Reading for January 3rd

Read James 3.1-12. In 3.1-12: Unbridled tongue equals pollution. Echoing 1.19, James again urges control of bodily orifices. In verses 2-4: Perfection comes from making no mistakes with the tongue. He refers here to strong control of the mouth, noting how a mere bridle guided the horse, as a rudder does a ship. In verses 5-6: The destruction of a large forest by a tiny fire illustrates the power of an uncontrolled tongue. In the world of purity concrns, something so small as a tongue can stain the whole body, the way yeast was thought to corrupt flour. In verses 7-8: He likens the tongue to the animal never tamed, the snake. Both contain poison in their mouths. In verses 9-12: Since holiness is whleness one cannot bless God and curse others. Wholeness applies to natural examples. Springs cannot yeild both pure and brackish water; fig trees produce figs, not olives, and grapevines yeild grapes not figs. Comments or Questions..