Words that Match Heart
James 3:1-12
How can you tell the sincerity of your faith? By the words that you speak.
#heart
#words
#faith
Published July 20th, 2020
Main point summary
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Diagram
notes
Main point summary
Not only does faith manifest itself in works with our hands (ch. 2), but it also manifests itself in our words and what we say. Faith requires not only doing outwardly what is right but saying what is right. Both the doing (ch. 2) and the saying are the result from what is within. A tainted fountain cannot produce sweet water, just as a corrupt heart cannot yield a fruit-bearing life in work and word.
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editing
NT
James 3:1-12
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mine
Μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί μου,
You should not (all) become teachers, my brothers,
εἰδότες ὅτι μεῖζον κρίμα λημψόμεθα.
because you (pl.) know that we will receive greater judgment.
ground
πολλὰ γὰρ πταίομεν ἅπαντες.
For we all stumble often.
εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει,
If anyone does not stumble in the message,
οὗτος τέλειος ἀνὴρ
this is a perfect man
δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα.
(and) able also to bind his whole body.
ideaexplanation
conditional
εἰ δὲ τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς
Yet, if we place the bridles
εἰς τὰ στόματα βάλλομεν
in the mouths of the horses,
locative
εἰς τὸ πείθεσθαι αὐτοὺς
so that they might be persuaded
ἡμῖν,
by us,
actionmanner
actionpurpose
καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν μετάγομεν.
we also change/direct their whole constitution (body).
ἰδοὺ καὶ τὰ πλοῖα τηλικαῦτα ὄντα
Behold, even the boats that are great,
καὶ ὑπὸ ἀνέμων σκληρῶν ἐλαυνόμενα,
that are also being driven by strong winds,
series
μετάγεται
are being changed/directed
ὑπὸ ἐλαχίστου πηδαλίου
by the smallest rudder
ὅπου ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος βούλεται,
where the one who steers desires,
concessive
οὕτως καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα μικρὸν μέλος ἐστὶν
Similarly/Thusly, the tongue is also a small part/member,
καὶ μεγάλα αὐχεῖ.
but/yet it boasts as a great one/of great things.
comparison
bilateral
ἰδοὺ ἡλίκον πῦρ ἡλίκην ὕλην ἀνάπτει•
Behold, how small a fire sets aflame such a great wood/forest.
καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ•
And the tongue is a fire.
ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται
The tongue appoints itself as a world of unrighteousness
ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν,
in/among our members,
ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα
The thing (tongue) that defiles the whole body
καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως
and inflames the wheel of life (course of existence)
καὶ φλογιζομένη
and is being inflamed
ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης.
by Gehenna.
progression
πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ πετεινῶν, ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων δαμάζεται
For all nature, including beasts, birds, creeping things, and sea creatures, is being tamed
καὶ δεδάμασται
and has been tamed
τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ,
by the nature of man (by humans).
τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν οὐδεὶς δαμάσαι δύναται
But no one is able to subdue the tongue of man,
ἀνθρώπων, ἀκατάστατον κακόν,
which is badly unstable,
μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου.
full of deadly poison.
ἐν αὐτῇ εὐλογοῦμεν τὸν κύριον καὶ πατέρα
With (tongue) this, we give thanks/honour to/for the Lord and Father,
καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ γεγονότας,
and with this, we curse (ourselves) the men who have become according to the likeness of God.
alternative
ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος
out of the same mouth
ἐξέρχεται εὐλογία καὶ κατάρα.
comes blessing/thanksgiving and curse.
οὐ χρή, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτως γίνεσθαι.
My brothers, these things are not proper to be in this way.
μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς
Does, out of the same crevice,
βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν;
the fountain pour forth the sweet and the bitter?
μὴ δύναται, ἀδελφοί μου, συκῆ ἐλαίας ποιῆσαι
My brothers, is a fig tree able to make olive trees,
ἢ ἄμπελος σῦκα;
or is a vine able to make a fig?
οὔτε ἁλυκὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ.
Neither can a bitter thing make water sweet/sweet water.
questionanswer
Contrast/irony -- man has sought to control creation, but cannot control his tongue!
Expect obvious negative answer.
anticipates negative answer
horses
boats
You've got to control your tongue!
destroys self, destroys the world, and is destined for hell.
It's instability and poison flows from the fact that it says one thing and then another--it is two-faced/untrustworthy
the previous section focused on working (with hands or outward actions), this section focuses on our words and what comes out of our mouths--both need transformation. The tongue is even more important because it is the tongue from which all damage flows. An uncontrolled tongue displays an untrustworthy heart.
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discourse
Diagram
scripturetext
James 3:1-12
na28
vsnum
James 3:1
equals
solid
equal
table
ἀδελφοί
drop
revrocket
line
prepphrase
pstack
cword
μου
pred
subjectverb
γίνεσθε
Μὴ
predicate
διδάσκαλοι
πολλοὶ
participle
εἰδότες
vertical
directobject
shelf
λημψόμεθα
κρίμα
μεῖζον
ὅτι
γὰρ
James 3:2
ἅπαντες
πταίομεν
πολλὰ
οὗτος
ἀνὴρ
rocketship
τέλειος
δυνατὸς
καὶ
χαλιναγωγῆσαι
τὸ
σῶμα
ὅλον
τις
πταίει
οὐ
ἐν
λόγῳ
εἴ
δὲ
James 3:3
μετάγομεν
καὶ
τὸ
σῶμα
ὅλον
αὐτῶν
βάλλομεν
τοὺς
χαλινοὺς
εἰς
τὰ
στόματα
αὐτοὺς
πείθεσθαι
ἡμῖν
εἰς
τὸ
τῶν
ἵππων
εἰ
ἰδοὺ
James 3:4
τὰ
πλοῖα
καὶ
μετάγεται
ὄντα
τηλικαῦτα
ἐλαυνόμενα
καὶ
ὑπὸ
ἀνέμων
σκληρῶν
ἡ
ὁρμὴ
βούλεται
τοῦ
εὐθύνοντος
ἡ
γλῶσσα
ἐστὶν
καὶ
μέλος
μικρὸν
αὐχεῖ
μεγάλα
καὶ
οὕτως
ὅπου
ὑπὸ
πηδαλίου
ἐλαχίστου
James 3:5
ἰδοὺ
πῦρ
ἀνάπτει
ἡλίκον
ὕλην
ἡλίκην
James 3:6
καὶ
ἡ
γλῶσσα
πῦρ
ἡ
γλῶσσα
καθίσταται
ἐν
τοῖς
μέλεσιν
ἡμῶν
ὁ
κόσμος
τῆς
ἀδικίας
smartline
dashed
free
ttext
linemid
ἡ
σπιλοῦσα
φλογιζομένη
φλογίζουσα
τὸ
σῶμα
ὅλον
τὸν
τροχὸν
τῆς
γενέσεως
ὑπὸ
τῆς
γεέννης
καὶ
καὶ
James 3:7
γὰρ
φύσις
πᾶσα
θηρίων
ἐναλίων
πετεινῶν
ἑρπετῶν
τε
καὶ
τε
καὶ
δαμάζεται
δεδάμασται
τῇ
φύσει
τῇ
ἀνθρωπίνῃ
καὶ
James 3:8
δὲ
οὐδεὶς
δύναται
δαμάσαι
τὴν
γλῶσσαν
ἀνθρώπων
ἀκατάστατον
κακόν
ἰοῦ
μεστὴ
θανατηφόρου
εὐλογοῦμεν
καταρώμεθα
ἐν
αὐτῇ
τὸν
κύριον
πατέρα
καὶ
ἐν
αὐτῇ
τοὺς
ἀνθρώπους
τοὺς
γεγονότας
καθʼ
ὁμοίωσιν
θεοῦ
καὶ
James 3:9
James 3:10
ἐξέρχεται
εὐλογία
κατάρα
καὶ
ἐκ
στόματος
τοῦ
αὐτοῦ
χρή
οὐ
ταῦτα
γίνεσθαι
οὕτως
ἀδελφοί
μου
line1
ἡ
πηγὴ
βρύει
μήτι
ἐκ
τῆς
ὀπῆς
αὐτῆς
τὸ
γλυκὺ
τὸ
πικρόν
καὶ
James 3:11
ἀδελφοί
μου
James 3:12
συκῆ
δύναται
μὴ
ποιῆσαι
ἐλαίας
ἄμπελος
σῦκα
ἁλυκὸν
ποιῆσαι
ὕδωρ
γλυκὺ
ἢ
οὔτε
line1
Explanatory
Purpose
instrumental
acc. subj.
substantival-genitive of source/objective
concessive kai
reflexive (middle) ≠ passive - the tongue appoints itself
apposition
Acc. Sub.
Identical use (attributive position)
Identical use - attributive position
Expects a negative answer (μη) in a question without non-indicative mood.
anticipates negative answer.
diagram
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Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.