Episode 156 - The Tongue is set on fire by Hell James 3:1-12

James 3:1   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.

Whenever I sit down to study the passage for the next episode, I have found myself laughing. I read the text, and I think to myself, why should I bother saying anything about this? This is so clear. Certainly, my words and ideas concerning this text cannot bring any more light to the meaning. Yet, allow me to reflect on this for a bit since I suspect that maybe I need to get the truth and wisdom from this text more than anyone else. This text is cautionary advice with respect to the words that come out of our mouths.

This section begins with a reminder that those who teach others will “be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3:1) By who? I think the implication is that judgment comes from the LORD. That is serious business. We must be careful in teaching others God’s word so that we do not teach them error and lead them astray. There are numerous warnings and examples of false prophets in the Bible and how God deals with them. It’s not pretty. The rest of the text reveals that control of what we say extends to more than just having integrity with the Scriptures.

In verse 2 James says, “if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” I don’t think James is teaching that any of us can or do live a sinless life. In fact, the beginning of verse 2 states, “We all stumble in many ways.” He is teaching that control of our words is the essential discipline in the pursuit of righteous living. To me, I think he’s saying that controlling what we say must be a priority in our life. He drives the point home of the power of our words by comparing our tongue to the rudder of a ship or a bridle in a horse’s mouth. They are small but have a significant ability to control the direction of the ship or horse respectively. 

Do you need some more conviction or motivation? James continues by saying the tongue is “set on fire by Hell” that affects “the entire course of life.” (v. 6) As if it couldn’t be any worse, he continues by saying that creatures can be tamed by man. “But no human being can tame the tongue.” (v. 7-8) This sounds like a desperate situation. 

Then, in verses 9-10, I think James reveals the worst thing that our tongues can do. He says, “With it (the tongue) 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.” (James 3:9-10) The worst thing we do with this small member of our body is to curse people who are made in God’s image. Is this not blasphemy itself? By cursing people made in God’s image, we are cursing God’s work and thereby cursing God. Therefore, our blessing God while we curse His work is hypocritical as well as blasphemous. 

What’s the solution if this is true about ourselves and we have no power to tame it? My deduction is that we need to pray to the LORD that He helps us see others as He sees them and, at the same time, pray the Holy Spirit controls our tongues.

By the way, this was not an original thought of James. Jesus himself taught, “17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person.” (Matthew 15:17-18)

Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts with what is good, right, and just. Control our tongues so that we may not attack others and offend You.

Episode 150 - "Bridle Your Tongue and Defend the Oppressed" James 1:26-27

James 1:26   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.

In our previous study, James argued that one who hears the word but does nothing about it deceives himself. Here in verse 26, James asserts that a person who “thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue . . .deceives his heart.” Don’t miss the imagery in this teaching. James gives us a picture of a means to control a large, powerful animal such as a horse. Without a bridle, a rider of that horse has little power to steer or stop the animal as needed. But, a small bridle on that animal, manipulated by the rider, has a tremendous effect on making the animal do what the rider wants. James is likening our tongue to an animal that needs to be controlled. It has power and will do what it wants if not subjected to control. Therefore, James says that our tongues need to be bridled. If we don’t do that and let it run wild, we are self-deceived in thinking that we are religious or worshipful people. 

James adds that this kind of religion is “worthless.” Literally, it means “empty” or “vain.” There are multiple instances in the Old Testament making it very clear that God despises such worship. Listen to what the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah.

11 “Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” 

says the LORD. 

“I have had my fill of burnt sacrifices, 

of rams and the fat from steers. 

The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats 

I do not want.

12 When you enter my presence, 

do you actually think I want this— 

animals trampling on my courtyards?

13 Do not bring any more meaningless offerings; 

I consider your incense detestable! 

You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations, 

but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!

14 I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; 

they are a burden 

that I am tired of carrying.

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, 

I look the other way; 

when you offer your many prayers, 

I do not listen, 

because your hands are covered with blood.

16 Wash! Cleanse yourselves! 

Remove your sinful deeds 

from my sight. 

Stop sinning.

17 Learn to do what is right. 

Promote justice. 

Give the oppressed reason to celebrate. 

Take up the cause of the orphan. 

Defend the rights of the widow. (NET Bible)

God is using Isaiah to indict the people for their false piety. They practiced certain religious activities but cared nothing about justice to those in need. 

James appears to be appealing to this very text in Isaiah when he explains that “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father” is to “visit the orphans and widows in their affliction.” (v. 27) The idea here is not simply to visit in the sense of stopping by to say ‘hi,’ but to have compassion upon their needs and seek to meet those needs as able. Isaiah makes it clear that God wants the Israelites to “take up the cause of the orphan” and “defend the rights of the widow.” (Isa. 1:17) In other words, this is an investment of ourselves and our time to serve others and share the blessings we have received from God with others who need them.

Finally, James adds that pure religion or worship is also characterized by keeping oneself “unstained from the world.” (v. 27) In this context, a suggestion of what this looks like is to make sure your actions toward the orphans and the widows are not an opportunity to take advantage of them. More broadly, if our actions are stained by the world, then no one can tell the difference between our lives and the world. That would not fit in with God’s plan of making us complete. 

Prayer: Lord, help me be moved to seek justice for those in need. Help me consider my words before they are said so that they are guided in a safe and healthy direction. Guide my thoughts, words, and actions to be consistent with your character and not that of the world.