Chronological Life Application Study Bible 2nd Edition - Flipbook - Page 14
IN THE BEGINNING
undated–2100 BC
GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE
2100–1800 BC
BIRTH OF ISRAEL
1800–1406 BC
f JAMES 2:14-26 (cont.)
this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t
you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham
was shown to be right with God by his actions when he
offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith
and his actions worked together. His actions made his
faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted
him as righteous because of his faith.”* He was even
called the friend of God.* 24 So you see, we are shown
to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was
shown to be right with God by her actions when she
hid those messengers and sent them safely away by
a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without
breath,* so also faith is dead without good works.
Controlling the Tongue
JAMES 3:1-12
Dear brothers and sisters,* not many of you should
become teachers in the church, for we who teach will
be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many
mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we
would be perfect and could also control ourselves
in every other way.
3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want
by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small
Jas 2:23a Gen 15:6. Jas 2:23b See Isa 41:8. Jas 2:26 Or without spirit.
Jas 3:12 Greek from salt.
Jas 2:21-24 James says that Abraham
was “shown to be right with God” for what
he did because he believed God (Rom
4:1-5). James’s and Paul’s messages are
not contradicting but complementing each
other. Let’s not conclude that the truth is a
blending of these two statements. We are not
justified by what we do in any way. True faith
always results in good deeds, but the deeds
do not justify us. Faith brings us salvation;
active obedience demonstrates that our faith
is genuine.
Jas 2:25 Rahab lived in Jericho, a city the
Israelites conquered as they entered the
Promised Land (Josh 2). When Israel’s spies
came to the city, she hid them and helped
them escape. In this way she demonstrated
faith in God’s purpose for Israel. As a result,
she and her family were saved when the city
was destroyed. Hebrews 11:31 lists Rahab
among the heroes of faith.
Jas 3:1 Teaching was a highly respected
profession in Jewish culture, and it may be
that many Jewish followers of Jesus wanted
to become teachers. James warned that
although it is a good aspiration to teach, the
responsibility is great because a teacher’s
words and example affect the spiritual lives of
others. If you are in a teaching or leadership
role, how are you affecting those you lead?
Jas 3:2-3 Proper speech is both saying
the right words at the right time and refrain1584
THE PROMISED LAND
1406–1050 BC
UNITED KINGDOM
1050–930 BC
rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot
chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In
the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes
grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And
among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame
of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting
your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for
it is set on fire by hell itself.*
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is
restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it
praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses
those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And
so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same
mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not
right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both
fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce
olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t
draw fresh water from a salty spring.*
True Wisdom Comes from God
JAMES 3:13-18
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by
living an honorable life, doing good works with the
humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart,
don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For
Jas 3:1 Greek brothers; also in 3:10. Jas 3:6 Or for it will burn in hell (Greek Gehenna).
ing from saying what should not be said.
Examples of an untamed tongue include
gossiping, putting others down, bragging,
manipulating, teaching false doctrine, exaggerating, complaining, flattering, and lying. (In
Jewish ethics, these are labeled lashon hara,
“evil speech.”) Before you speak, ask: Is what
I want to say true, necessary, and kind?
Jas 3:6 James compares the damage
the tongue can do to a raging fire—the
tongue’s wickedness has its source in hell
itself. The uncontrolled tongue can do terrible
damage. Satan uses the tongue to divide
people and pit them against one another. Idle
and hateful words are damaging because
they spread destruction quickly, and no one
can stop the results once they are spoken. We
dare not be careless with what we say, thinking we can apologize later, because even if
we do, the scars remain. A few words spoken
in anger can destroy a relationship that took
years to build. Before you speak, remember
that words are like fire—you can neither control nor reverse the damage they can do.
Jas 3:8 If no human being can tame the
tongue, why bother trying? Even though
we may not achieve perfect control of our
tongues, the Holy Spirit will help us learn selfcontrol. Remember that we are not fighting
the tongue’s fire in our own strength. The Holy
Spirit will give us increasing power to monitor
and control what we say so that when we are
offended, the Spirit will remind us of God’s
love and we won’t react in a hateful manner.
When we are criticized, the Spirit will heal the
hurt and help us to not lash out.
Jas 3:9-12 Our contradictory speech often
puzzles us. At times our words are right and
pleasing to God, but at other times they are
violent and destructive. Which of these speech
patterns reflects our true identity? We were
made in God’s image, but the tongue gives
us a picture of our basic sinful nature. God
works to change us from the inside out. When
the Holy Spirit purifies a heart, he gives selfcontrol so that the person will speak words
that please God.
Jas 3:13-18 Have you ever known anyone
who claimed to be wise but who acted foolishly? True wisdom can be measured by a
person’s character. Just as you can identify a
tree by the type of fruit it produces, you can
evaluate your wisdom by the way you act.
Foolishness leads to disorder, but wisdom
leads to peace and goodness. Are you tempted
to escalate the conflict, pass on the gossip,
or fan the fire of discord? Careful, winsome
speech and wise, loving words are the seeds
of peace. God loves peacemakers (Matt 5:9).
Jas 3:14-15 Bitter jealousy and selfish
ambition are not from God. It is easy for
us to be drawn into wrong desires by the
pressures of society and sometimes even
