James 3:4, commentary and pictures

Though very large vessels are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot chooses to turn them. In the same way the tongue, though a small member, governs the whole course of conduct and life, with power to direct toward great good or toward great mischief, strife and harm to others. It must therefore be fully tamed, bridled, restrained and carefully governed in word and act, with fewer and more carefully chosen words making its truths the rule of character and daily life. This is done by disciplining the mind and spirit, since the mouth speaks from what is treasured in the heart for good or evil, and by yoking with Christ through prayer for grace and the Holy Spirit, humbling self, keeping silence under provocation, and refusing evil speaking, criticism and unbelief after His example who never sinned with His lips. Words carry everlasting consequences, for God will bring speakers into judgment for their speech and all its results. Especially in family and church the temper and tongue must be subdued by abiding faith, because impatient and faultfinding words destroy peace and unity while controlled, charitable speech cheers, uplifts, heals wounds and builds up.

The Ship and Helm

Though they are so great and are driven by fierce winds, ships are turned about with a very small helm whithersoever the governor or pilot wills. The small helm steers the large vessel even against the driving wind, so that something very small directs and controls the whole course of something much larger.

In the same way the tongue though small governs the whole course, directing a person's conduct and life. It can steer a person's course and affect others, for great good or for great mischief and strife, stirring up strife when untamed. Speech must therefore be kept under control, tamed, restrained with a bridle upon the spirit lest it become perverse or faultfinding, and words must be chosen with care and wisdom. This is a warning and guide especially for those responsible for God's work, who need wisdom from above to represent God's character.

The obedient boat illustrates religious experience, for even when only obstacles are seen and it is not known where the Lord is leading, His people can follow His direction as the way opens, turning right or left as guided. The helm also illustrates inner direction, since fine sensibility without sanctified common sense to direct it is like a powerful ship without a helm, unable to steer rightly. Feelings and passions must therefore be controlled and guided by Christ's teaching.

Bridling the Tongue

The tongue is an unruly member that must be entirely controlled, tamed, bridled, restrained and carefully governed in word and act rather than left to act unfettered. Restraint of speech is not hypocrisy, and the call is to talk less and reflect more, to guard speech continually and to choose words carefully. The truths taught here are to be carefully considered, laid to heart, and made the rule for forming character and daily life. Small as it is, the tongue steers a person's course and affects others for mischief and strife, so keeping it under control is essential.

Bridling the tongue is done by disciplining the mind and putting a bridle on the spirit. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and words reveal what is treasured within, producing good or evil. Careless or perverse and faultfinding speech therefore causes harm and turns the course wrongly, as a small helm turns a great ship. Guarded words kept continually can prevent harmful thoughts and influence from taking hold.

The help needed is to yoke up with Christ, pray for grace and the Holy Spirit, gird up the loins of the mind, humble self instead of exalting self, and make no provision for the flesh. Speech is to be pledged to only words pleasing to God, with as great seriousness as a pledge against intoxicating liquor. When tempted to answer hastily or to speak under unjust treatment, silence must be kept so the enemy gains no victory, while prevailing prayer gives strength to overcome. Discouraging words, evil speaking, backbiting, sowing doubt, cherishing and expressing unbelief, and criticism are to be refused, for yielding to criticism does Satan's work and serves him by planting seeds of doubt. Christ never once sinned with His lips though sorely tried on hasty and angry speech, but met sneers, taunts and ridicule with patient calmness instead of angry retort, and following His example in the use of words would transform the world.

The chapter states the principles of the law of God spoken by God's voice from the pillar of cloud about what to do and not to do, given in Deuteronomy 4. They are to be acted out toward God and toward one another in loving as brethren, doing no injustice, and always showing liberality, tenderness, compassion and true courtesy as Christian gentlemen. They are sacred truth from the mind of the infinite God that never loses force, with every word to be cherished and preached and never made a thing of naught. Those responsible for God's work especially need wisdom from above to represent God's character, to carry out the principles of the ten precepts of Jehovah, and to be without fault before His throne, for all who depart from His word in action misrepresent Him.

Words carry everlasting consequences because the small tongue controls the whole course, and they are subject to judgment. God will bring speakers into judgment for this work with all its consequences and results. He judges not by what they once were but by what they now are.

Speech in Family and Church

Words and temper in the family must be subdued and controlled by continual abiding faith and trust in God lived out for salvation, and such control gains great victories. Impatient, fretful, jangling and unpleasant words are a costly offering to Satan, more costly than any offering made to God, destroying the peace and happiness of whole families, destroying health, and forfeiting an eternal life of happiness. Failure to control them makes speakers slaves in subjection to Satan and led captive by him. The restraint God imposes on speech is for our own interest and increases the happiness of the family and all around.

That holy restraint refines taste, sanctifies judgment, and brings peace of mind, ending in everlasting life. Under it there is increase in grace and humility, it becomes easy to speak right, and the natural passionate temper is held in subjection. An indwelling Saviour strengthens every hour, ministering angels linger in the dwelling and carry tidings of advance in the divine life heavenward, and the angel makes a cheerful, happy record. Self-control of oneself and one's words enables parents to guide their children with steady influence, as a ship's small helm turns it wherever its pilot chooses even when fierce winds drive it.

Cross words reflect an unchristlike spirit and are resisted by praying for grace, for the way a person speaks at home educates children and shows how that person would speak to fellow church members and in heaven, so entry into heaven requires a change of character. In the church the tongue must be kept as with a bridle to preserve order and unity, because misuse can spread envy, faultfinding and other evils. A faultfinding tongue that accuses the brethren, questions and finds fault with everything and with every man's teaching, and counts no one perfect gives the greatest evidence of the faultfinder's own imperfection of character and calls for severe self-criticism instead of criticizing others.

Words full of bitterness and grievance, evil speaking, watching for evil, creating unjust suspicion, and presenting brethren's acts in distorted, perverted light over trifling matters set thoughts and tongue on fire, create suspicion and distrust, and plant bitter fibrous roots that poison faith and defile many souls. They alienate brother from brother, hinder the work God desires to be done, place God's servants in the worst light, and advance the enemy's work as allies and agents of the accuser of the brethren. Likewise repeating private conversation with false interpretation, reporting words so as to leave a false impression, and selecting a few sentences from what is spoken or written out of their connection in order to carry a point does injustice, hurts souls, puts the cause in danger, and hinders the mission to help souls, so that silence and refusal to engage in private conversation become necessary for safety.

Hasty, harsh words wound and breed disunion, bitterness and defilement, and must never be vindicated but be confessed and cleared away. The tongue must be humbled and healed by grace so that old wounds are healed, the rubbish of disunion is removed, the King's highway is cleared, and ministers and believers build up and do not tear down. Members who are busybodies, speaking evil and sowing seeds of doubt, irritation, evil-surmising, disaffection and infidelity, break up the unity of the brethren and defile the church by counterworking the minister of Christ. Such disaffected persons must be faithfully labored with, and if they will not hear and change their course they must either hold the tongue in restraint or be separated from fellowship to find some other place to worship, for their influence for evil cannot have the sanction of the church or God's approval.

Speech must be carefully directed because its use strongly affects a person's influence for good and ability to live peaceably with others. Words spoken without thought or purpose can cause harm, while restraint and silence can honor God better than excessive conversation. Speech should be chosen to cheer, encourage and uplift others, and only words under the Holy Spirit that soften and subdue should be spoken. This requires charity, with thoughts turned to feed on the Word of God which cleanses from unjust suspicions, and with hearts drawing sap from Christ to bear genuine fruit, helping those weak in faith and making straight paths for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way.