James 3:1-12
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The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: The World’s Smallest but Largest Troublemaker (James 3:1–12)
THE WORLD’S SMALLEST BUT LARGEST TROUBLEMAKER
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: The World’s Smallest but Largest Troublemaker (James 3:1–12)
James has explained to us two characteristics of the mature Christian: he is patient in trouble (James 1) and he practices the truth (James 2). In this section, he shares the third characteristic of the mature believer: he has power over his tongue.
THE WORLD’S SMALLEST BUT LARGEST TROUBLEMAKER
THE WORLD’S SMALLEST BUT LARGEST TROUBLEMAKER
James has explained to us two characteristics of the mature Christian: he is patient in trouble () and he practices the truth (). In this section, he shares the third characteristic of the mature believer: he has power over his tongue.
James has explained to us two characteristics of the mature Christian: he is patient in trouble () and he practices the truth (). In this section, he shares the third characteristic of the mature believer: he has power over his tongue.
Why does the Tongue get us in trouble ?
The Christians that James wrote to were apparently having serious problems with their tongues. James had warned them to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (). The believer who does not bridle his tongue is not truly religious (). We must speak and act as though we were already facing Christ in judgment ().
And then when you read passages like , , you get the impression that this assembly must have had some interesting meetings!
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: The World’s Smallest but Largest Troublemaker (James 3:1–12)
James 3:1–12
When you read passages like , , you get the impression that this assembly must have had some interesting meetings!
The New King James Version Chapter 4
Where do 1wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure athat war in your members?
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
The Christians that James wrote to were apparently having serious problems with their tongues. James had warned them to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (). The believer who does not bridle his tongue is not truly religious (). We must speak and act as though we were already facing Christ in judgment (). When you read passages like , , you get the impression that this assembly must have had some interesting meetings!
The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. What a privilege!
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seven: The World’s Smallest but Largest Troublemaker (James 3:1–12)
The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. What a privilege! But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart. The ability to speak words is the ability to influence others and accomplish tremendous tasks; and yet we take this ability for granted.
The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. What a privilege!
But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart. The ability to speak words is the ability to influence others and accomplish tremendous tasks; and yet we take this ability for granted.
If we can only bridle the tongue the whole body will follow
Power is dangerous in the wrong hands that why we need to control our power (tongue) and James opens up the passage in chapter 3 with a warning.
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
Apparently, everybody in the assembly wanted to teach and be a spiritual leader, for James had to warn them: “Not many of you should act as teachers, my brothers”
Perhaps they were impressed with the authority and prestige of the office, and forgot about the tremendous responsibility and accountability!
Teachers must practice what they teach; otherwise, their teaching is hypocrisy. Think of the damage that can be done by a teacher who is unprepared, or whose spiritual life is not up to par.
During World War II we were accustomed to seeing posters that read LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS! But loose lips also wreck lives. A person makes an unguarded statement and suddenly finds himself involved in a fight. His tongue has forced the rest of his body to defend itself.
Throughout the rest of the chapter he make analogies and points to six things. He is drawing on information that they would be familiar with.
Importance of Controlled Speech
Importance of Controlled Speech
In order to impress on us the importance of controlled speech, and the great consequences of our words, James gave us six pictures of the tongue:
The bit, the rudder, fire, a poisonous animal, a fountain, and a fig tree.
The bit, the rudder, fire, a poisonous animal, a fountain, and a fig tree.
You can put these six pictures into three meaningful classifications that reveal the three powers of the tongue.
Three Types of POWER
Three Types of POWER
You can put these six pictures into three meaningful classifications that reveal the three powers of the tongue.
Power is dangerous in the wrong hands that why we need to control our power (tongue) and James opens up the passage in chapter 3 with a warning.
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
Apparently, everybody in the assembly wanted to teach and be a spiritual leader, for James had to warn them: “Not many of you should act as teachers, my brothers”
Perhaps they were impressed with the authority and prestige of the office, and forgot about the tremendous responsibility and accountability!
Teachers must practice what they teach; otherwise, their teaching is hypocrisy. Think of the damage that can be done by a teacher who is unprepared, or whose spiritual life is not up to par.
During World War II we were accustomed to seeing posters that read LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS! But loose lips also wreck lives. A person makes an unguarded statement and suddenly finds himself involved in a fight. His tongue has forced the rest of his body to defend itself.
Now on to the three types of power...
Three Types of POWER
Three Types of POWER
Three Types of POWER
Three Types of POWER
Power to Direct, Power to Destroy, Power to Delight
Power to Direct, Power to Destroy, Power to Delight
1 - Power to Direct
1 - Power to Direct
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
1- Power to Direct
1- Power to Direct
3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
The power to Direct is illustrated but the Bit and the Rudder
Perhaps they were impressed with the authority and prestige of the office, and forgot about the tremendous responsibility and accountability!
Teachers must practice what they teach; otherwise, their teaching is hypocrisy. Think of the damage that can be done by a teacher who is unprepared, or whose spiritual life is not up to par.
During World War II we were accustomed to seeing posters that read LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS! But loose lips also wreck lives. A person makes an unguarded statement and suddenly finds himself involved in a fight. His tongue has forced the rest of his body to defend itself.
The power to Direct is illustrated but the Bit and the Rudder
In selecting the bit and the rudder (“helm” in means “rudder”), James presented two items that are small of themselves, yet exercise great power, just like the tongue. A small bit enables the rider to control the great horse, and a small rudder enables the pilot to steer the huge ship. The tongue is a small member in the body, and yet it has the power to accomplish great things.
Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces. The bit must overcome the wild nature of the horse, and the rudder must fight the winds and currents that would drive the ship off its course.
The human tongue also must overcome contrary forces. We have an old nature that wants to control us and make us sin. There are circumstances around us that would make us say things we ought not to say. Sin on the inside and pressures on the outside are seeking to get control of the tongue.
This means that both the bit and the rudder must be under the control of a strong hand. The expert horseman keeps the mighty power of his steed under control, and the experienced pilot courageously steers the ship through the storm. When Jesus Christ controls the tongue, then we need not fear saying the wrong things—or even saying the right things in a wrong way!
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” warned Solomon ().
No wonder David prayed,
“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing” ().
David knew that the heart is the key to right speech.
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” ().
When Jesus Christ is the Lord of the heart, then He is Lord of the lips too.
The bit and rudder have the power to direct, which means they affect the lives of others. A runaway horse or a shipwreck could mean injury or death to pedestrians or passengers. The words we speak affect the lives of others. A judge says “Guilty!” or “Not Guilty!” and those words affect the destiny of the prisoner, his family, and his friends.
Never underestimate the guidance you give by the words you speak or do not speak. Jesus spoke to a woman at a well, and her life and the lives of her neighbors experienced a miraculous change (). Peter preached at Pentecost and 3,000 souls came to salvation through faith in Christ ().
Give personal example of using tongue for good and bad
Joshua used the tongue to separate to good fighters
2- Power to Destroy James 3:5-8
2- Power to Destroy James 3:5-8
James 3:5-8
James 3:5-8
5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
The power to destroy is illustrated by Fire and poisonous animals
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Talk about being in a fire and devastation left behind. The smoke and charred smell. Fire in Georgia, The New Jersey fire.
Me starting a fire with munitions then putting it out.
A fire can begin with just a small spark, but it can grow to destroy a city. A fire reportedly started in the O’Leary barn in Chicago at 8:30 p.m., October 8, 1871; and because that fire spread, over 100,000 people were left homeless, 17,500 buildings were destroyed, and 300 people died. It cost the city over $400 million.
Our words can start fires. “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife” ().
In some churches, there are members or officers who cannot control their tongues, and the result is destruction. Let them move out of town or be replaced in office, and a beautiful spirit of harmony and love takes over.
Like a fire, the tongue can “heat things up.” David wrote: “I said, ‘I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.’ … My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned; then spake I with my tongue” (, ).
Have you ever had that experience? Of course you have! A hot head and a hot heart can lead to burning words that later we will regret. David had a temper, and he had to have God’s help in controlling it.
No wonder Solomon wrote, “He who restrains his word has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (, nasb). “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly” (, nasb).
Fire burns and hurts, and our words can burn and hurt. One of the sorrows our Lord had to bear when He was here on earth was the way His enemies talked about Him. They called Him a “man gluttonous and a winebibber” () because He graciously accepted invitations to dine with people the Pharisees did not like. When He performed miracles, they said He was in league with Satan. Even when He was dying on the cross, His enemies could not let Him alone but threw vicious taunts into His face.
nasb New American Standard Bible
nasb New American Standard Bible
Fire spreads, and the more fuel you give it, the faster and farther it will spread.
The tongue “setteth on fire the course of nature” (), or “sets the whole course of his life on fire” (niv).
James suggests that all of life is connected like a wheel, and therefore we cannot keep things from spreading. A person’s entire life can be injured or destroyed by the tongue. Time does not correct the sins of the tongue. We may confess our sins of speech, but the fire keeps on spreading.
As it spreads, fire destroys; and the words we speak have the power to destroy. For every word in Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, 125 lives were lost in World War II. Our own words may not have caused wars or wrecked cities, but they can break hearts and ruin reputations. They can also destroy souls by sending them into eternity without Christ.
How important it is for us to let our speech “be always full of grace, seasoned with salt” (, niv).
Not only is the tongue like a fire, but it is also like a dangerous animal. It is restless and cannot be ruled (unruly), and it seeks its prey and then pounces and kills.
Some animals are poisonous, and some tongues spread poison. The deceptive thing about poison is that it works secretly and slowly, and then kills. How many times has some malicious person injected a bit of poison into the conversation, hoping it would spread and finally get to the person he or she wanted to hurt?
As a pastor, I have seen poisonous tongues do great damage to individuals, families, classes, and entire churches. Would you turn hungry lions or angry snakes loose in your Sunday morning service? Of course not! But unruly tongues accomplish the same results.
James reminds us that animals can be tamed; and, for that matter, fire can be tamed. When you tame an animal, you get a worker instead of a destroyer. When you control fire, you generate power. The tongue cannot be tamed by man, but it can be tamed by God
Your tongue need not be “set on fire of hell” ().
niv New International Version
Like the Apostles at Pentecost, it can be set on fire from heaven! If God lights the fire and controls it, then the tongue can be a mighty tool for the winning of the lost and the building up of the church.
3- Power to Delight
3- Power to Delight
3- Power to Delight
3- Power to Delight
The important thing, of course, is the heart; for it is “out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaketh” ().
If the heart is filled with hatred, Satan will light the fire. But if the heart is filled with love, God will light the fire.
3- Power to Delight
3- Power to Delight
James 3:9-12
James 3:9-12
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
The power to delight is illustrated by a fountain and a fig tree
The fountain, of course, provides the cool water that man needs to stay alive. In Oriental countries, the presence of a freshwater fountain is a great blessing to a village. Man needs water not only for drinking, but also for washing, cooking, farming, and a host of other activities so necessary to life.
The fountain, of course, provides the cool water that man needs to stay alive. In Oriental countries, the presence of a freshwater fountain is a great blessing to a village. Man needs water not only for drinking, but also for washing, cooking, farming, and a host of other activities so necessary to life.
“The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook” ().
“The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” ().
“The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” ().
These verses parallel what James has written and underscore the importance of our words.
Water is life-giving, and our words can give life. However, if water is not controlled, it brings death and destruction. The famous Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood of 1889 took 2,200 lives and destroyed $10 million in property.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” ().
Water also cleanses. There was a laver in the Old Testament tabernacle and temple, provided for the cleansing of the priests’ hands and feet. God’s Word is the spiritual water that cleanses us (; ).
But our words to others can also help to cleanse and sanctify them. Our words ought to be like that river described in that brought life to everything it touched.
If you and I are going to have tongues that delight, then we must meet with the Lord each day and learn from Him. We must get our “spiritual roots” deep into His Word. We must pray and meditate and permit the Spirit of God to fill our hearts with God’s love and truth.
The tongue is also delightful because it is like a tree. In Bible lands, trees are vitally important to the economy: they help to hold down the soil; they provide beauty and shade; and they bear fruit. Our words can help to shelter and encourage a weary traveler, and can help to feed a hungry soul.
“The lips of the righteous feed many” ().
Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” ().
As we share His Word with others, we feed them and encourage them along the way.
But James issued a warning: a fountain cannot give forth two kinds of water, and a tree cannot bear two different kinds of fruit. We expect the fountain to flow with sweet water at all times, and we expect the fig tree to bear figs and the olive tree to bear olives. Nature reproduces after its kind.
If the tongue is inconsistent, there is something radically wrong with the heart. A professing Christian who gets angry on the job and let loose with some bad word. Embarrassed, he turned to his partner and said, “I don’t know why I said that. It really isn’t in me.” His partner wisely replied, “It had to be in you or it couldn’t have come out of you.”
When Peter was out of fellowship with Christ, he uttered some oaths; but he went out and wept bitterly and confessed his sins.
The tongue that blesses the Father, and then turns around and curses men made in God’s image, is in desperate need of spiritual medicine!
How easy it is to sing the hymns during the worship service, then after the service, get into the family car and argue and fight all the way home! “My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
The problem, of course, is not the tongue; it is the heart. It is easy to have “bitter envying and strife” in our hearts ().
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man” ().
“Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life” ().
As we fill our hearts with God’s Word, and yield to the Holy Spirit, He can use us to bring delight to others, and we will be refreshing fountains and trees.
Let me leave you with these words tonight
“Twelve Words That Can Transform Your Life.”
“Twelve Words That Can Transform Your Life.”
“Please” and “Thank you.”
“Please” and “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
“I’m praying for you.”
“I’m praying for you.”
Yes, the smallest but largest troublemaker in all the world is the tongue. But it does not have to be a troublemaker! God can use our tongues to direct others into the way of life, and to delight them in the trials of life. The tongue is a little member, but it has great power.
Give God your tongue and your heart each day and ask Him to use you to be a blessing to others.
Table Time
Table Time
Table Time
Table Time
Give an example when the tongue was used Destroy, Give an example when the tongue was used to Delight, How can we control our tongue
Give an example when the tongue was used Destroy, Give an example when the tongue was used to Delight, How can we control our tongue
Give an example when the tongue was used to Delight