James 3:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

NIV: 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.

NASB: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy.

CSB: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.

NLT: But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

KJV: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

NKJV: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

In this passage, James has been describing the so-called-wisdom of the world. It's not pretty. Typical human philosophy is driven by envy and selfish ambition, and the result is all the disorder and evil we see in the world. Putting ourselves ahead of all others means creating billions of contradictory goals, and making excuses for hurting other people in order to get what we want.

Here, in verse 17, James describes the characteristics of the wisdom from heaven. This is God's wisdom. This is the wisdom of those who trust God to provide all they need, to continue to give them every good gift (James 1:17), and to fulfill every desire of their hearts for eternity with Him in heaven. As a result, these believers willingly sacrifice opportunities for "more and more" money, pleasure, and power. Instead, those who trust in God make themselves available to serve the needs of others.

The result of submission to God is very different than selfish, worldly ambition. James describes godly wisdom as "pure," translated from the Greek word hagnē. This means "undivided, chaste, or pure." This kind of wisdom is refined and focused on exactly one thing: whatever God has called us to.

Godly wisdom is peaceable or peace-loving, putting a high value on easing conflict. His wisdom is gentle or considerate, not ready to fight, but ready to serve. This wisdom is reasonable or submissive, ready to see things from another point of view and do it someone else's way. True wisdom is full of mercy and all the good things that flow from living this way. This wisdom is impartial, not showing the favoritism James addressed in chapter two. This wisdom is sincere, with no need to fake anything to get what it wants out of other people.

It's amazing how much easier and more pleasant life becomes when a Christian gives up the requirement of getting what he or she wants at all costs. Without that agenda, there's less and less need for conflict. And yet, the only way to give up that agenda is to believe that our good God is providing all we need in every moment.

James 3:13–18 questions our concept of who is wise and understanding. James quickly answers: the truly wise, understanding person is one whose faith in God leads to selfless good works. Wise people live in the humility of wisdom, setting themselves aside to serve others. That's not worldly wisdom, which leaves each person responsible to serve him- or herself first. Earthly attitudes are driven by envy for what others have, and an ambition to take it. The result is disorder and evil instead of the peace, gentleness, and mercy that follow from living by heaven's wisdom.

Human words are powerful. Our tongues are small, but they are capable of wreaking great havoc. Any person who could perfectly control their words would be in perfect control of their entire bodies. Instead, as sinful human beings, our tongues are untamable. Our words are fire, igniting the entire course of our lives. Blessing God and cursing people should not come out of the same mouth; we are corrupted. James concludes the chapter by exploring what it means to be truly wise. True wisdom is not necessarily found in those with the most education, money, or friends. Rather, wise people can be spotted living wisely in humility, participating in good works, enjoying peace, singleness of purpose, and gentle lifestyles.

What does it look like to lead a life characterized by trusting God? Chapters 1 and 2 introduced the idea of how one's actions demonstrate the reality of their beliefs. Here, in chapter 3, James continues to explore this effect. In this passage, he talks about our words and heaven's wisdom. The one with perfect faith in God would have perfect control over his or her words. Worldly wisdom—envy and selfish ambition—with its me-first mentality is a source of disorder and evil in the world. God-trusting, self-sacrificing heavenly wisdom is the source of peace, gentleness, mercy and, ultimately, righteousness. Chapters 4 and 5 will make specific practical application of these thoughts.

The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.