TAME THE TONGUE (JAMES 3)
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When Alibaba’s 54-year old founder Ma Yun two days ago announced that he has started the process of "passing the Alibaba torch" to current chief executive officer Daniel Zhang, who is due to take over as chairman of the board in one year's time — on Sept. 10, 2019, to coincide with Alibaba's 20th anniversary, had been a decade in the planning and has helped shape Alibaba into the multibillion-dollar e-commerce giant it is today.
Ma said, "We all knew that no one could stay with the company for 102 years. No one can shoulder the responsibilities of chairman and CEO forever. The teacher in me feels extremely proud of our team, our leadership and our unique mission-driven culture, as well as the fact that we continue to develop exceptional business leaders and professional talent like Daniel Zhang. Teachers always want their students to exceed them, so the responsible thing to do for me and the company to do is to let younger, more talented people take over in leadership roles so that they inherit our mission 'to make it easy to do business anywhere.
I also want to return to education, which excites me with so much blessing because this is what I love to do.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/10/alibaba-jack-ma-appointment-of-daniel-zhang-offers-leadership-lesson.html
Teacher, his tongue and his thoughts. The man, his mess and maturity.
Be Stellar in Selection
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur Ward
Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers are more costly. Bob Talbert
A bad teacher presents the truth, a good teacher helps to find it.
Adolp Diesterweg
The good teacher makes the poor student good, and the good student superior.
A good teacher is like a a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.
A good teacher offers practice, a good teacher offers theories. Anthony de Melo
There are three reasons to be a teacher: June, July and August.
One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world. Malala
Yousafzai
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Ps 19:7
Doris said, “Don’t just teach; be a mentor!”
If you ask my wife what was the turning point in my life besides salvation and marriage, she would say, The day I started teaching in seminary. It opened the door to publication, mentoring and
Teachers can also be translated as “master,” which is the majority translation for the word (Matt 8:19), but it does not mean a school teacher in this context, because without teachers there would be no learning, no education or ideas. In the early church the office, title or role of the teacher is revered, respected and recognized (1 Cor 12:28, Eph 4:11), of which Barnabas is one (Acts 13:1). Unfortunately, “many” (v 1) or not a few but quite a lot were merely drawn to the power, privilege, prestige, position and popularity.
What’s so bad about being a master? A good teacher must be accountable or answerable for his belief but also behavior, not only in deeds but disposition, not only in teaching but in his testimony. I can only think of the price, precaution and payback of getting a bad teacher, including one who is immoral, immature, impatient , impulsive, inflated, insincere, incompetent , impractical, imprudent, and intimidating.
Judged (v 1) means damnation (Mark 12:40) or condemnation (Luke 23:40), and “more strictly/greater” condemnation, although not the same word in English, refers to the scribes (Luke 20:46-47) who desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts.
Stumble (v 2, We all stumble in many ways) means we are not immune, invulnerable or inoculated from a moral, a mental, a marginal sin. It could be a misstep, a mistake or a mistreatment. It does not say stumble against God or others, but very well a self-made, self-imposed or self-reproach stumble,” which is translated in RSV as “makes many mistakes.”
Verse 2’s (Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check) “perfect” has to do with time or the end, but “keep” is from “bridle + “lead,” tasks. No one is free from troubles, temptation and trials. There is always a blot, a blemish, a blooper or a blunder. After all there is nobody who is flawless, faultless and fallible - immaculate, impeccable or ideal. None of us free from immaturity, idiocies, imprudence insolence, ignorance and at times irrationality. Son let us take serious, sacred and stock of the importance of teaching.
Be Seasoned in Speech
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Once a young man came to that great philosopher Socrates to be instructed in oratory. The moment the young man was introduced he began to talk, and there was an incessant stream for some time. When Socrates could get in a word, he said, “Young man, I will have to charge you a double fee.” “A double fee, why is that?” The old sage replied, “I will have to teach you two lessons. First, how to hold your tongue, and then how to use it.” What an art for all of us to learn, especially for Christians. (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 821)
The Bible talks a lot about the tongue, the mouth and the lips.
Verse 3’s obey (peitho, “when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal”) is to persuade (Matt 27:20), pacify, trusted (Matt 27:43), agree (Acts 5:40), believe (Acts 17:4) and confident (Rom 2:19). It is not to pummel a horse to death or push the animal over limits. Not in savage submission but in sweet surrender, like training a Black Beauty or Lassie. Not to merely behave but to believe too. Turn (v 3, metago) and steer (v 4) are the same word in Greek. Its about where to go. Obey is the passion, permission and partnership, but turn is the footpath, the path and passageway opening. Turn is to lead, not about leadership. The first is about feelings, and second is to follow.
V 3
V 4 V 5 V 6 V 7 V 8
Whole (body/animal)
“holos” Very small /Small (rudder/ helm)
“elachistos” Great
“megas” Whole (body)
“holos” All
“pas” No “oudies”
Horses
Ships Member Fire Beasts, birds serpents, sea,
Man
Path
“Turn” Proportion
“Very small rudder”
Pride
“Great boasts” Power
“Sets the whole course” Potential
“Tamed by mankind”
Poison
“Deadly poison”
Direction Diversion Domination Disorder Domestication Damage
Change Comparison Consume Civil Curb Calamity
Verse 6 - the tongue is hellish, hostile and hurtful. The contrast is with human nature, nature (genesis) and against human nature.
The conjunction “for” (v 7) is crucial. The only other incident with the word “tame” (v 5) is used described Mark 5:1-5 the man from the “country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.” It is untamed, unchecked and unruly - not with chains and fetter, not in the mountains and tombs, always, night and day, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Verse 8 says the tongue is wayward, wild, wicked, wretched, wreckful, and James ended by saying we should be consistent, without control, constraint or clamps.
The tongue is sacred and scandalous (v 9), sinister although not sinful in itself, sweet and soothing but at the same time shocking and scathing concurrently consistently. Many are the victims of its chatty, careless, cruel, cunning and crude side. At its worse or on bad behavior it can be prideful, poisonous, perverse, provocative, punitive and petty.
Schooled and steered (v 3)
Slow and steady (v 4)
Small but scathing (v 5)
Be Sagacious in Supply
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
The noted revivalist, Cowboy Crimm (North Texas and Oklahoma, during the 1930's and 1940's), at San Augustine under a huge tent, preached a rousing sermon on "The Tongue." The town's most notorious gossip, who was also a religious leader, responded, saying: “Oh Brother Crimm, I have come forward to lay my tongue on the altar of God.”
Crimm replied: “I apologize, Sister, our altar is only ten feet long; but whatever part of it you can get on there, go right ahead!” (James Burton Coffman)
James ended the chapter on a positive, pleasant and peaceable note, not to dish out a tongue lashing on others.
Show it (v 13) is an imperative - by deeds done in humility. The proof is in your acts and attitude. The duo of deeds and demeanor. Show is on the outside – detectable, discernable and demonstrated.
Bitter envy and selfish ambition repeated in verse 14 and 16 are derived from the heart (v 14). Bitter envy and selfish ambition or strife in Greek is on the inside versus the outside. The next two imperatives are boast and deny (pseudomai). Boast is to rejoice (James 2:13) and glory (James 3:14). The imperatives - boast is to flatter the other is to falsify. Boast is self-praise but deny is self=deceiving.
One is in your external or outer – show – and the other is internal or inner (from your heart) , one is from above – the vertical or upper (v 15). One strong not (v 14) and one weak not (v 15).
Earthly Unspiritual (psuchikos) Demonic
Selfish Sensual (Greek) Satanic
Decadent “Dreamy” Disobedient
Experienced Emotional Evil Wicked
Disorder/confusion and evil work. Disorder (akatastasia)is commotions (Luke 21:9), confusions (1 Cor 14:33) and tumults (2 Cor 6:5). Evil (v 16, phaulos) denotes "slight, trivial, blown about by every wind"; then, "mean, common, bad," in the sense of being worthless, paltry or contemptible, belonging to a low order of things. One is the quarrel and the quality; work and worth, contention and classlessness.
Pure (hagnos)
Peace-loving/ peaceable (eirenikos) Considerate/ gentle (epieikes) Submissive (easy to be intreated)
eupeithes Full (mestos)of mercy and good fruit Impartial/without partiality (anupokritos
) Sincere/ without hypocrisy (anupokritos)
Foundation Fellowship Favor Forgiving Fruitful Fair Frank
Cleansed Conciliatory Caring Compassionate Complete Clean Conscientious
