"He that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel" (Proverbs 12:15). Whenever we speak out of fear, anger, ignorance, or prideeven if what we say is truethose who listen will hear more than our words. We Christians will do very well to imitate this large-hearted general. Unfortunately, there are people that creep into the church and do this among God's people in order to have their way in the church. When were gossiping or speaking in anger, we find ourselves outside the lines of what God desires. over a ten foot frame. Nature reproduces after its own kind. 35:20; Ps. 10:8; 1 Sam. Water that is sweet (James 3:11-12) is potable. "In James 3:11 the adjective was used literally of "salt" or bitter water; here the usage is figurative, to denote a bitter or harsh attitude." NRS James 3:7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species. Jonah . See how great a forest a little fire kindles! GNT James 3:16 , . In James 3:3-5, James uses two commonplace but very vivid illustrations. 2:24; Jas. Before the program began, we overheard two members seated behind us complaining about their church. Moses records For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. I remember that when he was a counselor at our youth camp he sometimes made off-color remarks. All rights reserved). "This Christian meekness," Moo notes, "involves a healthy understanding of our own unworthiness before God and a corresponding humility and lack of pride in our dealings with our fellowmen." NRS James 3:15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. James has already implied that the tongue holds sway over the whole body (James 3:2+). "Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself" (Proverbs 25:9). (Ibid), Hiebert -The importance of a spring of water would be assumed by all the readers familiar with conditions in dry Palestine. 4:3032+). Wisdom, the wisdom of God, is not something that is acquired by man, but something that is bestowed by God upon His elect. The meaning is clearly illustrated by an inscription on a grave in Asia Minor. There are few sins people commit in which the tongue is not involved. And hearts will be blest by them every day. ", J. I. Packersaid that "Wisdom is the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.". The best way to be forearmed (controlled by the Spirit - only One Who can tame our tongue) is to be forewarned and these two aspects of that small member in our mouth should cause us to continually seek to be empowered by the Spirit. His partner wisely replied, "It had to be in you or it couldn't have come out of you." A wise owl indeed, because he learned to listen. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary James). It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison. Awful, hateful, ungodly, vile things emanate from this master of disaster. Amplified For wherever there is jealousy (envy) and contention (rivalry and selfish ambition), there will also be confusion (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and all sorts of evil and vile practices. "The many acts of practical mercy mature in a rich harvest of variegated fruit." When a person is concerned about demoting others, understand he is also concerned with the promotion of himself. If the flesh is reigning, then out comes bitter water. Who among you is wise and understanding? Warren Wiersbe -The problem, of course, is not the tongue; it is the heart. Our tongues, our pens, and even our keyboards should more often fall silent with thanks in our hearts for the restraint God provides. We don't need to be demon possessed because we have the indwelling, unredeemed, depraved flesh to "animate" our tongue, undoubtedly aided from time to time by "flaming arrows of the evil one." 3:8; Jas. Dikaiosune characterizes a life or lifestyle in conformity to justice, law and/or morality as ordained by God. Most of them answered no. The tongue is not just wild and raging like an animal, but clever, plotting, and subtly deceptive. The tendency of fallen man is now away from God, to go his own way. ", I can talk to you until I am blue in the face and it doesnt do any good., If you dont like it, you can just leave., You deserve a taste of your own medicine.. Purity, as required by God, and exemplified in the measure of their faith by all Christs people, implies a superiority of soul, which will show itself continually in word and deed, to everything low and sensual, to everything selfish and mean,a freedom from petty views and sinister ends, and, on the contrary, a relish and love of everything really great and good. Phusisis that which belongs to a person or thing by virtue of its origin, then, its essential character. Nature speaks of the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing. (Experiencing God), With [our tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men. All rights reserved), Words spoken rashly do more harm than good. Just as a horse needs a rider holding its reigns, & a ship needs a pilot at the rudder, so your tongue needs a master; & God is the only one who can do the job. He simply won't stop!" "The heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness" (Proverbs 12:23). This involves our intellect, emotions and will. 3:13; 1 Pet. 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). That makes up the total personality of the Christian.Let us not for one minute think that the wisdom of God and the knowledge of man, which of course has its origin in the mind which God created, cannot live harmoniously and that they are contradictory." 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. And wouldn't he try This need not be so, my brothers. 10:5). YLT James 3:7 For every nature, both of beasts and of fowls, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the human nature. They learned later that she was not the first child to die this way. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible). This negative connotation describesenvy of someone elses possessions, achievements, or advantages. Only God can turn bitter water sweet. 1:29; Rom. Anon. 1:26; Jas. 1:21+; Jas. Therefore, the rich person and the poor person stand together on the common ground of Calvary. But there is a difference between worldly and spiritual wisdom (1Cor. You can tame a tiger, a lion, a leopard, a cheetah, and other wild animals, especially if you work with them from birth. These two have an important relationship. Restless(182)(akatastatosfroma= not +kathistemi= to settle fromkata= down +histemi= to stand) means unsettled, unsteady, unstable. A pastor friend told me about a sign he had seen in front of a neighborhood church. "Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister" (Proverbs 7:4). But they dont know whether the emotion comes from love and concern or disdain and disrespect, so we risk misunderstanding. Everything they say has in it the sting and poison of deadly snakes (aspis). 2:24). For fallen men tocurseisNATURAL, but for fallen men toblessisSUPERNATURAL! It is merciful and without hypocrisy (Jas. Sper, John Phillips -Try as we might, we cannot prevent the tongue from lashing out at times. "He that hideth hatred is of lying lips" (Proverbs 10:18). (Ibid) Courson is basing this application on the proverb which says "For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down." ~ You don't know all the details, but to have something to talk about, you fill in your own. "Not one's orthodoxy (right preaching) but one's orthopraxis (right living) is the mark of true wisdom." The Lord patiently reminds us through the Holy Spirits presence, for example, that we shouldnt say negative things about others. Gilbrant on epigeios -The seven New Testament instances of epigeios reflect a dualism between the heavenly and the earthly. John (3:12) records Jesus comments to Nicodemus that he would hardly believe heavenly things (ta epourania) since he did not believe the earthly things (ta epigeia) which Jesus had just told him. Jesus upset their pride. There is, then, no justification for corrupt habits of speech in our churches today." Choose Book of Bible to Study In clear black and white 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). "Yes," she replied, "she was talking about the missionary who lives in our village." "As clouds and wind without rain, So is he that boasteth himself of his gifts falsely" (Proverbs 25:14). "Fervent lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross" (Proverbs 26:23). While some writers feel James is speaking primarily to teachers (James 3:1), there is nothing in this section which indicates it would not also be applicable to all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. The idea is that our mercy is not all talk but includes action demonstrating the reality of our claim to be merciful, and in this way is similar to the dynamic in James 2:14-26 where James says genuine faith is authenticated by good works, practical good deeds. Some troubles come from wanting to have our own way; others come from being allowed to have it. . ), the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; (1 Cor 2:3-7). Sophosis the opposite of anoetoswhich means without understanding or foolish. Whether it is a good idea to advertise the worship times of other churches is a matter of opinion. Max Anders onthe course of our life-A misused tongue may affect the cycle of life from birth onward! 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. Spurgeon - We liked Burkitt better when we were younger. THOUGHT - That makes sense because similarly Jesus said out of the mouth comes that which fills the heart (the control center of men, which would include the mind). It is the part of us which disobeys, defies, and rebels against God.". 9:47; Lk. Deeds is ergon which is used 12x in James, most concentrated in the discussion of faith and works (ergon) -Jas. Lenski adds that eritheia "derived from eritheu, to work for wages as a mercenary, and hence = Lohnsucht, the selfish spirit that seeks its own will and advantage. God loves us with an ardent, intense affection that can deliver us from our foolishness if we yield ourselves to Him. Douglas Moo -Some who pride themselves on their wisdom and understanding are displaying a jealous, bitter partisanship that is the antithesis of the meekness produced by true wisdom. NIV James 3:16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. AN uncontrolled tongue can get us into a ton of trouble. 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? He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. "The tongue of the wise promotes health" (Proverbs 12:18). We must know what our position is in Christ; we must reckon, or count, upon it as being true because it is true; and we must yield ourselves completely to Christ (see vv. When my grandmother came to Mexico as a missionary, she had a hard time learning Spanish. It has no room for others, much less genuine humility. (Ps. A bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: Knowing that this James was the half-brother of Jesus makes his self-introduction all the more significant. Zodhiates -We all know that this business of pushing oneself forward in the political arena has as its by-product pushing down someone else, someone who is running the race with us. Psalm 12:3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things (cf James 3:5+);Who have said, With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?, Donald Burdick on world of iniquity- It is as though all the wickedness in the whole world were wrapped up in that little piece of flesh. only from You. James minced no words in warning about the power of the tongue. When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create confusion in the minds of our "audience." The moment that Adam was confronted with his sin, he used his tongue to blame God and accuse Eve. 9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice (present imperative) these things (cf, GOOD BEHAVIOR in James 3:13) and the God of peace will be with you (NOTICE FRUIT OF PEACE IS SAME AS WITH HEAVENLY WISDOM! His house is as empty of religion as the white of an egg is of savor. If we listen to ourselves before speaking out loud, we can judge our hearts before our careless words harm others or sadden our God. Thus, the building of the Tower of Babel and a world capital city was begun. James uses sophia 4x - Jas. J. C. Ryle, By the striking of the clapper we guess at the metal of the bell. (Ibid), Phillips -Some of the lies that the tongue tells are diabolically wicked. This is a difficult phrase to decipher but probably refers to the entire sphere of human existence, the unending span of life stretching from birth to death. Sophiais used frequently in the New Testament to describe the ability to discern and conform to Gods will. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? He writes. The usage in Philippians 2:10 reveals an expression used to encompass every aspect of creation, in heaven, and. She had never cooked beef tongue before! Ask for His forgiveness and begin to enjoy a renewed sweetness. Proverbs 9:10-12 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Only a regenerate tongue in a redeemed body, a tongue that God has tamed, can be used for Him. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! James used the word wisdom to describe bitter envy and self-seeking (3:14-15). I thought it would be interesting to see how many of the whole Bible commentaries recommended by Spurgeon are available in Logos. Sometimes, however, we have three constituent elements mentioned or alluded tothe body, soul, and spirit (ED: See Dichotomy versus Trichotomy). NAB James 3:6 The tongue is also a fire. (THIS IS AMAZING - HE DID NOT HAVE THE INDWELLING SPIRIT BUT GOD TELLS HIM HE MUST MASTER IT - SOMEHOW THE SPIRIT WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE POWER NECESSARY HAD HE WANTED TO "KILL SIN") Cain told Abel his brother. Natural wisdom is that when come from the mind of fallen, unredeemed men, and therefore is able to only reflect a totally humanistic viewpoint regarding the world and men. Reprinted by permission. ; Eccl. To bridle your tongue, give God the reins of your heart. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Numbers He even used Scripture. (James 1:19) By the person who boasts, 'I always speak my mind, no matter who gets hurt,' James is not impressed. In false wisdom, man is supreme. ", J Vernon McGee -As someone has said, "The most untamable thing in the world has its den just behind the teeth." Itdescribes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. The message is the heart of the messenger. It is said that after the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee, a devout Christian, visited a church in Washington, D.C. During the Communion service, he was seen kneeling beside a black man. c. The outcome of this wisdom (James 3:16) If I listen to gossip, to put-downs, I am actually an accomplice in that fire ignited by hell. Wuest Out of the same mouth there proceeds eulogies and cursings.
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