When the two trainers pulled the rope so that it was six feet above the surface, the second whale broke the water and jumped the mpe. Whenever we use words that are considered crude, profane, or obscene, we violate Gods clear standards. (a) Eupeiths can mean always ready to obey. This is an incredible inconsistency for a believer. Brian Bell -In these verses James illustrates the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde tongues tendency. 2. A United States President asked a certain general a question about another officer. 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. The tongue is contained in a cage of teeth and lips, but it still escapes. "James reminds his readers that "no loud and pretentious claim to the possession of 'wisdom' could avail while 'out of the heart proceeded evil things.'" Isaiah The term occurs about 40 times in the Septuagint (Lxx)(e.g., Ruth 1:20; Habakkuk 1:6). All of us have trouble getting a little thing called the tongue under control. Do we rejoice when others succeed, or do we have secret envy and criticism? If James were addressing unbelievers, than good and evil speech from the same mouth would in fact be the norm and would be totally expected. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). Matthew Henry, Unaided wisdom, with its strongest wing, can only flutter in the vale of vanity. Greek fire was a chemical solution that was used in ancient warfare by the Byzantine Empire against its enemies. To do right at the cost of ease, is to make peace. The things he writes here apply to harmonious relationships in the church, but also in our homes and in all of life. The tongue is but three inches long, yet it can kill a man six feet high. You never know who may be listening. 21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. to the use of the tongue and the words we speak. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield. "Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father" (Proverbs 29:3). Beloved, that's the power of our unbridled, unruddered tongue, unless it is continually surrendered to the guarding, guiding power of the Holy Spirit! Reprinted by permission. 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. I think Wuest has an accurate paraphrase "the sum total of iniquity." Anon. Paul tells us what attitude we are supposed to have in our lives. 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). c. The outcome of this wisdom (James 3:16) 1:183:23. Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. Mattoon -When God's wisdom is at work, there is a sense of humility and submission. NAB James 3:13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Why, indeed! (Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James)(Bold added). The bank vice-president said, "That's your soloist who sings like an angel on Sunday!" . Daniel Akin Sermon - Steve Stephens drives home the importance of our words in our marriage. 4:6; Isa. Hardly. Would be smoothed in life's tangled thread If one-half that we say -. reliance on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring. Where can wisdom be found? "He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright" (Proverbs 2:7). A believer is just like a fig tree. "My son, attend unto my wisdom " (Proverbs 5:1,2). . Reprinted by permission. Eritheiahas no room for others, much less genuine humility. On the Temple of Aesculapius at Epidaurus, there was the inscription at the entrance: 'He who would enter the divine temple must be pure [hagnos]; and purity is to have a mind which thinks holy thoughts.' All rights reserved), To be like Jesusthat's our goal, Children are colorblind until they hear adults making unfounded statements or see them shunning people of a different race. "A soft tongue breaketh the bone" (Proverbs 25:15). All rights reserved), You're writing a "gospel," a chapter each day, Let him show - If you claim to be wise, prove it! Natural(worldly-minded, lower nature, animal, sensual) (5591)(psuchikosfrompsuche= soul) is literally "soulish" and pertains to thenaturalman versus thespiritualnature of man. John Phillips adds that "We were born with a nature that can do nothing right (Ro7:18+), and we have been born again, heirs to a nature that can do nothing wrong (1 Jn 3:9+). But if the heart is filled with love, God will light the fire. Determined to ruin him, the potter induced the king to issue an order requiring the man to wash one of his black elephants white. Bibliographical Information Spurgeon, Charle Haddon. Amplified And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to Gods will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. A jealous person has full hands but feels his or her own belongings or accomplishments are threatened by anothers success. 3:12; 1 Co. 15:40; 2 Co. 5:1; Phil. NKJ James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. It cannot be controlled by both at the same time. Anon. George Barlow, Wisdom has never made a bigot, but learning has. ESV James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. The idea seems to be thatthe tongue's evil effects can extend beyond the individual to affect everything in a person's sphere ("wheel") of influence. If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart - Recall that godly wisdom is associated with gentleness or meekness, but now James presents a diametrically opposite picture of the attitudes in the hearts of those with ungodly wisdom. Is this your whole choir?. Every species isa generalization, for no one has ever trained a crocodile or a hippopotamus. Amplified Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? William Jenkyn, An evil speaker is his own scourge. Society pays the price for this twisted thinking at all levels, for it always leads to confusion and every evil thing (v.16). Reprinted by permission. ~ You don't know all the details, but to have something to talk about, you fill in your own. 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. (Hiebert), Unwavering (impartial - NIV)(87)(adiakritos from a = without + diakrino = to separate, distinguish, judge) means making no partial distinctions, impartial. 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. ." (Thru The Bible). Even for believers the battle of taming a tongue by the power of the Spirit rages daily as our fallen flesh seeks to usurp control of our tongue (cf Eph 4:29+). The necessity expressed by this word signifies a need resulting from time or circumstances or from the fitness of things. 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! If we attempt to accomplish this relying on our own natural strength, we are guaranteed to experience futility and failure("Why doesn't my Christian life work the way it should?"). It is used only here in James 3:15 and describes this wisdom as "demon-like" or "devilish" (of the devil). Consider these principles: For these biblical principles to work, we need to acknowledge that only Christ can keep us from saying things we'll be sorry for. McGee -When a man can sing like an angel on Sunday and then talk like a demon during the week -- you label him as you want to -- the Bible calls that man a hypocrite. The characteristics of the water reflect the nature of the rock. ASV James 3:9 Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: CSB James 3:9 We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God's likeness with it. This was emphasized by James when he said, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27). Words come from our thoughts, and thoughts come from the mind; therefore, it is possible to control our words by controlling our minds. Acquire understanding! : Pass. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. One of the little girls asked the visitor, "Do you know who it was?" Haggai By the constituents of the water a judgment can be made as to its source. WuestBut the wisdom which is from above is essentially pure, then peaceable, sweetly reasonable, satisfied with less than its due, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free from insincerity. Reprinted by permission. The existence of many of its villages depended on the availability of such a source for its water. Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Lets be on the defensive against any offensive or unloving terms in our own dictionary of usage. If we have not walked out of the house "filled with the Spirit," then clearly our "vessel" is vulnerable and if"bumped" by adverse words or deeds, is far more likely to "spill" bitter water, so to speak. (Sermon), But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.Matthew 15:18, The Bible stresses that what you say is an accurate indicator of what is in your heart. (Ibid), Wiersbe -The tongue cannot be tamed by man, but it can be tamed by God. The only other NT use is Jude 1:23+ "save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garmentpolluted (spiloo in perfect tense) by the flesh." 2 Samuel Lord, make me conscious today of the words I choose and the way I use them. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Its venom swiftly paralyzes your nervous system, which stops your heart. 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. The monument cites a gladiator as he gloats over a defeated foe. Bitter (4089)(pikrosfrom root pik = to cup or prick)means sharp, pointed, piercing, pungent as that which sharply "pierces" or penetrates one's senses. Reprinted by permission. Defiles(stains, pollutes, corrupts, infects) (4695)(spiloofromspilos) means stained, defiled, contaminated or soiled. Micah Phillips It is an evil always liable to break out, and the poison it spreads is deadly. "The ear that hearkeneth to the reproof of life Shall abide among the wise" (Proverbs 15:31). What the Bible teaches a cleft rock becomes a fountainthe water flows and is either sweet or bitter depending on the nature of its source. There is, then, no justification for corrupt habits of speech in our churches today." "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil" (Proverbs 14:16). The show window of the Christian is most important. As powerful as the tongue can be to produce harm, we must also realize that the opposite is true. Lenski -Although the tongue is so small and is caged in man's own mouth, which man needs only to shut in order to master the tongue completely, "no one of men" is able to subdue it by any power belonging to his phusis (nature). "Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? Laws can help to minimize discrimination in housing and the workplace. The first screw to get loose in a person's head is usually the tongue. "Through wisdom is a house builded" (Proverbs 24:3). Do we want to put an end to the evil that so easily rises within us? When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create confusion in the minds of our "audience." 1:5; Jas. But apart from Christ there is no wisdom. James, a servant of God and of the Lord . (Ibid), MacArthur -The wisdom that is of the world, that is based on man's own understanding, standards, and objectives, is false and ungodly. But when they are wrong, they work like a deadly venom. Rather than building up our friends, our words can tear them down. In these three verses James briefly discusses the motivation (James 3:14), the characteristics (James 3:15), and the results (James 3:16) of false wisdom. (Ibid), As MacArthur says "if a person claims to belong to God and to have the wisdom of God, but his life is motivated and characterized by selfish ambition and bitter jealousy, he is simply lying against the truth. Bitter envy and selfish ambition threaten many of our institutions and destroy relationships. ", 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.. MacArthur on selfish ambition -It was used of personal gratification and self-fulfillment at any cost, which are the ultimate goals of all fleshly endeavors. By accepting Him, however, you automatically perform an act of wisdom, and from that moment on you can be counted as wise, but be careful always to be conscious of the fact that it is not because of your merit or worthiness." 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