Gentle - Mild, inoffensive, clement. But here the apostle is exposing the absence of an internal work where intelligence is severed from conscience, and this he illustrates, as we have seen, by the man that gets a glance in a glass, and then all is gone directly his back is turned. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. James 3:17-18 (Smarty Pants / Heavenly Wisdom) May 8, 2021 / Jeff Stott. Now he is touching upon another character; "for God cannot be tempted by evils," you must read it as it is in the margin, "neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.". They are under that influence in their souls, and accordingly they cloud the light of James with that which was meant to veil the guilty in darkness. Peaceable . is first pure; it is pure in itself, it is free from everything that is earthly, carnal, or sensual, or devilish; it produces purity of heart, of life, and conversation; and is the means of keeping persons pure and chaste, and free from impure lusts, lusts of uncleanness, pride, envy, wrath which prevail in carnal and unregenerate men: and then peaceable; it inclines and engages those who have it to live in peace with the saints, and even with all men; with those of their own household, with their neighbours, yea, with their enemies: it is also "gentle"; or makes men gentle, moderate, and humane, so as that they bear, and forbear; they bear with the infirmities of the weak; readily forgive injuries done them; do not rigidly exact what is their due, but recede from their just right for the sake of peace and love; and do not bear hard upon others for their failings, but cover them with the mantle of love: and it is. It is an exhortation that shows on the one hand the danger and wrong of being over ready to seize an open door through anxiety to display one's self; on the other hand, it supposes the perfect liberty that reigned among believers. His tendency would be to reduce it merely to a number of thoughts, and thus an outward system. See the rabbinical meaning of this phrase at the end of this chapter. Even Barnabas goes along with Peter in this hypocritical behavior. [39] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1036. The allusion is to the Lord, not the just in general, but the Just One, even Christ, "and he doth not resist you. It cannot refer to things which are in themselves wrong. And without hypocrisy - What it professes to be; sincere. At least they do feel; and so far there is a greater effect produced than on these reasoning Jews. Heavenly wisdom is full of mercy and good fruits, inwardly disposed to every thing that is kind and good, both to relieve those who want and to forgive those who offend, and actually to do this whenever proper occasions offer. Jesus emphasizes that purity must include the entire man. The tongue is something that has a capacity for great blessings or for great evil. These "general epistles," as they are called, are placed not after the Pauline but before them. For out of the mouth comes blasphemies and evil speaking." Stainless in His holiness, and invariable in His light, God is active in His love; and as the fruit of this energetic sovereign love He does not bless merely, sweet as it is from Him. ". let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. It is not only that the nature of man expresses itself in the tongue, but in the feelings of the heart; and alas! It is the law of liberty, and of infinite purity and power. Was she not willing, so to speak, to hand over the possession of the city in which she had been born and bred to those who were going to raze it to the foundations? It is reasonable, that is, open to reason and willing to yield to reasonable requests. - Utley, peaceable. Where this has not been taken into account, there need be no surprise that men have misunderstood the epistle of James. This reappears as a final appeal. Their authority was thrown into question. If this wisdom is not freed from fault, it will be no better than the worldly wisdom. Let us be, then, not only slow to speak, but "slow to wrath." The word is used in the LXX. Matthew Arnold called it "sweet reasonableness" and it is the ability to extend to others the kindly consideration we would wish to receive ourselves. It supposes only that there may be circumstances in which the spirit of peace, though possessed, cannot be exercised, except in meek submission to wrong for conscience sake; never can it turn traitor to truth, or make any compromise with error. James 3:1-12 Who Can Tame the Tongue? An arrow kills at forty or fifty paces, but of the tongue it is said ( Psalms 73:9), 'They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth.' It serves as the light to guide one to Heaven (Psalms 119:105). How often one hears people in the habit of quoting from this verse for what they call practice, who dwell on the first part to the exclusion of the last. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" No wonder, therefore, when persons approach scripture with preconceived thoughts, hoping to find confirmation there instead of gathering God's mind from what He has revealed, no wonder that they find disappointment. Alas! There are two dangers which every teacher must avoid. Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry Bible Hub If an individual is accidentally injured, he often sues the unfortunate party for millions. James sets down two ideas which were woven into Jewish thought and literature. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure: The first characteristic of this wisdom is that it is "first pure." But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. In kingdoms, in families, in churches, in all societies, and in all interviews and transactions, heavenly wisdom makes men peaceable. This same word is used as one of the qualifications of the elder (1 Timothy 3:3). James 3:17 in all English translations. WebTHE LETTER OF JAMES. At some point early in the history of the church, Peter pays a visit to Antioch. My brethren, [he said,] be not many masters [or teachers] ( James 3:1 ). Jesus manifests himself to the disciples but not to the world ( John 14:22). We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. And as wisdom will evidence itself in meekness, so meekness will be a great friend to wisdom for nothing hinders the regular apprehension, the solid judgment, and impartiality of thought, necessary to our acting wisely, so much as passion. (128) The word is found only here, and has been variously rendered, because the verb from which it comes has various meanings, to discern, to make a difference, to judge, to examine, to contend or litigate, and to doubt. This wisdom is pure because it is also connected with Gods word. Then another snare is connected with this for avoidance: "Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Even so the tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. To combat that argument James uses two pictures. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." To my mind it is not only inexact but misleading and dangerous. "We all sin," said Seneca, "some more grievously, some more lightly" (On Clemency 1: 6). The adjective "full" indicates there is an abundance of mercy in this wisdom and not a shortage. "It is the nature of man to sin both in private and in public life," said Thucydides (3: 45). "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated:" it is also "full of mercy and good fruits, without contention, and without hypocrisy." They had heard him forgive sins, and they had witnessed his power to cast out evil spirits. And the tongue is a fire; in the midst of our members the tongue stands for the whole wicked world, for it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the ever-recurring cycle of creation, and is itself set on fire by hell. He has a lengthy passage which is so nobly and passionately put that it is worth quoting in full: Curst the whisperer and the double-tongued; for such have, destroyed many that were at peace. He who thinks well, or he who talks well, is not wise in the sense of the Scripture, if he does not live and act well. By good fruits he generally refers to all those duties which benevolent men perform towards their brethren; as though he had said, it is full of benevolence. Web2 Pierre 3:17. We may well rejoice over a "sinner saved" if we know the mercy of it in our souls; but if we license the phrase a "saved sinner," the moral effect is, that, when and though saved, he is still free to sin. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.". First pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy: The character of this wisdom is wonderful. But yet what trouble it can get us into. It is not the stubbornness of self-assertion or opinionativeness. If I only had said it though, I could have saved them so much mental anguish and turmoil. Christians must distinguish between spiritual wisdom and worldly wisdom. easy to be treated; or those who have it readily yield to the superior judgments and stronger reasonings of others; and are easily induced to hope and believe all things, and entertain a good opinion of men, and their conduct; and are far from being proud, arrogant, obstinate, and overbearing: full of mercy and good fruits; of compassion and beneficence to the poor; feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the widows and fatherless in their affliction; and doing all other good works and duties, both with respect to God and man, as fruits of grace, and of the Spirit: without partiality: to one another; or making a difference between them; showing no respect to persons; bestowing upon the poor and indigent, without any distinction: and. (a) Eupeithes ( G2138) can mean ever ready to obey. He says that you should show forth the wisdom by your manner of living. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. See James 2:1-4. It comes not from God but from Satan, and results in wrong actions. Look at ships, too. He now mentions the effects of celestial wisdom which are wholly contrary to the former effects. In virtue of his office he will either be teaching those who are young in years or those who are children in the faith. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. He is gentle and kind, although in reality he has every reason to be stern and punitive toward men in their sin. (Burdick), iii. Thus we see it is only, to say the least of it, a very great want of perception, and a dulness that certainly is unworthy nay, worthy of any person that sets up to judge the word of God a shameful position for a creature for a man above all for a Christian to take. 2. This led to the establishment of the Inquisition; this kindled the fires of Smithfield; this inspirited Laud and his friends; this has been the origin of no small part of the schisms in the church. All that is founded on a mere temporary set of circumstances is doomed, and in no way belongs to the nature of God as revealed in truth and grace by the Son of God. The image is faded and gone. (ii) It is characteristic of the natural man. "Pure" simply means to be free from every fault and stain. THE TRUE WISDOM (2) ( James 3:17-18 continued). Compare Phi 4:8; 1 Timothy 5:22; 1 John 3:3; where the word is rendered, as here, pure; 2 Corinthians 7:11; where it is rendered clear, (in this matter); 2 Corinthians 11:2; Tit 2:5; 1 Peter 3:2, where it is rendered chaste. "Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain. Against this the Holy Ghost launches His solemn and searching words in the rest of the chapter. There were no people so prone to ordinary swearing as the Jews. Is it too much to ask that a document be judged by its express and manifest design? Will any man argue still that this means the saints of God? The word of God is not to be alloyed with human speculations, philosophy and opinions, the word itself taking precedence over everything else. ( James 3:2-5 ). We can use our tongues to bless people, to build them up, to encourage them, or we can use our tongues to destroy them. . Lie not against the truth. * Why? (cf. 3:1-12 We are taught to dread an unruly CONTRASTES ENTRE LA LOI ET LA GRCE CHAPITRE 3 _1. Note the key words "wise" and "wisdom" (James 3:13; James 3:17), which bracket the thought of this section, as well of the prominence of "peaceable" and "peace" that conclude it (James 3:17-18). Read full chapter. Individual Commentaries Chapter 20: 3.1 Why there was nothing but evil: he had shown this immediately before. "Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Such is the law of liberty. It ranges over the whole earth and reaches to heaven." It is blowing hot and blowing cold; it is appearing to ask God, when in point of fact you have no confidence in Him. ", On the other hand, one may and should be "blessed." Whoso hearkeneth unto it shall, never find rest and never dwell quietly, neither shall he have a, friend in whom he may repose. But ye have despised them." (Galatians 2:14) Pauls charge against Peter was that he was acting hypocritically. "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." As we have found, he particularly warns against the tongue as the expression of the heart's excitement if not of malice. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. (iv) The phrase had one particular technical use. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? We have translated this peaceable but it has a very special meaning. If it is not pure, then the other characteristics will be meaningless. WebThe Life & Times of Thomas K.R. "I have a particular doctrine that I have embraced, I adhere to, and though there are scriptures that would seemingly contradict the position that I believe in. People may come to it with the thought that all the epistles were addressed to Christians, but this is simply wrong. It means, properly, not to be distinguished. Here it may mean either of the following things: (a)Not open to distinction or doubt; that is, unambiguous, so that there shall be no doubt about its origin or nature; (b)Making no distinction, that is, in the treatment of others, or impartial towards them; or. This would be hardly intelligible. The moment we bring into view God and His will and His purposes, it is needless to say that these two memorable acts stand out clothed with the light of heaven. So this is just good practical advice for getting along with people. There was a remarkably direct intervention of God, but it was in no way connected with any gift of miracles committed to the people who were praying. Himself a wise man in his ordinary ways, there was divine wisdom given him by the Holy Ghost in thus dealing so directly with the snares of the twelve tribes, and even of that portion which professed the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise Abraham in man's eye was a father ready to murder his own son: what could be worse than this? Out of same mouth there proceeds blessings and cursings. He knows how to make allowances, when not to stand upon his rights, how to temper justice with mercy, always remembers that there are greater things in the world than rules and regulations. The damage the tongue can cause is like that caused by a forest fire. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. WebThe Bible in Basic English for James 3:17 17 But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is. The false teacher eventually goes public with his teaching and can be pointed out. The object of the Spirit of God was to give a final summons by him who held a pre-eminent place in Jerusalem to the entire body of Israelites, wherever they might be. The stroke of the whip maketh marks. Therefore, the wheel of life can stand for the ups and downs of life. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. "And lie not against the truth." From this use of these two things, that is, the royal law which thus goes forth towards one's neighbour, and again the law in general, he turns to take up the law of liberty which has been explained before. If the danger of hypocrisy was real for Peter, it remains just as much a threat for Christians today. Its works prove its nature and its source. There is a moral reason added: "For in many things we offend all. True wisdom, then, serves to break down hostilities between all parties and bring man closer to God and all others. Here all is exemplified in a plain but striking way. The Greek is hagnos ( G53) and its root meaning is pure enough to approach the gods. Which has God for its author; which is infused into the soul by the Spirit of God; and leads into the knowledge of things that are above, of heavenly things; and which only is true wisdom and knowledge; and those who are possessed of it are the only true Gnostics; for which. Everyone makes many mistakes, James says; if someone didnt make any verbal gaffes, such a person would be perfect. WebLord, you're always doing new things as well. Two constant demands of a child of God are a positive attitude and appropriate action. But I am persuaded that no man, I will not say despises, but even attempts to dispense with, the epistle of James except to his own exceeding loss. Next, he gives the reason; "for," says he, "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.".
© Naturheilpraxis Bünner 2023