July 22, 2002
BaptistWay Bible Study for Texas lesson for Aug. 4
A leader must control own tongue to lead others
______By Ronnie Prevost
James 3:1-12
___1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
___3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
___7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
___ 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
___Carpentry is not my specialty. I always have admired those who are gifted at it. However, one rule of carpentry I remember and try to practice in life is "measure twice and cut once."
___The principle behind this rule seems to be a great part of James' intent in 1:19-20 and repeated in this passage, 3:1-12. What James is stressing in both these passages is the two-sided nature of speech and why we need to control it--by thinking twice before speaking.
___It may seem strange that James begins, in verses 1-3, by addressing the issue of teachers. James was writing in the Jewish culture of the first century. In that culture, the role of the teacher commanded respect. The Jewish word "rabbi" is related to the Hebrew word for "great." Perhaps James was concerned that some people may aspire to teach to gain the standing and regard that accompanies the position. He challenges those so motivated by such things to reconsider.
___James does not mean to dishearten. Rather, he encourages reconsideration in light of the responsibility and high standards expected of a teacher. For those of us who are teachers--in whatever role--that is an important reminder.
___There also are implications for those who do not consider themselves teachers or who do not have that title. No matter our calling, we teach others a lot by what we say. Of course, we teach about ourselves, our interests, our beliefs, etc. By what we say--and how we say it--we reveal even more about what our values really are and on what they are based.
___James, then, is telling us to watch what we say--its truth, its spirit, its effect. We must remember that we are not perfect (Romans 3:23) and can make mistakes. Even in discussions about the Bible itself. We must all remember that, as a friend of mine has said, there is a difference between authority of Scripture and authority of our interpretation of what Scripture says. What an incredible responsibility for us all!
___With that preliminary caution stated, in verses 3-12, James uses word pictures that are as familiar to us as to his first century readers to describe the awesome power of the tongue. From horses to ships, great things can be controlled by something much smaller.
___A small spark can start a fire. Over that fire one can cook or stay warm. But that fire can become a firestorm, feeding itself and destroying whatever may be in its path. Animals of all kinds have been tamed, trained, domesticated or somehow made useful through the use of instruments much smaller than the beast.
___When a person loses control of the tongue, it can create conditions like a forest fire, started by, perhaps, a small spark but growing to the point of a raging and incredibly destructive inferno. James points out that this fire originates in hell and uses the image of the garbage dump, "gehenna."
___Children can sometimes be heard responding to the taunts of others with the sing-song, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Of course, we all know that words very often can strike and hurt much more deeply than any sticks or stones.
___The ability to communicate is a wonderful gift to human beings. It enables intimacy and relationship. And we know that relationship is the very basis of the gospel, since we often refer to those who are redeemed as having a "personal relationship with Jesus."
___Just as it can bring us together, communication also has the potential to destroy and undermine relationships. Indeed, this may have been the concern in Jesus' teaching regarding how we address others (Matthew 5:22). Also, in verse 9, James highlights this good news/bad news of human communication in a way similar to 1 John 4:20.
___What may be overlooked is that James has chosen this issue of speech to follow his discussion of prejudice, mercy and the tension between faith and works. The reason may be that the way we treat people socially and the mercy we show others must find consistency in the way we talk with them.
___It has been suggested that the depth of our sin of speech is found in inconsistency. The same mouth that says the warming words, "I love you" can also say the chilling, "I hate you." But let's put it in specific terms and use some examples that may challenge all of us. Also, since James, in this passage, seems to be referring primarily to relationships within the church, let's use examples from that setting.
___How wonderful when Christians use their speech to encourage others, sing praises to God, share the gospel with the lost, etc. What a wonderful example to the whole world! On the other hand, how tragic when that same speech is spent in name-calling, labeling others, empty flattery, gossip, lies, half-truths (simply another way of lying), etc.
___What does that communicate to a world that is watching? It is, you know. The world is watching today just as it was when James wrote his letter.
___Relationships of those within the fellowship of the church must have been as general a problem then as it is today or it would not have been addressed by James. Certainly the early church was concerned with correct teaching. However, they may not have had a similar concern with teaching and speaking correctly and with the right spirit. Paul had certainly noticed this problem and wrote to it in Ephesians 4:14-16.
___There, Paul writes of the importance of correct study, teaching and application of doctrinal truth. What often is forgotten is that he also reminds us to speak the truth in love. If the early Christians were very much like us today, this may have been more focused on using labels and calling names than in addressing doctrinal issues in a Christ-like way.
___We know from the Bible and other writings of the day that the early church's witness at this point was not always what it should have been. But we also know that it was often such that, eventually, the name "Christian," or "Christ-like" was given to them. The question is whether our living testimony says the same thing to our day.
___As James has already noted in verses 1-2, this places an additional responsibility on church leadership. What often is lost is the example Jesus gave for servant leadership. In one of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:5), Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek." This has more to do with one being under God's control than it does to being mild-mannered as popularly understood.
___In Ephesians 4:2, Paul called Christians to be "humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Paul relates this specifically to church leadership in 1 Timothy 3:2 by including self-control as a vital quality to be found in those who would oversee the church. What James has done here is link that quality specifically to control of the tongue.
___If the witness of today's churches is to be what it can and should be, church leaders--whether professional or volunteer--will need to lead by example and by precept. That is, leader must both live these principles James is teaching as they deal with people and teach those in their charge to do the same. Again we see that consistency is vital.
___Being parts of our families, our communities of faith and the priesthood of all believers have for Christians various moral and ethical implications. Many Christians find relative ease in controlling body and dealing with related temptations.
___However, far too often within families and our churches and our denominations, we talk to each other as we never would to those outside. Galatians 5:13 tells us we are "called to be free," but are not to use "(our) freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, (to) serve one another in love."
___Both within and outside our families and the fellowship of the church and denomination, are we as concerned about speaking lovingly to others as we are speaking to them about the love of Jesus? Are we as concerned about the effect of our words and language on people (our sin) as we are about the effect of their own sin? Do we discuss doctrinal differences in ways that show love and self-control?
___Our passage begins with James cautioning those who would lead. The truth is we all do. Some lead through various official positions of responsibility. Others through the gifts they use in service.
___In Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8, we find Jesus commanding all his disciples to be leaders of the world. We are called to lead our families and to witness to the world about him.
___At times we lead well, sometimes not. This is why Christians must learn to watch what they say and how they say it--in their families, in their churches and in the world.
___The axiom from carpentry, "measure twice, cut once," really should be applied to the way we communicate with others. And the measure should be the standards we find in this passage and other similar Bible passages. We must watch what we say. Others are.
___Ronnie Prevost is professor of church ministry in the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University
Questions for thought and discussion
___What are some ways we can hurt or be hurt by others by what is said? What might the world believe about our Lord, Jesus Christ, because of this?
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Learning activities
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