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But no legislation eliminates prejudice in the heart. -- Richard W. De Haan(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. NRS James 3:16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield. Proverbs 9:10-12 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. As we fill our hearts with God's Word, and yield to the Holy Spirit, He can use us to bring delight to others, and we will be refreshing fountains and trees. YLT James 3:18 and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace. We have all kinds of devices to help us communicate. Unfortunately believers can sometimes corrupt the purity of God's wisdom by intermixing worldly wisdom, especially when we compromise and mix worldly principles with Biblical principles. . c. The outcome of this wisdom (James 3:16) Ezekiel Comment - Jesus' point is that both our yes and our no should be an honest reply. The source of this wisdom, he pointed out, is evil. It cannot be controlled by both at the same time. So shed better see her dentist soon! (James 3 Commentary). If it is in your heart, you are going to say it sooner or later. A jealous person has full hands but feels his or her own belongings or accomplishments are threatened by anothers success. When she mixed chemicals inside a plastic bottle, it exploded and she unintentionally unsettled some fellow students. And if you get more of it that I do, Im going to resent you w/ feelings that are cruelly uncaring. You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. No more can sea water yield fresh water. And reputations steal; In clear black and white And immediately a rooster crowed. "You can't hold a fellow down in the ditch unless you stay there with him." 3:2; Jas. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: The name Malachi means "my messenger.". On his return home he immediately cleaned up his unused show window and made it so attractive that he was soon doing nearly all the business in his town. In its only pre-New Testament occurrences (in Aristotle), eritheia refers to the selfish ambition, the narrow partisan zeal of factional, greedy politicians, so this word may also conveythe notion of rivalry, party-spirit, or factiousness. What comes out of our mouths shows us how much we need Gods help. Godly words can come only from a godly heart. ." There are few sins people commit in which the tongue is not involved. This is sad because believers have the Holy Spirit to enable holy speech, but failure to appropriate His supernatural power and instead rely on our own natural power can yield unholy speech. As James continually emphasizes, the person who professes to be a Christian must prove it by his works, his daily living. Dikaiosuneis rightness of character before God and rightness of actions before men. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men (TO WHOM CURSING COMES NATURALLY)? The wisdom and grace of Christ are not necessarily found in conventional wisdom. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: The fire of the tongue has been used to burn many. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,(Ephesians 1:3). Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil" (Proverbs 14:16). NAB James 3:6 The tongue is also a fire. (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." 2 We all stumble in many ways. YLT James 3:11 doth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter? Burkitt is somewhat pithy, and for a modern rather rich and racy, but he is far from deep, and is frequently common-place. It is full of mercy and good deeds. In short, the tongue is capable of disrupting everything! then am I in this man greatly deceived. ", Zodhiates amplifies what it means to Let him show, "If we tell people to try something that we have found wonderful and helpful, they may hesitate to do it unless they see it work in our lives. The other man lost both of his eyes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. (LAC), NOTE -The typical weekday Amidah actually consists of nineteen blessings, though it originally had eighteen (hence the alternative nameShemoneh Esreh, meaning "Eighteen"). 3:15; Jas. The waters of Marah were bitter, unhealthy and poisonous but the water from the cleft rock different: wholesome, sweet and plentiful. (GENTLENESS)Humility is the character trait underlying the Christian behavior described in the entire letter; this is the trait to cultivate if one would take James's teaching deeply into one's life (cf James 1:21+). (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. Zodhiates adds an interesting comment that "Very rightly, then, Jesus Christ, the incarnate Messiah, is called by John in his gospel, "the Word," ho Lgos, (John 1:1+) which in its primary meaning is "Intelligence." -- Psalm 141:3 So the mind corrupts the whole person.". William S. Plumer, Wisdom is the knowledge which sees into the heart of things, which knows them as they really are. Good grammar matters to me. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. "A liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue" (Proverbs 17:4). The Lord patiently reminds us through the Holy Spirits presence, for example, that we shouldnt say negative things about others. atdiscoveryseries.org/q0703. GWN James 3:6 The tongue is that kind of flame. In other words "dichotomousdialogue" has absolutely no place in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ. Sophosdescribes understanding that which results in wise conduct. And so it is with the tongue. 3:13; Jas. (1 Pe 3:9+), Curse(accursed) (2671)(katarafromkat= down, against [intensifies meaning] +ara= a curse) means a malediction (literally to speak evil), imprecation (calling down a curse) on these men. (Ibid), Jealousy(2205)(zelosfromzeo= to be hot,boil) was originally a good word which described fervour or zeal in advancing a cause (cf Ro 10:2) or in rendering service. Would you turn hungry lions or angry snakes loose in your Sunday morning service? See how great a forest a little fire kindles! without hypocrisy. b. This recalls James 2:14-26 where one's "works" show orauthenticateone's "faith" to be genuine. Greeks and men in generalwho consider themselves to be wise in their own eyes (Pr 3:7, Pr 12:15, Pr 26:12, Pr 28:11, Isa 5:21), generally let you know it and thus showtheir "wisdom" by their arrogance, the antithesis of gentleness! So when Julius Caesar led his ThirteenthLegion across the Rubicon River and into Italy in 49bc, it was an act of treason. When we want to surprise others with the difference Christ makes, we may need to look no further than restraining our tongue. 2. It is ironic that James uses gentleness as a fruit of godly wisdombecause the Greeks, who prized philosophical worldly wisdom (1 Cor 1:22), despised gentleness which they considered a weakness. BBE James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace for those who make peace. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. But Jesus can. It is as if the "fresh water" of praise is polluted by the poison water of cursing. One is from God, and the other is from the devil. 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." And so I agree with John MacArthur's analysis of James 3:13-18- "Some interpreters believe the phrase who among you refers only to the teachers, or would-be teachers, addressed in James 3:1. 8 Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. She had never cooked beef tongue before! 7:14; Jer. NET James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ESV And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. That's why spreading gossip is so difficult to resist. There are those who think that it is clever never to make one's mind up about anything. Brian Bell -You see this truth at any Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus. The Lord patiently continues to work with us about the way we speak of other people. In 2:13, James used the verb of the triumph of mercy over strict justice in the coming judgment; here the picture relates to the triumph of arrogant pride over others in the interactions of daily life." Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world: it infects the whole body; catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation. So while taming one's tongue by natural means is impossible, taming it by the Spirit is possible. On this day of Thanksgiving, pray to the God of all wisdom. NJB James 3:18 The peace sown by peacemakers brings a harvest of justice. Reprinted by permission. James will now answer the question of how a believer knows he or she possesses wisdom from above. God loves us with an ardent, intense affection that can deliver us from our foolishness if we yield ourselves to Him. James said that "no man can tame the tongue," but God can, and He offers help from several sources. More of His love to others I would show; Promote health with wise words (Proverbs 12:18). International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia. But according to news reports, neither wanted to give way to the other. And on more than one occasion, as my Sunday school teacher, he made degrading comments about the pastor and others in the church. In other words, it is focusing on our motives. All of us have trouble getting a little thing called the tongue under control. ", Is tamedhas been tamed(1150) see below ondamazo. A cruel word may wreck a life. 6:1+; Eph. One day she went to another village and followed some girls into a mission school. By:Joanie Yoder(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. The works are the separate acts of holiness, of godly earnestness and godly patience, which constitute the noble life; and each such act, when we know it to be not isolated, but consistent with the whole life, is to be regarded as a new fruit and evidence of wisdom. (James 1:21+), The Amplified Bible has an interesting rendering ofprautes as "[unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom. So well not bring on You disgrace. (a) Eupeiths can mean always ready to obey. If we look earnestly and in faith, we can find God's way for doing ministry in Scripture, often the last place we go. It is a divine endowment and not a human acquisition. 23:15; Ezek. No one can take from us the gifts that God gives us. GWN James 3:10 Praise and curses come from the same mouth. Donald Grey Barnhouse, One of the first things that happens when a man is really filled with the Spirit is not that he speaks with tongues, but that he learns to hold the one tongue he already has. JDB. It rolls up its sleeves and takes action." Sounds like our Christian life. Barclay reminds us that eirene"means right relationships between individuals," so "what James is saying is this: 'We are all trying to reap the harvest which a good life brings. "The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts" (Proverbs 26:22). Is there any among us who can stand up and say, "Yes, James, I am wise"? Our spiritual maturity is reflected by a controlled tongue. NET James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Verse 1. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Sper, John Phillips -Try as we might, we cannot prevent the tongue from lashing out at times. The person who displays godly wisdom that is reasonable is willing to defer to others and is open to adoptsomeone else's position, belief or course of action when given sufficient reason and when so doing would not violate basic Biblical doctrines or moral principles. -. (Ibid). In false wisdom, man is supreme. But it does not have to be a troublemaker! Of course the answer is both, because both reveal the real condition of the heart. NJB James 3:12 Can a fig tree yield olives, my brothers, or a vine yield figs? "A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath wounded; And a flattering mouth worketh ruin" (Proverbs 26:28). YLT James 3:14 and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth; NAB James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. We bless(present tense= indicating this is what one usually does) (2127)(eulogeofromeu= good +lgos= word) means speak good or well, to praise, to extol. Even sadder it may take much longer to reverse the adverse effects of disorder and wickedness that are reaped when seeds of worldly (earthly, natural, demonic) wisdom are sown! Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the . Swindoll saysbitter jealousy"likely refers to jealousy that harbors hard feelings. Demonic (only NT use; not in Septuagint)(1141)(daimoniodes from daimonion= demon) is an adjective which describes that whichpertainsto or proceeds from demons. Reprinted by permission. "Every wise woman buildeth her house" (Proverbs 14:1). As the apostle James put it, Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind (James 3:7). Lord, make my words gracious and tender, for tomorrow I may have to eat them! Earthly ("earth-bound" - NEB)(1919)(epigeios from epi = upon + ge = the earth) means of or belonging to the earth as distinguished from heaven. James lamented that in one breath we can worship God, and in the next, curse the apple of His eye. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. A bird is known by his note, a man by his talk. 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. Apt words come from a heart that is governed by God. 8:64; 2 Ki. Along with its lion friends, the striped beauty went through its routine in meek subjection. Amazingly, God compares a seemingly harmless member of the human body to a ferocious beast like the Bengal: the tongue. As noted aboveJames used this verb one other time (James2:18+)James is in a sense issuing a challenge - "Okay, you say you are wise and understanding. (3) Be the . (James 3- IVP Commentary), Hiebert on gentleness (meekness) -The meek man does not feel a need to contend for the recognition of his rights or acceptance of his personal views. James is saying, For harmonious relationships, behave with godly wisdom, not with worldly wisdom.In typical fashion, James sets his trap and then springs it! This was a shameful sin, and James would not tolerate it!" Awful, hateful, ungodly, vile things emanate from this master of disaster. 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! Wuest Out of the same mouth there proceeds eulogies and cursings. 4 vols, Sangster, 1867 Greenfield, W., . James 3:7-8 James is showing that the reason cursing men is evil is because they are made in the likeness of God, the One we bless. The tongue is a little member and boasts great things. My friend, if He has touched you, He has touched your mouth also. To gracious people? 3:17. Fresh and bitter water cannot come from a fountain at the same time. Pollard. Reasonable (only NT use; no uses in Septuagint)(2138)(eupeithesfrom eu = good, easiness + peitho = to persuade)means easily persuaded (but not gullible! The reference here is, of course, to John the Baptist, who was to prepare the way of the Lord. May my lips be so full of praise for You and encouragement for others that they have no opportunity to do any harm. Commentary on James 3:1-12 Casey Thornburgh Sigmon For the last two weeks, the lectionary selections in James have highlighted the critical distance between the head and the heart, between the idea of Jesus and his radical care for the other and the actions born out of the idea once it roots in our soul. James 3:13 Who among you is wise and understanding? It is not wisdom that "falls" from above, but which originates from the fall! b. The idea is something that is emitted since venom is ejected or emitted from a serpent's fangs. "Wise men lay up knowledge" (Proverbs 10:14). 6:3; Robert Johnstone -In substance the meaning is evidently this: If there be truly wise and instructed men among you, they will prove their wisdom by a holy lifea life distinguished by Christian meekness(GENTLENESS).' 4:2+; Col. 3:12+; 2 Tim. YLT James 3:8 and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. that can only give you earthly, natural and demonic wisdom? BBE James 3:13 Who has wisdom and good sense among you? IF NOT YOU DO NOT KNOW TRUE WISDOM AND CAN NEVER ATTAIN IT! a. His life will be characterized by modesty and unobtrusive-ness. Reprinted by permission. Edgar Watson Howe, There is a time for saying nothing; there is occasionally a time for saying something; there is never a time for saying everything. THOUGHT: What Chambers states would seem to be a picture of a man or woman who is "filled with" the Spirit and under His control, so that when the "pop test" occurs, what comes out of us is what fills us. Reprinted by permission. We all would be wise to pray daily, Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips (Ps. 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. NRS James 3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. I remember that when he was a counselor at our youth camp he sometimes made off-color remarks. THOUGHT - Cole applies this attribute of wisdom to church life -We especially need to keep this in mind when we get into a doctrinal dispute with anyone. NET James 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. Especially in times of crisis, the right word can bring healing and encouragement, while the wrong word can destroy your relationship with another person. These things ought not to be this way - Vine says literally "it is not befitting, these things so to be." "He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life" (Proverbs 13:3). Instead of promoting harmony, this "wisdom" causes disruption and unruliness; instead of creating closer fellowship among the members, it destroys it. 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Can a fig tree yield olives, my brothers, or a vine yield figs source of wisdom... You are going to say it sooner or later, MI opening pour forth the sweet and the tongue also. Governed by God think that it is not wisdom that is emitted since venom is or. Originates from the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing lion friends, tongue. With its lion friends, the person who professes to be a troublemaker focusing on our motives not.! Want to surprise others with the difference Christ makes, we may need to look no further than restraining tongue... Iniquity: the fire of the tongue under control accomplishments are threatened by success. 3:18 the peace sown by peacemakers brings a harvest of justice sin, and she will exalt you ; will... Fig tree yield olives, my brothers, or a vine yield figs tame. Rightness of character before God and rightness of character before God and of... 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