James 3 The Tongue is a Fire

Prayer: With expectant hearts and minds, we seek your truth, O God. In this study, help us to be attentive as we listen, careful as we speak, and awake to your wisdom. Open our hearts to your Scripture and give us the courage to change in light of what we read. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

With your group, take turns reading the introduction and text and answering the questions in each section.

Introduction

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat
its fruits.”
Proverbs 18:21¹

It is here, in chapter 3, that James takes up a primary topic of Jewish Wisdom Literature: speech. To do it, he employs imagery common to ancient literature and Jesus’ own vocabulary, as well as allusions to the Old Testament that his ancient readers would recognize.

First, James uses images of a ship and a horse to illustrate how something as small as our tongue guides—and controls—humans. Some ancient writers employed the same examples. We can compare, for example, how the Jewish philosopher Philo talks about horses in chariots and ships when he writes about the mind:

When the charioteer is in command and guides the horses with the reins, the chariot goes the way he wishes. … A ship, again, keeps to her straight course, when the helmsman grasping the tiller steers accordingly. … Just so, when Mind, the charioteer or helmsman of the soul, rules the whole living being as a governor does a city, the life holds a straight course. … But when irrational sense gains the chief place … the mind is set on fire and is all ablaze, and that fire is kindled by the objects of sense which Sense-perception supplies.²

James’ vocabulary reminds us of Jesus, as well. When talking about how cruel our speech can be, he says the tongue is “set on fire by hell.” The word translated “hell” is a word that is only used in the New Testament by Jesus: it doesn’t refer to a place of eternal torture, but rather to the Valley of Hinnom, where children were burned alive during the time of Jeremiah.³ It represents a fiery judgment.⁴

This study will travel through James’ discourse on the tongue in James chapter 3.

Section 1

James 3:1–6
^3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ^3:2 For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. ^3:3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. ^3:4 Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. ^3:5 So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. ^3:6 And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell.

The point: James illustrates what he considers to be supremely difficult: taming human speech.

Question 1: What does James have to say about a person who does not “stumble in what he says”?

Question 2: How do you think the first verse of this section relates to the rest of it?

Section 2

James 3:7–12
^3:7 For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind.^3:8 But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ^3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. ^3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. ^3:11 A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? ^3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

The point: James points out that it is nearly impossible to “subdue the tongue,” saying that it is wrong how good and bad things both come from our mouths.

Question: What reasons does James give in the immediate context that the tongue is “full of deadly poison”?

Section 3

James 3:13–18
^3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. ^3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ^3:15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. ^3:16For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. ^3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. ^3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace.

The point: James compares the outcomes of jealousy and selfishness to a list of attributes of godly wisdom.

Question: Consider the list of wisdom’s attributes. Have any of them come up already in this chapter?

Read through the text again below.⁵

Section 1

James 3:1–6
^3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ^3:2 For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. ^3:3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. ^3:4 Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. ^3:5 So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. ^3:6 And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell.

Section 2

James 3:7–12
^3:7 For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind.^3:8 But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ^3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. ^3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. ^3:11 A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? ^3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

Section 3

James 3:13–18
^3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. ^3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ^3:15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. ^3:16For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. ^3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. ^3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace.

Discussion and application questions

1. Do you think James puts too much emphasis on the importance of what we say?
2. In verses 7–9, James references Genesis 1:26–28. Compare the two texts. How does the Genesis account of creation contribute to the point James is trying to make?
3. A Jewish sage named Shimon ben Gamaliel is quoted saying, “I have found nothing better for a person than silence.… Whoever indulges in too many words brings about sin.”⁶ What do you think? Do you agree?
4. Tell your group about a time when you failed to control your tongue and it got you into trouble. What about a time when someone else failed to control their tongue and it caused problems?
5. If you could change one thing about the way you speak or what you tend to say, what would it be?

Conclusion

Challenge: This week, when you are tempted to speak rashly or with harshness about one of God’s precious people, pause and pray that he would help you to be wise and understanding.

Blessing: May you be peaceful, gentle, and full of mercy. May your words give grace to the people around you, knowing that this pleases God.

1. Scripture and/or notes quoted by permission. Quotations are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.  All rights reserved.[↩]
2. Douglas J. Moo, “James,” in Hebrews to Revelation, vol. 4 of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament. ed. Clinton E. Arnold; Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 104.[↩]
3. See 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6; Jeremiah 7:31–32; 19:5–6; 32:35.[↩]
4. For more information about this topic, see Edward Fudge, The Fire that Consumes.[↩]
5. We find that rereading the text is very helpful—please don’t skip this part of the study![↩]
6. “Pirkei Avot,”  (Sefaria, Talmudic Israel (c.190 – c.230 CE)), Midrash. https://www.sefaria.org/Vayikra_Rabbah.34.3?ven=Sefaria_Community_Translation&vhe=Midrash_Rabbah_–_TE&lang=bi&with=About&lang2=en[↩]