Session 11 With Control Believers demonstrate godly maturity by controlling their speech. JAMES 3:1-12 Silence gets the best of us sometimes. We are listening to a conversation and suddenly silence erupts. No one says anything and we just can t help ourselves. Silence opens the door for us to contribute and feel like we are part of the conversation. We quickly realize we are talking about something we know very little about, but that doesn t stop us from telling what we think we know. When might a person feel obligated to speak even though he or she does not really have anything of value to say? What might happen if someone speaks even when he does not have anything of value to say? 100 Suggested Use Week of November 11
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT JAMES 3:1-12 In the previous section, James hammered the truth that faith without works is dead and useless (Jas. 2:14-26). Then he began introducing works that reflect genuine faith. He started with the use of the tongue (3:1-12). A redeemed heart reflects itself in a redeemed tongue. James listed three examples where God changes a person s speech. He helps teachers measure the importance of their words (vv. 1-2), believers realize the influence of their words (vv. 3-6), and worshipers understand the way their words relate to genuine worship (vv. 7-12). Those who possess faith reflect that faith in their speech. Sometimes those who claim to follow Christ use their speech to deceive others, berate them, or curse God. Those who do these things need to examine their faith to make sure it is genuine. That person may be a Christian who is out of fellowship with God, or that person may be a lost person who needs a relationship with God. Either way, examining our speech can result in a closer walk with Christ. Why do you think James chose speech as an indicator of saving faith? EXPLORE THE TEXT WHEN TEACHING THE TRUTH (JAS. 3:1-2) 1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body. VERSE 1 James cautioned people who wanted to become teachers in the church. A certain amount of prestige and authority accrued to the Session 11 : With Control 101
position of teacher. Many converted Jews became a part of the early church. Judaism revered rabbis as teachers. This deference to Jewish teachers probably influenced the respect accorded Christian teachers in the church community. James expressed concern that some sought the position for the wrong reasons. James cautioned potential teachers because they would receive a stricter judgment. In truth, God holds all Christians to a high standard. Teachers, however, receive closer scrutiny. The important job of Christian teacher includes modeling the life of Christlike character. Teachers carry the weight of responsibility for the spiritual growth of other believers. There is great potential for harm if a teacher runs afoul of the truth, but there is also great potential for good for those who faithfully handle God s word. If teachers are held to a high standard, why would people want to assume that role? VERSE 2 The teacher has a difficult job because the main tool of his ministry is the hardest part of the body to control the tongue. Before looking at teachers specifically, James acknowledged that everyone will stumble in many ways. No person can claim to follow perfectly the teachings of the Lord. James already said that the person who stumbled in one portion of the law was guilty of breaking it all (2:10). This made it doubly difficult for teachers, because they were included in the word all. Even teachers fall short of what God wants from them. By using the word we, James acknowledged that even he, as a teacher in the church at Jerusalem, would stumble at times. This word stumble meant to trip and fall, but often was associated with spiritual failure. James stated that those who did not stumble in their words were mature. One of the most difficult things for a teacher to control is the tongue, and doing so indicates a certain level of maturity. Proverbs is filled with teachings about controlling one s speech (Prov. 10:8,11; 16:27-28; 18:7-8). It takes a mature person to use one s words wisely. James explained that the one who could 102 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide
control his speech could also control the whole body. The verb control is the Greek word for guiding with a bit and bridle. James will return to this imagery, the tongue as a small instrument that controls the whole body, in the next verse. How does mastery over the tongue prove one fit to teach? WHEN INFLUENCING OTHERS (JAS. 3:3-6) 3 Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. VERSE 3 James said in verse 2 that those who control their speech are also able to control the whole body. With this in mind, he launched into an illustration demonstrating the power of the tongue. A bit is a small instrument, especially when compared to the power of a horse. However, with the bit in the horse s mouth, the rider can turn the horse to the left or to the right. We have an incredible ability to influence others through our words. Words may seem small and insignificant, but we have an incredible ability to influence others through our words. With our choice of words, we can discourage or encourage. We can build up or tear down those with whom we speak. Though words are small, they pack a strong punch! Session 11 : With Control 103
VERSE 4 James shifted illustrations, but he was making the same point the tongue is small but has incredible power. This time he used a ship s rudder as an illustration. Ships had two major challenges when trying to navigate the wind and the seas. First, they were very large. Second, the ships were driven by fierce winds. Without a mechanism to steer the ship, the ship was at the mercy of the wind. But with a very small rudder, the ship s captain could steer the ship wherever he desired to go. In the same way, those who control the tongue have incredible power and influence over others. How does the skill required to ride a horse or to navigate a boat compare to skillful use of words? VERSE 5 James summarized the discussion to this point about the size of the tongue and its great power. The tongue is a small part of the body. Though small, the tongue makes great boasts. Boasting occurs usually in a derogatory sense, and that may be the intention here because of James s third illustration. He explained that a small fire can burn down a large forest. An old Japanese proverb said that a tongue three inches long can kill a man six feet tall. This is the destructive power of the tongue. The tongue can be useful, like a bit or rudder, or it can be destructive like a forest fire. VERSE 6 That the tongue is a fire is not in doubt. Proverbs 16:27 says, A worthless person digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire. Also, As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife (Prov. 26:21). James called the tongue a world of unrighteousness. Words have so much power for destruction and can create a whole world of problems dissension, strife, anger, bitterness, envy, and other social ills. The tongue influences how others see that person, it stains the whole body. A person with a filthy mouth or a critical tongue may 104 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide
be judged on the basis of his tongue. The tongue sets the course of life on fire and it can be set on fire by hell. The word used for hell, gehenna, referenced the valley of Hinnom, located south of Jerusalem. It was the place for garbage to be deposited and burned. Jesus used the word as a comparison to hell, prepared for the devil and his angels. Hell itself can inspire speech for destructive purposes. BIBLE SKILL: Use other Scripture to help understand a Bible passage. Read these passages in your Bible: Psalms 34:13; 39:1; Proverbs 18:21; 21:23; Matthew 12:37. Read several verses before and/or after the passages to understand their contexts. What do the passages teach us about control of the tongue as discussed in James 3:7-12? WHEN OFFERING PRAISE (JAS. 3:7-12) 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water. VERSES 7-8 God gave humanity dominion over all the animals and His great creation (Gen. 1:28). James referenced this in verse 7, saying that every kind of animal, bird, reptile and fish has been tamed by humankind. The word translated tamed meant to subdue, Session 11 : With Control 105
tame, or domesticate an animal. Not all animals are tamed, but as humanity has taken dominion in the world, we have exerted control over the animal kingdom. James forcefully compared the domestication of animals with the out-of-control nature of the tongue. James said no one can tame the tongue, and he described the tongue in two ways. The tongue is a restless evil. The idea behind restless was something that was uncontrollable, like anger. While we can control wild animals, we have a hard time controlling the small tongue. James also described the tongue as full of deadly poison. Psalm 140:3 makes this imagery clear, They make their tongues as sharp as a snake s bite; viper s venom is under their lips. Fueled by hell and with the venom of the serpent, the tongue has the power of great destruction. The noblest uses of the tongue are to offer praise to God and to build up those who are created in His image. VERSE 9 One positive use of the tongue is that we can bless our Lord and Father. This is the highest and most noble use of the tongue. Creation uses the frailty of words to praise the One who made it. Whether in public or private, the importance of praise cannot be overestimated. We were created for God s glory, and returning praise to Him fulfills our calling on earth. However, with the same tongue used to praise God, we can also curse people. This is ironic because in cursing people, we are really speaking evil of the God who made them since humanity was created in God s likeness (Gen. 1:26). The dilemma of the tongue is that it is small and powerful, but it must be used for good rather than evil. The noblest uses of the tongue are to offer praise to God and to build up those who are created in His image. Why does the praise of God demand a tongue that is under His control? Why do you think people have this double standard in the way they speak to God and the way they speak to those created in His image? 106 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide
VERSE 10 This verse highlights the inconsistency of the tongue. Blessing and cursing can come out of the same mouth. Certainly not a single reader of this lesson would claim that this has never happened to him or her. We all feel the sting of rebuke from James in this verse. Maybe in the same day or even the same setting we have attempted to worship God with our words and then turned our words into harmful weapons toward our fellow believers. To show that this is not a problem only among unsaved people, James identified his readers as brothers and sisters, a term that encapsulated all Christians. He strongly stated that things should not be this way. The mouth is to express praise to God and to express love to those who were made in His image. A double standard in the way we speak to God and the way we speak to others cancels out the good that we might do with the tongue. VERSES 11-12 Though the human tongue is inconsistent, that is not the way God made it to be. James used two illustrations from the consistency of nature. In verse 11 he showed that a spring could not produce sweet and bitter water at the same time. What comes out of the spring is what is inside the spring. Areas around the Dead Sea produced salty water, but springs in Galilee poured out fresh water, making the Jordan River. Never did one spring produce both. Also, a fig tree cannot produce olives, and a grapevine could not produce figs. The double standard found in the human tongue is not present in other parts of God s creation. The mouth of a redeemed person should bring health and healing, not destruction and chaos. How can we use our speech to measure the consistency of our walk with God? How is a person s speech a mirror of a person s character? KEY DOCTRINE: Salvation Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God (Titus 3:7). (Our tongues should reflect this peace and favor.) Session 11 : With Control 107
IN MY CONTEXT Teachers are held to a high standard and are accountable to God for what they teach. Believers must be aware of how they can potentially influence others through their speech. Believers should view their speech as a window to the condition of their hearts. What are some practical ways you can use your words this week to help others? Review your list later in the week and check off the ways you have encouraged others this week. List needs in your church. How can you use your words to influence others for good in meeting these needs in the church? Put together a plan of action and begin to act on it. Evaluate the consistency between your praise of God and your influence of people through your words. What needs to change so your praise and influence are more closely aligned? Prayer Needs 108 Explore the Bible Personal Study Guide