Controlling the Tongue The author of this report has been asked to answer some important questions as it relates to the third chapter of James. Specifically, the first twelve chapters of that chapter. The questions that shall be answered about the passage will include the historical/grammatical background of that passage, when/where the book was written, who wrote it, the purpose of the passage, what the book of James is about in general, in what form was it written, the meanings of some of the important words in the passage, what the passage means to the original audience, the cultural significance of the passage and the personal application of the passage. While all people stumble and sin at some point, it is almost never unnoticed when it is a teacher that does it.

Analysis

The passage gets straight to the point in the very first verse when it notes that not everyone is cut out to be a teacher due to the fact that the miscues and sins of every man are further scrutinized and condemned when the person in question is a teacher. To put this in its proper and grammatical context, one can easily see that this passage is speaking of the Pharisees and other teachers (or those that strived to be teachers) of that day. Indeed, being a teacher was a source of power and something that led to people being held up on a bit of a pedestal. At the same time, many of the teachers of that day, including a good amount of the just-mentioned Pharisees, were self-aggrandizing and were themselves actually quite corrupt, arrogant or otherwise sinful. Further, these self-important teachers of that day were won't to go after their own interests rather than those of their students or society in general. Even so, the passage clearly states that no human being can control their words and speech at all times. This is noted in the eighth verse where it says "but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." The subsequent verse gives a real-world example of how the same tongue can be used for good and evil. Indeed, praising the Lord (the "good" example) is one thing that can be done with the tongue while curing another human being (the "bad" example) is the other (Harris) (James 3:1-12) (Keener).

The Book of James, as the name would imply, was written by James and was probably written in greater Jerusalem or elsewhere in the Palestine area. It was written by James as a cautionary tale about the pursuit of wealth and riches and the overall subject of temptation. James makes clear that humans are prone to err but these same people can grow and foster their belief in God and otherwise improve their adherence to God and his principles as they progress in their spiritual maturity. In terms of what literary genre the Book of James would be, it would be known as wisdom literature. Others would refer to it as an encyclical, not unlike what the current Pope at any given time does on any given day. As a whole, the book is about learning and knowing the pitfalls of man and how sin is inevitable. However, it is also about teaching what the right thing is and how best to engage in a noble life as much as is possible while also knowing one's limitations as a sinner. As for why it was written, James clearly wanted to help his fellow believers grow in Christ and wrote the book as a bit of a "how-to" (Harris) (James 3:1-12) (Keener).

As for some of the words in the passage that are important and worthy of mention, the author of this report would point to two in particular. One word that should be singled out is "judged" as it is mentioned in the very first verse. Within the context of the entire verse, James is clearly saying that "judged" means being held to a higher standard given the status of the speaker. Indeed, a modern-day example would be the President or any other elected official. Actions that are certainly wrong for any person to do are amplified and become tabloid fodder when a politician does it. When a random person commits adultery, it can certainly hurt people including those in the man's family. However, when Bill Clinton engaged in the practice during his time in office, there was a significant amount of judging and disapproval that would never be levied...

To put a fine point on what "judged" means in this passage, it is the idea that leaders are held to a higher standard and they get much more withering condemnation when they stumble. The reasons for this disparity can vary as it could stem from jealousy, envy, disappointment or what have you. However, James is absolutely correct that leaders are judged in a way that is different than a non-teacher and thus not everyone is cut out for being a teacher. The other word that will be singled out is the word "poison." Of course, the word is used in the figurative sense rather than the literal one. In short, the word "poison" in the eighth verse refers to the idea that words and thoughts can be very nasty, damaging and destructive. The passage otherwise mentions, for example, how people will tend to condemn and impugn other people but that this is less than wise given that all men are made in the image of God. Of course, words can be used for good. However, when they are used for evil and sin, this is the "poison" that James is speaking of (Harris) (James 3:1-12) (Keener).
As for the meaning of the passage to the original audience, it is fairly easy to see what that would be given the historical context. James is warning his readers that being a leader comes with a high amount of responsibility and that people who wish to be teachers should do only if they are prepared for the standard that they will be held to as well as being held accountable for their true motives. As mentioned before, many people of that day (and the modern age as well) become teachers for some or all of the wrong reasons. A cult leader would be a good modern example. An example of that day would obviously be a lot of the Pharisees. The audience of the passage would obviously be the Jews of that day although others surely read or heard of it (Attias). It compares quite easily with other Bible passages in that it makes it clear that all people sin. The detail that makes this passage of James unique is that it focuses on how this impacts teachers given the fact that all of us stumble when it comes to what we say to and about others. As for the contemporary importance of this passage, the very same thing that James spoke of in his book happens all of the time in modern life. So often, pastors and preachers are using the offering of parishioners to enrich themselves. Other times, they engage in adulterous behavior with women. All the while, they presumably espouse a message of leading a noble life. Jesse Jackson, the notable civil rights leader and reverend, is one of many to notable stumble when it comes to "walking the walk." The specific teachings in question here is a reminder that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God and that teachers in particular should be mindful of that. This passage is culturally significant because the public figures of our lives including the aforementioned politicians and even celebrities are often terrible at presenting the right message in the first place or practicing the same good tenets they implore others to follow (Harris) (James 3:1-12) (Keener).

Readers today should take the passage as a lesson if they wish to follow but they can also use it to properly assess the leaders that present themselves to them. The Clinton and Jackson examples noted before are just two real-world examples that are easy to identify and learn from. The passage, more than anything, is a warning. However, it also makes mention of learning and following the right example. As for what the author of this report would glean from all of the above, it is a confirmation of the idea that leaders are held to a higher standard and this should absolutely be the case. Teachers that preach or teach one thing but do something else betray their message, whatever it may be, because hypocrisy and duplicity lead many to dismiss or ignore the message once a teacher's depravity and failings are revealed (Harris) (James 3:1-12) (Keener).

Conclusion

The lesson taught by the passage in question is a good and important one to know. There is no pretense that leaders are perfect and noble. Indeed, they are no different…