James 3:13
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Have you ever been on an airplane when a flight attendant comes over the intercom and urgently asks, “Is there a doctor on the plane?” What is everyone’s immediate thought? Obviously, someone is in serious need of medical treatment. In chapter 3 and verse 13, James begins this section of his letter by asking a very urgent question: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?” This revealing inquiry is intended to expose the serious need for wise leadership among God’s people. James answers his own question by presenting the characteristics of a biblically wise person.
James 3:13
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?
WORD STUDY
Wise — possessing moral perception and discernment to handle practical matters
Knowledge — understanding gained by observation or study, like that needed by a teacher or resulting from special training; the insight or perception of an expert
James is probing with this question. He is addressing Jewish believers who were living as refugees outside of the land of Israel. They were from Jerusalem and Acts 11:19 tells us they had been driven from their homes by intense religious persecution because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were experiencing trials in multiple ways.
- Financially, they were poor.
- Emotionally, they were frustrated over their trying circ*mstances.
- Relationally, internal strife was brewing between believers.
The crying need was for wise leaders who could help God’s people mature spiritually.
What Is Wisdom?
Biblical wisdom is the practical application of Bible principles to real-life situations. Wise men and women have the experience and the expertise to lead and guide God’s people to do the right thing. For example, James himself was an exemplary model of wisdom. As we noted earlier, he was the brother of Jesus (Gal. 1:19) and the leader of the church of Jerusalem. In AD 48–49, a turbulent theological storm arose in the early church concerning the Gentiles which threatened the unity and the future of the church. The question was this: Did a Gentile have to practice Jewish circumcision in order to be saved?
After much discussion and debate among the church leaders, including Peter and Paul, James stepped in and took the lead. “Men and brethren, hearken unto me” (Acts 15:13). In his address, he reviewed the history of the powerful effects of the gospel among the Gentiles and concluded in Acts 15:19, “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles” (NASB).
James wisely concluded that a Gentile did not need to be circumcised in order to be a Christian. In addition, he recommended establishing four ethical guidelines for Gentile believers to observe in order not to offend their Jewish brethren—“abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:20). James’s wise counsel was adopted and formulated in a letter to Gentile believers (Acts 15:23–29). Instead of being the seedbed of ongoing division, this first recorded church council came to a peaceful resolution and resulted in the advancement of the gospel throughout the world. The rest of the council concluded that James’s proposal represented their interpretation of Scripture and agreed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28). In other words, James had expressed “wisdom from above.” He modeled wisdom by the way he led and guided God’s people in applying biblical principles to real-life situations.
What Are the Characteristics of a Wise Man?
James 3:13
… let him shew out of a good conversation (beautiful lifestyle) …
WORD STUDY
Let him shew — to demonstrate; to give proof; to make known; to give evidence (i.e., let his life and conduct be an example)
Out of — from; by means of (i.e., from the good conduct the deeds of him)
Good — beautiful; good
Conversation — behavior; way of life
How can you tell a person is wise? James frames his initial answer to this question in the form of a command: “let him shew.” Wisdom, first of all, displays itself in the way a person lives. James clearly establishes that wisdom is more than a matter of the intellect. Many have wrongly concluded that they cannot be wise because they do not have superior intellectual capability. James, being a Jew, operated from the mindset that wisdom has to do with one’s moral and spiritual influence along with one’s choices. Wisdom is a matter of the will, not just the mind.
In fact, what James says about wisdom is very close to what Paul says about the Spirit-filled life in Galatians 5:16–25. Both wisdom and Spirit-filled living involve the believer’s yieldedness, obedience and dependence on God.
An even closer parallel to James’ concept of wisdom is the emphasis of the book of Proverbs. Proverbs was written to give wisdom (Prov. 1:1–2). Wisdom is a gift from God (Prov. 2:5–6) and is given to those who fear Him (Prov. 1:7) and who earnestly pursue the knowledge of God (Prov. 4:7). Similarly, James tells us that wisdom is given to those who wholeheartedly pursue God and who ask for wisdom in the midst of trials (James 1:2–8). For James, wisdom is demonstrated by moral and spiritual life that is attractively beautiful to both God and men.
James 3:13
… his works with meekness of wisdom.
WORD STUDY
Works — deeds; accomplishments; actions
With — in connection with
Meekness — gentleness; humility; courtesy; considerateness; mildness; modesty
Secondly, you know wisdom not only by its actions but also by its attitude. Wisdom is demonstrated by handling life’s issues with a meek spirit. Meekness has been described as the cardinal virtue of spiritual leadership. Numbers 12:3 says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly” (Matt. 11:29); and Paul spoke to the Corinthians by the “meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1).
So, what is meekness? It has often been falsely viewed as weakness because a meek person is gentle in his spirit. However, meekness actually involves great strength of character. A meek person must restrain his natural sinful desires and bring them into submission to God. A meek man is not rebellious or reactive; rather, he sweetly submits to God-given authority and yields to the demands and pressures of life that are placed upon him. He is not resentful toward those who mistreat him, and he does not become bitter toward God over the trying circ*mstances of life. Instead, he handles matters with a gentle, humble spirit. He is kind, thoughtful, and understanding of others’ difficulties; he strives to do the biblically right thing in all situations; and ultimately, he works towards peaceful resolutions in all relationships.
James begins James 3:13–4:10 with a command for all of God’s people to seek to be wise. Wisdom is not a quality achieved by only a select few. Instead, it is to be the goal of all maturing, wholeheartedly committed believers.
This post is fromWisdom from Above: A Study in James by Steve Pettit. Copyright 2015 by BJU Press. Printed by permission of BJU Press.
This post is part of the study designed to correspond with the 2020 Spring Chapel Series. Watch the chapel message below:
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