The Untamable Tongue- Part 1

What about teachers? (James 3:1, 11-12)

Does a spring give us fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? There is no spring that will give us both saltwater and fresh.

Where do these illustrations come from, and what are they being compared to? These illustrations come from James 3:11-12 where James addresses the untamable tongue. This one will be a two-part post. 

Let’s do a background check on James before we get into the text. First of all, this is probably not James, the brother of John and the son of Zebudee, who was also one of the apostles, because he was killed by Herod the king around 44 AD, before the writing of the book. (Acts 12:2) The other apostle named James, who was the son of Alphaeus, and was referred to as “James the less”, was not mentioned very much in scripture, and is never really mentioned as a possible writer of the book. The book of James was more than likely written between 45-49 AD by James, the brother of Jesus. I’m not a scholar so I’m only saying that he is “probably” the author. And…..I’m only going by sources I’ve read or sermons/lessons that I have heard on this subject. Who is James speaking to in this letter? In James 3:12, he says “my brethren”, therefore we can safely say that he is speaking to his fellow Christians. He uses the word “brethren”, the phrase “my brethren” or “my beloved brethren” several times throughout his letter. (1:2, 1:19, 2:1, 2:5, 3:1, 3:12, 4:11, 5:7, 5:9, 5:10, 5:12, 5:19) This is a term of endearment. The fact that he uses this phrase so often shows how much love and care he has for his fellow Christians. To be specific, James is most likely writing to Jewish Christians, since James 1:1 says that the letter is written “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad”. The “twelve tribes” would be referring to the Jewish Christians. These Christians had been “scattered abroad”  away from Jerusalem, because of persecution by the unconverted Jews who still held to the law of Moses. I’m sure a letter from James was a great encouragement to them during a time of great turmoil and unsettledness. James was a prominent figure in the first century church. He is mentioned in Acts 12 just after Peter is freed from prison by the angel. The first thing Peter said after being let into a house where believers were praying together (probably for Peter) was this……“Go, and tell these things to James and to the brethren”. (Acts 12:17) James takes on the role of a spokesperson in Acts 15. He backed up Peter, Paul, and Barnabas when questions arose among the apostles and elders about whether the new Gentile converts should have to be circumcised. In Acts 15:19-20 James makes this statement, “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.” The apostles and elders were in agreement with James, and sent the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia a letter instructing them to do the very things that James had said in the above verses. This tells me that James was held in high regard as a leader in the Lord’s church. In Acts 21:18, it reads, “On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.” From the sound of the above verses, it appears that James was an elder in the Lord’s church. Now…..Jesus’ earthly brothers, including James, rejected him during His ministry on earth. (Matthew 13:53-56, John 7:3-5) So….when did James finally believe in who his brother really was? It was more than likely after Jesus’ resurrection before James became a believer. In 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, Paul is giving an account of those who saw Jesus after He was resurrected. We see in 1 Corinthians 15:7 that Jesus “was seen by James, then by all the apostles”. So did Jesus appear to His brother James alone? It sure sounds that way. I wonder how James reacted. I can’t imagine how James must have felt knowing that he had rejected his own brother, and in doing so rejected God Himself. 

The entire book of James is about faith. It is about how our trials in life, with the right attitude, will strengthen our faith. James 1:2-3 reads, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” Throughout the book of James, we are faced with many subjects that test our character as Christians. If we have true faith in Christ, we will be obedient to God. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Just saying that we have faith in Jesus is not enough. James 2:1-13 discusses the problem of showing favoritism in the church. We should not show partiality to someone because of how rich or poor they are, or how much prestige they hold in the community. Everyone should be treated as equally important. Every person deserves to hear the gospel of salvation no matter what walk of life they come from. James 2:14-26 is all about faith and works. We have to have both in order to be pleasing to God. Some other subjects that James dives into are: seeking heavenly wisdom instead of worldly wisdom (3:13-18), pride and humility (4:1-12), boasting about things you will do in the future with no thought for God’s purpose for your life (4:13-17), rich people being selfish with their money (5:1-6), being patient daily, never giving up in our Christian walk and getting along with one another as Christians without backstabbing and arguing (5:7-12), always being there for each other as Christians to meet each others’ specific needs (5:13-18), and finally, bringing wayward Christians back into the fold of God (5:19-20). It is a lot of information, right? But….I present to you, that the key to all of these subject areas is found smack dab in the middle of the book in James 3:1-12. We will be ineffective in everything that James touches on in this book if we don’t adhere to what James says in these twelve verses. 

In these verses, James addresses the untamable tongue. Here is a question that I ask myself as I study this wonderful book of James. Can I be a Christian if I have not tamed my tongue? Can I bring others to Christ without first taming my tongue? Can I show humility without taming my tongue? Sisters and friends, every bit of our influence as a Christian comes from our tongue first and foremost. I may be doing good works galore, but if I am complaining about all that I have to do, then what good do those good works actually do? Or if I am bragging about all that I am doing for others, then those good works are canceled out as well. I may sit in the church pew every time the door is open, but if I am joining in with friends or co-workers in using bad language, laughing at vulgar jokes, or engaging in gossip, then my influence for Christ is dead at that point. 

But…..here is a side note…..should I call others out? No, absolutely not…..especially if they are not Christians! That does not work at all. That truly just pushes others away, and makes me look “holier than thou”. Do I act upset or mad at them? No, not at all, because I shouldn’t be. I was once where they are right now…..lost. I have not been and still am not perfect, and I don’t need to pretend that I am by calling others out. This ruins relationships, which in turn ruins my chances to win them to Christ. However, I can just choose not to respond in those situations. Maybe just excuse myself politely. I can choose to only speak wholesome and helpful words in every situation. Eventually others will see me for who I am, a Christian. They will respect me, and set boundaries for things that they say when they are with me. Now….if the person who is using foul language or gossipping or whatever is a sister in Christ…..that is a different situation all-together. If I have a somewhat close relationship with the person, I could talk to her privately expressing my love and concern for her. It also depends on whether the person is a new Christian or not. There are lots of “what ifs” when deciding whether to confront someone or not. But….whatever the situation, I can set the example, so that everyone knows where I stand. Every aspect of our lives as Christians is affected by one part of our body…our tongue. And this leads us back to our key verses from James 3:11-12, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.” Let’s dive into the verses that led up to this point.

Let’s begin with James 3:1, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” This first verse is geared towards teachers, which makes perfect sense. Think about it…..teachers of God’s Word, whether in a children’s Bible class, a teen Bible class, or an adult ladies’ Bible class have a huge responsibility when it comes to the tongue. Teachers are the reason that the gospel is being spread. We were all taught by someone. What if I had not been taught the right way to be saved? Ultimately, it is my job to study, and make sure that I am being taught the right things, but that still doesn’t take away the responsibility of the teacher. Does James 3:1 mean that God’s judgment is stricter on people who have the talent to teach the gospel than on those whose talent is elsewhere? In a way, yes! That is what He is saying! 

We are all going to be judged according to our deeds here on earth no matter who we are or what our talents for God include. But….teachers of the Word are naturally held to a higher standard, because of the responsibility that they have to “rightly divide the Word of truth”. (2 Tim. 2:15) In Ephesians 4:11, Paul says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ….” Why are teachers to help “equip the saints”? Paul tells us the answer a few verses later, “….so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:14) Teachers are to help others in the body of Christ to grow spiritually, and stay grounded in the truth. They have the huge responsibility to help build up the body of Christ, starting with the cradle roll classes, and moving all the way up to the teen/young adult classes, and ladies Bible classes. All are of equal importance! But…..here’s a thought…..aren’t we all teachers in one way or another? We may not be Bible class teachers, but if we have children, we teach them don’t we? We also teach those around us simply with our way of life. We have all heard the phrase “practice what you preach (teach)”. We must live out the words that we teach others. If we happen to be Bible class teachers or parents who are teaching our children God’s Word, isn’t it imperative that they see us living out what we are teaching them? I have always heard the saying, “actions speak louder than words”. I believe that to be 100% true! So……referring back to the verses in James 3:11-12, we cannot teach good and right things from God’s Word to others, and then go out into the world, and speak and act in ways that are the opposite of what we have just taught. We also can’t leave out parts of God’s Word or add things to God’s Word when teaching others. (Rev. 22:18-19) Doing this is perverting the gospel of Christ. The Bible clearly says that we will be accursed for doing this. (Gal. 1:6-9) If we take it upon ourselves to be a teacher of God’s Word…..if that is our talent, and we desire to use it.…..then God will hold us accountable for what we teach. We will be under a “stricter judgment” because we choose to teach others. Just like the verses say, we are not a spring that can give both fresh water and bitter. We cannot give both fresh and salt water. Here is an example. We cannot teach others that they shouldn’t use God’s name in vain, but then go out in the world and do this ourselves, and this includes “OMG” on social media. You may be thinking that you mean “oh my goodness”, but most people see “OMG” as using God’s name in vain. I ask you to just consider your influence on others before you do this, my sisters in Christ. We cannot bear the fruit of a different type of tree than what we are. Fig trees can’t bear olives. Grapevines can’t bear figs. Using the illustration of a tree…..if I am a “Christian tree”, then I should be helping to make new Christians, either by planting or watering the seed of the gospel. Christians who teach others, but don’t live by what they teach cannot bear fruit for God. This includes parents who teach their children what to do and what not to do, but then do the opposite of what they tell their children. I know you’ve heard it…..”the do as I say, not as I do” statement. We will not bear fruit in our families or communities at all with this attitude. We are seen as hypocrites when we don’t live out what we teach. This behavior can ultimately lead others away from Christ. This is the “stricter judgment” that James is speaking of. If we have a talent for teaching, then we should use that talent to spread God’s Word. But….we can’t pick and choose what we teach people. For example, so many people have a talent for speaking. I see people on television and social media that can really speak. They have amazing gifts. They are super motivational. But……are they teaching people the truth about how to be saved? They say lots of warm and fuzzy things that people want to hear. This causes the “itching ears” that we read about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.  Another version says that they want “to have their ears tickled”. (2 Tim. 4:3-4 NASB)  This is exactly what Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”  This verse is exactly what is happening in the world today. And it is all directly related to the untamable tongue that James speaks of in his book. People are getting their ears tickled with just what they want to hear. Just imagine judgment day for these false teachers who use their tongue to spread untruth. It is heartbreaking to think about. Thousands, possibly millions of people have been drawn down all these different paths, but sadly, these paths are not leading to Jesus. I also can’t help but wonder…..what if one or more of these false teachers were to realize their error, and begin teaching the whole truth? I wonder….what kind of response would they get? Let’s just remember this….if we stand before God on judgment day, and we have led others down the path of destruction either by not living what we teach or by not teaching the whole truth, how will we feel at that moment? When James says, “let not many of you become teachers”, he is saying in modern language, “don’t become teachers if you aren’t prepared to live by what you teach, and teach the whole truth”. We all fall short of the mark sometimes. We lose our temper, and say things we don’t need to say. We make bad decisions. We mess up. I, personally, have fallen short so many times that I’ve lost count. But….I want to make up for the past as much as I can while I have time left. This is why I write…..because of all the times that I did not speak up, and live out my faith in the past. 

So….the bottom line is that if we are Christians, then we are qualified to teach to a certain extent. Some have a talent for teaching. They know how to get a point across so that others can understand it. Some are talented speakers. They can get up and speak at ladies’ days, and teach ladies Bible classes. Some are good with young children. Some are good with middle school or teenage girls. Some are more geared to one-on-one Bible studies. Some people are simply encouragers, like Barnabus, and use their tongue to build others’ up. You may be a new Christian who has just been added to God’s kingdom. You might think that you don’t know much yet. But….think about it! You already know the most important information that this entire world needs right now. You know how to be saved! You know how you were added to God’s church, and you can tell others that! That is wonderful all by itself! Teaching may not be our talent per se, but we can all tell someone about Jesus and then tell our conversion story. We can all use our tongue to proclaim what we know. There may be questions that we can’t answer, or that we don’t need to answer at that moment. This is when we refer to God’s Word for answers or contact someone who can help us deal with those questions. We should never be ashamed to say, “I’m not sure about that, but I’ll study, and get back to you.” And most importantly…..speaking to myself most of all.….if we are going to “talk the talk” about Jesus, then we have to “walk the walk” with Jesus. I have to live Jesus if I am going to teach Jesus. I hope you all have a wonderful week! Love you all!

Part 2 of “The Untamable Tongue” will be posted in the coming weeks!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)