QT 5/18/2023 James 3:1-12, Who can teach

James 3:1–12 (ESV) —

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

 

NOTE: James makes a very strong point that can easily be misunderstood. First, everyone is a teacher in some way, whether it is raising your children, mentoring a brother toward discipleship, or sharing the word in fellowship. James admonition against many teachers is aimed at the church (the body of Christ), and the official designation of teachers (most recognizably being Sunday School teachers). A teacher in the church should be an individual with a mastery of scripture and its application to faith and life. Most people can facilitate conversations and nearly all are qualified to share their experience with God. But the title teacher carries an authority that goes far beyond facilitation and sharing Christ experiences. This is a great danger, and it is especially dangerous for churches where there aren't enough teachers or with a policy that anyone who volunteers can teach.

 

The majority of the passage seems to focus on how our tongue can be so destructive. And typically that is seen as the thrust. But a teacher is one small voice with great impact. The wrong person or the wrong understanding of scripture can steer a church into conflict. Not any person can be a rudder in a church. One tongue can be one fire, or a poison with devastating effects on the body.

 

PONDER:

1. How do we choose people to be instructors in our church?
2. How can we improve the process or oversee the teaching in the church?

 

PRAYER: Father, I may be wrong and maybe I am not listening, but I have never viewed this passage in this way. It is a little disconcerting and troubling, and yet it seems true. Give me wisdom in this area. And even more importantly, guard my mouth so that the things that I teach are true and scriptural (not my opinion).