James3
James 3:1-12 (ESV)
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.
4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.
5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. 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.
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
The tongue is a ‘revealer’ of our insides as it’s declarations shows what is really in our heart.
Ones tongue does not come with an built-in restraints or boundaries. Quoting someone who said: “The tongue is in a wet place and can easily slip.”
The tongue as an Experiencer: and Scripture references to that fact:
Proverbs 26:28 (ESV)
28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
(Experiencer)
As an Agent
Psalm 35:28 (ESV)
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
Psalm 35:28 (NLT)
28 Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.
Psalm 37:30 (NLT)
30 The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.
Psalm 52:2-4 (ESV)
2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
Psalm 52:2-4 (NASB77)
2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah.
4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
The Tongue “As Patient”:
Psalm 140:3-4 (ESV)
3 They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet.
Proverbs 21:23 (ESV)
23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
The Tongue “As Stimulus”
Proverbs 17:4 (ESV)
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
The Tongue “As Theme”
Isaiah 50:4 (ESV)
4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
The tongue was of great importance to James as he mentions it in every chapter. 1:19,26; 2:12; 3:5,6,8; 4:11; 5:12.
In James 3:1-12 – It shows that a persons’ speech shows the Genuineness of the person’s faith.
The 1st sin after the fall was a sin of the tongue when Adam slandered God when he said: “The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”
Quote: J. MacArthur who mentions a list of Bible facts (truths) that are hard to understand in our human thinking capacity.
A transformed nature will produce transformed behavior. And new behavior involves new speech, speech that corresponds to a saved and sanctified life and that reflects the holy nature of the One who has given the new life.
Scripture contains many inscrutable truths which, on the surface, seem to be contradictory or inconsistent and not able to be reconciled with each other by finite minds. For example, believers are chosen for salvation by the sovereign grace of God before the foundation of the world; yet they must exercise faith in order to be saved. As believers, we are kept secure in Christ by God’s sovereign decree; yet we must persevere. We can live a holy life only through the power of the Holy Spirit; yet we are commanded to obey. As James has pointed out in the first chapter of his letter, we will endure trials; yet we must endure them. We will receive the Word; yet we must receive it. We will be gracious to the needy without partiality; yet we must be gracious to them without partiality. We will produce good works; yet we must produce them. Where there is genuine living faith and spiritual transformation, those things, and many others, both will be the result and must be the result.
Here James mentions another of these incomprehensible realities: True believers will possess a sanctified tongue; yet they must maintain a sanctified tongue. In 3:1–12, he gives five compelling reasons for controlling the tongue: its potential to condemn (vv. 1–2a); its power to control (vv. 2b–5a); its propensity to corrupt (vv. 5b–6); its primitiveness to combat (vv. 7–8); and its perfidy to compromise (vv. 9–12).[1]
James 3: Here James mentions another of these incomprehensible realities: True believers will possess a sanctified tongue; yet they must maintain a sanctified tongue. In 3:1–12, he gives five compelling reasons for controlling the tongue: its potential to condemn (vv. 1–2a); its power to control (vv. 2b–5a); its propensity to corrupt (vv. 5b–6); its primitiveness to combat (vv. 7–8); and its perfidy to compromise (vv. 9–12).
James 3:1-2 (NASB)
1 Let not many of you become teachers (didaskaloi) G1320 LN33.243 , my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.
2 For we all stumble in many ways… (Ja3v2a)
G1320 – TDNTA 161; GK 1437; 58 occurrences; AV translates as “Master (Jesus)” 40 times, “teacher” 10 times, “master” seven times, and “doctor” once. 1 a teacher. 2 in the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God, and the duties of man. 1a one who is fitted to teach, or thinks himself so. 1b the teachers of the Jewish religion. 1c of those who by their great power as teachers draw crowds around them i.e. John the Baptist, Jesus. 1d by preeminence used of Jesus by himself, as one who showed men the way of salvation. 1e of the apostles, and of Paul. 1f of those who in the religious assemblies of the Christians, undertook the work of teaching, with the special assistance of the Holy Spirit. 1g of false teachers among Christians.[2]
Shows the seriousness of teaching God’s Word from the platform. Yet, one needs to consider it grave when done in any position. This would be doing it in any form, even in door-to-door ministry. Could that include even between members of ‘the flock’?
1 Timothy 1:3-7 (NASB)
3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,
4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
2 Peter 2:1-3 (NASB)
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
The Power to Control: James 3:2b: If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect (telios) man, able to bridle the whole body as well. V.2 – “he is a perfect (telios) man,” (Ja3v2b)
G5046: 1 brought to its end, finished. 2 wanting nothing necessary to completeness. 3 perfect. 4 that which is perfect. 4a consummate human integrity and virtue. 4b of men. 4b1 full grown, adult, of full age, mature.[3]
LN 88.36 τέλειοςa, α, ον: pertaining to being perfect in the sense of not lacking any moral quality—‘perfect.’ ‘if someone never makes a mistake in what he says, he is a perfect man’ Jas 3:2[4]
As ‘being without flaw” – however, this is not possible on this side of the NK. However, one can, with the help of the Holy Spirit be mature, sanctified and God-honoring speaking and teaching. James goes on to say that he’d be able to bridle the whole body as well.
The word ‘Body’ would seem to refer to the person in general. They key control starts with the tongue as it is the instrument capable of limitless sinfulness. NOTE: the definition indicates that degree of perfection as in bold above.
David tells us about needing control over the tongue:
Psalm 39:1 (NASB)
I said, “I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence.”
James 3:3-5 (NASB)
3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
4 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.
5 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!
James uses two analogies showing the power of the tongue and the need to control it:
James 3:3 (NASB)
3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
(What does the bridle in the horses’ mouth cause the horse to do?)
James 3:4 (NASB)
4 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. We are the pilot of our tongue to form the right/proper words that flow out from our mouth.
Another Translation states about V.5: James 3:5 (TLB) (The Living Bible)
5 So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A great forest can be set on fire by one tiny spark.
James 3:5a (NASB)
5 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! (Ja3v5)
To Boast (G3166, LN33.368) in Greek means “boast or show off”
LN33.368: to express an unusually high degree of confidence in someone or something being exceptionally noteworthy—‘to boast…. Whether in any particular context the boasting is legitimate or not depends upon what is boasted about. In a number of languages, however, quite different terms are employed, depending upon the differing degrees of justification for such boasting.[5]
Note the Triangle Mark in the above strip: The Greek word (aucheo) means: αὐχέω (αὔχη ‘boasting, pride
Within ourselves we have a natural inclination to boast, to be self-centered and really do have a high self-image.
The common miss diagnose is that man is suffering from ‘low self-image (esteem)”. What is the Bible’s view on this?
The Bible teaches us that man is not that way.
Their behavior is miss-labeled to be ‘low self-esteem’ by looking at their behavior.
QUESTION: What is driving that behavior would be the key thing to identify.
It can be said: “The tongue is the master of the whole body that directs every aspect of behavior.”
I Cor. 1:28-31 – declares that God choose the low and despised in the world…so that no human being might boast..”
(1 Corinthians 1:28-31 (NASB)
28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
29 so that no man may boast before God.
30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”
James 3:5b-6 – Its Propensity to Corrupt.
James 3:5b-6 (NASB)
5 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!
6 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.
3:6 tongue is a fire the metaphor of fire would have resonated with James’ first-century audience. Ancients relied on wood or charcoal braziers to cook and heat their homes, and the draft from open windows increased the danger of fire spreading rapidly. Furthermore, ancients possessed few effective means for extinguishing fires.
A fire has the unique capacity to reproduce itself in an unlimited way if it has fuel to burn with enough oxygen to sustain combustion.
4 major elements of the evil tongue’s danger are:
- The tongue is the world of iniquity…
- The evil tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body.
- The evil tongue sets on fire the course of our life…
- The sinful tongue is set on fire by hell.
Setting on fire the entire course of life The tongue can destroy or corrupt the entire course of a person’s life, or the entire course of a community’s existence.
Some years ago, Morgan Blake, a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal, wrote the following satire:
I am more deadly than the screaming shell from the howitzer. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, and wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless. My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea, and often as innocent. I never forget and seldom forgive. My name is Gossip. (Cited in George Sweeting, Faith That Works [Chicago: Moody, 1983], 76–77)[6]
James 3:7-8 (ESV)
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Mankind has trained many animals and yet the text stats in a direct fashion that the tongue is innately uncontrollable and untamable. It is wild, undisciplined, irresponsible, irrepressible, and savage. One might call it a primitive or intrinsic evil, it combats every effort to control and direct it.
THE POINT, that no human being within its own power can control the tongue. Even as God’s Spirit works to tame our tongue, it still slips a time with great devastation in the congregation. David says it so well in:
Psalm 141:3 (ESV) 3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!
(Ja3v8a)
(Ja3v8b)
James 3:9-12 (ESV) – Its Perfidy to Compromise
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Its Perfidy to Compromise
Per-fi-dy – Noun: deceitfulness; untrustworthiness – a deliberate breech of trust.
The tongue is clever, plotting and subtly deceptive. It is eagerly willing to deceive in order to achieve its own advantage.
10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought (G5534, LN71.22) not to be so.
V.10 – The word “ought (chre) we would translate as: “used to indicate duty or correctness”.. (Ja3v10)
Quote J. MacArthur: The word “ought” has the sense of “to be proper” – Keep in mind as you read:
My brethren, James implores, these things ought not to be this way. Ou chrē (ought not) is a strong negative, used only here in the New Testament. The idea is that there should be no place in a Christian’s life for duplicitous speech. It is an unacceptable and intolerable compromise of righteous, holy living. When God transformed us, He gave us the capacity for new, redeemed, holy speech, and He expects us, as His children, to speak only that which is holy and right. Our “yes” and “no” should be honest (Matt. 5:37).
James explains this truth using three illustrations. First, he asks rhetorically, Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? The obvious answer is no. The same spring, or fountain, does not issue two vastly different kinds of water. …
A hateful heart cannot produce loving words or works. An unrighteous heart cannot produce righteous words or works. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit,” Jesus explained, “nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. … So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:18, 20).
As mentioned above, there is an almost constant tension in the book of James between what is and what ought to be. At one point he says, “This is how it will be if you are a true believer,” and at another point he says, “That is also how it ought to be if you are a true believer.” Because we have been made righteous by Jesus Christ, we ought to live righteously and speak righteously, according to His will and by His power. [7]
Read James 3: 9-12 – Note the ‘argument’ provided here about good or bad producing in like manner.
James 3:13-18 (ESV) – Earthly and Heavenly Wisdom….
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
The Bible shows us:
Proverbs 4:7 (ESV) 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
Job 9:4 (ESV)
4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
Job 28:12 (ESV)
12 “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?
Job 28:28 (ESV)
28 And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Understanding is better than gold:
Proverbs 3:19 (ESV)
19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;
Proverbs 16:16 (ESV)
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Proverbs 8:1-21 deals with wisdom’s excellence in: appeal, truth, what it loves and hates, of its gifts to those who possess it and most is the source of it (God).
It was stated by John MacArthur that “It is the Hebrews who clearly understood that true wisdom was not intellectual, but behavioral.”
James 3:13: 13 Who is wise (G4680) and understanding (G1990) among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. (Ja3v13a)
Wise G4680 σοφός [sophos /sof·os/] adj. Akin to saphes (clear); TDNT 7:465; TDNTA 1056; GK 5055; 22 occurrences; AV translates as “wise” 22 times. 1 wise. 1a skilled, expert: of artificers. 1b wise, skilled in letters, cultivated, learned. 1b1 of the Greek philosophers and orators. 1b2 of Jewish theologians. 1b3 of Christian teachers. 1c forming the best plans and using the best means for their execution…[8]
LN32.33 σοφόςb, ή, όν: pertaining to understanding resulting in wisdom—‘prudent, wise, understanding.’ … ‘don’t live like ignorant people, but like people who are wise’ Eph 5:15.
Understanding (epistemon)
LN32.27 συνετός, ή, όν; ἐπιστήμων, ον (derivative of ἐπίσταμαιb ‘to understand,’ 32.3): pertaining to being able to understand and evaluate—‘intelligent, insightful, understanding.’ …; ‘who is wise and understanding among you?’ Jas 3:13.[9]
This word (epistemon) (Understanding) only appears in the New Testament and carries the idea of specialized knowledge, such as that of a highly skilled tradesman or professional. (Note above LN32.27.)
James 3:13: 13 Who is wise (G4680) and understanding (G1990) among you? By his good conduct (behavior) let him show his works in the meekness G4240 (attitude of gentleness) of wisdom. (Ja3v13b)
“Conduct (anastrophe) LN41.3 … f: to conduct oneself, with apparent focus upon overt daily behavior—‘to live, to conduct oneself, to behave, behavior, conduct.’
…you have followed my teaching, my conduct, and my purpose in life’ (2 Tim. 3:10)
2 Timothy 3:10 (ESV)
10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
Meekness (prautes) LN 88.59 πραΰτης, ητος f; πραϋπαθία, ας f: gentleness of attitude and behavior, in contrast with harshness in one’s dealings with others—‘gentleness, meekness, mildness.’
… ‘be always humble and meek’ Eph 4:2. (L.N.) And 1 Timothy 6:11
It would be to carry the idea of tenderness and graciousness, and can be accurately translated “meekness” and “meek” respectively.
The Greek term does not connote weakness but rather power under control.
“Gentleness” – a God-honored character trait and a fruit of the spirit. Gal. 5:23 and Matthew 5:5 being the 3rd in the listing of the ten known as the Be-Attitudes.
In his excellent nineteenth-century commentary on James, Robert Johnstone wrote:
I do not know that at any point the opposition between the spirit of the world and the Spirit of Christ is more marked, more obviously diametrical, than with regard to this feature of character. That “the meek” should “inherit the earth”—they who bear wrongs, and exemplify that love which “seeketh not her own,”—to a world which believes in high-handedness and self-assertion, and pushing the weakest to the wall, a statement like this of the Lord from heaven cannot but appear an utter paradox. The man of the world desires to be counted anything but “meek” or “poor in spirit,” and would deem such a description of him equivalent to a charge of unmanliness. Ah, brethren, this is because we have taken in Satan’s conception of manliness instead of God’s. One Man has been shown us by God, in whom His ideal of man was embodied; and He, “when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously”; He for those who nailed Him to the tree prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” The world’s spirit of wrath, then, must be folly; whilst than a spirit of meekness like His, in the midst of controversy, oppositions, trials of whatever kind, there can be no surer evidence that “Jesus is made of God to His people wisdom.” …
We have here again what may be described as the central thought of this epistle, that where religion [the gospel] has real saving hold of a mind and heart, it cannot from its nature but powerfully influence the outward life; and that the more a Christian has of true wisdom and spiritual knowledge, the more manifestly will his life at all points be governed by his religion [faith]. Talk of orthodoxy and Christian experience, however fluent and animated and clever, does not of itself prove wisdom; the really wise man will “show his work.” (A Commentary on James [reprint; Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1977], 261–62; 259)[10]
James 3:14 (ESV)
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
Ones’ heart is the source of ‘motivation’.
The 2 Sinful motives behind human wisdom that are mentioned here are: ‘bitter jealousy” and “selfish ambition”. (Ja3v14a)
Jealousy – G2205: 1 excitement of mind, ardour, fervour of spirit. 1a zeal, ardour in embracing, pursuing, defending anything. …1a2 the fierceness of indignation, punitive zeal.
Jealousy – LN 88.162 ζῆλοςb, ου m and ους n: a particularly strong feeling of resentment and jealousy against someone—‘envy, jealousy, resentment.’[11]
**Jealousy – has no concern for the feelings or welfare of those who are its objects.
Ambition – G 2052 ἐριθεία [eritheia /er·ith·i·ah/] n f. 1a apparently, in the NT a courting distinction, a desire to put one’s self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts. 1b partisanship, fractiousness. … James 3:14 speaks against having selfishness or self-promoting in your heart.[12]
Ambition – LN 88.167 ἐριθείαa, ας f: a feeling of resentfulness based upon jealousy and implying rivalry—‘selfish ambition, rivalry, resentfulness….
‘Rivalry’ may be expressed as ‘wanting to be better than someone else’ or ‘wanting to make people think they are better.’ The meaning of ‘selfish ambition’ may be rendered as ‘what they do is just to make themselves look bigger’ or ‘what they do is just for themselves.’[13]
Ambition – Where one does any work or activity for personal gain. To gain personal gratification and self-fulfillment at any cost.
Compare James 3 – V. 14 – ESV …”do not be arrogant (G2620 LN 33.370) and so lie (G5574 LN33.253) against the truth.” With: James 3:14 (NLT)
14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting (G2620 LN33.370) and lying (G5574 LN33.253). (Ja3v14b)
G 2620 κατακαυχάομαι, ἐγκαυχάομαι [katakauchaomai /kat·ak·ow·khah·om·ahee/] …1 to glory against, to exult over, to boast one’s self to the injury (of a person or thing).
LN 33.370 κατακαυχάομαιa: to boast about something by downgrading something else—‘to boast against, to degrade.’ μὴ κατακαυχῶ τῶν κλάδων ‘you must not boast and in so doing degrade the branches’ Ro 11:18
G 5574 ψεύδομαι [pseudomai /psyoo·dom·ahee/] … 1 to lie, to speak deliberate falsehoods. 2 to deceive one by a lie, to lie to.[14]
LN 33.253 pseudomai: to communicate what is false, with the evident purpose of misleading—‘to lie, to tell falsehoods….The Greek term ψεύδομαι and the English equivalent ‘to lie’ involve more than simply telling what is not true, for this could occur without an intent to deceive or mislead. ψεύδομαι, therefore, involves not only the communication of a falsehood but also the intent to deceive. 7
James 3:15 (NLT)
15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
James 3:15 (ESV) (Ja3v15)
G5591 ψυχικός [psuchikos /psoo·khee·kos/] adj…1 of or belonging to breath. 1a having the nature and characteristics of the breath. 1a1 the principal of animal life, which men have in common with the brutes. 1b governed by breath. 1b1 the sensuous nature with its subjection to appetite and passion.[15]
LN 79.5 ψυχικόςb, ή, όν: pertaining to human nature (possibly contrasting with σάρκινοςc and σαρκικόςc ‘natural, human,’ 79.4, in focusing somewhat more on so-called higher endowments of personality)—‘natural, human…. ‘but the natural person does not receive the things of the Spirit of God’ 1 Cor 2:14. …
There are three great enemies of the believer being; the world, the flesh, and the devil. Thus there are three characteristics of false wisdom that James mentions here.
- “wisdom is earthly” – limited to the present, material world of time and space. It has not place for spiritual truth or illumitation.
- “false wisdom is natural, sensual, fleshly” It is worldly minded and devoid of the Spirit.. Jude 19..
Jude 1:19 (ESV) – 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.
- “false wisdom is demonic” – The root source is Satan and the working through his demonic fallen angels. From the beginning Satan said the lie that man can be is own god.
1 Timothy 4:1 (ESV)
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
- MacArthur writes: The wisdom from below is nothing more than the “foolishness” of demons. Appealing to men’s natural fallenness and sinful inclination to arrogant self-interest, this wisdom deceives them into believing Satan’s lies rather than God’s truth. What they believe to be their own wisdom is really the devil’s.[16]
2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 (ESV)
6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,
10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,
12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
This malignant infection that began then will continue unabated until the Lord returns.
God know how to rescue His people:
2 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
James 3:16 – The results of false Wisdom:
James 3:16 (ESV)
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder (G181 LN39.34) and every vile (G5337 LN3337) practice (G4229 LN13.105). (Ja3v16)
“disorder (akatastasia) G181 – LN39.34 – A basic meaning of instability and used to speak about a state of confusion, disturbance, disarray, or tumult and even of rebellion or anarchy.
G181 ἀκαταστασία [akatastasia /ak·at·as·tah·see·ah/] n f. … 1 instability, a state of disorder, disturbance, confusion.
LN39.34 ἀνίσταμαιe; ἐπανίσταμαι; στάσιςa, εως f; ἐπίστασιςb, εως f; ἀποστασία, ας f; ἀκαταστασίαa, ας f: to rise up in open defiance of authority, with the presumed intention to overthrow it or to act in complete opposition to its demands—‘to rebel against, to revolt, to engage in insurrection, rebellion…. ‘for not until the final rebellion takes place’ 2 Th 2:3.
… It is possible that ἀκαταστασία in Lk 21:9 denotes merely unsettled conditions, but it is far more likely to carry the meaning of ‘insurrections’ and ‘revolts.’
VILE – Evil – (phaulos) G5337 – means ‘worthless’.
G5337 φαῦλος [phaulos /fow·los/] adj. Apparently a primary word; GK 5765; Four occurrences; AV translates as “evil” four times. 1 easy, slight, ordinary, mean, worthless, of no account. 2 ethically, bad, base, wicked.
LN88.116 φαῦλος, η, ον: pertaining to being evil in the sense of moral baseness—‘mean, bad, evil.’ πᾶς γὰρ ὁ φαῦλα πράσσων μισεῖ τὸ φῶς ‘anyone who does mean things hates the light’ Jn 3:20…
Practice (pragma) G4229 Where we get the English word: ‘pragmatic” -“work – deed – event – affair”
G4229 πρᾶγμα [pragma /prag·mah/] n n. … 1 that which has been done, a deed, an accomplished fact. 2 what is done or being accomplished. 2a spec. business, a commercial transaction. 3 a matter, question, affair. 3a spec. in a forensic sense, a matter at law, case, suit. 4 that which is or exists, a thing.[17]
LN13.105 πρᾶγμαa, τος n: that which happens—‘happening, event.’ περὶ τῶν πεπληροφορημένων ἐν ἡμῖν πραγμάτων ‘concerning the events that took place among us’ Lk 1:1.[18]
True Wisdom is:
James 3:17-18 (ESV)
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
V.17 – Note the sense of these descriptive Words –
Do we give these words that same FULL meaning as the actual Greek Language conveyed to the listener? Reviewing these words will give us a fuller meaning to the text. (Ja3v17a)
Word “Pure” (hagnos) LN88.28 – Sense of being pure (faultless)
88.28 ἁγνός, ή, όν: pertaining to being without moral defect or blemish and hence pure—‘pure, without defect.’ … ‘for they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is’ 1 Pe 3:2.
LN 25.249 (eirenikos) Peaceful (whole)
25.249 εἰρηνικός, ή, όν: pertaining to freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil—‘peaceful, free from worry.’ … ‘later those who have been disciplined by it reap the peaceful reward of a righteous life’ He 12:11.
LN88.63 – (epieikes) Lenient
88.63 ἐπιεικής, ές: pertaining to being gracious and forbearing—‘gentle, gracious, forbearing…. ‘not to speak evil of anyone, nor to be quarrelsome, but to be forbearing’ Tt 3:2.
LN33.305 (eupeithes) “reason” (open to reason)
33.305 εὐπειθής, ές: pertaining to being easily persuaded, with the implication of being open to reason or willing to listen—‘one who is easily persuaded, open to reason.’ … ‘the wisdom from above is … also peaceful, gentle, and open to reason’ Jas 3:17. – V. 17 continues… (Ja3v17b)
LN78.45 – (mestos) Distinctive-Full
78.45 μεστόςb, ή, όν: a degree of completeness, with the implication of abundance—‘full of, completely, very, totally.’ ..‘entirely merciful and engaged in good deeds’ Jas 3:17; .. ‘within you are completely hypocritical and lawless’ Mt 23:28.
In a number of languages it is simply not possible to speak of a person being ‘full of’ some quality or ‘full of’ some type of activity. Accordingly, one must often restructure the semantic relationships so as to indicate that one is ‘completely’ of a certain nature or ‘entirely’ engaged in some activity. In fact, in some languages this may be expressed negatively in the case of Mt 23:28 as ‘within there is nothing but hypocrisy and lawlessness.’ In the case of Jas 3:17 one can often express the meaning in terms of habitual activity, for example, ‘always merciful and doing good things.’
LN88.1 (agathos) – good (moral)
88.1 ἀγαθόςa, ή, όν; ἀγαθωσύνηa, ης f: positive moral qualities of the most general nature—‘good, goodness, good act.’
LN42.13 (karpos) – fruits – (the results)
42.13 καρπόςc, οῦ m: (a figurative extension of meaning of καρπόςa ‘fruit,’ 3.33) the natural result of what has been done—‘deed, activity, result of deeds.’ ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς ‘you may know these people by the results of their deeds’ or ‘… the results of what they do’ Mt 7:16[19]
LN88.242 (adiakritos) impartial – (non-divisive)
88.242 ἀδιάκριτος, ον: pertaining to not being prejudiced—‘impartial, free from prejudice… ‘but the wisdom from above is first of all pure … free from prejudice and hypocrisy’ Jas 3:17.
LN73.8 (anypokritos) sincere (unhypocritical)
73.8 ἀνυπόκριτος, ον: pertaining to being genuine and sincere, and hence lacking in pretense or show—‘genuine, sincere.’.. ‘to the point of genuine love for fellow believers’ 1 Pe 1:22
The NLT puts in more words to provide a closer definition of the meaning the Greeks were conveying:
James 3:17 (NLT)
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
James 3:17 (NIRV)
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. That’s the most important thing about it. And that’s not all. It also loves peace. It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair. It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not.
[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 145–146). Chicago: Moody Press.
[2] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[3] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[4] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 745). New York: United Bible Societies.
[5] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 430). New York: United Bible Societies.
[6] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (p. 155). Chicago: Moody Press.
[7] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 161–163). Chicago: Moody Press.
[8] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[9] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 383). New York: United Bible Societies.
[10] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 169–170). Chicago: Moody Press.
[11] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 759). New York: United Bible Societies.
[12] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[13] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 760). New York: United Bible Societies.
[14] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[15] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[16] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (p. 174). Chicago: Moody Press.
[17] Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
[18] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 160). New York: United Bible Societies.
[19] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 511). New York: United Bible Societies.