Resources

• James Study Guide (PDF)
• James overview (video)
• James 3 Reading Guide
• James 3 Teaching Notes (PDF)
• James 3 Video

James Chapter 3

• Words and wisdom are the focus of Chapter 3.
• The tongue is unbelievably powerful, and it cannot be fully controlled.
  • A person who could perfectly control his or her speech 100 percent of the time would have already arrived at full control of every aspect of the entire body, and their entire life.
  • The tongue is small nut has a lot of control – much like a bit in a horse’s mouth, the rudder on a ship, or a spark that ignites a forest fire.
  • James calls the tongue a fire that sets the whole course of our lives on fire and is itself set on fire by hell. James says the tongue is a restless, unstable evil, full of fatal poison.
  • Speaking both blessings and curses with the same tongue is normal behavior for sinful humans.
• James also discusses wisdom.
  • Wisdom is as wisdom does.
    • In chapter 2 James explained that what a person does is a strong indication of what they actually believe.
    • In this chapter, James says wise people lead lives full of good works done in the humility of wisdom.
    • Wisdom always requires humility (see Proverbs 11:2).
    • Worldly wisdom is a mindset that tells us to look at what other people have, decide what we want (bitter envy) and then make a plan to get it for yourself (selfish ambition). Success, according to the world, is getting what you want in life.
    • Believing in such a worldview leads to disorder, chaos, and evil.
    • Because we trust God to provide what we need, we can let go of envy and selfish ambition. We can lead lives of peace, gentleness, reasonableness, kindness, and more. We can help plant peace and help bring in the harvest of righteousness.

Group Discussion:

• The group was a bit distracted by current events before we watched the video. We spent some time discussing economic issues and Trump/Harris’ plans to improve the economy.
• “What comes out of you is what’s in you” – this is a very sobering thought if I consider the number of times I’ve used bad language due to road rage or some other issue.

Notes from the Revival School video on James 3:

• James 1 is on patience and perseverance, James 2 is on practicing the truth, James 3 is on controlling your speech.
• Verse 1 discusses how not many should be teachers because teachers will be judged more harshly if they cannot live out what they are teaching (see Hebrews 5:12).
• Verse 2 admits we all stumble in many ways.
  • James says if we do not stumble we are considered a mature man able to control our entire body. This is, unfortunately, impossible. There was only one perfect man: Jesus Christ.
• Verses 3-5 use analogies to explain the impact something small like the tongue can direct or destroy our lives:
  • a bit in a horse’s mouth
  • a rudder on a boat
  • a spark in a forest fire
  • Example: On October 8, 1871: a small barn fire grew large enough to destroy most of the city of Chicago.
• In Verse 6 James writes that the tongue is a fire which pollutes the whole body, set on fire by hell.
  • It can spread destruction rapidly, much like a fire, ruining everything.
• James writes that no man can tame the tongue – it is a restless evil filled with deadly poison. We can only control this through God.
• In Verse 9 James writes that the tongue also has the power to delight (speak life)
• Verse 10 is a favorite of mine: praising and cursing comes out of the same mouth – surely this isn’t right!
• Verse 11 provides an analogy: a springs does not pour out both sweet and bitter water from the same opening.
  • If we are believers in Jesus we should sound like it. We should not be cursing.
  • This ties into what James was writing about in Chapter 2: if we truly love Jesus we should demonstrate it through our actions.
• We ask for wisdom to help us get through the trials and tribulations of life.
• As James wrote, if we are believers in Jesus we should sound like it. Speak life to others.