We are not rashly or arrogantly to reprove others: but rather to bridle the tongue; a little member, but a powerful instrument of much good, and great harm. They who are truly wise, are mild, and peaceable, without envying, and strife.
Anno Domini 60.
FROM the writings of St. Paul, but especially from his epistle to the Romans, we learn, that the Jews valued themselves highly on the knowledge of the true God and of his will, which they derived from the divine revelations of which they were the keepers; and set themselves up every where as teachers of the Gentiles. Animated by the same spirit, many of the Jews who had embraced the gospel were exceedingly desirous of the office of teachers in the Christian church. But the apostle James, well knowing that some of them still believed the observance of the law of Moses to be necessary to salvation; that others had not shaken off all the prejudices of their education; and that not a few still followed the bad practices to which they had been formerly accustomed; he earnestly dissuaded them from becoming teachers, by representing to them the punishment to which they exposed themselves, if they either perverted the doctrines, or concealed the precepts of the gospel, James 3:1.—Next, he insinuated that their ancient prejudices, or the want of genuine religion, might lead them to offend in many things: but at the same time to make them attentive to their own conduct, he told them that if they did not offend in word, it would be a proof of their having attained a great degree of piety, and holiness, as it might well be concluded that they were then able also to bridle the whole body, James 3:2.—Then, to make them sensible how dangerous it was to sin with the tongue, he shewed them by the power which bits in the mouths of horses, and helms in ships, have to turn these great bodies, whithersoever their governors please, that the tongue, though a little member, is capable of producing prodigious effects, either good or bad, according as it is used, James 3:3-5.—and further points out the mischief which the intemperate useof speech often produces in society, James 3:6.—adding, that though human ingenuity had been able to subdue all kinds of wild beasts, birds, and sea-monsters, the tongue is so unruly a thing that no one has been able to subdue it, except by the power of almighty grace, James 3:7-8.—And to shew the unruliness of the tongue, the apostle mentioned, that with it we bless God; but with it also we curse men made in the image of God, James 3:9.—Moreover, the absurdity of employing the tongue for such contradictorypurposes, he displayed, by remarking that no such contradictions were to be found in any part of the natural system, James 3:10-12.
To his description of the mischiefs occasioned in society by an unbridled tongue, St. James subjoined an earnest exhortation to such of the Jews as pretended to be wise and intelligent, to make good their pretensions, by shewing their works all done with the meekness of wisdom. In this exhortation, he seems to have had those of them especially in his eye, who set themselves up as teachers; and the rather because they all valued themselves on their wisdom and knowledge, Romans 2:10-20. So that by supposing that many of them were wise and intelligent, he prudently used an argument which might draw their attention, James 3:13.—On the other hand, he told them, that if they taught either the Law or the Gospel with bitter anger and strife after the example of some of their bigotted brethren, they lied against the truth; because such a conduct was a contradiction to the religion which they pretended to teach, James 3:14.—and was no part of the religion which cometh from above, to which they laid claim; but was earthly, animal, and demoniacal, James 3:15.—Besides, bitter anger and strife never fail to produce tumult and every evil work, James 3:16.—Then he recommended to them the wisdom which is from above, by displaying its many amiable qualities, James 3:17.—together with its efficacy in producing in those whom they instructed, the good fruits of true and living faith.