Sermon Tone Analysis

Gene B. Burnes

 

PTH808

 

7 July 2007

 

 

The Causes and Cures of Conflict in a Christian Community:

A Case Study of James 3 and 4. 

           

      In Chapters 3 and 4 of his epistle, James deals with a conflict in a Christian community.

The aim of this paper is to look at what this conflict was and how James deals with it to see if what he says has any relevance in dealing with conflict in Christian communities today.

My reason for choosing these two chapters to study the subject of conflict management is that James*’* approach in dealing with this particular conflict is unique from the rest of the New Testament.

In the rest of the New Testament, conflict is dealt with through reconciliation (cp.

Mat.

5:23ff) and agreement (cp.

Phil.

4:2).

James, on the other hand, deals with conflict by identifying its fundamental causes and then by showing his readers how to correct them.

My outline will cover four topics: (1) the conflict James is addressing; (2) the causes of this conflict; (3) the cures for this conflict; and (4) how James can help us deal with conflict in Christian communities today.

The first topic we will cover is the conflict James is addressing.

We need to begin this topic by tying Chapters 3 and 4 together.

Although we usually disjoin these two chapters, and the various elements within them, their content and structure tie them together.

In Chapter 3, James writes about a conflict that was created by bad speech (vss.

1-12) and by bad thinking (3:13-18).

In Chapter 4:1-12, he tells his readers where this conflict came from and how to stop it.

The question in 4:1, “πόθεν πόλεμοι καὶ πόθεν μάχαι ἐν ὑμῖν,” assumes the previously mentioned conflict in Chapter 3.  If Chapter 3 is not tied to Chapter 4, we would be left wondering what conflict James is referring to in Chapter 4.  Structurally Chapter 3 lays out what the conflict is and Chapter 4 lays out what the causes and cures for it are.

What is the conflict that James is writing about in these two chapters?

James does not give a detailed account of this conflict.

Rather, he only touches on the major issues involved.

The reason for this is because the community he was writing to already knew what the conflict was about.

Therefore, James*’* main concern is not to tell them what they already knew, but to tell them how to overcome their clash.

We can, however, deduce what the conflict was about by studying both the causes that James identifies for it and the cures that he tells this Christian community they must follow to fix it.

It appears that there were certain persons in this community who wanted to be teachers.

This is seen in three words that James uses: διδάσκαλος, σοφὸς, and ἐπιστήμων.

The first word is διδάσκαλος, which is the usual New Testament word for teacher (3:1) (/BDAG /διδάσκαλος).

The second word is σοφὸς (3:13).

Although σοφὸς is generally translated “wisdom,” it can also mean “teacher” (/WPTN/ James 3:13).

In rabbinic circles, σοφὸς became a technical term used to describe a scribe or ordained rabbi who was trained in the Torah (/TDNT/ 7:505, Ropes 244).

In this context James probably uses σοφος to mean teacher because of the presence of the third word that James uses, which is ἐπιστήμων (3:13) (cp.

Martin 128).

Ἐπιστήμων refers to one who is an expert in any field (/BAGD/ ἐπιστήμων 1).

In the Old Testament, when σοφὸς and ἐπιστήμων are found together, they refer to one who has a correct understanding of God (Deut.

1:13, 4:6).

In James Chapter 3, we get the idea that James is referring to persons who are thinking, at least in their own minds, that they are expert teachers regarding the things of God.

The context suggests that these persons are not teachers yet.

In 3:1, James tells the community that not many of them should become teachers, inferring that some in the congregation wanted to be teachers but were not.

The context also suggests that their desire to become teachers was denied (4:2).

It seems as though when these would-be teachers were denied, they responded with a barrage of negative responses.

They became vindictive (3:9f), bitter (3:14), jealous (3:14), and belligerent (3:16).

These responses appear to have thrown the community into turmoil and conflict.

For whatever reason, the community did not handle this well and James stepped in to help.

The second topic we will cover is the causes of this conflict.

Broadly speaking, the cause of all conflict is sin (cp.

Gen. 3).

James mentions that these Christians were guilty of three sins that caused this conflict:  an undisciplined tongue, unspiritual wisdom, and unrestrained passions.

The first cause of this conflict that James identifies is an undisciplined tongue.

Although James is talking about the physical tongue in Chapter 3 (cp.

vs. 5), it is not the tongue, in and of itself, that is the cause of this conflict; rather, it is the bad speech that their tongues produced.

In this sense, he uses the tongue metaphorically for what is spoken.

This metaphorical use of the tongue could refer to one of two kinds of spoken words in Chapter 3. 

On the one hand, it could refer to teachings.

This comes from the dative ἐν λόγῳ (3:2).

The term λόγος in the New Testament can mean what is taught (cp. 1 Cor.

1:18, 2 Cor.

5:19, Matt.

22:1).

Since James is addressing would-be teachers, one could argue that the term λόγος in 3:2 refers to the doctrine that these people were teaching or wanted to teach.

On the other hand, the tongue could refer simply to speech.

Because James is talking about specific blessings and curses that are spoken of in Chapter 3, he is, more likely, using the tongue to refer to speech rather than doctrine.

We can refine this comment a little bit.

The phrase ἐν λόγῳ is also used in the New Testament to mean the quality of what is said (cp. 2 Cor.

6:7).

Therefore, James is using the tongue in this chapter not only to refer to what these persons spoke, but also the quality of what they spoke.

The problem with these would-be teachers*’* tongues was that what they spoke was undisciplined; they did not exercise control over what they said.

This is seen in the phrase οὐδεὶς δαμάσαι δύναται (3:8).

The basal meaning of δαμάζω is “to reduce from an uncontrolled to a controlled state” (/BDAG/ δαμάζω).

When used of animals, it means to “tame” (/LSJ/ δαμάζω I 1).

Because James is setting the tongue (3:8) parallel with animals (3:7), he is probably using δαμάζω to speak of training or disciplining.

These people*’*s tongues were not trained or disciplined.

This thought is also seen in the word ἀκαταστᾰτος, which James uses to qualify the tongue (3:8).

Ἀκατάστατος is often translated “restless” (/BAGD /ἀκατάστατος, RSV) but can also mean “disorderly” (/LSJ/ ἀκαταστᾰτος), pointing again to the undisciplined nature of their tongues.

It would seem that these would-be teachers said whatever they wanted to say regardless of the consequences.

The product of these undisciplined tongues was vindictiveness and vilification.

This is seen in the words κατάρα, καταράομαι, κρίνω, καταλαλέω, which James uses in these chapters.

The first word, κατάρα, and its verbal form, καταράομαι (3:9f), have the meaning of “to curse.”

In the ancient world, the curse was the execution of a human or divine judgment on someone (/TDNT/ 1:449, cp.

Gal.

3:10, Heb.

6:8).

This family of words means “to cause injury or harm by means of a statement regarded as having some supernatural power” (/LN/ 33.471).

The next word that he uses is κρίνω (4:11).

Κρίνω is the usual New Testament word for the judicial process (/BDAG// /κρίνω 5).

This word was used when a person was handed over for judicial punishment (/BDAG// /κρίνω 5) or when a sentence was passed upon someone (/LSJ// /κρίνω).

It can also mean “condemn” (/LSJ// /κρίνω).

The last word that he uses is καταλαλέω (4:11).

In the LXX, καταλαλέω translates the Hebrew דבר in the piel and niphel when it is used in the sense of “hostile speaking” (Job 19:3, Ps. 43:16 BH) (/TDNT /4:3).

Though used sparingly in the New Testament, καταλαλέω means to speak “degradingly of,” “speak evil of,” “defame,” and “slander” (/BDAG/ καταλαλέω).

James*’* point is that these people had not trained their tongues to speak what was edifying (cp.

Eph.

4:30).

Rather, they were using their tongues to destroy people.

The second cause of conflict that James identifies is unspiritual wisdom.

James mentions three kinds of wisdom in Chapter 3.  The first kind of wisdom we have already identified as a teacher.

The next two kinds of wisdom are found in 3:13-17.

The first he labels as σοφία ἄνωθεν (3:15, 17) and the second he characterizes as ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης (3:15).

The principal meaning of σοφὸς is “to be skilled at a handicraft” (/LSJ/ σοφος 1).

The word could be used of an architect because he was skilled in building buildings (/BDAG/ σοφος 8, cp. 1 Cor.

3:10) or of a craftsman because he could create a work of art (cp.

Ex. 31:3 LXX).

In intellectual matters it spoke of one who was practical and prudent (/LSJ/ σοφος 6).