Bible Commentaries
James 3

Verse 1

1) Brethren of the dispersion are warned against any fleshly desire of anxiety to teach except, or unless each was aware of the responsibility it brings upon him toward his fellow man and God. He asserts that a greater degree of judgment, heavier judgment, falls upon the teacher than upon the pupil. The teacher must be judged by the standards of a teacher, Mark 12:40; Hebrews 13:17.

2) James seems to have been an able teacher, honored in his work, where he had gained honor. Many desire to have the honor of a teacher with little realization of the gravity or seriousness of the responsibility to God and one’s fellow man. Good teachers are necessary, and to be honored. But incompetent, unworthy, and untrustworthy teachers may do much harm.

AT THE CROSSROADS

He stood at the crossroads all alone, With the sunrise in his face; He had no thought for the world unknown, He was set for a manly race. But the road stretched east and the road stretched west, and the boy did not know which road was the best So he took the wrong road, and his life went down, And he lost the race and the victor’s crown; He was caught at last in a sinful snare, Because no one stood at the crossroads there, To show him the better road.

Another day at the selfsame place, A boy with high hopes stood; He, too, was set for a manly race, He was seeking the things that were good. But one was there who the roads did know, -And that one showed him which way to go; So he turned away from the road that went down, And he won the race and the victor’s crown. He walks today on the Highway fair, Because one stood at the crossroads there, To show him the better road.

Verse 2

1) James concedes that we all (Gr. ptaiomen) offend or stumble in many things. He then hypothecates that a person who never stumbles, makes a mistake, or falls is able, or must be able or fitted to chain, bridle, or subdue every passion of his whole body.

2) Perhaps none has reached such a state of perfection or maturity, but it is the Divine goal, Matthew 5:48.

Verse 3

1) James presents a hypothetical illustration that one should behold the horse’s bits that are put into his mouth (Gr. chalinous) (mouth chains) in order to persuade them to us, to move in the direction we desire and the whole body of them we turn or control with the bits.

2) Men are thus compared with the donkeys in their stubborn, obstinate nature - a nature that needs to be subdued and (Gr. metagomen) controlled or guided with the Word and Spirit of God as surely as the horse must be controlled or guided by the mouth-chains or bit and bridle, Isaiah 1:5; Psalms 32:9.

Verse 4

1) Observe the little boat on the rough and rowdy or hazing winds of the sea. The little boats are tossed and driven, yet they are turned by a very small rudder, wherever the impulse or will of the steerman or boatman wills or desires.

2) In like manner James is attempting to tell the brethren that even the tongue should be steered or controlled or bridled, that it might influence the body in a God honoring way, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Verse 5

1) Though the tongue is a (Gr. mikron melos) little member, it boasts of a huge or stupendous influence. Just as a small fire, a huge or stupendous amount of material is able to kindle-up or burn, even so, the tongue is capable of inflaming all of the passions of the depraved old nature to the hurt of the entire body and the Christian’s influence, Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 15:2.

2) James would have one observe that no problem can be well solved until it is first thoroughly recognized. And the tongue is a mean and sinful problem in the human body - capable of destroying influence for good, or enlarging influence to God’s glory.

THINK IT OVER

Springs are little things, but they are sources of large streams, a helm is a little thing, but it governs the course of the ship; a bridle-bit is a little thing, but see its use and power; nails and pegs are little things, but they hold buildings together; the coral snake is a little snake but its fang is deadly; a word, a look, a frown - all these are little things, but powerful for good or evil.

Verse 6

1) The tongue is, by nature, a fire of unrighteous iniquity of the world-order, when uncontrolled.

2) The tongue reflexively presents itself among the members of the body while it defiles, ignites, sets on fire the course of sinful nature. It is ignited by the infernal lower burning of gehenna, place of refuse. Thus James would have one guard it, control it, keep it under control, as if it were a small blaze near inflammable material, lest it should explode to the destruction of itself and all about it any moment.

THE CRIMES OF THE TONGUE

There are pillows wet by sobs; there are noble hearts broken in silence whence comes no cry to protest; there are gentle, sensitive natures seared and warped; there are old-time friends separated and walking their lonely way with hope dead and memory but a pang; there are cruel misunderstandings that make all life look dark - these are but few of the sorrows that come from the crimes of the tongue.

William George Jordan

Verse 7

Beasts, birds, fishes, serpents, and creeping things of the earth are tamed, and able to be tamed, James affirms. But the tongue of man no one has been powerful to restrain, with proper limits, to tame or subdue.

Verse 8

It is described as a restless, evil member, full of rust, corrosion, venom and deathly. The tongue is "death -bearing" in nature, gruesome as a screech owl, and an hyena, Job 5:21; Jeremiah 18:18. Blessed is that home where the venom of hate, the scream of the screech-owl, and hyena are controlled, Psalms 140:3; Romans 3:13.

THE BUILDER VERSUS THE WRECKER

I watched them tearing a building down -A gang of men in a busy town; With a "ho heave ho" and a lusty yell They swung a beam and the side wall fell; I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled? And the kind you would hire, if you were to build?" He laughed and said, "Why no indeed Just common laborers is alI I need; They can easily wreck in a day or two That which has taken builders years to do". So I said to myself, as I went on my way, What part in the game of life do I play? Am I shaping me deeds in a well-made plan, Carefully measuring with a rule and square, Patiently doing the very best I can, Or am I a wrecker, who walks the town, Content with the labor of tearing down?

Selected

Verse 9

1) The restless depraved tongue is used to bless, eulogize the Lord, and maliciously curse Him and one’s fellow man, who is made in the image or according to the likeness, of the Trinitarian God, Romans 15:16; Philippians 2:7; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Acts 17:29.

2) It is the image and likeness or volition of God in man that makes him above the beasts of the field. To curse one’s fellow man is to curse the image and likeness of his Creator, Genesis 1:26-27.

Verse 10

James plainly says, brethren these things ought not to be (Gr. ginesthai), or to keep on happening like this. It is immoral -inconsistency for one to say. that he is a child of God and then pour forth out of his mouth both (Gr. eulogia) blessings and (Gr. katara) cursings.

MIND THAT TONGUE

John Wesley was preaching. He was wearing a new bow tie with two streamers hanging down from it. There was a sister in the meeting who didn’t hear a word about Jesus, but sat with a long face and saw nothing but those two streamers. When the service was over she went up and said, "Pardon me, Mr. Wesley, will you suffer a little criticism?" "Yes," replied Mr. Wesley. ’Well," she said, "Mr. Wesley, your bow tie is too long and it is an offense to me." He said, "Have you a pair of shears?" After receiving the shears he handed them to her saying that she would know how they would look best. She reached over and clipped off the streamers. Then he, said, "Is that all right now?" "Yes, that is much better." He said, "Do you mind letting me have those shears? Would you mind a little criticism? Your tongue is a great offense to me - it is a little too long. Please stick it out while I take some off." Of course she resented the suggestion.

Verse 11

1) Does a fountain head or fountain place spew out of its mouth both sweet and bitter (poison and pure) water? Waters of two, qualities of material? This is a rhetoric question suggesting an affirmative "no", Mark 7:6; Proverbs 18:21.

2) The very nature of the question affirms that it is inconsistent for a child of God to spew forth from his mouth a flow of any conversation that would be offensive to God or contradictory to his new nature, which is to have control over his body, Galatians 5:25; 1 John 3:18.

Verse 12

1) A fig cannot produce an olive, nor a vine bear a fig. Matthew 7:16-20. Salt water cannot make sweet or fresh water. The "everything-after-its-kind", law-of-nature prevails in man as well as in plant, bird, and beast. If a man has a "new" nature, faith, hope and love should be prevalent fruit of that nature, 1 Corinthians 13:13.

2) The new nature should be seen in his conduct and heard in his language. A child of God, governed or controlled by the Spirit of God, should be able to control or bridle not only his tongue but also the passions of his whole body.

3) It is said that biologically the chameleon has a nimble tongue, but it feeds only on air. Let every child of God avoid the two-face, double-tongue, forked-tongue, conversation of the hypocrite, 1 Corinthians 9:27; Galatians 5:25; Proverbs 21:23; Psalms 34:13.

Verse 13

A wise person endued with skill, self-control, one who is more than a mere practical teacher, is admonished out of good conduct of his work, and the spirit of meekness and wisdom, to speak. A loose tongue is not a symbol of wisdom. Proverbs 26:4-5; Matthew 12:36-37.

Verse 14

If anyone holds bitter jealousy or a tendency toward strife and faction in his heart, he may struggle for preeminence in teaching among his fellow associates, but his conduct indicates a lack of wisdom. Romans 1:18; Romans 2:17; Romans 2:29.

Verse 15

1) Bitter factional strife and boasting are here asserted in very strong terms to be earthly, sensual, and soulish, like depraved animal life, 1 Corinthians 2:14.

2) Three realms of depraved wisdom are: 1) earthly the present world order, 1 Corinthians 3:19 describes such as moronic; 2) sensual, after the flesh order; 3) demonish described in 1 John 2:15; 1 John 2:17; Philippians 3:19.

Verse 16

Wherever jealousy, strife, faction, confusion, restlessness and unstable efforts to establish oneself in good esteem, as a teacher exists, it is ethically bad, mean and base. It is below the dignity and behavior of anyone who should desire to be a teacher of the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:24; Proverbs 20:3; Proverbs 26:17.

ONLY A WORD

Only a word of anger,

But it wounded one sensitive heart; Only a word of sharp reproach,

But it made the teardrops start, Only a hasty, thoughtless word,

Sarcastic and unkind. But it darkened the day before so bright,

And left a sting behind.

Only a word of kindness,

But it lightened one heart of its grief; Only a word of sympathy,

But it brought one soul relief; Only a word of gentle cheer.

But it flooded with radiant light The pathway that seemed so dark before,

And it made the day more bright.

Selected

Verse 17

1) Heavenly, supernatural wisdom is first in order or rank with purity and holiness of living with fruit bearing language of peace, gentleness, and fair play. This wisdom is easy to be persuaded or entreated, full of mercy. This wisdom from above cultivates the virtues of purity and holiness in teaching without variance and hypocrisy, Romans 12:9-16. The fruit of righteousness, teaching with supernatural wisdom is done with peace and harmony, 1 Peter 1:22.

2) Peace is a "seed-bed" in which right thinking and right deeds may grow. The home, the church, the community, and businesses in the nation that experience peace and harmony constitute a splendid seed-bed for principles of righteousness where they may be sown and grown with profit, Matthew 5:9.

Verse 18

He who does not learn to control or bridle the tongue will never be able to bridle or control the passions of his body, the temperaments of his body, nor will be ever be able righteously to govern or control a home, a church, a school or a business. Tongue control is a priority to which every child of God should give primary attention in all his Christian cultivation, Proverbs 18:13; Proverbs 21:23; Proverbs 25:11.

TONGUE CONTROL

Unless we yield our tongues as instruments of righteousness unto God, Satan will use them to his advantage, and to our spiritual impoverishment. Some people pride themselves that they have the gift of gab. But one thing is certain - what little spirituality such people possess may soon dribble away via the mouth.

W. B. K.