James 3:2 [2] “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”      A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. It includes the headstall that holds the bit in the horse’s mouth and the reins that attach to the bit. The purpose of the bridle is to restrain the horse when necessary and direct the horse in the right way. It helps to conquer and control the animal.      James teaches that whenever a man controls …

Part 2 James 3:1 KJV [1] “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”      A Sunday School teacher should be honest. If there is anything a teacher should be known for, it should be telling the truth. A teacher should be careful not to embellish or try to “beef up” a story to make it sound better. People should be able to depend on the teacher to stick with the truth of the text. The Bible is not to be used or twisted to say what we want it to say. People should …

Part 1 James 3:1 KJV  [1] “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”     The word “master” means “teacher.” This word is found fifty-eight times in the New Testament. Jesus was called by this title thirty-one times and used the title Himself eight times. James has a lot to say about the tongue in chapter three. He begins by talking to teachers because they do a great deal of speaking. Teaching is a great responsibility, so we should not be quick to multiply teachers without careful consideration to prayer.       Teaching is one …

James 2:26  [26] “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”     In this verse, James talks about a dead body and a dead belief. They both lack spirit and therefore cannot respond because they are dead. The body lacks the spirit of man, and his faith lacks the Spirit of God. All we have of the man in this verse is dead clay.      When someone dies, we make provisions for the best possible burial. We buy a nice casket, clothe them in fine apparel, prepare the body, and make them …

James 2:25 [25] “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”      The testimony of Rahab is that she was a harlot. She was called a harlot in the Old Testament and the New Testament. You can read her story in the second and sixth chapters of Joshua. The Hebrew word translated “harlot” in Joshua can also mean “innkeeper”, but the Greek word in our text means an immoral woman. She ran a guest house of sin. If this were all there was to tell …