The Epistle Of JamesSýnishorn

Wisdom and Peace: James 3:1-4:12

In this section, James noted three main issues associated with wisdom and peace among believers. First, in 3:1-12, James focused on the tongue, or our use of words. In 3:4 and 5, James compared the tongue to a ship's rudder. James' warning against the tongue's capacity for evil is very similar to what we find in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs also deals with the dangers associated with the tongue, or speech, a number of times. We find this in places like Proverbs 10:31; 11:12; 15:4; and many other verses. Both James and Proverbs pointed out that words can lead to all kinds of trouble among God's people. To avoid conflict and live in peace, we must control our tongues.

The second issue tied to wisdom and peace, involves two kinds of wisdom. We find this in 3:13-18. In James 3:14-17 we see here the relationship between wisdom and peace, James distinguished between earthly, even demonic, wisdom, and wisdom that comes from heaven. Earthly wisdom leads to bitter envy and selfish ambition. But wisdom from God brings peace in the Christian community. James called for his readers to let go of their fights and quarrels. He explained that when we cling to our own selfish desires there can be no peace among us. Worldly wisdom, he taught, only leads to "disorder and every evil practice." So, James instructed his readers to rely on the wisdom that comes from God. When we do this, we find peace.

The third issue in this section, in 4:1-12, looks at wisdom and peace in relationship to the inward conflict that followers of Christ experience. James traced strife among Christians to selfish desires, wrong motives, and discontent within us. From James' point of view, the evil desires within his audience had caused great damage in the Christian community. They were ruled by their wants. And because of this, they were fighting, and coveting, and even destroying each other. So, James sternly told them what they must do to bring peace. In 4:7-10, James said:

Submit yourselves, then, to God… Come near to God and he will come near to you… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:7-10).

Only humble submission to God would put an end to their fights and quarrels and give them peace with one another.

Why is it so important for us to control our tongues?

When we come to the book of James and we hear him say things about our speech, we are probably reminded of the words of Jesus, when he says that "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." And as James reflects on the words of Jesus and provides instructions for the church — how we are to live in the light of Christ's coming and in anticipation of his future return — one of the ways that James gives us to measure our hearts is focusing on our words. In other words, James views the words of a person, the tongue, which is shorthand for the words, as a barometer of a person's whole moral being. It gives the temperature — to put it in another way — it gives the temperature of one's heart. And so, just as Jesus says, "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks," when James says that a man must bridle his tongue and it should not be that from the same mouth come blessing and curses, he's telling us that our heart must be fully committed to God. We must not be a double-minded man, but we must, in faith, hold fast to the teaching of Christ, and as we do that, our words should bless our brothers and sisters instead of cursing them. [Dr. Brandon D. Crowe]