Slides: Doubletalk (James 3:1-12)

¹ Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸ but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Faithful, careful

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me… guard the good deposit entrusted to you… entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also… Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman … who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 1:13-14; 2:2, 15)

Tongue troubles

blab (1:19)                             boast (3:5)
insult (2:6)                            curse (3:9)
blaspheme (2:7)                   slander (4:11)                      
dismiss (2:16)                       grumble (5:9)
mislead (3:1)                         swear (5:12)

Pictures of tongue

stumbling                              wild animal
bridle & horse                       deadly poison
rudder & ship                        unnatural tree
spark & fire                           polluted spring

Bridled or unbridled?

And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. (3:2 ESV)

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. (1:27 ESV)

Small rudder

⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.⁵ Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.

Set on fire by hell

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸ but no man can tame the tongue.⁸ It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips. (Psalm 140:3)

Doubletalk

Doubletalk comes from doublethink.

ἀκατάστατος = restless, unstable

• He is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (1:8)

• The tongue is a world of evil…a restless evil. (3:6, 8)

Doubletalk

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? … Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.¹² My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?

Tongue troubles

blab (1:19)                            boast (3:5)
insult (2:6)                           curse (3:9)
blaspheme (2:7)                  slander (4:11)
dismiss (2:16)                      grumble (5:9)
mislead (3:1)                        swear (5:12)

Pictures of tongue

stumbling                               wild animal
bridle & horse                        deadly poison
rudder & ship                         unnatural tree
spark & fire                            polluted spring

Tree and fruit

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. (Matt 12:33)