james 3 commentary spurgeon
Does your mouth spew grumbling and complaints? But beware of setting the bar too low by worrying about numbers. see Ps 10:4) is full of curses and deceit and oppression. "Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end" (Proverbs 19:20). And our first parents, Adam and Eve, lost their innocence for the same reason. But even better is to daily rest in Gods Spirit, hearing Pauls challenge, Let your conversation be always full of grace (Colossians 4:6), so that our words will not only honor our Lord, but lift up and encourage those around us. But when the Lord controls our tongue, 1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. ), Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. That proud old self must die. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable. (BKC). Zelos describeswanting what belongs to someone else without regard for their rights. By the deeds that you do, by the words that you say; A bit in a horses mouth can turn the animal to the right or to the left (v.3). Righteousness bears fruit after its kind, and that is peace. 6:18; 2 Sam. Let the words of Paul help you to rearrange and prioritize what type of wisdom you allow into your mind and heart -, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Jonah Matthew Henry, Unaided wisdom, with its strongest wing, can only flutter in the vale of vanity. Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:8 God's First Words to the First Sinner Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:9-12 Man's Readiness to Invent Excuse for Sin Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:9-12 Christ the Conqueror of Satan Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Genesis 3:15 Christ the Conqueror of Satan Charles Haddon Spurgeon Genesis 3:16 As the Holy Spirit purifies our heart, he gives us self-control so that we will speak words that please God. We are so apt to say, of someone in trouble, 'It is his own fault' or 'She brought it on herself', and therefore to feel no responsibility ourselves. reliance on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. All rights reserved), You're writing a "gospel," a chapter each day, Natural wisdom is that when come from the mind of fallen, unredeemed men, and therefore is able to only reflect a totally humanistic viewpoint regarding the world and men. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. James 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. It has no place for God or the things of God. (Ibid), MacArthur -The wisdom that is of the world, that is based on man's own understanding, standards, and objectives, is false and ungodly. Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. (Ibid). An attack by one of these dangerous animals would fulfill every person's worst nightmare. While I acknowledge that it is not always wrong to sue, I was moved by the choice of those parents to follow the pure, peaceable, and gentle way (Jas. . When we do that, we starve the evil that is gnawing insidiously at the root of our soul. He can tame the untamable. We think of the curses that Shimei directed against David, the Lord's anointed (2 Sam. But if we must speak, let's talk of those things that encourage and move others closer to God, not those things that will discourage and hurt them. This is nature's way of trying to get by contention what it desires to possess,-fighting, and warring, and killing, yet the result of all this is nil. James 3:17. A bitter word may hate instill; By image they meant a person's physical and intellectual nature; by likeness they meant a person's moral being. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.". Who among you is wise and understanding? Natural is also translated sensual (KJV, NKJV, ASV) which aptly describes this earthlywisdom as that which seeks to accommodate our (animalistic) senses. Hagnos implies sincere, moral and spiritual integrity. The heart is the fountainhead of every word, either corrupting it or correcting it. Or after we've spoken harsh words to the kids. 1:5; 2 Tim. GNT James 3:7 , . Elsewhere the rendering is natural, as in the contrast between the natural body and the spiritual body in 1 Cor. Now James contrasts false wisdom (James 3:14-16) with true (godly) wisdom he has just exhorted his readers to demonstrate through his works out of good behavior and gentleness of wisdom. NIV James 3:9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Are you reading secular books (self-help, etc, which have now infiltrated Christian bookstores!) Any Christian can ask for the grace needed, for God gives good gifts (James 1:17) and gives them generously (James 1:5). In the same way, a pool of salt water can't produce fresh water. He thanked the Lord for the food, for the day, and for their home. John Mistakes are inevitable when we are learning a second language, including learning the new language of Gods love. When I became a Christian as a young teenager, I remember watching closely the men of our church. Prejudice cannot survive in soil from that ground. (Ibid). J. I. Packer, Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength. BBE James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell. To use words that will edify, . But it is also, as Calvin says, an " instrument for catching, encouraging, and increasing the fires of hell." 4:2+; Col. 3:12+; 2 Tim. The only other use of eirenikos is Heb 12:11+ "All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." So the parents appealed to the clothing and slide manufacturers to correct the problems that led to the death of their daughter. Design flaws in both the clothing and the slide made this an accident waiting to happen. Its work can be so subtle that it sometimes escapes notice until the damage is done.". (ED: cf Jn 5:19, 30, Jn 8:28, Jn 9:4, Jn 12:49, 14:10)(Ibid), Wisdom(4678) see preceding note onsophia. 5:22, 23+). James pictures the tongue as a death bringing king cobra always ready to strike. "Fervent lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross" (Proverbs 26:23). Selah. Embarrassed, he turned to his partner and said, "I don't know why I said that. Each captain was aware of the other ships presence and both could have taken evasive action to avert the collision. Mitton aptly calls this "an ascending scale of wickedness! Amplified Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? The Gospel of Christ (for this is what is here, as so often in the New Testament, meant by the truth) has for its spirit love, meekness, longsuffering; and thus the wisdom which Christ gives through that truth reveals itself in these graces: if ye, then, have in your hearts envy, and self-seeking, and contentiousness, to boast of these as being His wisdom is to lie against Him and His truth. The statement that to give the name of Christian wisdom to a condition of mind and heart such as has been described in the first clause of the fourteenth verse, is to boast and lie against Gods truth, is supported and illustrated in the two verses that follow. "The many acts of practical mercy mature in a rich harvest of variegated fruit." 3:17). His question does not imply that none is wise but challenges to self-examination those who rashly assume that they are. Verses 1-18. 1:29; Rom. 32:17). Brian Bell -In these verses James illustrates the Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde tongues tendency. Used in the Nestle-Aland text is James 1:8+of the doubting man who is unstable in all areas of lifeand here in James 3:8, describing the tongue as incapable of restraint. Have (echo) is in the present tenseindicating they were doing so as their habitual practice (even believerswrestle with these sins from time to time but not all the time). This wisdom does not require a high IQ or a great SAT score. David lied to Ahimelech the priest and occasioned his murder by King Saul (1 Sam. Commentary on James 3:1-12 (Read James 3:1-12) We are taught to dread an unruly tongue, as one of the greatest evils. NET James 3:11 A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? The principal explained that this was a select group of young people, chosen not just for their singing but also for their Christian testimony and their walk with the Lord. C. T. Studd, The heart is the metal of the bell, the tongue but the clapper. Richard Sibbes, To know God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, is the highest principle and perfection of man. 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+). In this life of course, no believer will reach perfection in thearea of "tongue control", but our daily goal should be steady progression toward greater and greater degrees of Christ-likeness as we learn to rely wholly on His Holy Spirit. Pride prattles on and on. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed that the accident was caused by human stubbornness. By:Bill Crowder(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. 8:63; 1 Ki. My tongue control today; He asked God for wisdom, and God supernaturally answered his prayer and gave him so much that he was famous for it. 4 vols, Sangster, 1867 Greenfield, W., . 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. 2:35; 1 Ki. "Perverseness therein is a breaking of the spirit" (Proverbs 15:4). The little cup barely affords a draught to the traveller, and yet, because it fails not, what a multitude of weary wayfarers does it refresh and invigorate, generation after generation; and how green and beautiful the little rill that trickles from it keeps a long stretch of the mountain-side! NRS James 3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. Christian: At this Christian modestly smiled, and said: This man, with whom you are so taken, will beguile, with that tongue of his, twenty of them that know him not. Of course James may also be speaking to some individual whoprofessed belief, but they would not be able to carry out this command (evidence that they were "professors" and not "possessors" of Christ). Confess that your bitterness is a sin that is keeping you miserably distant from God. Abraham Lincoln, Blessed are they who have nothing to say and who cannot be persuaded to say it. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison. As we draw on Gods wisdom through His Word, we can smother the sparks of dissension and instead speak words of peace. This heavenly wisdom is "ready for peace," desiring and fostering peace by restraining discord and pacifying the turbulent elements around it. Lord, help me to think before I speak, to check my heart. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere. Malachi False wisdom does not recognize God's sovereignty, God's will, or God's truth. Bitter waters were made sweet at Marah when a divinely revealed tree was cast into them (Exod. Phusisis that which belongs to a person or thing by virtue of its origin, then, its essential character. Nature speaks of the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing. In this context the moral character is clearly evil. But one thing is certainthe Spirit of Christ is not found in a spirit of envy and self-serving competition. In a similar way, Saul's jealousy eventually caused his own destruction. Verse 1. It will then be too late to mend its appearance. To tame our tongues, we need Gods help. This attainment, infinitely above all others, constitutes true wisdom. : Pass. Speiro is used figuratively to describe the sowing of the "seed" of the Word of God, the Gospel (="the word of the kingdom" -Mt13:19, cpMk 4:1415,16,18), "the ideas and precepts that have been implanted like seed in their hearts, ie, received in their hearts (Mk 4:18)." 2 Samuel (Eph 6:16+). ESV Study Bible on selfish ambition -Selfish ambition is a divisive willingness to split the group in order to achieve personal power and prestige (it is translated rivalry in Gal. But one man in our church did not set a good Christian example, and he caused me great confusion. And as Solomon says, "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain" (Prov. "The king's favor is toward a servant that dealeth wisely" (Proverbs 14:35). Don't let your tongue speak evil (Psalm 34:13). The tongue is a little member and boasts great things. The rock from which they sprang determined the quality of the water, such as at Elim or conversely at Marah. The following psalms echo the words of James Psalm10:7 His mouth (Whose mouth? NLT James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. Hiebert adds that "The basic thought of eritheiaseems to be that of one who, for personal advantage, works to promote a definite cause in an unethical manner. Be arrogant(2620)(Katakauchaomaifromkata= against +kauchaomai= to boast) means to boast against. As Kistemaker remarks, "We see this displayed in a circus performance where wild animals obey their trainer who merely cracks a whip, snaps his fingers, or claps his hands." Many of us are skilled at. 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+)." YLT James 3:9 with it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God; NAB James 3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. (Ibid), Hiebert on peaceable -"Then peace-loving" names the first of the external qualities flowing from the inner purity of this wisdom. Rom. So, however little the cup of cold water be that you are able to give in Christs name, it will refresh many hearts in a lifetime if it be kept ever full, ever ready. Envy and bitterness hurts you as well as others.Do you rejoice when others succeed or do you have a secret envy, bitterness, and criticalness in your heart? Rightly understood, then, brethren, you cannot but feel how searching and scathing this word of the apostle is; and it is interesting to notice, that the very same tempers which are here denounced as unspiritual, merely of the soul, are those which the Apostle Paul specifies as peculiarly grieving to that Divine Spirit through whose indwelling alone mans spirit has rule over his lower nature. Thanked the Lord for the same opening, does it you miserably distant from God heavenly. Packer, wisdom is `` ready for peace, '' desiring and fostering peace by restraining discord pacifying... Her perfect work, that thou mayest be james 3 commentary spurgeon in thy latter end (! 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