Page 21 - General Epistles (James through Jude) Textbook

Here, James utilizes three images to illustrate that a small thing, like the tongue, can have far-
reaching effects. He uses a horse’s bit (James 3:3) and a ship’s rudder (v. 4) to convey that those
who have control over their tongues have control over themselves. He also uses the image of fire to
convey that the tongue has great potential for destruction and harm (see note on v. 6).
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The Power of Tongue to Destroy (Jas. 3:6-12).
While small, man cannot tame the tongue even after God gave man authority to control animals, birds,
reptiles, and sea creatures. Notice that some of those creatures do not even live near human beings. Sea
creatures live in the seas. Birds fly in the sky. But the tongue which is found in every human being’s
mouth, still, cannot be tamed. Wow! It does not rest. It is full of deadly poison (Jas. 3:7-8). Some have
likened the tongue’s deadly poison to “deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen,” and Ps
140:3, which says, “Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips” (quoted
in Rom 3:13).”
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With our tongues, we curse. With the same tongue, we praise the Lord and Father. James appealed to
the Jewish Christians, who he continues to call as brothers and sister that the tongue should not be
allowed to do that. For James, the cursing and praising by the same tongue is compared to a fig tree that
can bear olives or grapevines that can bear figs. But in this case, James expects his audience’s tongues to
bear fruits they need to bear just as a fig tree is expected to bear figs. Therefore, their tongues were
expected to continue praising our Lord and Father. The fact that James encouraged his audience that
the cursing and praising by the tongue should not be happening among them gives everyone hope that
it can be controlled.

Two Classes of Wisdom (Jas. 3:13-17).

Earthly Wisdom.
James asks a very important question. If there was anyone among them who was wise, he/she needed
to demonstrate it by his/her good life, deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom. Those who are
able to produce those virtues, in James’ minds, are considered as wise and understanding. If there was
anyone who was entertaining envy (actually bitter envy) and selfish ambition, James encouraged such
not to boast about it and lie against the truth. James is likely “admonishing his audience to refrain from
sinning against the truth by boasting of their wisdom. Truth may refer to the gospel (James 1:18; 5:19)
or, more generally, to that which is not false.” The word selfish ambition “probably connotes the kind
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of egotism that is expressed by an ambition to get ahead of others. Christians who wish a higher status
in the church than someone else, of whom they are envious, often seek some prominent role that will
satisfy this fleshly ambition.” Their self-centered, power-hungry aspirations have made them envious
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of whatever others possess (especially power and authority) and brought backbiting and chaos to the
church.” Those vices signify that one has earthly wisdom. It is unspiritual and demoniac. Unspiritual
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refers “to what is, by nature, human—things not inspired by the Holy Spirit.”
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James warns that were there is envy and selfish ambition, they needed not to be surprised if they would
notice the presence of disorder and every evil practices. Notice that James could not have admonished
the Jewish Christians on the qualifiers of earthly wisdom which was described as unspiritual if there was
no hint of anything like that. Again, James would not have written to them concerning bitter envy and
selfish ambition if nobody among them was practicing those vices. The fact that James pointed them out
suggests that some of the Jewish Christians in the church (as we have discussed on favoritism earlier)

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