"LET NOT MANY OF YOU BECOME TEACHERS" Apparently, there were those in James' day who rushed to teach (James 3:1). They longed for the prominent position in which it would put them. Certainly that had been a problem of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-12). For some, it was carried over into t... [ Continue Reading ]
LITTLE, BUT POWERFUL We all continually trip or slip into wrong actions. Thankfully, Christ's blood continually cleanses (1 John 1:7-9). The most common sins must be those of the tongue because James says the man that controls it is perfect and able to control his whole body (James 3:2). James used... [ Continue Reading ]
NO ONE CAN TAME THE TONGUE Mankind has been able to subdue all the animals, but not his tongue. Woods notes that the verb indicates momentary action in regard to taming. One may control his tongue for years, yet let it loose for just a moment and reap havoc. "Unruly evil" is like a restless caged a... [ Continue Reading ]
A WISDOM FROM THE DEVIL Some of those rushing to be teachers may have claimed great book knowledge. They may also have claimed to have wisdom, or the ability to apply knowledge. The test of that comes in how one lives. Some may have said, "Your actions are so loud I can't hear what you are saying.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FRUITS OF HEAVENLY WISDOM In contrast to the wisdom from the devil, James presents the wisdom from heaven. He begins his list of the fruits of heavenly wisdom with the word "pure." It might be described as being free from fault. To achieve freedom from fault, one must submit his life to the Savi... [ Continue Reading ]