James3

James warns against seeking to be many masters, emphasizing the difficulty and importance of controlling the tongue, which he describes as a small member with immense power. He illustrates its destructive potential, comparing it to a fire and an unruly evil that no man can tame. The chapter then contrasts two types of wisdom: an earthly, sensual, and devilish wisdom marked by envy and strife, and a heavenly wisdom characterized by purity, peace, and good fruits.

Warning Against Becoming Teachers

1
Many teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive,

Taming the Tongue

2
for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;

The Untamable Power of the Tongue

3
lo, the bits we put into the mouths of the horses for their obeying us, and their whole body we turn about;
4
lo, also the ships, being so great, and by fierce winds being driven, are led about by a very small helm, whithersoever the impulse of the helmsman doth counsel,
5
so also the tongue is a little member, and doth boast greatly; lo, a little fire how much wood it doth kindle!
6
and the tongue is a fire, the world of the unrighteousness, so the tongue is set in our members, which is spotting our whole body, and is setting on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the gehenna.
7
For every nature, both of beasts and of fowls, both of creeping things and things of the sea, is subdued, and hath been subdued, by the human nature,
8
and the tongue no one of men is able to subdue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison,
9
with it we do bless the God and Father, and with it we do curse the men made according to the similitude of God;
10
out of the same mouth doth come forth blessing and cursing; it doth not need, my brethren, these things so to happen;
11
doth the fountain out of the same opening pour forth the sweet and the bitter?
12
is a fig-tree able, my brethren, olives to make? or a vine figs? so no fountain salt and sweet water is able to make.

Earthly vs. Heavenly Wisdom

13
Who is wise and intelligent among you? let him shew out of the good behaviour his works in meekness of wisdom,
14
and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth;
15
this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like,
16
for where zeal and rivalry are , there is insurrection and every evil matter;
17
and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: --
18
and the fruit of the righteousness in peace is sown to those making peace.
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