This negative connotation describesenvy of someone elses possessions, achievements, or advantages. Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water. 6:10), and steadfast (1 Cor. Think of the potential of the tongue which James is depicting with this phrase the very world of iniquity -- it has the power to affect the entire unrighteous, sinful world! 2:10; Phil. When were gossiping or speaking in anger, we find ourselves outside the lines of what God desires. From strife and enmity; We must pray and meditate and permit the Spirit of God to fill our hearts with God's love and truth. The opposite of unrest. A Malaysian court has ruled that using derogatory and vulgar language about your superiors at work is acceptable, as long as you do it behind their backs. "Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice? " (Proverbs 8:1-12). O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips"(Ps. If youre sowing worldly wisdom, youll reap disorder and every evil thing. As the apostle James put it, Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind (James 3:7). Malachi 3:1. --Psalm 39:1, Human beings are more than mere animals; we have been made in God's image. So when Julius Caesar led his ThirteenthLegion across the Rubicon River and into Italy in 49bc, it was an act of treason. 12:38; Est. 7:18, 20), Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. . All rights reserved), Lord, cleanse our hearts so what we speak He asserts that every trial we overcome helps us mature as Christians. Epistemon in the Septuagint (Lxx)-Deut. Sper, John Phillips -Try as we might, we cannot prevent the tongue from lashing out at times. John Calvin, This is our wisdom, to be learners to the end. ", Zodhiates -Although theologians continue to debate about the precise nature of the imago Dei in man, variously defining it as ontological, sociological, functional or moral, one thing is certain from this passage, namely, that even fallen man retains some semblance (however badly marred by sin) of the divine impress given him at the original creation. Let my words bless You and others. It is both the knowledge and practice of it. But Jesus can. World(2889)(kosmos) has several meanings, but the one which is most apropos for James 3:6 is that by BDAG which defines kosmos as "the sum total of everything here and now." ESV James 3:8 but no human being can tame the tongue. (ED: AND BY BEGINNING EACH DAY "filled with the Spirit" - Eph 5:18+)(Ibid), Guzik has an interesting comment -The human spirit has incredible capacity for sacrifice and self-control. There she heard a lady talking to them, in Chinese, about someone to whom little children came. See the contrasting word aspilosin James 1:27 ("unstained"). But even when fighting against sin, it hungers for peace, yearning to heal all divisions by its wise counsel. Surely this man will make a very excellent pilgrim. No wonder James called the tongue "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8). We either exhibit the works of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21+) or display the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. It is impossible to find an English word to translate this quality. As powerful as the tongue can be to produce harm, we must also realize that the opposite is true. And the tongue is a fire- Phillips paraphrases it "the tongue is as dangerous as any fire." True wisdom is a divine revelation. 1 John 12:36). Are you watching shows and listening to talk radiothat regurgitates the same mindless gibberish? My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Ezekiel It happens when Christians utter words that fall short of the standard God expects. After all is done, "yet ye have not.". 2:5; Jas. KJV James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. James 3:13-18: Wise Faith About This Expository Sermon Outline. "The rod and reproof give wisdom" (Proverbs 29:15). And the fruit of this supernaturally enabledgood behavioris gentleness one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:23+), which further supports the premise that theonly way to daily obey the command to "let him show"is by daily dependence on the Spirit. These behaviors come from a heart that is unlike God's heart. It is unstable, elusive, restless! (Jn 3:31). By:Bill Crowder(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Do notlie(5574)(pseudomaifrompseudo= to cheat, defraud, falsify) means to communicate what is false, with the evident purpose of misleading. Paul R VanGorder (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Anon. Some of the language that the tongue uses is so abysmally degrading that it can be attributed only to the activity of evil spirits. Isa 5:20Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Francois Rochefoucauld, The wisest mind has something yet to learn. (Mt 12:33), What is James' point? Specifically, that what one does (or says) proves what they really believe. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil. Words come from the physical brain which is why a stroke makes a person aphasic (unable to speak). The apostle James said that cursing is out of place in a Christians lifelike salt water in a freshwater spring or olives on a fig tree (Jas. Thank You that by Your Spirit my untamed tongue can be brought under divine control. 10:8; 1 Sam. Such speech is hypocritical. The first screw to get loose in a person's head is usually the tongue. His love can make the most difficult nature into a miracle of astonishing beauty. But, unfortunately, we all battle theworld, thefleshand thedevil. 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+). What we say indicates who we are, whether we are still in Adam (unregenerate) or in Christ (regenerate) You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? -Sper. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. The Promised Land was described as a land of springs of water. By:Jennifer Benson Schuldt(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. They were either unconcerned about or oblivious to the presence of two visitors in their midst. Fetid meansoffensively malodorous. Such a "wisdom" cannot be from God. Perhaps we would do well as we leave the worship service after blessing God to pray "God by Your Spirit control my tonguethe rest of this Lord's day and even the rest of this week, all for Your glory and honor. By the constituents of the water a judgment can be made as to its source. And the reality of it should prompt all of us to pray for open hearts to the Gospel and to proclaim the Gospel whenever we have opportunity (for often "opportunity only knocks once. A dispositiondescribed as bitterleaves one's heart with an unpleasant sensation, as our tastebuds react to a bitter substance in the mouth. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. "A man shall be commended according to his wisdom" (Proverbs 12:8). If the Holy Spirit is on the throne, then out of our innermost being flows that river of living water of which the Lord Himself spoke (John 7:37-39+)." We might be inclined to throw up our hands and cry "Which is it James? But the tongue no one in the human race is able to control. Nelson's NKJV Study Biblehas an interesting note (but be a Berean Acts 17:11+) - Although human beings have lost much of Godlikeness, there is still enough in our make-up to hint at what we once were like and what we can become again through the work of Christ. In clear black and white We have here, you observe, the truth brought before us, that genuine Christian wisdom, whether it lead a man to become a teacher in the church or not, will, at all events, in all cases find expression through giving spiritual loveliness to the whole daily life. The force ofkatakauchaomaiis to brag about oneself in comparison with others. -- Psalm 141:3 As adults, the problem reveals itself in other situations, such as when we're on the phone and our mind says, "Don't spread gossip about Jane," but our mouth says, "You wouldn't believe what I heard about Jane!" FURTHER INSTANCES OF BLESSING. So yespeople still reflect God's image, albeit badly marred by sin. "Fervent lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross" (Proverbs 26:23). The more he saw, the less he spoke; In a twelve-page statement, the court said, "The court agrees that if derogatory, insolent, and impertinent (words) are used toward the superior officers directly it would construe a serious misconduct on the part of (the woman)". Natural is also translated sensual (KJV, NKJV, ASV) which aptly describes this earthlywisdom as that which seeks to accommodate our (animalistic) senses. We have a far better best seller to help us to live harmoniously: the wisdom of Gods Word. As we fill our hearts with God's Word, and yield to the Holy Spirit, He can use us to bring delight to others, and we will be refreshing fountains and trees. (Ps 90:12), Ultimately spiritual wisdom comes from the Spirit of Jesus Christ and was modelled perfectly by our Lord about Whom Isaiah prophesied "The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him (Mt 3:16), The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. Within days of their miraculous deliverance, they were complaining (Ex. The Lord Jesus said, "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Mt12:34) -- what is in the heart will come out. Be not many masters Do not affect the teacher's office, for many wish to be teachers who have more need to learn. NRS James 3:15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. Solomon wrote, He who restrains his lips is wise (Proverbs 10:19). Wisdom is knowing when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech. Still today, the phrase crossing the Rubicon is a metaphor for passing the point of no return.. - Persian saying. Are you at peace with those in this church? Nature reproduces after its own kind. Geoffrey Grogan, It is better to get wisdom than gold. working in lives that will PRODUCE DEEDS THAT MANIFEST A LIVING FAITH. D C Egner(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. . (Hiebert), For believers we need to heed the command from Solomon (which he himself did NOT heed! The peacemakers are those who live by the heavenly wisdom, which is first pure and then peaceable, that is, by righteousness. My brothers, this should not be. Wisdom is not measured by degrees but by deeds. . Eirenecan convey the sense of an inner rest, well being and harmony. James A Visit to the Harvest Field February 4, 2018 A Visit to the Harvest Field "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. He knows how to peddle his wickedness. Amen. Reprinted by permission. So in this sentence James uses a first class conditional statement which assumes that some of his readers were harboring bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in their heart. (Php 4:8+). *Herod the king killed him in about AD 42 (Acts 12:2). "The poor useth entreaties" (Proverbs 18:23). . Josh Billings, Wisdom gives a balance to character. In other texts earthly carries a definitely inferior meaning and suggests worldly or sinful or fleshly passions (Philippians 3:19; James 3:15). They apply heavenly counsel to earthly conduct." (2 Cor 12:20, recall that in 1 Cor 3:3 Paul had characterized them as "still fleshly. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. Reprinted by permission. (BKC), Letshow (1166)(deiknuo) in this context means to show so as to prove something is true or to make clear by evidence or reasoning. To have a godly heart we must follow the instructions found in Romans 6. Troublemakers? James i. Psalm 12:3May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things (cf James 3:5+);Who have said, With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?, Donald Burdick on world of iniquity- It is as though all the wickedness in the whole world were wrapped up in that little piece of flesh. James Comper, The Class and the Desk. 1:18-2:16). If you don't believe this watch some of the current news shows (which really are no longer truly news), the popular fare on television or the box office hits. In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea, causing a tragic loss of life. 4:6; Isa. YLT James 3:15 this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like. Lamentations Benjamin Franklin, If I speak what is false, I must answer for it; if truth, it will answer for me. Judges And on more than one occasion, as my Sunday school teacher, he made degrading comments about the pastor and others in the church. When you tame an animal, you get a worker instead of a destroyer. When there is a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, we create confusion in the minds of our audience. Thats why many nonbelievers do not take the gospel message seriously. CSB James 3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? That is true, and it had already been said in the declaration that heavenly wisdom is first pure, then peaceable. (a) Eupeiths can mean always ready to obey. And guard each word I say. Is it wise to be selfishly ambitiousand then brag about what your ambition brings you? The coals of jealousy quickly become a raging fire that will burn us severely. Hiebert thinks this "is probably an allusion to the poison of the serpent's tongue (Ps58:4; 140:3)." 2:26; Jas. "A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, And shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren" (Proverbs 17:2). Titus NKJ James 3:11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? "A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth" (Proverbs 12:14). And ask God to set a guard over your mouth to keep you from saying the wrong thing (Ps. Or if we participate in coarse talk (5:4), we bring dishonor to the name of Christ. (Ibid), Osborne on restless - The connotation is of something without a secure foundation; like an unstable building in the midst of an earthquake, the tongue can never be controlled. We prefer to blame the world's problems on religious or political differences, but James says that the root problem is pride and self-centeredness. 141:3). Anon. In its simplest sensedikaiosuneconveys the idea of conformity to a standard or norm and in Biblical terms the "standard" is God and His perfect, holy character. 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. I win without killing. Worthlessnessis the central notion and thus phaulosindicates the impossibility of any true gain ever coming forth. On Listening Here is their list: Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. (Ibid), Wiersbe -The tongue cannot be tamed by man, but it can be tamed by God. By them will the reckoning be at the judgment. (Lectures Exegetical and Practical on the Epistle of James)(Bold added). John 3:1-3. We must ask God for the wisdom to know when to speak, what to speak, and when to simply keep our mouths shut. And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door (IS NOT SIN THE DRIVING FORCE OF ANGRY WORDS THAT COME FLYING OUT OF OUR MOUTH); and its desire is for you (LIKE A WILD ENEMY READY TO POUNCE), but you must master it. NKJ James 3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Revelation, Search Wikipedia using spiritual discretion, Faith, Love & Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James, Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Come down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish mindless gibberish drawn what. Fire- Phillips paraphrases it `` james 3 commentary spurgeon tongue is a discrepancy between what say! Heart we must follow the instructions found in Romans 6 by man, but is,. Ever coming forth eirenecan convey the sense of an inner rest, being! Wicked heart are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross '' ( Proverbs ). 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