Chapter Three

Warning against the passion for teaching and generally against unbridled speech (1–12). True and false wisdom (13–18).

James 3:1. My brothers! Do not become many teachers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment, James 3:2. for we all stumble in many ways. Whoever does not stumble in word is a perfect man, able to bridle even his whole body. Many people, avoiding the difficult work of keeping God’s commandments and living out the principles of truth, justice, and love, are inclined to replace action with words; such people, lacking faith and the good works that correspond to faith, are all the more disposed to misuse speech, to quarreling, and to self-appointed teaching. This last phenomenon typically appears especially when new teaching emerges. The Jews in the time of Jesus Christ were particularly inclined toward teaching, for which the Lord rebuked them (Matt 23:7-8) and the holy Apostle Paul (Rom 2:17-22). Among Judeo-Christian readers of James’ epistle, such passion for self-appointed teaching was apparently also widespread. Knowing how dangerous teaching is from those not yet firmly grounded in moral principles, Apostle James warns his readers against such willful, self-appointed teaching, not addressing, of course, the teachers and evangelists who existed in the early church and were specially called and appointed to preach the gospel and possessed special gifts of grace for teaching (1 Cor 12:29; Eph 4:11). The Apostle urges those wishing to teach to seriously examine their ability for this, but above all to consider whether a person has self-control to bridle their own tongue: the difficulty of this quality, being a sign of high moral perfection in one who possesses this ability, should warn most people against attempting such difficult and responsible work, which threatens the unworthy teacher with only greater condemnation. The reason for this is universal human sinfulness, especially manifesting itself in connection with the improper use of the gift of speech. All people sin, but for self-appointed teachers there is double danger of sin and punishment. “Some take it upon themselves to teach what they themselves have not accomplished. Such teachers, he says, receive no benefit, but are subject to greater condemnation. For whoever teaches what he himself does not possess, as if he does, is worthy of condemnation because he sins with his own tongue” (Blessed Theophilus).

James 3:3. Behold, we put bits in the mouths of horses so that they obey us, and we control their whole body. James 3:4. Behold, also ships, though they are so large and driven by strong winds, are guided by a small rudder wherever the pilot wishes; Here the Apostle uses two vivid comparisons that express very well the thought (stated in the second half of Jas 3:2) that whoever bridles his own tongue can bridle his whole being, his entire existence. “The mentioned possibility is confirmed by two examples… Look: we put a bridle on horses, and with a small rudder, as with a small bridle, we steer ships where we want. Similarly, the tongue must be governed by sound reason, though it is called a world (cosmos) of injustice in the world’s use. For the Apostle calls a multitude here a world” (Blessed Theophilus). Why does bridling the tongue have such essential significance in a person’s moral life? “Certainly, because the tongue, as the organ of speech, participates in clothing in conscious forms the sins and vices of all members of the human body. We think in words. God’s sin, rising to thought, necessarily clothes itself in the form of words, which are the productions of the tongue… The human tongue, therefore, is as it were the seat of all vices needing first to be clothed in the forms of words before their execution” (Bishop George).

James 3:5. So also the tongue—it is a small member, but it accomplishes much. See, a small fire sets ablaze how much timber! James 3:6. And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members in such a position that it defiles the whole body and inflames the circle of life, being itself set on fire by hell. The description continues in powerful figurative expressions of the destructive effects of unbridled speech. The harm and general destructive action of the sins of the tongue is compared to a huge fire beginning from a small spark. The character or nature of this fire is indicated by the hyperbolic expression “the world of injustice,” that is, injustice, lies, and all kinds of evil arising from human misuse of the gift of speech. The sins of the tongue as an organ that stands out among other members of the body defile, corrupt the whole body, the entire spiritual-bodily organism of a person, all his strivings, intentions, and actions. The fire of evil and destruction, kindled by unbridled speech, inflames, scorches, and burns with the fire of passions the whole wheel of human life (the wheel of birth), being in turn nothing but an instrument of hellfire and the devil.

James 3:7. For every nature of beasts and birds, creeping things and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by human nature, James 3:8. but no human can tame the tongue: it is an uncontrollable evil; it is full of deadly poison. The evil of unbridled speech, depending on the influence of a superhuman, demonic power, is difficult to overcome by human natural powers. At creation itself a person received from God the blessing to have dominion over all living things on earth (Gen 1:26-28; see Gen 9:2) and by virtue of this divine command he even now rules over all kinds of animals. But such is the power of sin and evil that it appears as an untameable beast, spewing out, like a poisonous serpent, deadly poison (compare Ps 139:4). Yet, while artfully and powerfully describing the unutterable harm of misusing the gift of speech, Apostle James certainly considers not only struggle but also victory over this evil possible for a person, but only with the help of God’s grace. “If a person tames beasts different from him in nature, then all the more can he tame his own member. ‘No one can tame it.’ This should be read not in the affirmative but in the interrogative form; that is: if a person tames and makes tame the untameable beasts, then will he not tame his own tongue? That’s how it should be read. For if you read it in the affirmative form, it would be unjust to then give the following instruction: ‘this is not to be so, my brothers’ (v. 10)” (Blessed Theophilus).

James 3:9. With it we bless God and the Father, and with it we curse people, who are made in God’s likeness. James 3:10. From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing: this ought not to be so, my brothers. Unbridled speech leads to such an unnatural phenomenon as blessing and curse coming from the same mouth, which is all the more monstrous and criminal because both blessing and curse have, in essence, one and the same object—God: God, the Author of all creation, we praise, glorify, bless (Ps 145:1-2) and at the same time curse people created in the image of God, consequently we speak evil against God himself in his created image—human beings. Such is the great inconsistency and hidden poison of the tongue, misusing the God-given ability of speech. “The Apostle wants to touch his listeners. If we are commanded to bless all, since the evil-speakers will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:10), how is it not shameful to use the same instrument for evil and for good? No sensible person would mix mud and ointment with the same instrument. Are you praying? Do not curse an enemy. For there is great distance between prayer and curse. If you do not forgive the one who offended you, then you yourself will not receive forgiveness” (Matt 6:12) (Blessed Theophilus).

James 3:11. Does a spring send forth sweet and bitter water from the same opening? James 3:12. Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grape vine bear figs? So also one spring cannot produce salt and fresh water. Wishing to imprint more firmly on the minds of his readers the thought expressed (Jas 3:10) about the unnaturalness of using the tongue for curse when it is meant for blessing, the holy Apostle here, in verses 11–12, through examples—springs that produce only one kind of water (bitter, fresh, salt) and various fruit trees—the fig tree, olive tree, grapevine, each consistently bearing fruit according to its kind—shows how entirely abnormal, how contrary to nature is the misuse of the tongue mentioned. Thus a person who has cursed his neighbor, created in God’s image, cannot sincerely and in a way pleasing to God praise God; his praise of God can only be insincere, pretentious, pharisaical.

James 3:13. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. After such detailed development of the thought about the need for and difficulty of bridling the tongue, the Apostle returns to the main subject of his exhortation (Jas 3:1)—not to strive to be many teachers. Only a wise, intelligent person can be a true teacher, one both wise and understanding: in biblical Hebrew usage (see, for example, Deut 1:13) these two concepts, closely related to each other, express the full scope of both theoretical and practical wisdom. The holy Apostle, directing his speech against those who misused speech, emphasizes the practical dimension—“wise or understanding, show this through a good life, through deeds done with wise gentleness.” Applied to the Christian teacher, this teaching of the Apostle reminds us of the Savior’s instruction to the apostles about dove-like gentleness joined with serpent-like wisdom (Matt 10:16).

James 3:14. But if you have bitter envy and contention in your heart, do not boast and lie against the truth. James 3:15. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic, James 3:16. for where there is envy and contention, there is disorder and every evil practice. Having in mind the fuller characterization below (Jas 3:17) of true wisdom, the Apostle here shows what is not true wisdom. The marks of such false wisdom are: bitter envy or jealousy in the bad sense and selfish ambition—qualities directly opposite to “wise gentleness” (Jas 3:13). This false wisdom, being merely a parody of true wisdom, has an origin directly opposite to heavenly wisdom. False wisdom does not descend from above from God (Jas 1:15); rather, it is entirely earthly, exclusively belonging to the world hostile to God (Jas 4:4); not spiritual but unspiritual; not divine but demonic (v. 15). The character and origin of this false wisdom is witnessed by its fruits, which are: “disorder and every kind of wickedness” (v. 16), which is absolutely foreign to God, for God is not a God of disorder but of peace (1 Cor 14:33).

James 3:17. But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. James 3:18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. For fruitful and saving teaching, “wisdom coming from above” is needed, that is, from God (Jas 1:17). In the depiction of Apostle James, this wisdom is first pure: purity and holiness are the fundamental properties of true wisdom. Then follow three qualities that form the opposite of the envy and ambition of false wisdom: true wisdom is a) peaceable—spreading only peace around it; b) gentle or modest; c) accommodating, easy to be entreated. Then comes the most positive property of true wisdom: “full of mercy and good fruits”—rich in acts of benevolent love, which is the essential property of godliness (Jas 1:27). Finally—“without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy,” free from doubts about the truths of faith and absolutely sincere, straightforward. “Thus seven qualities of divine wisdom are indicated: it represents as it were a seven-colored beautiful rainbow, all the colors of which are decompositions of one basic color of wisdom—its purity and holiness” (Bishop George). In the concluding verse 18 of the chapter, it is shown that the fruits of true wisdom—in contrast to the harmful fruits of false wisdom (Jas 3:16)—are righteousness and peace both among the preachers of true wisdom and among those who receive the word of their preaching. “A person endowed with true wisdom and called to preach the gospel teaches it, maintaining the peace and harmony befitting Christian faith with those who with gentle and peaceful hearts receive the seed of God’s word and show themselves to be good soil for it to bear fruit” (Hieromonk Theoctist).