James 3:13-18 meaning

In James 3:13-18, James draws many sharp contrasts between heavenly wisdom and earthly wisdom, and the results of each. Up until this point in Chapter 3, he has described the tongue (what we say) as being like an animal that we cannot tame on our own, or as a fire which can burn down our lives. He has also warned against too many teachers leading the church, given that teachers have a higher level of accountability before God at the judgment (James 3:1).

Addressing what we say can apply to our interpersonal interactions with others, as well as to what we teach. Whether through formal teaching to other believers, or through the giving of advice (wisdom), we can cause immense harm if what we say is counter to the wisdom of God. This is why James warns his readers to not allow too many men in their community to become teachers. There will be a stricter judgment for teachers because what they say can negatively or positively impact their audiences.

If a teacher teaches wrongly, and he has an audience of one hundred listeners who go out and practice his incorrect teaching, that teacher has just created a hundred errors and a hundred problems in the lives of his fellow believers, in addition to the ripple effects that come from such errors. It is why James made excessively clear to his readers that we should not ignore what we say, or what is taught, because our human default is to be hypocritical and to say evil things.

Here, on a similar theme but with more direct application, James asks his readers to sift out among themselves the Godly-wise from the worldly-wise. He shows them that those whom they may consider to be wise might not be, not in the way God defines wisdom. James describes ways to determine what heavenly wisdom looks like rather than earthly wisdom.

He poses the question: Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom (v 13).

The readers are asked to evaluate Who among them exhibits wisdom. Who can they think of in their community who is wise and understanding? James issues a challenge: Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom (v 13). Those who are wise should be able to show it by their action. They should be exhibiting good behavior.

If someone is actually wise, they should be doing deeds in the gentleness of wisdom (v 13). When we remember Chapter 2, James gave a harsh and lengthy rebuke against those who have faith and say good things, but do not do deeds in accordance with their faith (James 2:14-26). Faith without action is not useful.

James ascribes gentleness to wisdom here. Again, this is the opposite of the destructive results of an untamed tongue which he warned against earlier. A man who is wise and understanding can be an example through his actions, in gentle service toward his fellow believers, rather than someone seeking power and rivalry, as James will soon speak against.

The Greek word translated here as gentleness is rendered "humility" in James 1:21. The "humility" of James 1:21 applies to recognizing the reality that God's word is true and leads to true benefit, and our own internal desires are false and lead to destruction. It is seeing reality as it is. True wisdom sees reality as it is. The gentleness of wisdom will look through the eyes of other people and meet them where they are. The gentleness of wisdom will speak the truth, but in a manner that gives the listener the best opportunity to hear and understand.

There is another kind of wisdom which James will now condemn, not the gentleness of wisdom he just spoke about. Rather, this worldly wisdom is a skill to exploit others. It exercises aggression and cunning to seek gain at the expense of others:

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth (v 14).

In contrast to the man who is wise and understanding, who can show good behavior with deeds in accordance with gentleness of wisdom, there is a type of person who seems wise but does not have the best interests of others at heart. James had asked the readers to consider who is wise among them, and here he seems to condemn a personality that has gained influence in the faith community who some perceive as wise, but in reality is living in sin. This worldly-wise man is extracting rather than investing. He is exploiting rather than loving.

In some sense, James is comparing a shepherd with a wolf. The shepherd looks after the sheep. But the wolf seeks to exploit the sheep. This is someone who has bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in their heart. This worldly-wise person who holds the attention and respect of others, but actually asserts themselves to be on top, to lord over others, is acting in sin (1 Peter 5:3). The bitter jealousy in their heart is them looking at other leaders as rivals, as in their way.

By way of example, the Pharisees and priests were leaders who were jealous of Jesus, and later the apostles, and were motivated by their jealousy to plot to destroy these perceived threats to their influence (Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10, John 11:47-48, Acts 5:17-18, 13:44-45, 17:5).

If someone has selfish ambition in their heart, they exercise their worldly-wisdom to rise to prominence. They seek to lead others to make themselves bigger, to serve their selfishness. Here, the word ambition is translated from the Greek word "eritheia." It can also be translated "strife" or "disputes." In other Greek writings, it is used to indicate electioneering, or someone who stirs division and factions, raising their own political standing in the process. Someone who is trying to rise in the ranks and turn popular opinion against perceived rivals who are in their way.

If ambition and jealousy are in a believer's heart, they should be honest about it, confess it, and repent of it, rather than be arrogant and so lie against the truth (v 14). Acting wise for the sake of personal gain of influence is the mark of an arrogant person, not someone trying to promote love and service among a community of believers. Such a person tells a lie against the truth, hoping to be perceived as wise and worth listening to. But their motives are sinful and self-serving.

This sort of ladder-climber exhibits a wisdom of a kind, but not the wisdom James is promoting. James writes, This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic (v 15).

Political maneuvering and influence-seeking is driven by a wisdom that does not find its source in God's word (it does not come down from above--it is not of God). This is a wisdom which is earthly, natural, demonic. These three categories are all contrary to God.

Wisdom that is earthly is wisdom that gets you ahead in this world, which is fallen and currently ruled by Satan (1 John 5:19, Revelation 12:9). Satan is the embodiment of self-serving pride, the chief demon of the demonic world, influencing our fallen earth until Jesus comes back. It was he who said in his heart, "I will ascend to the most high" (Isaiah 12:12-14). Satan did not want to trust or follow God; he wanted to be his own god. This is how he deceived Eve to disobey in the Garden and fall into sin, promising her "…you will be like God…" Sin likewise directs us to be our own god (Genesis 3:5).

This kind of demonic wisdom follows the agenda of Satan and the spirits who serve him in rebellion against God. Satan is a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). He is the devil, the diabolical (which is a word used in Paul's writing to represent malicious slander--Titus 2:3). He falsely accuses and attacks the people of God (Job 1:9-11). Demonic wisdom seeks to eat and devour others, not serve them in love (Mark 5:1-20, John 8:44, Acts 19:13-16, Ephesians 6:11-12, Matthew 4:8-9).

Worldly, earthly wisdom is the same. It seeks to exploit others. Christ's model prayer for the disciples included the phrase to ask God that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that His kingdom would come (Matthew 6:9-10). This implies that earth is not yet God's kingdom nor is God's will done on earth. So, anything earthly or worldly, as far as scripture is concerned, is in opposition to the will of God. James will draw the battle line clearly in the next chapter,

"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
(James 4:4)

Selfish, jealous wisdom is also natural. It is not natural in the way we might often use natural to mean something that is pure and organic. It is natural to this fallen world, in the same manner that our sin nature is also natural. What is natural to mankind is to do evil, to promote self, and to use other people for personal gain (Leviticus 25:17, Luke 20:46-47, 2 Corinthians 11:20, Jude 1:16).

James explains the effect of demonic, worldly wisdom:

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing (v 16).

The men who seek to be considered wise and therefore become influential, but who are motivated by jealousy and selfish ambition, are to be found out and avoided. These attributes exist in their hearts. They result in disorder and every evil thing.

The word disorder cuts sharply against the righteousness and harmony God wants for us. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His disciples to primarily seek God's kingdom and righteousness. Righteousness means right alignment or harmony with God's good design. God's righteousness is harmony with His kingdom and His standards. We benefit when we seek to be aligned and harmonized according to the rule of God's kingdom and the commands of Jesus. We fall into disorder when we seek to be harmonized with the demands of the demonic kingdom of this world and our sinful natures.

From disorder results every evil thing. This essentially covers all of sin, all the ways things can go wrong when we live out jealousy and strive for our own sake. Sin is simply living apart from God's design. James is describing the slipperiest of slippery slopes. Everything drops off if we follow earthly, demonic wisdom. This is the only direction that putting self first can take us. All evil follows. Families are destroyed, churches fall apart, missions fail, people are unloved and unhelped, hearts are broken, the innocent are hurt, hope is lost, and people give up.

James turns back to the wisdom he is urging his readers to seek and to live out. The opposite of the wisdom we find on this earth where demons rule is the wisdom from Heaven above:

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy (v 17).

The results of those who practice the wisdom from above are of course desirable and beneficial for all members of a faith community: Heavenly wisdom is first pure. It is primarily intact, perfect, unstained by sin or selfish motives. It puts others first.

It is then peaceable. When all are serving one another in love, it naturally leads to peace. There is no room for strife when everyone is on the same team and helping one another toward the same goal. There is unity of purpose in large part because there is no competition among those seeking to be the exploiter-in-chief. Heavenly wisdom is reasonable. It makes the right choices that make sense. Again, this opposes the disorder of earthly wisdom.

Heavenly wisdom is also full of mercy and good fruits (v 17). This ties back to James 2, where he rebukes his readers for failing to show mercy to the poor and needy in their faith community (James 2:13). Mercy takes action, and produces good fruits. With heavenly wisdom put to practice, the hungry, naked sufferer in James's analogy in James 2:15 receives mercy from his neighbor, rather than well-wishing. The good fruits of this mercy is that the sufferer no longer suffers, because he is given food and clothing to help him.

Needs are met rather than ignored. People who cannot provide for themselves are taken care of as a matter of generosity. In Chapter 1, James pointed to the "least of these" (Matthew 25:40-45) who need the most help, where he describes pure religion looking like taking care of the widows and orphans and being unstained by the world (James 1:27).

Heavenly wisdom is unwavering. It does not falter or fail or give up. It is endlessly strong and consistent when acted upon, coming from God, who supplies for all our needs when we ask of Him (Philippians 4:19, Matthew 7:7-11).

Finally, and summarizing one of James's main themes, heavenly wisdom is without hypocrisy. It has integrity. It does what it says. It is faith in action. Hypocrisy describes someone who wishes well but does not help. The Pharisees of Jesus's day were often labelled "hypocrites" because they taught the Law but did not obey it (Matthew 15:7-9, 23:13, 27-28, Luke 12:1).

James is prompting his readers to cease their hypocrisy. It is a consistent exhortation throughout this letter, that his readers both say and do what they know to be right:

"So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty."
(James 2:12)

He has rebuked the hypocrisy of putting the poor in the worst seats and the rich in the best seats during church assembly or taking the poor to court (James 2:1-7). He has dismissed the claims that God approves of believers who do not help their neighbors but wish them well, or those who think that faith without works is useful and full of life (James 2:14-17).

Our actions should match our beliefs if we want to honor God and receive the reward of the crown of life at Jesus's throne of judgment (James 1:12). Our works should stem from our faith. If we believe God's word is actually in our best interest, then it only makes sense for us to act upon it. Then we can become an effectual doer who receives a blessing, not a forgetful, deluded hearer who does not act (James 1:22-25). Acting out our faith with our works enlivens our faith and aligns us justly with God’s design for us (James 2:22, 24).

James describes the way in which wise, Godly living multiplies:

And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace (v 18).

He uses another analogy, that of a seed which produces a fruit, which is righteousness. This righteousness-fruit tree is sown in peace by those who make peace, contrary to those who make strife and disorder (v. 16).  The Greek word translated righteousness is "dikeaiosyne." This word can also be translated as "justice." It was a major point of interest in Greek philosophy; the major topic of Plato's "Republic" was the question "What is justice ("dikeaiosyne")?"

The book of Romans also deals with the question of what "dikeaiosyne" is and how it is obtained. Paul and Plato came to similar conclusions. Paul concluded that righteousness occurs when all the members of the body serve their function for the benefit of the whole. Plato, similarly, concluded that righteousness/justice occurs when all the citizens of a city-state do what they do best for the benefit of the whole.

A primary difference between Plato and Paul was the question of who served as the head of the body; Paul of course placed Jesus as the head. Plato hypothesized that a group of leaders could develop a noble sense of service to others, but of course that is not possible in a fallen world. Jesus, the God/man and the second Adam is the only person who could and has fulfilled the challenge of living to perfection. For more on this subject, see our article, "The Gospel and Plato's Republic."

Peaceful, wise men do not sow this seed whose fruit is righteousness through conflict, domination, or control. They sow it by teaching the implanted word (James 1:21) out of love toward their neighbor, promoting peace. As Jesus Himself said, "blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9). This is the fruit, the outcome, of those who make peace, having sown in peace this seed (v 18)--righteousness blooms, flourishes, and believers live in peace with one another, free of the disorder and every evil thing sown by those motivated by selfish ambition and jealousy.

This is an essential chapter in directing believers toward who should teach and lead, and who we should listen to. Each believer has stewardship of their choices and is exhorted to carefully consider who to listen to and follow. And few should become teachers. Putting together James 3:1 and James 4:17, it is reasonable to say that only those called to teach, who know it would be sinful for them to do otherwise, ought to actually serve as teachers.