bridle – Ministry of Grace Church

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Truth to Learn

One sign of a mature Christian is the words he or she uses.

Behind the Words

“Stumble” is translated from ptaiō, which is a form of piptō, meaning “to fall.” This word, which we have looked at before, refers to an accidental stumbling, or tripping, as we traverse the pathway of life. In other words, James is referring to someone committing unintentional sin.

The Greek word translated “perfect” is also one we have looked at before. It is teleios, which means “complete” in terms of labor, growth, or moral character. James’ statement is in reference to a fully mature Christian. A more descriptive and less misleading translation of this word might be “mature.”

The word translated “bridle” is a very descriptive word in Greek. It is chalinagōgeō, which is made up of chalinos, which refers to “a bridle worn by an animal,” and a form of ago, which means “to lead or direct.” Hence, this word literally means “to lead by use of a bridle.” And, just like a person who controls a horse by leading it around by a bridle, this person is able to control his or her entire body.

Meaning Explained

James now introduces the first of five real world examples of what the tongue is like (a horse that is controlled by a small bridle; a large ship controlled by a small rudder; a small fire which can quickly spread to a flaming inferno; a wild, untamable creature; and a spring of water which brings forth both fresh and brackish water). With these five examples James will show how powerful and unruly the tongue can be.

He starts out the current verse with a reminder that we are all sinners and that we trip, or stumble many times. This is in complete agreement with what the Apostle Paul says:

As it is written, No one is righteous, not even one: There is no one who understands, there is no one seeking after God. (Romans 3:10,11)

None of us is perfect, we all stumble (even when we become a mature Christian). One of the ways we stumble in our Christian walk is with the words we use. In fact, it is often not so much the words, but the attitude behind the words we use. James tells us that if we don’t trip-up with our words, it is a sign that we are a completely mature Christian and are able to control our entire body.

Teaching is only mentioned in the first verse of this chapter. Yet, it is with our words that we teach, whether spoken or written. Words properly used can be a powerful force in building up the body of Christ, but they can also be the cause of great pain and contention within the body if used carelessly.

Application

Whether we have been called to teach or not, we are all called to be a witness for Christ, to be a servant of God, and to build up the body. Whatever service of ministry we have within the body, or to the world around us, we must be careful regarding the words we use.

In God's service, for His glory,

If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.

Truth to Learn

Controlling what we say and how we say it is a clear indication of the degree to which we are submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Behind the Words

The word translated “thinks” is dokeō. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, this word, “expresses the subjective mental estimate or opinion formed by man concerning a matter.” So, this could be translated as “think, imagine, or consider.”

“Religious” is translated from thrēskos, which refers to the ceremonial service of religion. It expresses the external actions of religion whereas the Greek word eusebeia refers to the inward piety of the soul.

The word translated “bridle” is the Greek word chalinagōgeō, which is a compound word made up of chalinos, meaning “a bridle” and agō, which is a verb meaning “to lead or direct.” Hence, this word refers to restraining or controlling something (the tongue).

Finally, “useless” is translated from the Greek word mataios, which means “something which has no purpose” like chasing one’s own shadow.

Meaning Explained

Many of us have heard the saying “religion is man doing what he can to try to earn God’s pleasure.” Christianity, on the other hand, is believing that God loves us enough to have sent His own Son to die on the cross as payment for our sins. Religious activities without faith in Christ are worthless. But, religious activities that spring from faith can be evidence that we have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Each of us does things that are religious: we go to church, we read our Bible, we pray, and we do good things for others. As a result, we believe ourselves to be fairly religious. James is cautioning us, however, that if we think of ourselves as being religious and don’t have control of our tongue, then we are deluding ourselves and our religion is worthless and meaningless.

But what does he mean to “bridle the tongue?” Literally, it means to have restraining control of our language, the things that we say. The image here is of a man putting a bridle in his own mouth to have control over his tongue. A person’s ability to bridle his tongue is a reference back to verse 19 where James said:

Know this, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger

If we cannot control our tongue then we are not slow to speak and our witness for Christ as demonstrated through our actions of faith are without purpose or effect.

Application

The things we say and the way we say them are clear evidence of our own submission to and obedience to Christ. If we can control our speech, we are well on our way to being Christ-like.

How is your tongue, is it under control, or do you need to fit yourself with a tongue bridle?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: bridle

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