We have all heard the advice which warns, "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see." If Christians took this counsel seriously, they would heed nothing the pastor says and would believe nothing they see and read in the Bible.
More than anything else, the loose use of the tongue has contributed to this skeptical attitude. And Christians are not entirely innocent of aggravating the ugly situation. Even people who claim to be spiritual have emerged defeated from battling to conquer the tongue, myself included.
James evidently feared his strong emphasis upon works would lead some in the church to think words are relatively unimportant. He doesn't want anyone to conclude the use of the tongue has little or nothing to do with the Christian life. His extended treatment of the use of the tongue would, in fact, lead us to the opinion that speech is a form of work and therefore, another evidence of either a genuine or a spurious faith.
James' first thought with regard to speech concerns the grave responsibility of the "brethren" who aspire to teach the Word of God in the pubic assembly (James 3:1). He counsels them against adding to the existing numbers of teachers out of impure motives.
The early church conducted its services differently from the procedures which we follow today. The men of the congregation felt perfectly free to stand up in the assembly and exhort, teach, pray, sing or read, just as the Holy Spirit prompted them.
Those early congregations met in the Jewish synagogue, and it was natural for them to incorporate and adapt Jewish practices in the church.
The Jews had always encouraged an open forum, and the Christians at first continued it. The Christian teacher took the place of the Jewish rabbi. The teacher, like the rabbi, commanded considerable respect, and some church members coveted this prominent position to give them status in the community.
They enjoyed expressing their various points of view on Biblical subjects. Some liked to display their superior gifts. Others just liked to hear themselves talk even though they were unequal to the occasion. They did a lot of talking and said a whole lot of nothing.
These Christians needed to know they would be held accountable for every idle word which they spoke. Men engaged in teaching the whole counsel of God had more responsibility than others and consequently stood in greater danger of incurring the displeasure of the Lord.
Much is required of those to whom much is given. If teachers prostitute their gifts, they will face a time of severity at the judgment seat of Christ. James is saying any Christian is foolish who seeks the role of a teacher when he has not been especially gifted to perform that function in the body of Christ and when the work carries with it such awesome responsibility.
Then James softens his castigation of would-be teachers who have no calling or preparation for such duties and who even speak unadvisedly and heretically. He confesses that all of us, in one way or another, say things which we have no business to let pass our lips (vs. 2).
How many offenses have we caused by a slip of the tongue? How many people have we caused to stumble because of what we said in haste or in anger?
The man who can control his tongue will have comparatively no difficulty in governing all his other nations. He is able to manage his thoughts, feelings, and decisions. Conquering the tongue produces effects upon "the whole body". James means the entire personality is related to the activity of the tongue.
He implies also the entire group with whom the man associates--family, business, church, school--will be involved in the ruling of a single tongue. Winning the victory over that small but unruly member proves potential is available for victory over lesser evils.
The activity of the tongue soon discloses our state of spiritual maturity. Medical doctors look at the tongue to determine our physical condition. Likewise, the tongue is a gage of spiritual condition. A red hot tongue is the sure sign of a malignancy deep in the soul.
Size is not a certain indicator of strength or influence. Huge stallions can be controlled by a small bit and bridle (vs. 3). The horse with all its strength cannot bridle itself. In fact, it has the strength to prevent a man from putting a bridle upon it. Getting a bit into a horse's mouth depends upon its willingness for a person to overcome its natural hostility to restraint.
In the same way, it's not natural for any man to want to be placed under divine restraint and have his conduct and course regulated by an agent other than himself.
The natural man is incapable of controlling himself. The whole course of his life and all his impulses are inclined toward self-expression, independence of God, and evil continually. But God the Holy Spirit has His own methods of overcoming our resistance to His governing power. He knows how to break down our resistance and rebellion so gradually we come to want His control, ask for it, love it, and depend upon it.
His own gracious influences in us cause us to be willing to surrender ourselves to His leading and control.
A very small mechanism determines the direction of a ship. Properly manned, the rudder or helm will navigate a ship through stormy seas to harbor safety (vs. 4).
James refers to a ship.. probably a sailboat--a vessel which is incapable of movement on its own. It has no power of direction. It depends entirely upon the wind to move it and upon the helmsman to guide it. The ship goes where its captain wills.
James sees in the ship a parallel to man. Left to himself, he has no purposeful direction and does not have the capacity to choose a right course and pursue it.
He needs the Holy Spirit, the divine breath (the wind) to stir him to activity; and he needs the divine pilot at the helm of his life to keep him moving in a course that will eventually bring him to the heaven of rest on the glory shore of Heaven.
He needs to be assured he is going where the Captain of salvation wills to take him.
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