THE TONGUE, PART I - JAMES 3:5-6

Verses 5-6: So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

In verses 3 and 4 James has just demonstrated how something small, a bit and a rudder can control something larger, a horse and a ship.

Now James points out how the small object of a tongue can control a person, causing them to “boast of great things.” James is the only New Testament writer to us this Greek word for boast (αὐχέω/aucheo). It provides the image of someone who would lift up their neck and speak in a haughty reproachful manner in order to ignite discord and cause provocation by bragging of great things.[1] James likens this to a forest fire. An uncontrolled tiny spark can ignite the dried leaves and wood of trees which will engulf the rest of the forest into flames.

The Tongue of Fire

James’ readers would have been familiar with the phrase ‘the tongue is a fire’, for the writer of Proverbs 16:27 stated: “A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are like scorching fire.”

The lesson here is that an uncontrolled, unbridled, rudderless tongue is like a destructive fire. It is characterized by James as ‘the very world of iniquity’—a phrase that has puzzled many Bible scholars. But since the word ‘world’ is identified with evil in this epistle (1:27; 2:5; 4:4) James equates iniquity—wickedness—with that specific substance of evil in the world controlled by Satan. The Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates clarifies this:

This wickedness is seen more particularly in the neglect of the true God and His laws and in an adherence to the world or to idolatry; hence, adikía [iniquity] means impiety, ungodliness, contempt of God.[2]

Not only does this tongue unleash its hatred and derision of the Creator, it has devastating consequences upon the individual—defiling the entire body. The root meaning of this Greek word defile means: “a spot or stain, is used metaphorically of moral blemish.”[3] R.C.H. Lenski explains:

The wicked tongue defiles not merely itself with its fire but “the whole body,” for there is no sin that is committed by any member of the body and no sin that requires the whole body for movement, attitude, etc., in which the tongue does not assume the control; and it does this by the way in which it speaks of sin, helps to plan it, joins with what it says in carrying out the sin, defends, upholds, and continues the sin after it is done, etc. By means of a final modifier James explains how this one little member can thus control the whole body with defilement.[4]

Our Lord stated that this defilement affects the very core of a man:

 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” (Matthew 15:18-19, cf. Matthew 12:36-37)

James proceeds to explain the extent of this defilement: it is actively setting “on fire the course of our life.” The Greek word for course is wheel (τροχός/trochos), and is used figuratively for the cycle of our lives. Just as the wheels of an automobile rotate and proceed on a given route so does our lives. But the image here is not a positive one. As a fire will consume its source of fuel, the tongue will actively devour our lives— draining a person of all joy and happiness, and for believers, causing estrangement in their relationship with the Lord. Plus, there is an associated danger: just as a fire tends to spread, igniting other fuel sources, the tongue on fire will seek to devour those around us.

Next, James identifies the ultimate source of this devastatingly iniquitous tongue: set on fire by hell. The intent here is that hell is the active agent that causes this “tremendous destructive power of the tongue.”[5]

You might ask: How is hell able to accomplish this? Isn’t hell a place—a non-person without a personality or human characteristic? The answer lies in the context of the word hell.

The Greek word is Gehenna (γέεννα/géenna). Dr. Ryrie identifies it as a place “where the continuous burning of rubbish made it an apt illustration of the lake of fire (Mark 9:44; James 3:6; Rev. 20:14)."[6] Lenski explains further:

[Gehenna] has the connotation of both defilement and fire. South of the walls of Jerusalem lay the valley that had been desecrated by the worship of Moloch, in which children were burned (Jeremiah 2:23; 7:31; 2 Chronicles 23:3; 33:6). Josiah declared the place unclean (2 Kings 23:10), and it was then used as a place for the disposal of offal* (Jeremiah 7:32ff; 31:40).[7]

James’ readers would no doubt have been familiar with this location and its awful history of blasphemous worship and the burning of garbage. They would identify this as an unclean place based upon their Jewish belief system. From this they would understand that he is asserting that the wicked tongue is no different than an item of refuse burning in Gehenna.

 We should strive to insure that our tongue is used for the glory of God and not as Paul has stated of those of "a depraved mind" (Romans 1:28), and went on to declare that they have wicked tongues: gossips, slanderers, boasters (Romans 1:29-30). Never should this be said of us who claim Christ as our Savior! We need to heed Paul's command: 

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

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[1] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.71.

[2] Zodhiates, S. (2000). ἀδικία/adikía. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G93.

[3] Vine, 2.596.

[4] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc, 10.606.

[5] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update. Chicago: Moody Press, p.1971 note.

[6] Ryrie, p.1520 note.

[7] Lenski, 10.608.

 * The edible, mainly internal organs of an animal, e.g. the heart, liver, brains, and tongue, sometimes regarded as unpalatable.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi

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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BASICS

To be successful in the workplace a person must understand the basics of that particular profession. The factory worker must know the specifics of the process that they have been trained for in addition to other factors, such as, safety and company policies. Management individuals also need to know the basics of their profession: corporate objectives; people skills; time-management; safety.

It is no different in the Christian Life. The following are the principal building blocks of Christianity. By a further in-depth study of God’s Word, knowing and comprehending these basics can ensure an effective and fruitful relationship with God, in time and in eternity.

Salvation

Salvation is obviously the first basic. At the heart of the issue, salvation is God reaching out to man to provide redemption—restoring His creatures to the relationship which He had intended when He first created them. Man must understand that sin is the barrier which separates him from his Creator. And since there is nothing man can do to span this obstacle, God has provided a solution: Jesus Christ.

And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

This is the demonstration of God’s amazing grace provision for mankind:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

It is true that the only thing a person must do to gain salvation is to understand that the obstacle of sin has been removed by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and then by personally believing in His finished work on their behalf:

 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...” (Acts 16:31)

This gift has no strings attached, it is a gift and a gift is always free. This gift has no work requirements, no begging or promises to be made—it is redemption through faith alone in Christ alone (cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:4-5).

Learning Doctrine

On the first day of a new job, someone is usually assigned to the new employee to “show them the ropes,” that is, to show them how to become knowledgeable of the job and a successful employee. The same is true with the Christian life. In order for the new believer to be flourishing and productive they need to be “shown the ropes.” This is accomplished by the study of God’s Word taught by a pastor-teacher, preferably in a local church. This is what Our Lord had commissioned His disciples prior to His ascension:

“Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you...” (Matthew 28:20a)\

 There is evidence that this was carried out by the early churches:

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers... (Acts 13:1a)

 And teaching was a gift that God established and the apostle Paul proclaimed:

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching. (Romans 12:6–7; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28f; Ephesians 4:11)

In addition to learning God’s Word from teachers, believers are instructed to study what they have been taught, to enable them for this life of faith:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Also, the believer should adopt the same approach as the Bereans in establishing the accuracy of what they were taught:

Now these [Bereans] were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Spirit-Controlled Life

The apostle Paul emphasized many times that the believer was to be guided by the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder since Our Lord promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit as their “Helper” (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7). Our Lord stated that the Helper is “the Spirit of truth,” and that His objective is to “guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13)—all truth is contained in God’s Word (John 17:17).

Paul declares that to be an effective Christian, the believer is to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) and those who are led by the Spirit “these are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

An elementary way of understanding being led by the Spirit could be put this way:

The Spirit of God, using the Word of God, in the life of the child of God, making the child of God more like the Son of God.

Being led by the Spirit is not waiting to get a ‘feeling’ of His directing us—it entails studying God’s Word and allowing His truth to permeate our stream of consciousness so that moment-by-moment we may know His directives. For Paul asserts that we can know His mind:

For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Witnessing the Gospel

Just prior to Our Lord’s ascension into heaven, He declared to the disciples:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The empowerment and leading of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers is meant to empower them to be a witness of Jesus Christ—specifically, a witness to His saving work for all mankind:

And He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:46–48)

We are to be witnesses of the gospel of salvation, able to provide the specifics of the gospel (1 Peter 3:15), and by a manner of life that reflects godly righteousness.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. (Titus 2:11–12)

This means that our entire lives should demonstrate that God saved us, that we are His, and that this life of faith is the ideal life intended by God for all to partake of:

Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)

Specialized Ministry

A myth in Christianity is that there are specialized ministries. Some might classify them as: a pastor of a church; a missionary; junior church leader; Sunday school teacher; etc.

The truth is that every believer is in full-time Christian service. It is important to understand that in every area of life, believers are to serve the Lord in whatever they are doing: being a spouse; a parent; a child; a factory worker; a restaurant worker; a homemaker; a public servant (and yes, even a pastor,  missionary, or church worker)—right down to eating and drinking:

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31; cf. 1 Peter 4:11)

The lives of believers are to be an open and consistent witness of the gospel. When all believers are doing this, there is a unifying exhibition within the culture—evidence of the truth that God does exist and that He sent His Son to redeem all mankind.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:16–17)

SAVAGE WOLVES: ACTS 20:17-32

It is essential that we note that at this present moment our culture is in a crisis mode—and the Church of Jesus Christ is entangled right in the middle. We are confronted with apostasy as a result of the massive infiltration of false teachings. The present apostasy didn’t begin in our century—it started in the 1^st Century. At that time, the apostle Paul was deeply concerned with the potential destruction this would have to the churches he had founded during his missionary journeys. It was for this reason that he requested a meeting with the elders from Ephesus (Acts 20:17) to convey a dire warning and to remind them of their solemn responsibility:

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28)

They needed to fully understand that it was by the divine appointment of the Holy Spirit that they were placed in their position of shepherds (elder) of the church of God. Therefore, Paul commands them to be on their guard, watchful and alert, to ensure the protection of their flock against false teaching.

Why should Paul be concerned with protecting these churches of Ephesus? Because he knew that a great opposition to his ministry was coming. He characterizes them as savage wolves:

I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. (Acts 20:29)

Paul had the perceptive ability to know there was a crisis on the horizon. Having experienced plenty of the trials and testing along the way, he instinctively knows what is coming—trouble is brewing.

Note three things about these savage wolves: First, they are cowards since they are waiting until Paul has departed. They know they are no match for the apostle Paul. Second, they will come among them, meaning they will be right in their midst, without any disguises. Thirdly, they will not spare the flock. Real wolves rip their prey wide open and scatter those that they do not catch. Here, these wolves will shred the truths which Paul has taught and scatter away those who are weak of faith, as borne out in this next verse.

And from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:30)

The work of these savage wolves will entail the leading astray of believers within the Ephesus churches. They will be trained to rise up against the elders twisting and distorting Paul’s sound teachings.

Over 1900 years ago Paul predicted that these wolves would come and they are still coming even today. Over the centuries they have come in many manifestations: the Gnostics, the Church of Rome, the Charismatics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Emerging Church—to name just a few. The evil machination of the savage wolves has metastasized into many Christian denominations today. They have mesmerized, hypnotized and lulled to sleep believers, convincing them that whichever way the cultural winds blow, it must be acceptable. This is evidenced by their twisting and distorting of Scripture. They do this by the syncretization of the Bible with the cultural dictates of infanticide, euthanasia, same sex marriage, and gender manipulations, in order to fit their narrative, usually one that espouses ‘love’ or ‘truly committed’ in their attempt to outmaneuver those who maintain Biblical Christianity.

Today the true believer is not only contending with the culture but also with perverse forces within Christendom. But the good news is that we have a strategy laid out for us in Scripture. Just as Paul commanded these elders, we are to “be on the alert” (v.31), aware of the impending advance of these savage wolves. But not only are we to be alert, he explains exactly what our strategy should be:

And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)

 Paul is telling us that the word of His grace—Scripture—is able to build you up.1  What does he mean to build you up? The word in the original Greek, as Paul is using it, means “to build up in the faith, to edify, to cause to advance in the divine light.”2 In other words, the sound doctrine contained in Scripture will provide us with the defense we need to resist and prevail over the savage wolves. Paul states elsewhere that this conflict we are embroiled in is not on the physical level. These spiritual forces are led by none other than Satan:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Paul also outlines the nature of this struggle:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. (2 Corinthians 10:3–4)

And this weapon he speaks of is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). And since the word of God is able to build us up in our faith, Paul instructs that we should be “taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).

R.C.H. Lenski underscores the necessity for the believer to be built up or edified by sound doctrine from God’s Word:

When we call this building up “edification” we do so only in the New Testament sense of the word. Edification is by no means the arousing of pleasant religious sensations but an increase, an unfolding of the whole spiritual life, including more and better knowledge, but especially centering the will and the character more deeply in Christ and in His Word. Men who are thus built up are proof [resistant/immune] against wolves and errors.3 [Emphasis mine]

This building ourselves up is a means of enlightening ourselves with the pertinent doctrine of Scripture that will fortify our spiritual defenses.4 This is not an isolated principle of Scripture, Jude also writes concerning false teachers, providing the same directive as Paul:

These [savage wolves/false teachers] are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. (Jude 19–21)

In conclusion, we believers in Jesus Christ must also be on our guard against the savage wolves. We must be able to identify the wolves and recognize that their ‘end game’ is to disrupt and scatter the flock of God. They will ridicule and mock us for our adherence to Biblical truth—this is evidence of the “last days” forewarned by Peter and Jude (2 Peter 3:3; Jude 18). Our vigilance requires the consistent study of God’s Word5 and persistent praying6 for God’s intercession and victory over these savage wolves.

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[1] cf. Hebrews 4:12

[2] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G3618.

[3] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001) Commentary on the New Testament, Peabody, MA: Hedrickson Publishers, 5.853-854.

[4] cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 4:6; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Matthew 4:4

[5] 2 Timothy 2:15; Isaiah 28:13

[6] 1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

© 2022 David M. Rossi

WHO HAS DESPISED THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS?

Beginning in 605 B.C. with the fall of the northern tribes of Israel to Assyria and culminating with the events of 586 B.C., the entire Jewish nation is now under divine discipline—in captivity to a foreign nation which will last for 70 years. The Lord had forewarned this through His prophet Jeremiah:

 This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:11)

At the conclusion of the 70 years, the Jews were permitted by Cyrus, the king of Persia, to return to their land to “rebuild the house of the Lord” (Ezra 1:1-5). The construction began with the laying of the foundation in 535 B.C. only to be halted in 530 B.C. by the Samaritan inhabitants of the land contesting the legal right of the Jews to rebuild the temple. This was resolved and construction resumed in 520 B.C. and completed in 515 B.C.

The New Temple

You would expect that there would be universal appreciation for this new temple as it represented a new beginning for the Jewish people after their 70 years of foreign captivity. Yet not all were enthusiastic about this new edifice—and the discontent began even at the laying of the foundation.

Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:12–13)

The Lord reassured Zechariah of the temple’s completion and of those who would be dissatisfied:

The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? (Zechariah 4:9–10a)

Despising the Day of Small Things

The intention of this study is to focus on this phrase: ‘despising the day of small things,’ and to ask the question: What does the Lord mean by this?

But first, two things need to be clarified at this point:

First, the answer to this question is found in the Ezra 3:12 (noted above).

Ryrie notes that at the day the foundation was laid “[M]any older men who remembered the grandeur of Solomon's Temple (destroyed about 50 years before) wept because this Temple was smaller and less magnificent.”1

The Lord, speaking through His prophet Haggai, knew the sentiment of those who despised the new temple as “nothing in comparison” to the former temple (Haggai 2:3).

Secondly, a fuller sense is needed of the word ‘despise’. With additional illumination from the Hebrew lexicon, the term is defined as showing contempt “to the point of rejection.”2 The thrust of this verb within this context describes the status quo—the state of being—of those who had returned from captivity. This emphasizes that their mentality is fixed upon demonstrating contempt towards this new temple.

Why, after 70 years of captivity and having been brought back to the land, would they now have contempt for this new temple edifice? Because their faith in the Lord was shallow. They are more concerned with architecture than in the faithfulness of God and His promises, even ignoring the Lords promise proclaimed through His prophet Haggai while the temple was being constructed:

“I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of hosts. “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,” declares the Lord of hosts. “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,” says the Lord of hosts, “and in this place I will give peace,” declares the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:7–9)

The Application for Us Today

Are there any despised matters in our Christian life today? Do we fret that our church building is not a magnificent structure with all the bells and whistles (Jumbotrons, escalators, music, baristas, etc.) in order to appeal, entice and satisfy those in padded pews, like the church down the street? How about our personal status? Do we despise the fact that our standing is smaller than and not as prominent as another Christian worker: preacher, Sunday school teacher, missionary or professor?

The feeling of having a small church building or being a small and insignificant person is tantamount to contempt for God’s plan for our lives. Francis Schaeffer succinctly puts this issue into perspective:

The Scripture emphasized that much can come from little if the little is truly consecrated to God. There are no little people and no big people in the true spiritual sense, but only consecrated and unconsecrated people...as there are no little people in God’s sight, so there are no little places. To be wholly committed to God in the place where God wants him—this is the creature glorified. In my writing and lecturing I put much emphasis on God’s being the infinite reference point...but He must be the reference point not only in our thinking, but in our living. This means being what He wants me to be, where He wants me to be.3

What Schaeffer means by consecrated is that of a Christian who is dedicated to serving God by being led by the Holy Spirit. The solution to this is to stop fixating on people and things and instead to seek our directive from Scripture. This despising and contempt is a violation of the commands which we have been given to be content in what we have:

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

And to be content with our position in God’s plan, just as the apostle Paul learned to be:

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. (Philippians 4:11-12)

And what gave Paul the resolve to be content? When he realized that he needed the Lord’s enabling:

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Transformation and Renovation Needed

We should never despise or disparage what may seem to be a "small" place in God's plan. Instead we should rely upon Christ’s strength to help us adjust to whatever situation He places us. Paul tells us that this adjustment can be obtained by the renovating work of His word:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

What Paul is implying by the command—do not be conformed to this world—is that we should not think as the world (i.e. the culture) does with human viewpoint reasoning. We should always defer to Divine viewpoint contained in Scripture. Therefore, it is imperative that we renew our mind and this necessitates a daily regimen of studying His Word. Its importance to our lives is just as Our Lord stated while refuting Satan:

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

Only by this approach can we be contented with our position in His plan and to become a fully enabled witness of the gospel, glorifying Christ.

 

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[1] Ryrie, C.C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible, Chicago, IL: Moody, p. 726 Note, Ezra 3:12.

[2] Martens, E. A. (1999). R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.). Chicago: Moody Press, [213 בּוּז] p. 95.

[3] Schaeffer, Francis A. (1985). “No Little People,” The Complete Works of Francis Schaeffer, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 3.8-9

 

© 2022 David M. Rossi

A PERFECT MAN: JAMES 3:1-4

Verses 1-4: Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.

James returns to a theme threaded through chapters 1 and 2: “quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” (1:19); the bridling of the tongue (1:26); the disingenuous idle words (2:16).

He begins with the command that not many should become teachers—specifically, teachers of Bible doctrine. Apparently in the Church’s early days, there were those who wished to aspire to teach without the proper foundations of the faith, possibly emphasizing Jewish customs or introducing false doctrines. Since Christianity was in its infancy, doctrines of the Christian faith hadn’t been fully disseminated until the inspired writing of James then Paul (c. 52 AD), Peter (c. 64-67 AD) and John (c. 90 AD). James’ cautionary note was to those who had begun to teach without being qualified or even comprehending the doctrines of the Christian faith.

 However, James implies that it is right for some to consider becoming teachers. The apostle Paul stated that becoming a teacher is divinely motivated seeing that God appointed them in the Church:

And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28f)

And that He has done so with a specific purpose:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11–13)

We should be mindful of James’ cautionary note because it applies even to the church today. For those who are motivated to become teachers by blatant arrogance or blind ambition (cf. Matthew 23:5–7; Philippians 1:17), they will receive a stricter judgment for misguiding believers especially if they are teaching false doctrine (Jude 11-16). R.C.H. Lenski aptly observes:

God will look more closely at all teachers when he judges them. Teachers undertake to convey God’s Word in the way in which God wants it conveyed; God will judge them on that score.[1]

James admits in verse 2 the fact that we all stumble, that we all slip up or commit sin. The emphasis in the Greek is on the phrase many ways, so there is no foundation for the false doctrine of sinless perfection. I believe the phrase does not stumble in what he says means ‘does not aspire to teach when unqualified to teach.’ Controlling the impulse to be a teacher is the important point that he is making—the mature (perfect) person has control of the content of what proceeds from his mouth. And by doing so, this individual will be able to control (bridle) the whole body as well.

Next,  two illustrations are presented to support his argument: First, a person’s ability to control a horse by placing the bridle (the bits) into the horses’ mouth, the rider is able to direct the horses’ entire body (vs. 3); Second, by using a very small rudder the ship’s pilot can direct the ship wherever he wishes it to sail (vs. 4). These examples indicate two different hindrances that must be overcome in order to control the horse that they will obey and the ship that is large and driven by strong winds. It follows that since a person can control a horse or a ship that he can certainly control what he says and thus become a mature person. Exactly how a person overcomes that which hinders his ability to control what he says, James will explain at length later in this chapter.

The essence of what James is telling us, is that it takes a mature individual to understand that teaching God’s Word is by divine appointment and not to be recklessly grasped; and that the content of what is taught must be consistent with what God has revealed—His divine viewpoint—and not interpreted by human viewpoint.

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[1] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 10.600.

© 2023 David M. Rossi