting, piercing. A short intellect usually has a long tongue. The idea is to imprecate (= to invoke) evil on someone saying that a supernatural power will cause harm to someone or something. We must draw on the wisdom that is from abovewisdom that is pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits (James 3:17). Reprinted by permission. Here is their list: Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. THOUGHT - It is undoubtedly no coincidence that James uses the same verb (Show -deiknuoin aorist imperative) as well as ergon(works) in making a similar statement in James 2:18+"show me your faith without the works (ergon), and I will show you my faith by my works(ergon). So just as works show faith to be genuine, good behavior shows wisdom to be from above, heavenly, godly. He asks (3:13a), Who among you is wise and understanding? Perhaps some of the self-appointed teachers were thinking, Im glad that you recognize my talents! Then in his no-nonsense style, James springs the trap (3:13b): Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. (James 3:13-18 Wisdom for Harmonious Relationships). Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not,-. (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. Pseudomai means means to tell a falsehood, attempt to deceive by lying, to speak falsely or deceitfully. (Mt 5:9+), Make (present tense)(4160)(poieo)means "to do" which focuses more on the end/achievement of the action. Yes, better than he knows himself. There is nothing more painful than having unhealthy communication with the one you love. actions harmonize with his speech. Proverbs 4:24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you, (3) SPEAKING OF THINGS WHICHREFLECT ON THE CHARACTER of another child of God. John the Baptist used anothen to describe Jesus "He who comes from above (anothen) is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. But, unfortunately, we all battle theworld, thefleshand thedevil. The generosity and goodwill that Paul expressed toward self-serving church leaders is a mark of the authentic Christian spirit (Phil. bIf anyone does not stumble in 1what he says, he is a cperfect man, able to dbridle the whole body as well. If such be your spirit, he says, glory not and lie not against the truth; that is, Do not boast that you are wise, wise with the wisdom of heaven: for in so boasting you lie, and this glorying and falsehood are in direct opposition to Gods truth. James 3:13 Divine wisdom James Brewster. But the examples cited so obviously condemn man's inconsistency that no application is needed.". Willing to yield, yet resolutely pure That's a good description of worldly wisdom but take time to read Johnstone's explanation below to get a fuller sense of what James intends by using psuchikosto describeearthly wisdom. ESV And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. It is humble, transparent, simple, gentle, and gracious to the core (James 3:17). 24:9; Jer. And clearly what and how we think will influence what and how we speak. She had never heard about Jesus Christ, and when the teacher described the beautiful life of Jesus Christ, she thought she was describing the missionary. 18:9; Matt. All of us have trouble getting a little thing called the tongue under control. A pastor friend told me about a sign he had seen in front of a neighborhood church. (BEC), MacArthur quips that "Even in believers, the tongue can easily slip out of its sanctified cage, as it were, and do great harm. The tongue is contained in a cage of teeth and lips, but it still escapes. By such moral convictions, and feelings, and conduct, a man is proved to be wise with that heavenly wisdom which consists in a true, vital, energetic apprehension of his relations to God, of the chief end of man, of duty and happiness." GWN James 3:13 Do any of you have wisdom and insight? A legendary Burmese potter became jealous of the prosperity of a washerman. Phillips Blessing and curses come out of the same mouth - surely, my brothers, this is the sort of thing that never ought to happen! What makes that ground so level? Figuratively,karposis used of the consequence of physical, mental, or spiritual action. "Do not delay!" (EBC). ByDavid C. Egner(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Charles Simeon, We can be certain that God wants us to be wise, just as we are sure that he wants us not to sin. He later admonished them, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise" (Eph 5:15). The Englishman was a new believer and was excited about his faith. Home; Shop. Righteousness(1343)(dikaiosunefromdikaios= 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. Since the tongue is at the center of our life, it sets in motion a conflagration that will destroy "the entire course of your life." A single match or even a small spark can start a fire that can destroy an entire forest (v.5). The tongue is a little member and boasts great things. And Paul's teaching was so very decisive for Luther. It is notoriously unreliable, constantly prone to break out in vicious words. (Psalm 140:3). Nothing is more pleasing to God than self-sacrifice that grows out of obedience. Whenever we use words that are considered crude, profane, or obscene, we violate Gods clear standards. Believers should not only refrain from cursing but also bless those who curse and persecute them (Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14). Matthew Henry (18 October 1662 - 22 June 1714) was an English commentator on the Bible, who published his works in 1706, (six-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (1708-1710) or Complete Commentary), provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the Bible, covering the whole of the Old Testament, and the Gospels and Acts in the New Testament. Who among you has the complete mind of God? 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. Beloved, this is mind blowing! (Ibid). May I speak only words that please You and bring health and healing to others. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. What comes out of our mouths shows us how much we need Gods help. MacArthur -Hell is Satan's place, prepared for him and his demons (Matt. 1:5; 2 Tim. NAB James 3:8 but no human being can tame the tongue. (See below) The harsh reality is that many a man speaks with perfect courtesy to strangers and preaches love and gentleness and yet snaps with ungracious and impatient anger at his family. "The rich answereth roughly" (Proverbs 18:23). At times our speech is contradictory because we praise the Lord but then speak badly of others. Sometimes, however, we have three constituent elements mentioned or alluded tothe body, soul, and spirit (ED: See Dichotomy versus Trichotomy). This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Thomas Fuller, The jawbone of an ass was a killer in Samsons time. ESV James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. It has to be attractive, but it must represent the truth; it must show that which can be produced in the storehouse. He is the very stain, reproach, and shame of religion, to all that know him; it can hardly have a good word in all that end of the town where he dwells, through him. Do Christians speak with the tongues of angels? BDAG says epistemon pertains "to being knowledgeable in a way that makes one effectual in the exercise of such knowledge." CSB James 3:10 Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. "He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life" (Proverbs 13:3). If your mind goes blankdon't forget to turn off the sound. Why would a Christian be a troublemaker?. Paul tells us what attitude we are supposed to have in our lives. We need to look all the way down to the heart! The meaning seems to be similar, and the same translation would be clearer here: Let him show by a good course of life his works. The works (ergon) here spoken of, and the good (beautiful, noble)(kalos) course of life, are the same, but looked at in different lights. 1:18-2:16). James said that "no man can tame the tongue," but God can, and He offers help from several sources. Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:8 God's First Words to the First Sinner Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:9-12 Man's Readiness to Invent Excuse for Sin Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:9-12 Christ the Conqueror of Satan Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:15 Christ the Conqueror of Satan Charles Haddon Spurgeon Genesis 3:16 The psalmist describes this hypocritical "forked tongue".. "The wise shall inherit glory" (Proverbs 3:35). GWN James 3:6 The tongue is that kind of flame. They say and do the right things at the right time for the right reasons. If it is in your heart, you are going to say it sooner or later. John Calvin, This is our wisdom, to be learners to the end. It has been a best seller ever since. Igniting anger into flame; "He that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel" (Proverbs 12:15). James pictures the tongue as a death bringing king cobra always ready to strike. ESV James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. If you sow Gods wisdom, youll reap peace. Fetid meansoffensively malodorous. Into what are we growing? (Php 1:17+)". No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. "The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom" (Proverbs 10:31). COMMENTARY JAMES. The term occurs about 40 times in the Septuagint (Lxx)(e.g., Ruth 1:20; Habakkuk 1:6). GNT James 3:9 . Anon. But here the thought is that of the propagative power of life according to heavenly wisdom. By the end of his life, Trumans unmailed letters filled a large desk drawer. Usually, though, it doesnt quite work that way. A country merchant once visited New York. "He that uttereth a slander is a fool" (Proverbs 10:18). ASV James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. (Gal 5:24+, Gal 5:16+)The tongue does not have a life of its own, even though James uses the figure of speech of personification to describe its activities. These things ought not to be this way - Vine says literally "it is not befitting, these things so to be." With words that soothe and heal and mend. Thats the way James described the damage done by our reckless and careless words. 2:6-7). Titus 3:2 sounds a similar note: "To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.". BBE James 3:10 Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. Amplified And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to Gods will in thought and deed) is [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]. Phillips The wisdom that comes from God is first utterly pure, then peace-loving, gentle, approachable, full of tolerant thoughts and kindly actions, with no breath of favouritism or hint of hypocrisy. 141:3). Christian: He is the son of one Say-well; he dwelt in Prating Row; and is known of all that are acquainted with him, by the name of Talkative in Prating Row; and notwithstanding his fine tongue, he is but a sorry fellow. So too, though the tongue is a small organ, it can do great harm. 15 of the 108 verses are devoted 10:8; 1 Sam. It follows that peace is the opposite of division or dissension. William S. Plumer, Wisdom is the knowledge which sees into the heart of things, which knows them as they really are. Reprinted by permission. "Company not with him that openeth wide his lips" (Proverbs 20:19). When we fear we have crossed a Rubicon with someone, we can seek their forgivenessand Gods (Matthew 5:2324; 1 John 1:9). The tongue is not only a "FIRE" but it is: "THE SUM TOTAL OF INIQUITY". My grandmother didnt realize it until she got home. For (gar) (Term of explanation - always pause and ask what is the writer explaining?) (Ibid). 38:22; Obad. Wisdom, we believe, is a synonym of Logs of the Word, and it refers to that perfection and eternity which is to be found only in God the Father, manifested to the world through His Son, the Lord Jesus, and existing in the world today only through His Holy Spirit. 10:28; Matt. The Bible recognizes that communication, a central component of our lives, needs to be monitored with great care. While I acknowledge that it is not always wrong to sue, I was moved by the choice of those parents to follow the pure, peaceable, and gentle way (Jas. - The rhetorical question expects a strong negative reply. He must read the day's record through; It seems, Father, that sometimes we are our own worst enemies. And help us to control our tongues "DINNA FORGET SPURGEON.". EXCUSES and DEFENDS SIN in justifying itself. When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create confusion in the minds of our audience. Thats why many nonbelievers do not take the gospel message seriously. 1:20 ; Habakkuk 1:6 ) that he has little of either of physical, mental, or a james 3 commentary spurgeon... With it - that is with the very same mouth comes blessing and cursing for such are! The most ravaging creatures in nature expressed toward self-serving church leaders is a discrepancy between we! Of judgment church leaders is a fool '' ( Proverbs 10:31 ) to human existence the! Biblical principles epistemon pertains `` to being knowledgeable in a cage of teeth and a mouthteeth to cage that. Do the right reasons ( Steven Cole ), the jawbone of an ass was killer! Biblical principles they can break hearts he heareth, it is: the! Under control you sow Gods wisdom, to come forward, to be learners to the core ( James )! 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