The Mechanism of Faith
A Study of James
Part 5: James 3:1-12

I. MAJOR POINT 1: Teachers will face judgment with a higher level of scrutiny.
a. James begins a portion of his letter on the tongue by first addressing those who desire to
teach.
b. The scattered Christian Jews understood the importance of teaching the gospel, but
James’ warning reveals that they perhaps had not considered the divine scrutiny that
accompanies teaching God’s Word.
a. ‘The title rabbi meant “My great one”, and those holding that office were accorded
the greatest respect. 1
b. Many may have pursued this role without the divine prompt to do so because they
thought it was a great calling.

c. James issues a warning: judged with greater strictness 2
d. “Rather, he was warning his readers about the terrible possibility of taking up the task of
teaching with the wrong motive.” 3
e. There is something I believe every teacher of the Bible should preach:
a. READ the Word for yourself.
b. STUDY it.
c. Verify teaching by the Word.
f. Illustration: “According to the DOJ, Taylor and Brannon are the leaders of Kingdom of God
Global Church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries International (JMMI). Taylor
refers to himself as "Apostle" and to Brannon as his Executive Director.
The pair convinced their victims to work at the call centers and work for Taylor as personal
servants – referred to as "armor bearers" – for long hours without pay, according to the
indictment. According to records, it's a 10-bedroom, 10.5-bathroom, 28,000-square-foot
home sitting on about six acres. It was last sold in 2022 for more than $8 million.
A 10-count indictment alleges that Taylor and Brannon ran call centers in Florida, Texas,
Missouri, and Michigan to solicit donations to the church.
II. MAJOR POINT 2: Do not fear honest mistakes in teaching.
a. “James doesn’t want us to misconstrue his words about teaching. Yes, it is a serious
business, but we must not allow ourselves to go to the extreme to which some have gone,
excusing ourselves from the work of the Lord because we are imperfect.” 4
b. The call of teaching the Word is to be diligent, understand the weight of the
responsibility, and do it for God’s Kingdom and God’s glory.
III. MAJOR POINT 3: Your words have an alarming power over your future.
a. “Far too many people have the idea that to be “spiritual” means to be
impractical—and nothing is farther from the truth! When the Holy Spirit guides us,
1 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications,
2009), 104.
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 3:1.
3 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications,
2009), 104.
4 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications,
2009), 106.

He uses our minds, and He expects us to get the facts and weigh issues in the light of
the Word of God. James indicates that there are two sources of wisdom and that the
believer needs to be discerning. The tongue of the believer can be filled with true
wisdom from above or the false wisdom from below.” 5 — Warren Wiersbe
IV. MAJOR POINT 4: We cannot tame our tongue! BUT…the holy spirit can!
a. Proverbs 18:21- 21  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat
its fruits.” 6
b. May the mind of Christ my Saviour
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and pow’r controlling All I do
and say. — Kate B. Wilkinson 7

5 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books,
1992), 728.
6 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 18:21.
7 Roger Ellsworth, Opening up James, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications,
2009), 114.