Purpose: Tongue is a)disportionately influential (3:1-5), b)destructively powerful and uncontrollable (3:6-8), c)surprisingly inconsistent (3:9-12). The control of our tongues leads to a master-control over ourselves and our lives.

DISPORTIONATELY INFLUENTIAL TONGUE(3:1-5)

I.REsponsibility of the Teacher (3:1-2)

1Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.  2For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

Teachers had the task of expounding the truth of the gospel, which is equivalent to a Rabbi, a prestigious position.

With responsibility comes greater accountability, because “we (teachers) will incur a stricter judgment.”

Much responsibility: behaviorly (expectation of God’s holiness), lead God’s people (falsely to mislead people because of wrong doctrine)

Teachers are continually engaged in passing judgments, both moral and intellectual. The very nature of their work makes them critical, sometimes severely critical. We must be careful of special dangers and responsibilities that teacher’s behold (Tasker, James).

Their ministry involves speech, the hardest of all parts of the body to control, expose themselves to greater danger of judgment. Their constant use of the tongue means they can sin very easily, leading others astray at the same time (Moo, The Letter of James, pg 150).

Whoever does and teaches them (commands)…shall be called great in the kingdom. (Mt. 5:19)

Jesus spoke “greatness” to those who are doers and teachers of His command.

James is not discouraging people who are gifted and called into teaching, but warning them to consider their motivations and intentions.

Proverbial saying: we all presently “stumble in many ways”

There is a correlation between the ability to control the tongue and the whole body.

II.Small things control big things (3:3-5A)

3Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.  5So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

Ships and horses were agents in which men can steer and direct.

Three components: The guiding desire (pilot), the means of control (rudder), and that which is controlled (ship), corresponding in turn to human desire, the tongue, and the body (Moo).

“Since speech is the hardest faculty to control it is there that one first observes ‘the world’ in a person’s heart” (Davids, Commentary on James, pg 142). Jesus made a similar observation:

14Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " …"Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." …20He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "(Mk. 7:14-23)

Do we control our tongues? Are we the masters of the master-key? Can we hold the course that which is directed and controlled by the tongue?

Think of a switchboard in a church or other large building. Each switch controls the lights in its own section of the church and the person who controls the switch controls those lights. But on the board there is also a master-switch. It does not need any special strength to operate it. There is no way in which anyone could say, “if you are the strong enough to operate that switch then you are strong enough to operate any of them.” The simple fact is that, if you control the master-switch, you control all the lights; you are lord of the switchboard. It is in this sense that the person who controls the tongue is able to bridle the whole body also (Motyer, Message of James).

dESTRUCTIVEly powerful tongue (3:5b-6)

III.Tongue of fire (3:5b-6)

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire(spark, NIV)! 6And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.  

4 aspects of the fiery potency of the tongue:

Character: Very world of iniquity. Godward aspect of the tongue-its affiliation with “the world” in opposition to and rejection of God – and that now he goes on to the self-ward aspect- the defilement which he tongue spreads through the person.

Influence: Defiles the entire body. Tongue stains the whole body. James and Jesus comes to an agreement

Continuation: Course of our life. Petty things turn into war of words. Argument turns into fights - broken trust, broken hearts, and broken relationships.

Affiliation: Fire by hell. It is anti-God and pro-Satan. It’s an instrument of the devil; for example, Peter’s rebuke to Jesus (Matt. 16:13-26). There are two types of fire: “1)Fire that purifies and illuminates is kindled by the Holy Spirit and descends from above (Acts 2,3) 2) or a fire that inflames human passion and infects human life throughout its entire existence is kindled by the devil and comes from hell” (Tasker, James).

uncontrollable tongue (3:7-8)

IV.untameable beast (3:7-8)

7For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.  8But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.  

James does not simply say that the tongue is untameable, but that it cannot be subdued by any power resident in mere human nature or possessed by a mere human being.

Tales of the Untamed Tongue (Jeff Miller)

Gossiping

Sarcasm

Cursing

Bragging

Nagging

Yelling

Manipulating

Exaggerating

Complaining

False Teaching

surprisingly inconsistent tongue (7-12)

V.Inconsistency of the tongue (7-12)

9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;  10from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.  11Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?  12Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Likeness of God. Image of God:Father, Jesus, God’s children, Christ’s Bride and Body

In Christ’s precious blood and provision we are all one in Him.

Ought not to be this way (parents, children, friends, Calvary, outsiders).

Here are few inconsistencies:

Compliment pastor and yell at our children

Thank our waiter at lunch and criticize our wife at dinner

With it we smile at our friends, and gossip behind their back

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Mt. 12:34)

“Bad things don’t produce good things, and so a person who is not right with God and walking daily in his presence cannot consistently speak pure and helpful words. One who is double and inconsistent with regard to the things of God in his heart will be double and inconsistent in his speech. We have noted that James’ imagery of like things producing like probably depends to some extent on Jesus’ well known proverb about the good tree bearing good fruit. If taken strictly, without regard for other biblical teaching, such imagery could suggest that a person who is once made “good” by God through Christ and the Holy Spirit will inevitably live the right kind of life in all respects. But we must not make the mistake of pressing a helpful comparison between trees and the spiritual life beyond its intent. As theologian, Hendrikus Berkhof trenchantly reminds us, ‘A man is after all not a tree.’ The automatic natural processes of a plant life cannot be exactly compared to the willing, deciding processes of human life. But, whatever its limits, the imagery conveys an important warning: only a renewed heart can produce pure speech; and consistently (though not perfectly) pure speech is to be the product of the renewed heart” (Moo).

VI.in conclusion

Three filters for our speech

Is it Loving, True, and Necessary?

Transformation Power: Crucified Toungue and Spirit Empowered Speech

Christ: Humble, gentle, meek, secure, significant, content, truthful

“A different fire – a fire not from Hell, but from Heaven descended down ‘to kindle new powers and new speech to the human tongue (Acts 2:2-4)’. If we must say that the outworking of sin first appeared in the abuse of speech (Gn. 3:12), we must also say that the first act in the new creation was the renewal of the power of speech, a tongue intelligibly declairing the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11)” (Motyer, The Message of James).

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:2-4)