Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

depth. He clearly has an additional ax to grind! What this is becomes progressively
clear!
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(3) The Tongue in Teachers (3:3-5)
James’ further preoccupation with the tongue serves not just to underscore,
but to bring out the reason for the terrible and culpable reality of man’s inability,
his impotence, to keep from sinning in his own strength. The tongue is
only a minute part of the human body, but how influential it is! It is “an exceeding
powerful faculty.” It can display a perverse pride (Ps. 12:3; Prov.
6:17; 14:3; Is. 14:13). However, as seems the case here, it can also properly
and legitimately boast about “its great influence and extensive achievements”
(with Keddie, 128, 130; Moo, 1985, 123; contra Burdick, who believes that
the word “boast” also in this context has the usual derogatory connotation). In
fact, it is comparable to a bit in a horse’s mouth and to a rudder of a ship. The
bit spells mastery over all the comings and goings of the entire horse. 280 Even
more telling, the tiniest rudder (quite a small instrument) keeps the greatest of
ships (an enormous object) on course, even when buffeted by the most violent
of winds. Quite clearly, the rider who guides the bit and the pilot who steers
the rudder are all-controlling! The latter comparison seems to be common
place in ancient literature (Johnson, 257-258; Martin, 111; Moo, 1985, 121).
It contains three elements, “the guiding desire (the steersman), the means of
control (the rudder), and that which is controlled (the ship), corresponding in
turn to the human desire, the tongue, and the body” (Johnson, 258). The parallel
is obvious. A tiny tongue governs the whole body, that is, in all of its
manifestations, its activity and its history, and apparently has an “effectiveness
(that seems) out of proportion to its size.” No wonder that total control
of tongue and speech spells “perfection” (Cranfield, 343).
But in describing the tongue in this way James seems to set us up for the
kill. As soon as he has convinced us through his illustrations of the “awesome”
nature of the tongue, he gives us a “coup de grace” by showing us its
“awful” side. From the magnitude of “soaring optimism” about its beckoning
potential James turns abruptly to the magnitude of “unexpected pessimism”
about its actual performance (Dibelius, 186-189). In fact, comparatively
speaking the harm that can be caused by the tongue is infinitely greater than
the good that can be ascribed to the bit and the rudder (Nystrom, 177). In a
rather bewildering way its power proves to be not benevolent, but evil. The
“horse,” controlled by it, does not win the Kentucky Derby, nor is the “ship,”
directed by it, the “Queen Elizabeth” that arrives at a safe harbor. No, the
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According to Zodhiates, II, 95, the Greek (peithesthai) indicates that this mastery is
achieved by thoughtful and gentle means.