James 1:19-21
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Introduction
Introduction
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Know this - Understand this. Consider this.
21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
My beloved brothers - James often calls his readers brother affectionately reminding them of their common, familial relationship in the family of God. Through James was at a distance, he did not have that in his heart. He unreservedly and unconditional cared for those he called the dispersion or the scattered ones in the greeting of this letter.
Let every person be - James lays out several actions or dispositions which are required of all persons within the Christian community. The language give no person exception nor does it exclude anyone. Let every person be. How shall every person be, James? There are three things here: quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.
Quick to hear - Swift for the hearing. What are the readers to be quick to hear? ,
Word Pictures in the New Testament James 1:19
The picture points to listening to the word of truth (verse 18) and is aimed against violent and disputatious speech
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
James—Faith That Works Instructions on Accepting the Word (v. 19)
This was particularly important to the Jewish church because, apart from the Old Testament, there were no canonical Scriptures at this early date. Virtually all communication of the gospel was oral, when they met together in their house churches. Thus listening was imperative. Those who were not disciplined in listening ran the risk of spiritual impoverishment. It is not too dramatic to say that ready listeners gained for themselves a life-giving spiritual advantage.
Slow to speak - James is not saying the readers need to talk slow. He is advising them they ought to be patient and slow to begin talking. In short, he is calling those in the Christian community to think before they speak.
19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.
Slow to anger - James calls his audience to avoid being quick-tempered. The previous instructions are related to this. When one is quick to hear the Word, slow to speak in response to various situations, they will generally be more patient and less quick-tempered. The hearing and patience in speech contributes to eliminate hasty rage. James is warning against not listening well to God’s Word, speaking without thinking in the context of community and people becoming angry with one another as the fleshy, not Word saturated disagreements fly into a frenzies rage. Anger is often called speaking with conviction, frankness. It is blamed on one’s ancestry, upbringing or situational pressure.
29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
Anger is absolutely devastating in the context of community. It is especially dangerous for the offender because the disposition of anger never leads to a humble, hearing, and teachable spirit.
What should those in the Christian community be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry?
For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God - This type of anger which is not saturate with God’s Word is ugly and unrighteous. Fleshy anger even when disguised with spiritual language does not reflect the Way of Christ.
Often people believe they can accomplish something in the flesh, but apart from God grace and power nothing spiritual can occur. The out workings and outburst of the flesh does not bring about the type of life God desires for the Christian community.
22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness - Since these actions are sinful and harmful in the community of the saints, they are to be cast off.
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
And receive with meekness the implanted word - It is not enough to put away various forms and actions of unrighteousness. One must receive, take in, accept with humility and lowliness the implanted word.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Four: Quit Kidding Yourself (James 1:19–27)
Meekness is the opposite of “wrath” in James 1:19–20. When you receive the Word with meekness, you accept it, do not argue with it, and honor it as the Word of God. You do not try to twist it to conform it to your thinking.
What does he mean by implanted word? James refers to what is necessary for the Word of God to change his hearers. The Word must be lodged in the heart, into the inner man. The seed of the Word must be sown into the soul of man. There and only there will God give it increase. In truth, the Word will not be in the heart of man until he hears it rightly with his ear.
24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.
18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”
Which is able to save your souls - The Word of God possesses inherent power and ability. By the sovereign, omnipotence of God, those who humbly receive the Word are delivered and rescued. God liberates their souls as his Word is accepted as it as and embedded in the inner man.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Practical Application
Practical Application
How can one become a better hearer in general and of God’s Word specifically?
Have you become dull of hearing?
11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.