Control of the Tongue and Control of the Body

Having warned us that not many people should become teachers in the church (James 3:1), the Apostle James in today’s passage makes plain that his warning about teachers is an application of his overall concern for sins of the tongue. His real intent is to help us not “stumble in what [we say]” (v. 2).

As we look at James 3:2, let us first note how James does not stand aloof and act as though he were not susceptible to sinful speech. He starts off by saying, “We all stumble in many ways.” In using the first-person plural pronoun “we,” James includes himself as one of those who can easily fall into the misdeeds of which he speaks. His technique here is something that we can all imitate, for in truth none of us (except Jesus) is without sin. Keeping our own weaknesses in mind will allow us to be humble when we need to correct sin and assist us in watching over ourselves in such situations so that we are not tempted to evil (see Gal. 6:1).

What we have in common is that we all “stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). The word “stumble” is used for slipping or tripping, so James may have in mind here more minor sins. “Many ways” points to the variety of different kinds of sin that we may commit. James then refers to the rare person who does “not stumble in what he says.” James wants us to consider that we all fall short every day in our attempts to obey God’s law and especially that we fall short in the use of our tongue. Even the apparently minor sins that James may have in mind are serious, for they are against God. The point, however, is that we all commit these kinds of transgressions, though often without premeditation or significant malice.

Few truths are more evident than what James says here. It is so easy to fall into sins of the tongue without thinking about it. In the heat of anger, we lash out with our speech, wounding others. We hear and pass on gossip without a second thought. For many people, curse words serve as adjectives in nearly everything they say. The regularity, ease, and thoughtlessness with which we commit sins of speech demonstrate how difficult it is to control the tongue. Thus, James says that those who do not stumble in what they say are “perfect” and able to bridle—control—their whole bodies (v. 2). “Perfect” does not mean “without sin” but means “complete or mature.” If we can accomplish the difficult task of avoiding sinful speech, we can keep from sinning in other ways as well.