Глава III

A warning against the passion of teaching and, in general, against the unbridled language (1–12). True and false wisdom (13–18). James 3:1. My brothers! not many become teachers, knowing that we will suffer greater condemnation, James 3:2. for we all sin many times. He who does not sin in word is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body. Many, avoiding the difficult task of fulfilling God’s commandments and implementing the principles of truth, righteousness and love, are inclined to replace deeds with words; Poor in faith and good deeds corresponding to faith, such people are all the more inclined to abuse the word, to debate words, and also to self-proclaimed teaching. The latter phenomenon is usually especially when a new teaching appears. Mostly the Jews of the time of Jesus Christ gravitated toward teaching, for which they were rebuked by the Lord (Matthew 23:7–8) and St. The Apostle Paul (Rom. 2:17–22). Among the Judeo-Christians, readers of St. Jacob also apparently had a widespread passion for self-proclaimed teaching. Knowing how dangerous is the teaching of those who themselves are not yet established in moral principles, the Apostle James warns readers against such arbitrary, self-appointed teaching, without, of course, touching on the teachers and evangelists who existed in the primary church, deliberately called and assigned to the work of preaching the gospel teaching and who had a special gift of grace for teaching (1 Cor. 12:29 ; Eph. 4:11). The apostle instructs those who wish to teach to strictly test their ability to do so, and most of all to look at whether a person has self-control to bridle his tongue: the difficulty of the latter quality, being a sign of the high moral perfection of a person who possesses this ability, should warn most people from attempting to take on such a difficult and responsible task, which threatens an unworthy teacher only with greater condemnation. The reason for this is universal human sinfulness, especially manifested in connection with the incorrect use of the gift of speech. All people sin, but self-proclaimed teachers face the greatest danger of sin and punishment. “Some people undertake to teach what they themselves have not done. Such teachers, he says, do not receive any benefit, but are subject to greater condemnation. For whoever teaches something that he himself does not have, as if he had it, is worthy of condemnation because he sins with his tongue” (Blessed Theophilus). James 3:3. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths so that they obey us, and we control their whole body. James 3:4. So, ships, no matter how large they are and no matter how strong the winds blow, are guided with a small rudder wherever the helmsman wants; The Apostle here uses two figurative comparisons, extremely aptly expressing the idea (expressed by the Apostle in the second half of James 3:2) that he who bridles his tongue can bridle his whole body, his whole being. “The mentioned possibility is confirmed by two examples... Look: we put a bridle on the horses, and we direct the ships with a small rudder, just as we direct the horses with a small bridle, where we want. Likewise, the tongue should be governed by sound reason, although it can be a world (κόσμος) of untruth, in the use of the mob. For here the Apostle calls the multitude “world” (Blessed Theophilus). Why is the curbing of the tongue so fundamentally important in the moral life of man? “Of course, because the language, as an organ of speech, participates in clothing in conscious images the sins and vices of all members of the human body. We think in words. God’s sin, rising to thought, is certainly clothed in the image of words, which are the products of language... The human language, therefore, is, as it were, the seat of all vices that need to be clothed in the images of words before their implementation” (Bishop George). James 3:5. so the tongue is a small member, but does a lot. Look, a small fire ignites a lot of substance! James 3:6. And the tongue is fire, the embellishment of untruth; the tongue is in such a position between our members that it defiles the whole body and inflames the circle of life, being itself inflamed by Gehenna. The depiction in strong figurative expressions of the disastrous actions of unbridled language continues. The harm and generally destructive effect of the sins of the tongue is likened to a huge fire starting from a small spark. The nature or nature of this fire is indicated by the hyperbolic expression “ό κόσμος τής αδικίας, the world of untruth (the Slavic and Russian translations here are not accurate: “lepota” or “embellishment of untruth”), i.e. untruth, lies and evil of all kinds, resulting from man’s abuse of the gift of speech. The sins of the tongue, as an organ that stands out among other members of the body, defile and infect the entire body, the entire spiritual-physical organism of a person, all his aspirations, intentions and actions. The fire of evil and destruction, ignited by the unbridled language, ignites, scorches and burns with the fire of passions the entire circle of human life (the wheel of being, birth, τόν τροχόν τής γενέσεως), being in turn nothing more than an instrument of the fire of Gehenna and the devil. James 3:7. For every nature of beasts and birds, reptiles and sea creatures is tamed and tamed by human nature, James 3:8. but none of the people can tame the tongue: this is an uncontrollable evil; it is filled with deadly poison. The evil of unbridled language, which is dependent on the influence of a superterrestrial, demonic force, is difficult to eliminate for the real, natural forces of man. At the very creation, man received from God the blessing to rule over all living things on earth (Gen. 1:26–28; see Gen. 9:2) and by virtue of this command of God, he now rules over all species of the animal kingdom. But such is the power of sin and evil that it is like an indomitable beast, spewing out deadly poison, like a poisonous snake (cf. Ps. 139:4). However, artistically and powerfully depicting the indescribable harm of misusing the gift of speech, the Apostle James, of course, considers it possible not only to fight, but also to defeat man over this evil, but only with the assistance of the grace of God. “If a person tames animals that are different from him by nature, then all the more can he tame his own member. “No one can tame a person.” This should be read not in the affirmative, but in the interrogative form; exactly like this: if a person tames and makes tame indomitable animals, then will he not tame his own tongue? That's how it should read. For, if we read this in an affirmative form, then it would be unfair to then give the following instruction: “This should not be so, my brethren” (v. 10) (Blessed Theophilus). James 3:9. With it we bless God and the Father, and with it we curse men, created in the likeness of God. James 3:10. From the same lips comes blessing and curse: it should not be so, my brethren. The unbridled language leads to such an unnatural phenomenon as the emanation from the same mouth of such opposite actions as blessing and cursing, which is all the more monstrous and criminal since both blessing and oath have, in essence, the same object - God: God, the Author of all creation, we praise, glorify, bless (Ps 146:1-2) and at the same time curse people created in the likeness of God, therefore, we utter blasphemy against God in His created likeness - man. So great is the inconstancy and hidden poison of a tongue that abuses the God-given ability of speech. “The apostle wants to touch his listeners. If we are commanded to bless everyone, for those who speak evil will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10), then isn’t it a shame to use the same weapon for evil and for good? No one who is prudent will interfere with dirt and ointment with the same tool. Do you pray? Don't curse the enemy. For there is a long distance between prayer and cursing. If you do not forgive the offender, then you yourself will not receive forgiveness” (Matthew 6:12) (Blessed Theophilus). James 3:11. Does sweet and bitter water flow from the same hole in the spring? James 3:12. My brethren, a fig tree cannot bear olives, nor can a vine bear figs. Likewise, one source cannot pour out salty and sweet water. Wanting to more firmly imprint in the minds of readers the idea expressed (James 3:10) about the unnaturalness of using the tongue to curse, while it is intended to bless, St. The apostle is here, v. 11–12, with examples of sources producing only one type of water (bitter, sweet, salty) and different fruit trees - fig trees, olives, grapevines, which invariably produce fruits according to their kind, shows all the abnormality, all, so to speak, unnaturalness of the mentioned action of the tongue. Thus, a person who cursed his neighbor, created in the image of God, cannot sincerely and godly glorify God; his glorification of God can only be untrue, ostentatious, pharisaical. James 3:13. Whether any of you is wise and prudent, prove this by actually good behavior with wise meekness. After such a detailed exposition of the idea of ​​the necessity and difficulty of curbing the tongue, the Apostle returns to the main subject of his admonition (James 3:1) - not for many to strive for teaching. A true teacher can only be a wise person, σοφός, (= Heb. hakam) and reasonable, επιστήμων (= Heb. sideways): in biblical Jewish usage (see, for example, Deut. 1:13, 4:6) these two concepts, very closely related to each other, express the full scope theoretical and practical wisdom. The Holy Apostle, directing his speech against those who abused the word, emphasizes the practical point (wise or reasonable) of actually proving good behavior with wise meekness.” When applied to a Christian teacher, this instruction of the Apostle resembles the Savior’s instruction to the apostles about dove meekness with serpentine wisdom (Matthew 10:16). James 3:14. But if you have bitter envy and contentiousness in your heart, do not boast or lie about the truth. James 3:15. This is not wisdom descending from above, but earthly, spiritual, demonic, James 3:16. for where there is envy and contentiousness, there is disorder and everything bad. Having in mind below (James 3:17) to fully characterize true wisdom, the Apostle here shows what true wisdom is not. Signs of such untrue wisdom are: bitter envy or jealousy in a bad sense (ζήλος πικρός) and contentiousness (εριθεία) - properties that are directly opposite to “wise meekness” (James 3:13). This untrue wisdom, which is only a parody of true wisdom, also has an origin that is directly opposite to heavenly wisdom. False wisdom does not come down from above from God (James 1:15); on the contrary, wholly earthly, επίγειος, exclusively belongs to the world hostile to God (James 4:4); not spiritual, but spiritual, ψυχική; not divine, but demonic, δαιμωνιώδη (v. 15). Such a character and such an origin of this false wisdom is evidenced by its fruits, which are: “disorder and everything bad” (v. 16), which is absolutely alien to God, for God is not the God of disorder, but of peace (1 Cor. 14:33). James 3:17. But the wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceful, modest, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and unfeigned. James 3:18. The fruit of righteousness in peace is sown among those who keep peace. For fruitful and saving teaching, “wisdom coming from above” is needed, i.e. from God (James 1:17). According to the image of the Apostle James, this wisdom is, first of all, pure, αγνή: purity and holiness are the main properties of true wisdom. Then its next three qualities constitute the opposite of the jealousy and quarrelsomeness of false wisdom: true wisdom: a) peaceful, ειρηνική, - spreads only peace around itself; b) meek or modest, επιεικής; c) obedient, compliant, ευπειθής. Next comes the most positive property of true wisdom: “full of mercy and good works” - rich in deeds of charitable love, which constitutes an essential property of piety (James 1:27). Finally - “impartial and unhypocritical”, ἀδιἀκριτος ἀνυπόκριτος - alien to doubts about the truths of faith and absolutely sincere, straightforward. “Thus, seven qualities of divine wisdom are indicated: it is like a seven-colored beautiful rainbow, all the colors of which are decompositions of one basic color of wisdom - its purity and holiness” (Bishop George). The final verse 18 of the chapter indicates that the fruits of true wisdom - as opposed to the destructive fruits of false wisdom (James 3:16) - are righteousness and peace, both among those who preach true wisdom and among those who receive the word of their preaching. “A person gifted with true wisdom and called to preach the Gospel teaching proclaims it, observing the calmness and harmony befitting the Christian faith with those who accept the seed of the word of God with a meek and calm heart and contribute to the fruitfulness of the good earth” (hieromonk Theoktist). You might be interested in: