Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

penalties” (Dibelius, 182). The comparative forms, “stricter” and “harsher,”
imply that all teaching activity, in fact, speaking of all kinds, will be judged
by strict criteria and is liable to harsh penalties. The over-all scope of this
passage is clearly wider than the specific focus of individuals who aspire to
teaching office, let alone a limited number of proud folks who specialize in
false teaching! To grasp what James is telling us is to let go of a cry of utter
dismay, analogous to the one shouted at the prophet Elisha, “There is death in
the pot” (2 Ki. 4:40). In fact, such cry of NT believers ought to outshout their
OT counterparts. In the Elisha setting death inadvertently touches the tongue.
In the James’ setting death is inescapably in the tongue.
The trials of riches, exemplified in this context in the teaching office,
once again, prove to be invariably more severe than the trials of poverty. One
simply needs to be reminded that teachers must comfort, encourage, instruct,
exhort, warn, admonish, and rebuke. They can do that with wood, hay and
stubble, or with gold, silver and precious stones. All these building materials
will face the fire of judgment. The upshot is either a reward or being saved as
through fire (1 Cor. 3:12-15). Further, they are watchmen in the full sense of
the word! If they fail “to blow the trumpet,” they will perish with their
“charges” (Ezek. 33:1-6). If they are to survive, they must be free of the
blood of them under their care (Acts 20:26). After all, they will have to give
an account for every one entrusted to them (Heb. 13:17) to show that no possible
defection that took place on their watch can be held against them. The
responsibility of the office of pastor-teacher is clearly and truly awesome! 275
The staggering problem is, however, that the tongue is by definition the insurmountable
obstacle to success in the undertaking of this office. Against
this backdrop, and against this backdrop only, James’ grim warning is fully
transparent.
In summary, the focus upon the tongue magnifies the sobering reality of
the trial of riches to such an awesome degree that it should make every reader
gasp for air. As James indicts the tongue, he bluntly posits the total impossibility
of the proper discharge of the teaching office by anyone at any time
anywhere. As he proceeds with his explanation in James 3:2ff, this impossibility
looms larger and larger all the time. The status of the tongue is such that
it makes all teaching impossible. In fact, ultimately no one can ever open his
mouth anywhere (See Ps. 141:3; Prov. 10:19; 13:3; 17:27; 30:32; Mt. 12:34;
Rom. 3:13-15). Period!
Here emerges the great and universal crisis in the attainment of practical
godliness. Just as it is impossible for anyone to open his mouth at anytime,
275 It is hardly surprising that the NT counsels full and prayerful cooperation on the part of the
congregation (Rom. 15:30-32), so that the task can be performed with joy (Heb. 13:7)!
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