A Commentary on the Epistle of James, Chapter Three

In the first part of the third chapter of the epistle of James, the author warned spiritual leaders within the church about being God-called and about being God-prepared for their respective ministries. That warning applies to anyone who is in a position to lead others to Christ and to also show them how to live according to biblical principles and standards. So the clear teaching is that one does not actually choose his or her own ministry. Instead the Holy Spirit places saved men and women into those positions where He would have them work for Him.

Once they are in those areas of ministry, though, James next warned about the hazards of the tongue. Even though it is a small member of the human body, it still has the power to proclaim false doctrine and to hurt people in many other ways. False doctrine can cause the hearer of a message to not be the person that the Lord wants him or her to be. Harsh words can destroy relationships and hurt the church. For those reasons, James compared the tongue to a fire that has been set aflame from hades. Therefore, at least part of the problem with people who use their tongue in ungodly ways is that they simply do not know the Lord as their personal savior. So it is important to realize that everything begins and ends with Jesus.

In the second part of the third chapter, James wrote about the wisdom that comes from the Lord. He began by asking who among them was wise and had knowledge. His implied answer was that wisdom and knowledge rest with the godly simply because they are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Such people will show their wisdom and knowledge by living for the Lord. As a result, their life will not be filled with the envy and strife that is so prevalent among the ungodly. Instead, it will be an example of peace with God, of gentleness, of being easy going, and of being without hypocrisy.

So obviously, James was saying that coming to the Lord by faith to be saved and living for Him will solve a whole host of problems that begin in the evil heart of human beings and come out through their mouth. That means that the Holy Spirit-controlled heart will tend to think pure thoughts and lead the tongue to speak those pure thoughts. The Holy Spirit-controlled heart will study the scriptures and learn good doctrine. So once again, it is important to realize that everything begins and ends with Jesus. Some early scholars had thought that the writings of Paul and James were contradictory. But they were not and are not. Paul had focused on the process of salvation, while James wrote mostly about the results of salvation.

There is one note, however, to be made with respect to the organization of this text. Something that the reader of this text might find useful is boxes that show the different passages that are being referenced at the times and in the places where they are being referenced. That way, he or she will not have to jump all over the place or get into or out of the scriptures to locate a particular reference. Hopefully that inclusion will help the reader in trying to understand the various events and to also put them into the right context. So it is hoped that that will make this book easier to read and that the Lord will receive the praise, honor, and glory that He rightfully deserves.