Category: James 3

James 3:18 – Sow in Peace

Posted on by Will

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who are making peace.

Truth to Learn

Those who teach with earthly wisdom reap a harvest of contention and discord. Those who humbly teach through the Spirit of God reap a harvest of peaceful righteousness.

Behind the Words

“Fruit” is from the Greek word karpos, It refers to the fruit or produce of trees and other plants. Metaphorically, it refers to the results produced from any action or deed.

The word translated “righteousness” is dikaiosunē, which is a form of dikaios, meaning “righteous” or “just.” The sunē ending makes this an abstraction and thus refers to the characteristic of being righteous or just.

“Sown” is translated from the verb speirō, meaning “to scatter seed” or “to sow.”

The Greek word poieō is translated here as “making.” It means, “to make” or “to do,” indicating action that is either completed or on-going. It is expressed here as a present participle, which places emphasis on the continuing nature of the action.

“Peace” is translated from the Greek word eirēnē. In a civil or political application it refers to the opposite of war and dissention. In a personal application, it refers to harmony and tranquility.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, James told us that heavenly wisdom makes peace and is full of good fruit. He now picks up on that idea, showing that the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.

The result of proper teaching from God’s word is that it bears much fruit. It is the fruit of righteousness which is sown peaceably by godly teachers of the Word, not by selfish, contentious teachers who create strife. The effective preaching and teaching of God’s word is done with conviction (sometimes fervent conviction), but it is not done to produce strife. It is done to produce peace, peace within each heart that is submitted to God and to His Word, and peace within the body of Christ.

When Christ told his disciples that he was going away, He told them that He would send a helper (the Holy Spirit) to teach them. He also said the helper would give them peace.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:26, 27)

Proper teaching of the Word of God is only accomplished through the Spirit of God. Its end result is to produce peace. Improper teaching of the Word of God, teaching with earthly wisdom from a self-serving attitude, does not produce peace. It produces confusion and every evil thing, as James has just taught us. And, the final result of this type of teaching is conflict and self-serving attitudes among the people.

In the next chapter of this letter, James will talk about just such conflicts and fighting within the church. He will explain why these things come about and how to resolve all these issues. I’ll give you a hint: resolution involves humbling ourselves before Almighty God.

Application

Do you desire to teach the Word to others? If so, study hard and prepare diligently, seek the Spirit fervently, then deliver humbly as a fellow sinner saved by the grace of God! Remember, when you teach God’s Word, you do it for Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:17 – Heavenly Wisdom

Posted on by Will

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and unpretentious.

Truth to Learn

Heavenly wisdom is “others” focused, not “self” focused.

Behind the Words

“First” is from the Greek word proton, meaning “first in importance, order, or time.”

The word translated “pure” is hagnos, which has the same root as hagios (holy). It means “freedom from defilements or impurities.” Therefore, it is often translated as innocent, clean, or pure.

Epeita is the word translated “then.” When combined with proton (mentioned above) it implies that everything else in this list comes after hagnos in importance, order, and time.

“Peaceable” is the Greek word, eirēnikos which means “pacific” or “relating to peace.”

The word translated “gentle” is epieikēs, which is made up of epi, meaning “over” and eikos, meaning “reasonable or fair.” Hence, this word means overly reasonable or overly fair. There really is no English word that fully expresses the meaning of this word, but the overriding idea is that of showing clemency mercy even when it is clearly undeserved.

“Compliant” is translated from eupaithēs, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “easy” and a form of peithō, meaning “to persuade.” So, literally this word means “easily persuaded.” Thus, it is translated “compliant.”

The word “impartial” is translated from adiakritos, which is made up of a, meaning “without” and a form of diakrinō, meaning “to distinguish or to judge.” Therefore, we see that this heavenly wisdom is not selfishly judgmental, but remains impartial.

The word “unpretentious” comes from the Greek word, anupokritos. This is made up of a or an, meaning “not or without” and hupokritos from which we get our English word “hypocrisy.” Hence this word means “without false pretense, unpretentious, or genuine.”

Meaning Explained

In contrast to the worldly wisdom that was spoken of in the previous few verses (with bitter envying and self-serving motives, causing confusion), James now describes what godly wisdom looks like. He tells us first of all, it is “first pure.” As explained above, this word means first essentially, that is, first in importance, order, and time. The other qualities of heavenly wisdom are secondary and necessarily follow from the quality of purity. Heavenly wisdom engenders peace, not strife. It is gentle and exceedingly reasonable. It is compliant, not argumentative. It is merciful, not vengeful. It produces good fruit, not rottenness. It is impartial, and it is sincere, without even a hint of pretense.

We can see from this list that heavenly wisdom is not focused on self, but on the good of others. This is essentially what Paul said in his letter to the Philippians:

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Philippians 2:3)

Application

Let’s remember this when we share the gospel with others. We should be sharing the Word with godly wisdom, not worldly wisdom, and godly wisdom is first pure, then peaceable, overly reasonable, and compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. In other words, it acts the same way that Jesus did.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:16 – Worthless Deeds

Posted on by Will

For where bitter zeal and self-seeking exist, there are confusion and every worthless deed.

Truth to Learn

The motivation of a teacher in a church will have a profound effect on the spiritual value of the works of the church.

Behind the Words

The word translated “confusion” is the Greek word, akatastasia. This is a double compound word made up of a, which means “not,” kata, which means “down,” and a form of histēmi, which means “to stand.” This word refers to something which is not firmly set in place, and as such it is unstable. It is used to express a state of confusion or disorder.

The word translated “worthless” is phaulos, meaning “foul, faulty, wicked, good-for-nothing, depraved, or worthless.” There are several words in Greek which express the notion of evil or bad. This one is usually applied to works or deeds. Therefore, it usually implies “worthless.”

Finally, the word translated “deed” is pragma, which means “a deed or an act.” The word phaulos is an adjective describing this word. Hence, this describes a deed or an action that is without merit; it is a worthless deed or a foul deed.

Meaning Explained

The teaching that comes from a teacher who is filled with pride or bitter emotions will manifest itself in instability within a church. It produces such instability because the teaching is not based on the Word of God. It is not constant, but changing. It is based on what the current societal or personal inclinations might be. Similarly, such teaching produces worthless deeds because the teaching is based on earthly and humanistic wisdom rather than the wisdom which is from above.

When you sit under the teaching of anyone in church, or when you listen to preachers via the media, you should be constantly asking yourself, does this teacher demonstrate spiritual wisdom? Are his or her arguments based on what the Bible says, or are they based on what he or she thinks, or what someone else says or has experienced?

Paul, writing to his beloved spiritual son Titus, gave him instruction on how to effectively pastor a church. What he told Titus in the third chapter of that letter agrees completely with what James has been teaching:

… that those believing in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. Avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. (Titus 3:8b, 9)

In a church where the teaching is based on the Bible, there will be an abundance of workers and good works that bring glory to God. In a church where the teachers are zealous but self-seeking, there may be lots of workers and works which may appear to be profitable, but to God they are worthless.

Application

Do you have a passionate preacher who inspires you to work? I hope so! But, is his passion focused on God, or on the church? Does he inspire you to do good works for God’s glory or for the church? Are his messages based on the Bible or something else? These are important questions for you to ask regarding the one who is entrusted with caring for God’s sheep!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:15 – Not Worldly Wise

Posted on by Will

This is not the wisdom descending from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

Truth to Learn

The wisdom possessed by some teachers in our churches today is earthly wisdom. Unlike godly wisdom, it has no heavenly source.

Behind the Words

The word translated “descending” is katerchomai, which is made up of kata, meaning “down” and erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” It is expressed here as a participle, so the opening of this verse is translated as, “This is not the wisdom descending from above.”

There are three other words that we need to look at as well: earthly, sensual, and demonic. The first, “earthly,” is from the Greek word epigeios, which literally means “upon the ground.” Hence, it refers to things which are earthly rather than heavenly.

“Sensual” is translated from the Greek word psuchicos, which comes from the Greek psuche, or psyche, and refers to “the soul.” In other words, it is that part of us which is neither body nor spirit. Therefore it is often used as a reference to the sensual part of our being.

Lastly, the word “demonic” is from the Greek word daimoniōdēs, which is derived from daimonion, the Greek word for “a demon” or “a fallen angel.” Hence daimoniōdēs means “it has the characteristics of a demon, It is demonic.

Meaning Explained

Keep in mind that James is talking about teachers in the church. In verse thirteen he implied that teachers need to be the wise ones in the church. But it is a heavenly wisdom which he is talking about, not an earthly wisdom. It is a wisdom that is demonstrated by meekness and works; the kind of works that James talked about in chapter two. These are works which come from a heart that is blind to riches and is honoring to all.

But, James says if you are bitter and argumentative, you don’t have the wisdom you need to be a teacher. Instead, he says your so-called wisdom is contrary to heavenly wisdom (it is earthly), contrary to spiritual wisdom (it is soulish and sensual), and contrary to Holy wisdom (it is demonic). This type of wisdom does not come down from God, rather it is a wisdom steeped in the present world system. Boy, talk about in-your-face!

This type of wisdom produces behavior which is envious and which causes strife. It is earthly and self-seeking, rather than heavenly and God-honoring. Here’s how Paul described this behavior in his first letter to the Corinthians:

for you are still fleshly. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not fleshly and behaving like men? (1 Corinthians 3:3)

Application

It is a good thing to want to be used by God. Our highest calling is to be His most humble servants. But, that means serving God in the manner, and in the position, which He chooses for us. It doesn’t matter how hard you are working in God’s kingdom if you are doing what you want and doing it for yourself instead of doing what He has called you to and doing it for His glory!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:14 – Just the Truth

Posted on by Will

But if you have bitter zeal and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.

Truth to Learn

Strong, bitter feelings towards others and loud, boastful proclamations are not marks of a good teacher.

Behind the Words

The words translated “bitter zeal” are dzelos pikros. The word dzelos means “strong feelings” (we get our English word, zealous from this) and pikros means “bitter.” It is the same word used a few verses earlier in reference to bitter water. In the New Testament, dzelos is often joined with eris, which means strife. Here it is joined with eritheia.

The word translated “self-seeking” is eritheia. James may have been making a play on words by using this word instead of eris (strife). But this word, though sounding similar, is derived from erithos, meaning “a hired servant.” Eritheia refers to “labor for hire” and it has come to be applied to those who serve in official positions for their own selfish interest. Hence, this word often is used in reference to those who cause contentions.

“Boast” is translated from katakauchomai, which is made up of kata, meaning “down” or “against” and a form of kauchaomai, meaning “to boast” or “to loudly proclaim.” Hence, this word refers to making loud and boastful proclamations against someone or something. From the end of the verse it is clear that the boasting is against “the truth.” No teacher of God’s word should ever do that!

Meaning Explained

Even if you have great talents for teaching and have vast knowledge of the Word of God, James says if you are contentious, you like to argue, you harbor bitterness, and you make boastful claims about yourself or against what is clearly taught in God’s Word then you are not called to teach. In fact, this type of teaching is against the truth of the Word. These things are contrary to humility and righteous living. You are not yet ready to be a teacher.

The key attributes for a close walk with God are “submit and commit.” Submit to His will, not your own, submit to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And, commit to obeying and serving Him and Him alone in the position He has chosen for you. If these things are not true of your own walk with the Lord, then how can you possibly expect others to believe your teaching and to submit and commit themselves?

A teacher of the Bible who is putting all his or her effort into disproving what someone else is teaching is not teaching God’s way. By simply teaching what the Bible says, we reprove the works of darkness. Our job is to build up the saints with the knowledge of the truth, not to equip them for a contentious verbal battle against teachers of error. This is not to say that we should ignore bad doctrine. The way to combat error and lies, however, is not to fight against them; rather it is to proclaim God’s truth in humility, backed by a life of meekness and faith.

Application

I have listened to sermons where the preacher spent forty-five minutes spinning a tale and making powerful claims about what God wants for Christians without making a single reference to God’s Word. It sounded good and it felt good, but it wasn’t God’s truth that was being proclaimed. If you are a teacher, make sure that you are teaching God’s truth from a humble, submitted heart.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:13 – Wise Teacher

Posted on by Will

Who is wise and knowledgeable among you? Let him show his works by his good behavior, in meekness of wisdom.

Truth to Learn

Many who desire to be teachers don’t qualify. But it’s not due to lack of knowledge or understanding.

Behind the Words

“Wise” is translated from the Greek word sophos. In classical Greek, this word described respected philosophers and other truly learned men. However, in the New Testament it implies much more than just intellectual brilliance and education. Specifically, it refers to “the ability to apply with skill what one knows (especially religious truth).”

The word “knowledgeable” is translated from epistēmōn. This is made up of epi, meaning “upon” or “over” and a form of histēmi, meaning “to stand.” In the Greek vernacular, one would say that it refers to “someone who overstands.” Today we would say, “one who understands.” This word refers to intelligence and the knowledge of an expert.

The word translated “behavior” is anastrophē, made up of ana, meaning “up” or “again” and a form of strephō, meaning “to turn.” Hence, it literally refers to turning again. Metaphorically, it refers to the way a person lives his or her life.

Meaning Explained

After a lengthy monologue about the tongue, James finally moves on to a new subject. His discourse, however, is still in reference to teaching in the church. Just because someone knows a lot doesn’t mean they should be a teacher. We all have been gifted by the Holy Spirit with special abilities to be used in the church. Not all are gifted as teachers, though. If you have the ability to speak and teach and you think you know a lot about God and what is taught in the Bible, James says there are still more things that are necessary before you will be considered a good teacher. Not only do you need to have mastery over your tongue, you need to have mastery over what you know, and that mastery must be demonstrated, not just proclaimed.

He says if you have a lot of knowledge (understanding of facts) and wisdom (proper skillful application of those facts), then let your humble actions prove it. Although James has a clear, “politely in-your-face” style in most of his writing, here he is making a very subtle statement to people who want the prominence and power of the position of teacher in a church. It is this: “Don’t put yourself forward as a great teacher; let others recognize it in you from your humbly demonstrated wisdom, righteous living, and ability to teach.” If this is clearly demonstrated, you will be asked to be a teacher.

James tells us that wisdom needs to be possessed in meekness. Some of the most intelligent and educated people are very proud of their position or the letters that appear at the end of their names. That is a problem according to James.

Application

Do you seek the position and prominence of a teacher within the church? James might tell you that you don’t qualify. Those who are truly called by God to teach in the church are constantly humbled before God because of the awesome responsibility that has been placed on them to rightly instruct the truth of God’s Holy Word.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:12 – Olives and Figs?

Posted on by Will

My brothers, is a fig tree is able to produce olives, or a grapevine figs? So neither can a sprint yield both salt water and fresh water.

Truth to Learn

Just like a fruit tree or a fountain of water, our tongue should only produce a single kind of fruit: blessing or cursing.

Behind the Words

This verse opens with the two Greek words mē dunatai. Mē, as we have already learned, means “absolutely not” and dunatai means “it is possible” or “it is able.” These two words are used in a similar manner to the opening word of the previous verse. That is, they form a question which is expecting a negative answer.

The word “tree” does not appear in the Greek text either this verse or the previous one. It was common in James’ day to use the same word to refer to a tree and its fruit. This further emphases the fact that a tree can only bear its own kind of fruit.

The word translated “produce” is poieō, which means “to make, to do, or to produce.” This is the same Greek word that is translated “yield” later in this verse. This serves to strengthen the tie between the fact that a tree cannot produce any fruit other than its own and the fact that a spring can only produce one kind of water.

The best Greek manuscripts do not contain the words translated “So … a spring” and the word translated “and.” A literal translation of the end of this verse would be, “neither can salt water yield sweet.” However, it is obvious that this the spring mentioned in the previous verse is what James is referring to.

Meaning Explained

James’ second example is also one that people in the first century would be very familiar with. In the northern and eastern Mediterranean basin, both fig trees and olive trees are quite common. Why did he use these two types of trees, though? If you know anything about these two types of trees, you recognize that the fruit of the fig tree, when ripe, is very sweet. It has very high sugar content. Grape vines produce sweet grapes. Olives, on the other hand, even when ripe have a very bitter taste and have to be treated before they can be eaten. So you see when James talks about water being sweet and bitter, it is only natural in making a sweet and bitter analogy to use the fig tree and the olive tree.

Again, the obvious answer to James’ question by the first century reader is that the fig tree does not produce bitter olives and the olive tree does not produce sweet figs. And certainly, neither tree can yield both at the same time. Each can only produce a single kind of fruit. A fig tree produces figs, an olive tree produces olives, and a grapevine only produces grapes.

James then applies this to the spring of water; it can only produce one kind of water, either sweet or bitter. He leaves it to the reader to then apply this back to the original subject, our tongue. Just as a spring of water can only produce one kind of water, and just as a fruit tree or a vine can only produce the kind of fruit it was created to produce, so our tongue should not be producing both blessings (like sweet fruit and sweet water) and cursing (like bitter fruit and bitter water). Our tongues should not be producing both blessings and cursing. It’s just not natural!

Application

James started this chapter telling us that we should not all be trying to become teachers, because teachers of His Word will receive harsher judgment from God. James’ reason is that teaching involves using words which can be a powerful force for good or for evil. You, who have the gift of teaching in the church, bathe your teaching in prayer. May others be blessed and may God be glorified by the sweet use of your tongue.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:11 – Sweet and Bitter?

Posted on by Will

Does a spring out of the same opening send forth fresh water and bitter?

Truth to Learn

Not only is it not right that the same mouth should be used for the noble act of praising and also the vile act of cursing, it is unnatural.

Behind the Words

James begins this verse with the interrogative particle mēti. Literally, this word means, “not anything,” though its appropriate translation into English depends on the context. And, not only does this word indicate a question, it also indicates that a negative answer is expected.

The word “spring” is translated from pēgē, which refers to a fountain or a well as a source of water, though not necessarily the original source of such water. Based on the following verb, however, we can conclude that this is a spring or fountain. The definite article (“the” in English) is present for this word in the Greek, indicating that James is not referring to a specific spring; rather he is offering a hypothetical situation.

“Send forth” is translated from the Greek verb bruō, meaning “to be so full as to be overflowing” or “to pour forth abundantly.” This verb indicates that it is a spring which is spewing forth water rather than a well which is holding it.

“Fresh” is translated from gluku, meaning “sweet.” And “bitter” is from the Greek word pikros, meaning “having a sharp, pungent, or bitter taste.” These are the two types of water that come forth from springs. Either a spring gives sweet water or it gives bitter water, but not both.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verses, James has written about the fact that from our mouths go forth both blessing and cursing. These things, he says, should definitely not be happening! Now, in his clear exemplary style, he offers us a picture by way of a question. The picture is one that would be very familiar to all his first century readers who usually got their water for drinking, irrigation, and cooking from a well or a spring. Occasionally, a spring would bring forth such bad water that it was actually poisonous and would not even produce crops. The prophet Elisha encountered one such well at Jericho:

Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren." And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.' " So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke. (2 Kings 2:19-22)

The answer to James’ question would have been obvious to the first century reader, “Of course not. A spring is either a good spring yielding fresh water or it is a bad spring yielding bitter water. It can’t give both!”

Application

It is unnatural, even inconceivable, for a spring to send forth both sweet water and bitter water. How, then, can we allow both godly words of blessing and wicked words of cursing out of our mouths.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:10 – It Shouldn’t Happen

Posted on by Will

Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, it is not fitting for these things to be so.

Truth to Learn

It is not right that the same mouth should be used for both the noble act of praising and the vile act of cursing.

Behind the Words

The word translated “comes forth” is exerchomai, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and erchomai, which means “to come” or “to go.” Again, this verb is in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood, indicating current continuous action. In other words, both blessing and cursing are now continually coming out of our mouths.

“Not fitting” is the translation of the Greek words ou chrē. We have seen before that ou is a negative particle which expresses absolute negation. The word chrē is a form of chraō, having a meaning somewhere between “appropriate” and “necessary.” This word is not used anywhere else in the New Testament. Together these two words basically mean “should definitely not …”

The expression “these things to be so” is translated from the two Greek words houtōs ginesthai. The word houtōs means “in this manner, in this way, or like this.” This word ginesthai is an infinitive of ginomai, meaning “to come into being” or “to cause something to begin.” Hence, the ending of this verse could be paraphrased as: “Things like this should definitely not be happening!”

Meaning Explained

James now reiterates what he said in verse nine and proclaims the tragedy of it. It does not make sense that the same mouth should be the source of both blessing and cursing. It is incongruous that the tongue should be used for both a noble deed like praising and for a vile deed like cursing.

James may have recalled the story taught by Jewish Rabbis of his day: Rabbi Simeon, the son of Gamaliel, said to his servant Tobias, “Go and bring me some good food from the market.” The servant went, and bought him tongues. At another time he said to the same servant, ”Go and buy me some bad food.” The servant went and again bought tongues. Simeon said, “What is the reason for this? When I told you to buy me good and bad food, you brought tongues both times?” The servant answered, “From the tongue both good and evil come to man: if it be good, there is nothing better; if bad, there is nothing worse.”

Application

How well do you control your own tongue? Are you able to hold back when the urge strikes to lash out at someone, to speak disparagingly of someone else, or worse yet, use the Lord’s name in vain? If so, great! Keep it up! If not, don’t despair. Instead, do as we are told in 1 John 1:9:

If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 And, may we all pray as David did:

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. (Psalms 141:3)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:9 – Offending God?

Posted on by Will

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

Truth to Learn

When we curse a fellow member of the human race it is offensive to the God who created us.

Behind the Words

The word “bless” is translated from the Greek word eulogeō. This is a compound word made up of eu, meaning “good” and logeō, meaning “word.” Hence, James is saying that we say good things about God. This word could be translated as “bless” or “praise.” This Greek word is expressed in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood, meaning present continuous action (we are continually blessing God).

“Curse” is from the verb form of katara, which is made up of kata, meaning “against” and ara, which originally meant “a prayer” but came to mean “a curse which a deity was to perform against someone.” Thus, we see that this word refers to “requesting evil against someone else.” This verb is expressed in the present tense, middle voice, and indicative mood. The middle voice implies that we are cursing ourselves. That is, we are cursing members of mankind (of which we are a part).

The Greek word translated “similitude” is homoiōsis, from the verb homoioō, which means “to make like” or “to make in a similar form.” Hence, homoiōsis means “to have a similar form” or “to have a likeness.” Although it often does, it does not have to refer to physical appearance.

Meaning Explained

James reminds us that with our tongues we are continually offering praise and blessing to our Lord. And well we should, because he is worthy of all our praise! He is our Heavenly Father who has created us and has given us spiritual life through the blood of His Son. Unfortunately, we use the same tongue to continually curse our fellow human beings who have been made in the image of God. In Genesis 1:26, 27 we are told that God intentionally made us in His image.

This image, however, is not a reference to our physical form. We know this because Paul tells us in Philippians 2:6, 7 that Jesus already had the form of God (because He is God) and He took on the form and likeness of Man:

who, being in the form of God, … taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Mankind was a special creation of God, separate and distinct from all the animals. He gave man intellect, a moral nature, the power to communicate with others, and an emotional nature. These are characteristics of God which He only gave to humans. These are the ways in which we have been made in His likeness. Because we bear this likeness, this family resemblance, it is an act of deprecation against God Himself to curse man.

In the next verse we will see how James really feels about the tongue being used for both blessing and cursing.

Application

Try putting your ear in front of your own mouth (no, not literally, figuratively) and listen carefully to all you say. Are you continually blessing God, or offending Him?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved