James 3:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: 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.

NASB: For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well.

CSB: For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.

NLT: Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

KJV: For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

NKJV: For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

A common objection to the stance James takes on faith and works involves the concept of "perfection." With all of James's talk about how those who trust God do good works, it's easy to make the mistake of thinking he is saying that Christians must be perfect. Some attempt to dismiss the connection between saving faith and good works by claiming it leads to perfectionism. That is, some claim tying works to saving faith means if we continue to sin, we are not really saved.

This verse makes it clear that James is not requiring perfection at all. The point of chapter 2 was that genuine Christians will participate in genuine good works in obedience to God. And yet, James is fully aware that fallible human beings will never do so without stumbling. James includes himself in this statement: "we all stumble in many ways" [emphasis added]. That should be encouraging. One struggle of the Christian life is our awareness of the many ways we continue to stumble. Knowing that James, like other New Testament authors, was not perfect should help put us at ease.

However, James also reveals that our goal is to stop stumbling, to be in full control of ourselves at all times. We're not there yet, especially when it comes to our words. The sign of a Christian who has arrived at full-faith perfection is one who never stumbles in what they say or how they say it. Such a perfected believer will never say anything unkind, hurtful, selfish, proud, rude, or manipulative. They will only and ever say words motivated by faith in God and love for each other.

Once we learn to perfectly control our words, we will be in perfect control of every part of ourselves. We will have "bridled"—or learned to keep in check—our entire body. This is a noble goal to aspire to, much like an athlete who aspires to never miss a shot on goal. And yet, as both James and the rest of the New Testament make plain, we will never attain that kind of perfection on this side of heaven (1 John 1:10; Romans 7:21–25).

James 3:1–12 discusses talking. This passage continues James's big idea that faith and works go together. Specifically, that what one does (or says) proves what they really believe. Those who trust God, who really believe Him, begin to be changed in their speech, as well. And yet, everyone still stumbles. The tongue is untamable, capable of great destruction. In fact, James calls it a fire and a restless evil that is itself set on fire by hell. We need to be changed. It shouldn't be that we praise God and curse the people made in His image. And yet, as fallen people, we do just that.

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.