Show and Tell (7 of 12)
Series: Put Your Faith to Work
Keith Krell
James 3:13-18
Have you ever participated in ''Show and Tell''? It is a common elementary school activity used to teach children the skills of public speaking. A child brings an item from home and explains to the class why they chose that particular item, where they got it, and other relevant information. It is a great way to learn, especially for visual learners.
In James 3:13-18 James unveils the original ''Show and Tell.'' In these six verses, James will demonstrate that the only way to control an earthly tongue is to have a heavenly heart. We could say: The key to right talk is right thought. This passage wraps up the section ''slow to speak'' (3:1-18). James provides three Spirit-empowered disciplines that will help us tame the tongue and live wise lives.
1. Display wisdom (3:13). James argues that wisdom is not so much revealed by what we think or say as by who we are and what we do. James opens in 3:13a with a rhetorical question: ''Who among you is wise and understanding?'' The key words that bracket this section are ''wise'' and ''wisdom'' (3:13, 17). James is writing to Hebrew Christians, so he uses the word ''wise'' (sophia) in its Old Testament sense. The Proverb writer states that wisdom is attained through the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7; 9:10) and is synonymous with obedience. So here, as in the Old Testament, the concept of ''wisdom'' is practical rather than theoretical. Biblical wisdom has nothing to do with intelligence or education. It depends on the heart rather than the mind and is measured by the depth of a person's character.
One aspect of ''wisdom'' is what James calls ''understanding'' (epistemon). This word describes one who is intelligent and experienced-what we might call, ''an expert in his field.'' A policeman needs to be wise in order to observe and discern situations where trouble is brewing. But the policeman also needs the understanding or exper ...
Series: Put Your Faith to Work
Keith Krell
James 3:13-18
Have you ever participated in ''Show and Tell''? It is a common elementary school activity used to teach children the skills of public speaking. A child brings an item from home and explains to the class why they chose that particular item, where they got it, and other relevant information. It is a great way to learn, especially for visual learners.
In James 3:13-18 James unveils the original ''Show and Tell.'' In these six verses, James will demonstrate that the only way to control an earthly tongue is to have a heavenly heart. We could say: The key to right talk is right thought. This passage wraps up the section ''slow to speak'' (3:1-18). James provides three Spirit-empowered disciplines that will help us tame the tongue and live wise lives.
1. Display wisdom (3:13). James argues that wisdom is not so much revealed by what we think or say as by who we are and what we do. James opens in 3:13a with a rhetorical question: ''Who among you is wise and understanding?'' The key words that bracket this section are ''wise'' and ''wisdom'' (3:13, 17). James is writing to Hebrew Christians, so he uses the word ''wise'' (sophia) in its Old Testament sense. The Proverb writer states that wisdom is attained through the fear of the Lord (Prov 1:7; 9:10) and is synonymous with obedience. So here, as in the Old Testament, the concept of ''wisdom'' is practical rather than theoretical. Biblical wisdom has nothing to do with intelligence or education. It depends on the heart rather than the mind and is measured by the depth of a person's character.
One aspect of ''wisdom'' is what James calls ''understanding'' (epistemon). This word describes one who is intelligent and experienced-what we might call, ''an expert in his field.'' A policeman needs to be wise in order to observe and discern situations where trouble is brewing. But the policeman also needs the understanding or exper ...
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