James 3:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,

NIV: All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,

NASB: For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.

CSB: Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind,

NLT: People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,

KJV: For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

NKJV: For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.

James continues laying out his case that the tongue—our words and how we use them—is uncontrollable and a source of great evil.

Here, James points out the difficulty in taming the tongue using what today we would call the "man on the moon" argument. This is where we respond to some human limitation by looking back to the incredible 1969 moon landing. Then, questions are posed such as: "Why is it that we can put a man on the moon, but we can't cure the common cold?" Or, "Why is it that we can put a man on the moon, but we can't get the trains to run on time?"

James isn't referring to a moon landing, of course, but he is using the same logical form. Here he points to examples of amazing human achievement, specifically when it comes to control. Even at the time James wrote, human beings had learned to tame (figuratively) every kind of animal and bird, reptile, and sea creature. This verse echoes God's command in Genesis 1:28: "…have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

It truly is remarkable to watch well-trained animals obey, perform, and serve their human trainers. We can tame all of these creatures, James asserts, but we can't tame the tongue. Why? For the same reason we can't cure the common cold or make trains run on time: those things are actually much harder than even landing on the moon, for their own reasons.

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.