SSL 11 - James 3:1-12
LAST WEEK: In James 2:14-26, we covered James' claim that faith without works is dead. Our examination of the text showed us that there's no real conflict between faith and works. Here are the main points of application: 1. Paul and James would both agree that the basis of salvation is by grace alone through faith, with works not being the basis of salvation but the necessary result of it. James simply emphasizes that genuine faith will result in good works, while faith that produces no good works is not true faith. 2. Mere intellectual assent to the Christian faith doesn't save anyone. True faith that saves actively follows through in the form of good works. 3. When James argued that Abraham was "justified by works" by offering Isaac as a sacrifice, he used the word justified in the sense that it validated his faith as opposed to saving him. Paul talked about how Abraham was initially saved by faith, while James described how Abraham showed evidence of true faith. 4. James compared the relationship between faith and works to that of body and spirit (i.e., life), and that a body without life is a corpse. By association, faith without works is dead-not saving faith.
THIS WEEK: In James 3:1-12, we will see James move to a different subject where he will focus on "Taming the Tongue" and show us how small things, which he compares to the bit in a horse's mouth or the rudder of a ship, can potentially cause either great evil and harm. James will tell us that what we say is a big part of what we do, and in these verses, gives how we speak to others a very critical examination.
Read James 3:1-2 - A WORD OF WARNING TO WOULD-BE TEACHERS
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
v. 1a: "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers" - This is a sobering remark for me, at least. I agree that teachers are entrusted with a sacred duty to study, prepare, and relay information about the Bible as reliably and accurately as possible. But James doesn't seem to be directing his message to ill-prepared or incompetent teachers but to those who are attracted to the teaching role for the wrong reasons-an agenda designed to elevate themselves by developing their own power base in a church. We studied this recently in 2 Cor. 11 where false apostles were trying to discredit the teachings of the apostle Paul.
v. 1b: "for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" - James is telling anyone who aspires to be a teacher that they will be held to a higher degree of accountability, not only by the church and those they teach but by God Himself in the final judgment. This brings to mind that teachers are also accountable for their personal conduct as well as their teaching. A teacher could certainly lead people astray by a poor personal example as easily as by instruction.
TRUTH 1: Teachers must always be conscious of the potential influence of what they say because words are at the heart of the teaching ministry. This standard is applicable to teachers both inside and outside of the class. Having an untrustworthy tongue is very likely to prove detrimental to those being taught. When asked about some obscure point of theology or application, if you don't have a sure answer, it's always better to simply say "I don't know" than to risk a confusing response. Teachers must also recognize that they are accountable for their personal conduct as well as their teaching. A teacher could certainly lead people astray by setting a poor personal example (i.e., a hypocrite) as easily as by instruction.
v. 2: "For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body" - The word used here for "stumble" (Gk. ptaio) literally means to fall into sin. James' statement that "we all stumble" echoes Paul's words in Rom. 3:23: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." There are obviously many ways to stumble, but James is specifically referring to falling into sin with the words we speak. Our tendency toward this sort of error is so common that James declares that the one who hasn't stumbled in what he says must be perfect. Anyone who is able to thoroughly control his or her mouth is almost certain to be in perfect control or his or her entire body. Do you know anybody like that?
TRUTH 2: A person who has never stumbled (i.e., never sinned) in what he or she says would need to be perfect. Our tendency toward this sort of error is so common that James declares that the one who hasn't stumbled in what he says must be perfect, and that someone who is able to totally control his or her mouth would likewise be able to perfectly control or his or her entire body. Can you name one person-other than Jesus-who is capable of doing that?
Read James 3:3-6 - THE POWER OF THE TONGUE
3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire. 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
vv. 3-4: "If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. In these two verses, James employs metaphors to illustrate how very small things: in the case of a bit, a small bar of metal weighing a couple of couple of pounds can control a 1,000-lb. horse; while the rudder of a ship, tiny in comparison to the hull, permits a person to control a large ship even in high seas and wind.
v. 5: "So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire." - While the tongue is a small part of the human body, it has tremendous power, for either good or evil. Using boasting as an example, James is saying the tongue can be very powerful, but often in a destructive way. James goes so far as to analogize the human tongue to a small fire that's capable of turning a large forest into a raging inferno.
v. 6: "And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our mem- bers, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell" - In this phrase, James is saying that man's "tongue of fire" represents and expresses all the unrighteous- ness in the world-the whole extent of human society is set ablaze by the tongue. This brings to mind Adolf Hitler: one man whose inflammatory speech ignited a process that resulted in the deaths of over 50 million people. It's also ironic that humans are smart enough to harness the flow of a powerful river to produce hydroelectric power and or control the power of an atom for useful or destructive purposes but can't control their tongues. When James says the tongue "stains" the whole body, he means that it adversely impacts the rest of our body, and since it is like a deadly fire out of control, it causes confusion and destruction. James ends the verse by identifying the source of the problem: the tongue is a fire ignited by hell itself. Since the tongue is part of our flesh, it brings to mind the some of "the works of the flesh" Paul enumerated in Gal. 5:19-21, such as "enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy." All of these sinful attribute are parked in our hearts and minds just waiting to come out through our mouths.
TRUTH 3: Although the human tongue is small, it has power, for either good or evil, all out of proportion to its size. Of all the myriad ways our sin nature is capable of revealing itself, our tongues are the most likely outlets. In terms of power, James said James the human tongue is like a small fire that's capable of turning a large forest into a raging inferno. According to James (and he's totally correct), the source of the problem is that: the tongue is a fire ignited by hell itself. Since the tongue is part of our flesh, it brings to mind the some of "the works of the flesh" Paul enumerated in Gal. 5:19-21, such as "enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, and envy." All of these selfish and sinful attributes are parked in our hearts and minds just waiting to come out through our mouths. Only when we understand this and come to grips with it, will we fully appreciate how dangerous and potentially destructive our words can be. In Mt. 15:11, Jesus said, "it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth..."
James 3:7-12 - NOBODY CAN CONTROL THE TONGUE
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
v. 7: "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind" - This is amazing but absolutely true. Besides dogs, cats, livestock, and other domestic animals, man has managed to subdue every type of living creature from parrots to lions and tigers and killer whales. We even use poisonous snakes to make medical serums.
v. 8: "but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison - It's one thing to control wild animals, but the human tongue is in a class by itself. Why? First, because James says because the tongue is "restless." The Greek word used is akatastatos, which means generally unstable or uncertain. Makes me think of natural disasters-something we can sort of anticipate but certainly can't control, and like disasters, we can't predict when our tongues are likely to betray us. Second, he says the tongue is a not only restless but "evil." It's almost if James is saying the tongue is a devil that's taken residence in us that is prone to rise up at any moment and damage our witness for Christ. Third, the tongue is full of "poison." The word used for poison (dilitírio) is the same word for venom or toxins. A small amount of poison on a dart or an arrow can kill quickly and without warning. In the same way, our words have great power to wound, even mortally. Think about this: what if you turned away a potential convert to Christianity with unkind words? Would it bother you that this person is still doomed to the lake of fire?
TRUTH 4: When James describes our tongues as a "restless evil," it's like saying that our tongue is like a small devil residing inside us that is likely to unleash itself at any moment and damage our Christian witness. James says uncontrolled words are like "poison," having tremendous power to wound or even destroy someone. Think about this scenario: what if you turned away a potential Christian convert with hurtful words? Would it bother you that, because of what you said, this person is still doomed to eternal damnation in the lake of fire?
vv. 9-10: "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers these things ought not to be so." - Here, James is telling us that the tongue is not only destructive and completely out of control, but is also deceptive. A blessing is intended to bring good to the recipient, while a curse is intended to bring hurt. Do you see the irony between the two verses? From the same mouth we praise and bless God, while we curse people made in God's image and whom God loves. How is it that good and evil can have the same source? It's because our tongues simply give expression to the feelings of our hearts and the thought of our minds, which hold both good and evil. Paul said of the dilemma in himself, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. " Rom. 7:15, 20. James says "it ought not to be." So what can we do about it? In order to gain control of our tongues, we must first seek God's help in eliminating the evil that resides in our hearts and minds. This isn't a simple solution, a quick fix, is it? It brings to mind David's urgent plea to God in Ps. 51:2: "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!"
vv. 11-12: "Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water." - In these two verses, James gives illustrations of three nonsensical natural contrasts that drive home the point that blessing God while cursing people made in His image can't be tolerated. In James' day, the existence of springs was essential to survival in the arid region of Palestine and often dictated where villages and towns were located. As to fig trees, olive trees, and grape vines, the point James makes is that nature causes a certain types of trees or vines to produce fruit of their own kind, and they are entirely consistent in the type of fruit they produce. By association, our tongues should be equally consistent- continually producing good fruit rather than mixing good and bad (i.e., blessings and curses). Likewise, a salt pond is putrid, the water undrinkable. Pure water is healthful and refreshing, while salt water, if you drink enough it, can be fatal-one a blessing the other a curse.
TRUTH 5: Mastery of the tongue is a sure sign of Christian maturity. The person who masters the tongue is master of the whole body, and this refers both to the person's body and the body of Christ-the church. The control of the tongue has both positive and negative aspects: (1) it involves the ability to restrain the tongue in silence (i.e., if you can't think of anything nice to say, don't say anything); and (2) being able to control it with kind, respectful, and caring speech when and where it is needed. This is a vital part of our Christian walk-our process of sanctification to become more Christ-like-speech and silence, appropriately expressed, are together a milestone of Christian maturity. Solomon said it this way: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." Prov. 15:1-4.
