We might entitle this chapter (3), If any man appears to be religious let that man’s body be harnessed for God’s use. James has the habit of introducing subjects and then returning to them later:
1:22-25 – faith only – returns to it in 2:14-26
1:5 – lack of wisdom – returns to it in 3:13
1:8 – doublemindedness – returns to it in 4:8
1:26 speaks of the unbridled tongue and he now returns to it in 3:1. Particularly he addresses teachers (‘Master’ is old English for ‘teacher’, hence the term ‘Headmaster’). Whilst this chapter deals primarily with the teacher, it has application for all. So if a man appears to be religious, let him bridle his tongue. Is the tongue such a great issue? The tongue is an index! Note Matt. 12:34, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A car is not judged on whether the glovebox catch sticks occasionally, but other things like the engine and gearbox etc. are the index of the value, reliability and performance of the car. Why is the tongue an index to life? It is so easily misused! It becomes a litmus test on how seriously the religious man is harnessing his whole body for Christ. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in that which is greater is a principle applicable. The tongue is the peculiar instrument of the teacher: he needs to use it but yet it is open to abuse; he has to use the very thing that James says is untameable (v.8) (Prov. 10:19 –in many words there wants not sin). Many set themselves up as teachers in early times (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5-7). Being a Jew was thought to imply a right to teach, especially Gentiles, but they didn’t live consistently (cf. Rom. 2:17-24)
When James counsels be not many teachers, is he trying to discourage teaching? (A young man approached an older preacher many years ago asking his advice on whether he should preach., to which the older man said if you can do anything else, don’t preach). What is that saying? When Winston Churchill told England, I have nothing to offer you except blood, sweat and tears, was he asking them to surrender? No, rather he was asking them to rise to the situation. In Luke 14:26 was Jesus discouraging discipleship?? No, rather He was telling them to count the cost. The caution is to be quick to hear but slow to speak. Jerdan said, The work of the teacher is an honourable one, but it is difficult to sustain it with honour. It demands intellectual power, spiritual insight, intimacy with the scriptures, accurate knowledge of human nature and a variety of other aptitudes…..
Our judging of others will make our own judgement more severe (Matt. 7:1,2). Garner the warnings from 1 Tim. 4:16, Mark 15:14, and Mark 12:40. Luke 12:47 says, the servant which knew his Lord’s will and didn’t prepare himself nor did His will shall be beaten with many stripes. It is said that, a teacher’s errors work more mischief in society than those of the ordinary member of the church…….the lowest deep of perdition shall be occupied by unconverted preachers of the gospel!
Note the admonition in Prov. 18:21 – life and death are in the power of the tongue, and the Psalmist’s response in Ps. 39:1, I will keep my mouth with a bridle. So, in vs.3-5a James uses the illustrations of the bit in the horses mouth and the rudder of a ship. See a wild horse and it is hard to imagine it being controlled by a little device called a bit, and likewise a supertanker with 100,000 horsepower being directed by a flap of steel. The tongue is small but powerful. Don’t make the mistake of thinking small things don’t matter; control the small thing and you can control the whole thing. The size of a battlefield is disproportionate to the size of the country won or lost upon it. Victory over the small tongue will save the whole man, but on the contrary, a failure to rule the tongue involves far more than the sin of the moment. An unbridled tongue is an unbridled nature. Let loose the word and you have let loose the passion. Unchecked speech is unchecked wickedness. The tongue is the instrument of many sins – false doctrines, lies, swearing, boasting, making excuses, abuse, spitefulness, slander. The effort in taming the tongue works toward taming the nature.
In verse 6 James moves to the figure of a fire. Fires can be wide-ranging and destructive – like a wheel which has caught fire at the hub and is rolling through dry grass with the spokes catching fire and at last the outer rim until it is like a roman candle (Prov. 16:27 – the lips of an ungodly man are as a burning fire). Every fire season there are reports of great damage caused by a smouldering cigarette butt, the spark from an angle grinder etc. Loose lips sink ships – one slip, one lie, one curse, one slander, one outburst, one dirty joke can ruin a person’s reputation. We meet someone and we make judgements on their words. we may know nothing else about them, but their speech tells us a lot about them. Moses, the meekest of men, was shut out of the promised land because he spoke unadvisedly with his lips (Ps. 106:33). The tongue has the ability to voice every kind of evil feeling and thought. Ps. 141:3 – set a watch before my mouth.
Versus 7 says that man has been able to tame every kind of animal, bird and fish. Is this true? The word tame means overpower, subdue, not necessarily to domesticate or make them do tricks. Man can control the animal world: exercise dominion over elephants, raise stock, mesmerize cobras, hunt down huge whales, even train birds to hunt other birds and fly in wind-tunnels to see how their wings works etc. But the tongue is uncooperative. It is unruly and unpredictable and venomous. Ps 140:3 speaks of the wicked as having adders poison under their lips.
Verses 9-12 describes the tongue as being hypocritical and inconsistent. Can a fountain give both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree give olives? Can a grapevine bear figs? The inconsistency of the tongue proves it is capable of good! Sing praises today and curse men tomorrow. Refrain from swearing in the presence of ladies but swear before God who hears all.
Is there a change of subject from verse 12 to verse 13? Yes and no. He does get off the tongue but it is merely a transition along the same line of thought (similiar to 1 Cor. 12:13,14 – people were using their spiritual gifts to promote themselves and so Paul says I’ll show you a better way – 1 Cor. 12:31). Here James is saying, in effect, that it’s easy to use the tongue for self-promotion and vanity, but there is a better way – it’s not by talk but rather by walk. Some of those rushing to be teachers may have claimed great book knowledge and great wisdom. There is more to life than knowledge (1 Cor. 8:1ff). The test of that comes in how one lives. Some may have said, Your actions are so loud I can’t hear what you teach. Real wisdom is found in one who knows how much he doesn’t know. A teacher should teach in meekness what he does know, commensurate with a consistent lifestyle. The life will show whether the wisdom is from above or beneath. True wisdom is inherent with God and therefore we can only get it by revelation. It doesn’t come from the world as some think – streetwise is not godly-wise. Is the life pure? Does he say and do consistently what the word of God says? So, true wisdom is evidenced by a good lifestyle and works done in meekness of wisdom. A wise man thinks more about his duties than his rights.
Bad wisdom is evidenced by bitter jealousy and ambition (strife) in the heart (opposite of meekness of wisdom), glorying and lying against the truth. Envy and wisdom cannot dwell in the same heart. Envying excites strife: strife endeavours to excuse itself by vain-glorying and lying and thus ensues confusion and every evil work. So wisdom from above is first pure and then peaceable. A person must strive for peace both within himself and with those around. There are those who strive for peace but at the expense of purity. They cry “peace, peace, when there is no peace”. Jesus was the ultimate peace-maker but there were times when He had to fight for it. Purity and truth are not to be sacrificed on the altar of peace, desirable though peace it. Next it is said to be “gentle, easy to be entreated”. The word “gentle” carries the idea of “suitable, fair, reasonable, mild and patient”. True wisdom is reasonable and fair in dealings with others. James continues to say that it is “easy to be entreated”, espousing the idea that the one with wisdom from heaven is willing to listen and consider reasonable arguments, but always with the idea of trying to determine what is true and right in order to “prove all things and hold fast to that which is good”.
James continues; full of mercy and good fruits, meaning that godly wisdom displays itself in being compassionate in thought and deed, actively disposed toward the other rather than in self-interest. Without partiality results in fair treatment for all, while without hypocrisy indicates sincerity, with no disguises, no deceits, no craft or guile. Verse 18 (and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace) is in contrast with verse 16 (where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work). How should wisdom be used? It is sown in peace, meaning that we should reflect our wisdom by the way we teach and live, and the wisdom from above produces good things (wisdom is justified by her works, said Jesus). Are we sowing the right wisdom? When a man’s ways please the Lord they make even his enemies to be at peace with him (Prov. 16:7).
There are no short-cuts or abbreviated ways to a consecrated life. If any man appear to be religious, let his whole body, even his tongue, be harnessed for God’s use.