James 3: Speak with Care

This whole chapter may be related to speech.  Teachers must be especially careful to speak the truth.  Verses 13-16 speak of a good life, in contrast to bragging. And the qualities of a peacemaker in verses 17-18 are to be characteristic of how we talk to one another.

 

Background and Questions	New International Version	Ron Miller's Notes
Teachers are entrusted with the care of their students and disciples. They are also given the spiritual gift of teaching. Because of this, God expects much from them. What unique responsibility does a teacher bear? The KJV 'condemnation' is translated in the NIV as 'judged' and can be judgment for reward or punishment.	{3:1} Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. {3:2} We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.	All believers sin to some extent (stumble). We are all becoming more like Christ, but we are not like Him yet in that we are not sinless. Yet, James encourages us to work on controlling our tongue as the key to controlling the rest of our life. Certainly our speech dominates our relationships with other people.
Hell (Greek Gehenna) originally referred to the continually burning rubbish heap in the Valley of Hennon, south of Jerusalem. The burning garbage pile became a way of referring to a place of everlasting punshment and fire. The 'whole course of his life' is literally 'the wheel of life', a phrase coined by Peter to indicate that the tongue can control everything we do.	{3:3} When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. {3:4} Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. {3:5} Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. {3:6} The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.	As the small rudder steers a ship, the small tongue steers the whole person. What we say determines what others think of us, and perhaps how they treat us. Are you in control of your ship? Here the tongue is set on fire by hell, compare to Acts where tongues of fire (an appearance of the Holy Spirit) set the tongues of the believers free to proclaim the gospel in power.
What is so difficult about taming the tongue?	{3:7} All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, {3:8} but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.	As difficult as it is for us to train our dogs, it is easy compared to simply controlling our tongue and what we say. Although no man can tame his own tongue, the Holy Spirit is able to do this. With God's help, we must tame our tongue. This is an important part of the spiritual life, and impossible to do in our own human power.
Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.	{3:9} With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. {3:10} Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. {3:11} Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? {3:12} My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water	We say we love our brother, but we just can't seem to stop criticizing him in his absence. I think James would say that we are not really loving our brother, and we must decide to hold our tongue. Otherwise our good intentions and feelings of wanting to help him are ruined by our loose tongue.
What is wrong with the "wisdom" of a selfish and bitter person?	{3:13} Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. {3:14} But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. {3:15} Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. {3:16} For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.	Wisdom is demostrated by good deeds that are not bragged about. Young men, and older ones, try to prove who is smartest or best by arguments, sarcastic name calling, or even shouting matches. Wisdom and understanding are not proven by any ot these, but by the quiet things we do to help others.
How does a wise person act?	{3:17} But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. {3:18} Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.	Wisdom from heaven is not described as knowing things, but as moral character traits. Knowledge is knowing things, wisdom is knowing what is right and doing it. How can we show wisdom in our daily life?
In what times or places can your tongue be used for good?	If you could hear a tape recording of everything you said last week, what would you want to edit out?	How can we get or experience heavenly wisdom?