3 Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that such will potentially be liable for  greater condemnation. ² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble IN WORD, he is a perfect man, able to control the whole body as well. ³ Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. ⁴ Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small part and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue IS a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, as if set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea has been tamed by humanity. ⁸ Yet no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people WHO HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. MY BROTHERS, THESE THINGS SHOULD NOT BE SO. ¹¹ Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh (Jam3:1-12).

James’ teaching here is profound and aptly illustrated. Ships’ rudders and horses’ mouth bits are tiny in comparison to what they control or steer, and yet they do just that. Similarly a single dropped match can initiate a forest fire. And, writes James, such is the human tongue. At the individual level it can morally corrupt one’s whole life (v6). Morality is more usually judged by what one does, or in the religious sphere what one believes. But James infers that an essential test of a person’s integrity is what and how they communicate. As is clear from vv9-10, James is not exclusively speaking of pagan society, he is referring to at least some of the people to whom he is writing – believers who bless their God on the one hand and curse those made in His image on the other.

In James’ day, human speech was by far the most usual form of communication. Not many could write, and what was written could not easily be disseminated – there was no printing press. All that has changed, hence my title: tongue, ink and keyboard.

The power of print

Fast forward fifteen centuries and we see the Church and the world turned upside down by the spoken word and the power of the printing press. The transformation brought about by Luther’s Reformation movement could not have happened without that revolutionizing technology. Remarkably (at least to those who refuse to acknowledge the book to be inspired), Enoch1, which few if any academics deny was written at least 2000 years ago, appears to have foretold such an event – the passage I have in mind is recorded in the opening verses (7-8) at note #1. The idea of large numbers of people writing books and widely distributing them would have been an alien concept at the time Enoch was written – and it is followed by something even more extraordinary (below).

Internet & Social Media

As is becoming increasingly evident, the power of words propagated through the internet is a still more potent influence – potentially for good, but also for evil. In terms of James’s teaching, if he were writing in the present day, I am sure he would have referred to “trolling”. The tongue and the damage it can cause has been amplified, firstly by the printing press and more recently by the internet. In particular, social media when it is utilized to slander or malign others or wilfully distort societal or religious realities. Where Christians are involved, as regretfully is sometimes the case, James would no doubt again conclude; “brothers and sisters, these things should not be so” (v10).

Digital Printing

Also relating to the word and how it is propagated, the passage from Enoch’s ancient prophecy at note#1 continues in a still more extraordinary vein (vv11-13). For it refers to books being given (i.e. freely distributed) to “the righteous”, who clearly must be scattered throughout the world. That effectively would require digital printing, such as  PDF downloads, an invention of the 1990s! I have written more on this in an earlier post. It may not be directly related to the passage in hand or the subject of this post, but I dare believe, it does relate to the process to which they pertain.

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Note #1 – A Prophecy of Enoch

7 And now I know this mystery, that sinners will alter and pervert the words of righteousness in many ways, and will speak wicked words, and lie, and practise great deceits and write books concerning their words...
 11. However, when they write down truthfully all my words in their languages, and do not change or minish ought from my words but write them all down truthfully- all that I first testified concerning them. 12. Then, I know another mystery, that books will be given to the righteous and the wise to become a cause of joy and uprightness and much wisdom. 13. And to them shall the books be given, and they shall believe in them and rejoice over them, and then shall all the righteous who have learnt therefrom all the paths of uprightness be recompensed (Enoch104: 7-14 - Charles translation - my highlighting).

The Little Book of Providence:

Free PDF https://richard-777.blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/b5b48-cnu.pdf

Large-print version suitable for mobiles  https://richard-777.blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/5d6bc-mnu.pdf