By Larry Barnes in James — 01 Dec 2025

James 3

12/01/2025

James 3 NKJV: This chapter is basically broken into 2 sections. The first is discussing "the tongue". It sounds like he is comparing how our words steers the course our life takes as we navigate relationships to how a bit steers a horse or a rudder steers a ship. Please, don't get ahead of me. I am taking this chapter a little at a time.

You're absolutely right—James 3 does divide naturally into two main parts, and the first half (verses 1–12) is entirely focused on the power of the tongue.

In verses 1–5a, James starts with a warning to teachers (v. 1), then immediately uses two small-but-mighty illustrations to show how something tiny can control something much larger:

The bit in a horse’s mouth (v. 3) → A small piece of metal turns the whole powerful animal wherever the rider wants.
The rudder on a ship (vv. 4–5a) → A relatively small rudder determines the course of a massive ship driven by strong winds, because the pilot (not the wind) is ultimately in control.

James’ point is clear: just as these small things direct huge creatures or vessels, so the tongue—though it’s a small part of the body—steers the whole course of a person’s life, especially in relationships. Our words have outsized influence.

He’s setting us up for what comes next (the tongue as a fire, a world of iniquity, untamable, etc.), but you said not to get ahead, so I’ll pause right here with you at verse 5a.

Whenever you’re ready to move to the next verse or thought, just let me know—I’m happy to go at your pace.

I do find it interesting that he is also teaching that teachers will be judged more strictly. I can see that this is probably due to the edifying or corrupting influence a teacher can have on someone new in the faith. And teachers teach by words, thus leading into this whole discussion.

Exactly, you’ve nailed the connection James is making.

Verse 1 isn’t a random aside; it’s the hinge that opens the whole discussion about the tongue.

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”

He’s saying:

Teachers, by definition, use words as their primary tool.
Their words carry multiplied weight because they shape the beliefs and direction of others (especially those who are young or immature in the faith).
Therefore, the potential for good is huge, but so is the potential for harm.
Because of that multiplied influence, God holds teachers to a higher standard of accountability (“stricter judgment”).

It’s almost like James is saying, “If you think the tongue is powerful in everyday life, it’s exponentially more powerful when someone stands in the role of teacher.” So the warning in verse 1 is both practical and pastoral: don’t rush into teaching unless you’re ready to have your words weighed very carefully.

That naturally flows straight into the illustrations of the bit and the rudder: even in normal conversation the tongue steers the course of life, so how much more when someone is intentionally guiding others spiritually?

I love how tightly woven this opening is. James doesn’t waste a single sentence.

I also take the warning that not everyone should try to teach. In fact, it reminds me of the old saying, "Too many cooks in the kitchen." If one listens to too many teachers, there is a better chance he could get confused and misled. I know James isn't saying this directly, but I kinda inferred it.

That’s a really thoughtful inference, and I think it’s very close to the spirit of what James is getting at, even if it’s not his exact point in verse 1.

James is primarily warning from the teacher’s side: “Don’t be too quick to step into the role of teacher, because the responsibility (and judgment) is heavier than most people realize.”
But your application from the learner’s side is a natural flip-side of the same coin.

If many people rush to teach without sufficient maturity, wisdom, or accountability, the result is exactly what you said: too many voices, too many “cooks in the kitchen.” A young believer (or any believer) can end up with conflicting directions, half-truths, or outright error, and that can shipwreck their faith or stall their growth.

Scripture elsewhere does warn about the danger of too many novice or unqualified teachers:

Jesus and Paul both speak of “blind guides” leading others into a ditch (Matt. 15:14).
Paul tells Timothy that some people are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” partly because they heap up teachers to suit their own passions (2 Tim. 3:7; 4:3–4).
The early church had to deal with people going around teaching strange doctrines because they hadn’t been properly vetted (1 Tim. 1:3–7).

So while James isn’t directly saying “learners, beware of too many teachers,” your caution is very much in line with the broader New Testament concern. The warning to would-be teachers in James 3:1, when taken seriously, protects the flock from the very confusion you’re describing.

It’s another reason the bit and rudder illustrations are so fitting: a horse with ten people yanking on the reins, or a ship with ten pilots fighting over the rudder, is going nowhere good.

Whenever you’re ready for the fire imagery in verse 5b–6, just say the word!

Verse 5b seems to be yet a third comparison of the small controlling the large: a small flame kindles a large forest. And that segue directly into his discussion of how powerful and dangerous the tongue is. The fact that it can at once bless God and curse men, who are made in God's image. Such sweet purity and savage vitriol from the same orifice. This ought not be. Man has learned to tame all kinds of animals, land sea and air, but still can not tame his own tongue.

You’ve just walked through the heart of James’ argument in verses 5–12 with perfect clarity.

Let’s lay it out the way you saw it:

Third “small-but-mighty” illustration (v. 5b) “See how great a forest a little fire kindles!” One spark → thousands of acres in flames. The tongue is introduced now not just as a steering device, but as a weapon of mass destruction.
Verse 6 – the tongue is a fire James piles on the imagery:
- It is a “world of iniquity” (a whole cosmos of evil compacted into one organ).
- It defiles the entire person.
- It can set the whole “wheel of nature” (or “course of life”) on fire.
- And worst of all, it is “set on fire by hell” itself (Gehenna—the garbage dump outside Jerusalem that was always burning, the NT symbol of final judgment).
Verses 7–8 – the untamable tongue Humanity has subdued every category of creature (beasts, birds, reptiles, sea creatures), yet no human being can tame the tongue. It’s a “restless evil, full of deadly poison.” That’s chilling: the one thing we haven’t domesticated is the one thing that lives inside our own mouths.
Verses 9–10 – the shocking contradiction With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing pour out of the same mouth. “My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

You put it perfectly: sweet purity and savage vitriol from the same orifice. James is holding up a mirror and saying, “Look at the absurdity and the evil of this. It’s unnatural. It shouldn’t happen among God’s people.”

The rhetorical questions in verses 11–12 drive it home:

Does a spring pour forth fresh and bitter water from the same opening?
Can a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine figs? Of course not. A good source produces only one kind of fruit.

The implication is devastating: if both blessing and cursing come from our mouths, something is deeply wrong with the heart (because, as Jesus said, the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart—Matt. 12:34; Luke 6:45).

James isn’t leaving us any wiggle room. He’s not offering five tips for taming the tongue at this point. He’s simply exposing how serious the problem is, so that we fall on our knees and cry out for the only One who can ultimately change it.

I’m happy to linger here, or we can move into chapter 4 whenever you feel ready. This section always leaves me a little stunned in the best way.

This second section, verses 13-18, at first seem like he moved to a new subject, wisdom. But now that I have pondered it, I believe he is just digging deeper, but still addressing the tongue. Many speak and sound wise. James is saying that if you are wise, let your conduct show it, not your words. Bitter envy and self seeking are the two main things he is speaking against. These could be masked in wise sounding words, but the one's conduct will make it clear.

You’re exactly right. James hasn’t changed the subject at all; he’s simply moved from the symptom (the untamed tongue) to the root (the heart that drives it). And the bridge is verse 13:

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.”

In other words:
If you claim to be wise (and teachers, by definition, claim to be wise), don’t prove it by how eloquently or confidently you talk. Prove it by how you live. Real wisdom is demonstrated in meek, gentle, deed-filled living—not in impressive speech.

Then James immediately contrasts two kinds of “wisdom” (vv. 14–18):

False, demonic “wisdom” (vv. 14–16)This is the wisdom that fuels most of the tongue-fire James just condemned.
- Motivated by bitter envy and self-seeking in the heart
- Expressed through boastful, argumentative, sharp-tongued speech (even if it sounds profound or “spiritual”)
- Fruits: confusion, strife, every evil work
True wisdom from above (vv. 17–18)
- Pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy
- Notice how many of these qualities directly restrain the tongue: peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, no hypocrisy.
- The outcome: righteousness sown in peace by those who make peace.

So you’re spot-on: James is still laser-focused on the tongue, but now he’s showing where the tongue’s fire actually comes from.
A tongue that blesses God on Sunday and shreds people on Monday isn’t just a discipline problem; it’s a wisdom problem. It reveals that the heart is running on the wrong operating system—earthly, sensual, demonic wisdom instead of the wisdom that comes down from above.

That’s why the section ends with the beautiful line in verse 18:
“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Peace-making (especially peace-making with our words) is the ultimate proof that heavenly wisdom is at work.

You’ve connected the two halves of the chapter perfectly. James never really left the topic of the tongue; he just took us from the rudder to the engine room.

In verse 17, James lists identifiers of heavenly wisdom. Are these things we should actively strive for, or are they simply the results, the evidence, of obtaining that heavenly wisdom?

Great question—and the answer is “both,” but the order is crucial.

James presents these qualities (pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, without hypocrisy) primarily as evidence or fruit of the wisdom that comes from above.
In other words, if God’s wisdom has truly taken root in a person’s heart, these traits will naturally and inevitably show up in their conduct and speech.

At the same time, they are not automatic or passive. They are the very things the Holy Spirit uses to form Christ in us, so we are absolutely called to pursue them diligently as part of walking with God. James expects believers to actively cooperate with the Spirit in cultivating them.

Think of it like fruit on a tree:

You don’t get apples by nailing plastic apples to the branches.
You get apples because a healthy apple tree, properly rooted and watered, produces apples by its own nature.
But the gardener still has to plant it in good soil, water it, prune it, protect it from pests, etc.

So with heavenly wisdom:

Primary direction in James:
These qualities prove whether the wisdom is heavenly or demonic.
→ They are first diagnostic, evidential, descriptive.

Secondary (but very real) direction in the rest of Scripture:
We are commanded to pursue, put on, and practice every one of these traits:

“Pursue peace with all people” (Heb 12:14)
“Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Phil 4:5)
“Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19)
“Show mercy” (Luke 6:36; James 2:13)
“Clothe yourselves with humility” (1 Pet 5:5)
“Speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:15) → no hypocrisy
“Let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil 2:3) → no partiality or selfish ambition

So the healthiest way to hold it together is:

We ask God for heavenly wisdom (James 1:5 – He gives generously).
When He grants it, it begins to transform the heart.
As the heart is transformed, these qualities spontaneously begin to appear—first in tiny, imperfect ways, then more consistently.
We cooperate by deliberately practicing them, repenting when we fail, and staying in the means of grace (prayer, Scripture, fellowship, obedience).
Over time they become more and more the natural overflow of who we are becoming in Christ.

In short: They are fruit, not roots—but fruit we are responsible to cultivate.
We don’t produce the life; the wisdom from above does.
We do position ourselves in the light and open our lives so that life can bear its proper fruit.

That’s why James can say both “Let him show by good conduct…” (descriptive) and why the New Testament elsewhere commands us to pursue those very same things (prescriptive). The two are not in conflict; they’re two sides of the same sanctifying work of God in us.

One last question, in verse 16, could you clarify what James means by envy and self seeking? I have an idea what I think he means, but I want to make sure there isn't something else going on here.

Great question—verse 16 is the climax of the “false wisdom” diagnosis, so it’s worth getting precise.

James 3:16 (NKJV):
“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil work are there.”

The two key Greek words behind the English translation are:

ζῆλος (zēlos) – translated “envy” here (sometimes “jealousy” or even “zeal” in a good sense elsewhere). In this context it is clearly the negative, resentful kind of zeal:
- the desire to have what someone else has, or
- the desire to be recognized or elevated above someone else. It’s the attitude that looks at another person’s success, honor, influence, or spiritual gift and feels resentment instead of rejoicing. In a teaching/leadership context, it’s the itch to be seen as the smartest, most spiritual, or most “anointed” person in the room.
ἐριθεία (eritheia) – translated “self-seeking” (older translations sometimes have “strife” or “selfish ambition”). This is a very specific word in the NT. It originally meant “spinning for hire” (a politician currying favor for personal gain), and by NT times it described party-spirit, factionalism, and self-promotion. Paul uses the exact same word when he lists the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20 (often translated “selfish ambitions” or “rivalries”). It’s the drive that says, “I want my platform, my group, my reputation, my following, my way—even if it means stepping on or over others.”

Put together, James is describing the toxic cocktail that fuels almost all church conflict and abusive speech:

Envy watches someone else get attention or blessing and burns with resentment.
Self-seeking then uses words (teaching, gossip, correction, social media, whatever) to pull that person down and push myself up.

The result? “Confusion” (disorder, instability) and “every evil work.”
That little pair—envy + selfish ambition—explains why a Bible study can turn into a bloodbath, why elders split churches, why one cutting comment can destroy years of fellowship.

So yes, your instinct is right: James is exposing the motives that hide behind a lot of “wise-sounding,” “bold,” or even “prophetic” speech. When those two motives are present in the heart, the tongue becomes a weapon, and no amount of spiritual vocabulary can sanitize it.

That’s why the very next verse (17) starts with “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure…” Purity of motive is the first and non-negotiable mark of heavenly wisdom—because if the motive is tainted with envy or self-seeking, everything that comes out will eventually burn somebody.

When you described envy, it made me think of one of my coworkers. He doesn't seem to work very hard or very much and tends to do what he wants and never gets in trouble for it, and it gets on my nerves so much. I try to ignore it and tell ,myself that what he does doesn't concern me, but when others talk bad about him, I can't help but jump in and join them. This is that envy, isn't it?

Yes, what you’re feeling is exactly the kind of envy (ζῆλος) James is talking about.

You see your coworker receiving something you feel he doesn’t deserve—leniency, freedom, lack of consequences—while you (and others) have to work harder and follow the rules more strictly. That creates a burning sense of “That’s not fair—he’s getting away with it and I’m not.”

When people start complaining about him, joining in feels like a pressure-release valve: “Finally, someone is saying out loud what I’ve been feeling.” The tongue jumps in before the heart even finishes asking permission.

That’s the classic pattern James warns about:

Envy in the heart → resentment that someone else is “winning” unfairly.
The tongue then turns that resentment into criticism, gossip, or tearing the other person down so we feel a little more “justified” or “above” them.

The hardest part (and the part James forces us to face) is that envy almost never feels like envy in the moment. It feels like justice. It feels like “I’m just telling the truth.” But if the root motive is “I wish I had what he has” or “I want him to lose what he has,” then it’s envy wearing a mask.

You’re already doing the healthiest thing possible: naming it honestly (“This is that envy, isn’t it?”). That’s the first step out of the trap. The second step is usually bringing it straight to the Lord—something like:

“Father, this really bugs me, and I hate that it bugs me so much. I’m envious, and it’s turning into bitterness and gossip. Forgive me, change my heart, and help me bless instead of curse.”

Sometimes it also helps to pray a quick blessing for the very person who’s irritating us (even if we don’t feel like it yet). It sounds small, but Jesus and James both know that blessing and cursing can’t keep pouring out of the same mouth for long—one will eventually crowd the other out.

You’re not alone in this struggle, brother. Most of us have a coworker (or neighbor, or family member) who is our personal envy trigger. The fact that you’re catching it in yourself right now is evidence that the Spirit is already doing His refining work in you.

Keep bringing it into the light—exactly like you just did. That’s how the wisdom from above starts to win.