• 26 Syllablesthird Grade James Testing
• 26 Syllablesthird Grade James Tests

A Study of James - Lesson 9- James 3:1-12

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Chapter 3

The Teacher and the Tongue – (3:1-12)
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

James warns those who wish to be teachers that there is great accountability associated with the privilege of teaching others. A teacher must be a person who can control his speech—since the words he speaks will influence others—for good or evil. Much evil can be caused by a man who is careless in what he teaches to others by word or deed.

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. – James gives two reasons why we should be very cautious about becoming teachers:

First, because teachers come under greater scrutiny by God and men – as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

By God, because He will hold us accountable if we mislead others by our words or actions.

By men, because the teacher is in the limelight and is looked to for instruction and as an example of how we ought to live. People expect him to reflect in his life what he teaches in his words. God's truth is often put to shame by teachers who fall into open sin. A man's actions often speak louder than his words, and often the only lesson learned from a hypocritical teacher is how to be a hypocrite.

Second, because teachers are still human and subject to sin –we all stumble in many ways. Teachers are not 'super-saints' who have finally and forever conquered sin in their hearts and lives. They, like all other Christians, are forgiven sinners who battle daily with indwelling sin.

Teachers must always be vigilant to avoid stumbling. At the same time, those who learn from them must not place them on an exalted pedestal, holding them to a standard which no one can measure up to. Christ, the Great Shepherd, has given shepherds to His sheep, but we must never forget that these shepherds are themselves sheep.

If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. – A man's words betray what is in his heart. A person who is censorious and critical of others will usually display it first in his speech. A person who is easily provoked to anger will often erupt first in cruel, vicious words. He who is more interested in things of this world will generally let you know by the things he is fond of discussing. But a person who is careful to speak only those words that are edifying and God-honoring probably exercises self-control in his behavior as well—this is the kind of man who makes the best teacher.

able to bridle the whole body – This is our goal in Christian sanctification—at least from an outward perspective. To achieve this kind of self-control, we must begin with the tongue. To control the tongue, we need to address the heart-sins that lead to tongue-sins.

To address these heart-sins, we need to recognize them as sin (the tongue does a very good job of manifesting them to us), then confess them to God, requesting cleansing and strength to overcome these sins. Finally, we must make it a priority to resist the temptation to fall into such sin in the future.
James presents numerous illustrations to describe the tongue and its influences…

1.	A bit in the mouth of a horse.	Great, disastrous effects from a small member.
2.	A ship's rudder.
3.	A flame that sets an entire forest on fire.
4.	A world of iniquity, set on fire by hell.
5.	Unlike the animals of the earth, the wildest of which can be tamed by man. (see #1)	The tongue cannot be tamed by man.
6.	A fountain that sends forth both pure and bitter water.	The contradiction of a man who blesses God and curses men.
7.	A fig tree that produces olives.
8.	A vine that produces figs.
9.	Salt water that produces fresh water. (see #6)

Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well – A horse is full of wild, self-willed energy—until we put a bit in its mouth. By controlling the mouth of a horse, we gain mastery over the whole animal—directing him to go whichever way we wish, and restraining his desire to run wild. Similarly, the man who is able to control his own tongue is able to restrain his passions and keep his whole body in subjection to the Lord.

Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires – Just as a horse can be turned by the bit we put in its mouth, so also a great sailing ship, driven by strong winds, can be turned by a very small rudder to go wherever the pilot wishes it to go. This reminds us what a small member our tongue is, and yet what a great influence it has over our entire being. We should govern our tongues with the same thoughtful care that a pilot uses in a storm to guide his ship safely to harbor.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! – How many wildfires are started by a carelessly discarded cigarette or a smoldering match! In dry weather, it takes little more than a spark to set an entire forest ablaze in a towering inferno of intense heat, destroying thousands of acres of trees that will take half a century or more to replace. In the same way, a careless word can provoke anger, pain, or malicious rumors that escalate into a tremendous amount of irreparable devastation.

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. – The great evil resources of the tongue justify James in calling it the very world of iniquity. The unbridled tongue seems to know no limit to the varied and treacherous things it will say in order to injure and destroy, to spread the poison of lies and false teaching and to exert its dominion over others. The source of its fiery evil is hell itself – and the prince of darkness for whom hell was created…

Matthew 25:41 –Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

John 8:44 – You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The great wickedness provoked by the tongue, as well as the deceptions that originate from it, can make both the speaker and the hearer more fit for the fire of hell.

For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race – Whether we consider savage beasts, such as lions and bears, or birds, that are easily frightened and capable of flight (and therefore difficult to capture and subdue), or venomous animals, such as snakes, as well as domestic animals, such as horses and dogs—all have been tamed by man.

James uses the present tense 'is tamed,' as well as the past tense 'has been tamed,' reminding us that this is something that is commonly done—and not merely some great feat that was accomplished once a long time ago. Moreover, it is done by ordinary men without the need for supernatural miracles, as when God shut the mouths of the lions to protect Daniel, or when the ravens brought food to Elijah, or when the whale swallowed Jonah and spit him out on dry land.

But no one can tame the tongue; – The tongue is much more wild and unruly than any wild beast—it simply cannot be tamed by the skill of man, in the way that men can tame wild animals. Instead, supernatural power is required—the cleansing grace of God working in the heart of the sinner.

This serves as an indictment of the 'science' of Psychology, which seeks to provide naturalistic solutions to man's spiritual problems. Psychology seeks to modify the behavior through fleshly means, without giving glory to God, or acknowledging our helpless condition apart from His grace. Psychology views humans as mere animals—the most advanced form of animal, to be sure—but an animal just the same—and seeks to tame the human heart via the same techniques which one might use (e.g. rewards and punishments) to tame a wild animal. Yet, James assures us of the very thing that experience also teaches—namely, that people cannot become truly righteous apart from God's miraculous grace.

it is a restless evil – The word 'restless' (Grk: akataschetos) here means 'cannot be restrained, or unruly'. The tongue is not merely evil, but an evil that knows no bounds and cannot be contained, fenced or chained.

and full of deadly poison – The words it issues forth are like the venom of a deadly snake.

Romans 3:13 – 'THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,' 'THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS';

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing – Matthew Henry writes:

We are taught to think of the use we make of our tongues in religion and in the service of God, and by such a consideration to keep it from cursing, censuring, and everything that is evil on other occasions … How absurd it is that those who use their tongues in prayer and praise should ever use them in cursing, slandering, and the like! If we bless God as our Father, it should teach us to speak well of, and kindly to, all who bear his image. … Piety is disgraced in all the shows of it, if there be not charity.
—Matthew Henry's Commentary at James 3:9

My brethren, these things ought not to be this way – It should be self-evident that the true religion which honors God is one that acts in a consistently honorable and holy way before both men and God. Such inconsistency is the hallmark of hypocrisy.
Such contradictions are not found in nature:

• Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
• Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs?
• Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Our Lord said it this way:

Matthew 7:15-20 –Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Even if there were such a thing as a spring that issued forth both fresh and poisonous water at different times, who could trust it? If someone ever died from drinking its water, it would be labeled a poisonous spring, and men would avoid it.Just as a spring of water must consistently yield fresh water, so also the Christian ought consistently to speak words full of grace and wisdom, that are edifying to others and glorifying to God. And, though this may not presently be our consistent practice, it ought to be our fervent goal and prayer to God, as we diligently seek, by His grace, to learn to control our tongue.

Application

1.	Consider that your tongue often provides the first evidence of the condition of your heart. If your speech is vulgar or abusive, it reveals something about your heart. Act swiftly to address the heart problem whenever it is made manifest in your words.
2.	If you have opportunity to teach the Word, recognize the serious responsibility that attends the teaching of the Word, and be careful to teach only what is true, God-glorifying and edifying.
3.	Remember that a man who can keep his tongue under control can likely control all his actions. Therefore, self-control should begin with the tongue.
4.	Never forget what great harm our little tongue can do, and consider your words carefully before you speak them.
5.	Don't try to tame your tongue apart from God's grace—it simply cannot be done. Pray to God for the grace to keep your tongue under control.
6.	Avoid the hypocrisy of using your tongue to bless God and curse men. Seek to live a consistent Christian life that gives proper honor to both God and men.
7.	Remember the illustrations: a) the bit in a horse's mouth d) a world of iniquity g) a fig tree that produces olives b) a ship's rudder e) the taming of wild animals h) a vine that produces figs c) a flame that sets a forest on fire f) a fountain that sends forth both pure and bitter water i) salt water that produces fresh water

26 Syllablesthird Grade James Testing

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A Study of James Lesson 9

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26 Syllablesthird Grade James Tests