Wise speech

Every sensible Christian knows that taking note of the context of a Bible verse is a must. But sometimes we miss the linking words - especially if the translators of our Bible didn't put them in! This is one reason why the ESV is somewhat better than the NIV as a tranlsation, and I had a good example of this today.
The NIV of James 3:1-2 reads:

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 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.

From that it appears as though James warns those who teach to be careful for fear of judgement, and then moves on to address everyone about their speech.
But the ESV says

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Here we see that verse 2 gives the reason for verse 1 - James isn't moving on to address everyone, he's giving the reason why not many should become teachers in church. And the reason is that the prime agency of sin is what we say, and that's why not many should become teachers. Teachers spend their whole lives saying things to others, they are therefore at much greater danger of sinning than those who spend their lives working with their hands or with numbers.

But it's not just that the teacher himself will sin by what he says. James goes on to show how powerful and therefore potentially damaging words can be to others. Words are like bits in a horses mouth - a small thing guides and directs a tonne of horse! Words are like the rudders of ships - a small rudder can control a massive of ship. And so the tongue, though small, can make great boasts!
But James hasn't finished yet. He continues to pile up the illustrations. Just as a spark can set a whole forest ablaze, so the tongue is a fire - 'a world of unrighteousness' - that can set the whole course of life on fire with the fire of hell (James 3:5-6). How does it do this? Verses 7-10 give us the reason:

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature can be tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. 

So the teacher has immense destructive power at his disposal. (Of course he also has constructive power if he teachers the gospel acurately, but that's not the point here). But it's also clear by now that the horrid truth of our inability to tame what we say applies also to more than the teachers - it applies to the whole of humanity, though it should not apply amongst God's people, the church, 'My brothers, these things ought not to be so.' (v9). But they do happen if our hearts are evil. For, as Jesus said, 'A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.' (Luke 6:45).

So is there a solution, or are we condemned to a life of fire-setting by our evil speech? Verses 13-17 give us hope:

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

So what we need is 'wisdom from above'. When we think about wisdom, we usually think about decision making. But here James applies wisdom to speech. It's in our speaking that we can make peace, be gentle, be open to reason, show mercy, impatiality and sincerity. And James has already shown that such wisdom is available to all who ask for it, 'If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.' (1:5).

Let's make asking for wisdom a top priority and so maintain the peace that God so dearly loves to see amongst his people.