Lesson 13 - The Manner Of Response (James 1.19-21) Series

Tom Lowe

2/1/2021

LESSON 13 - THE MANNER OF RESPONSE (James 1.19-21)

Text James 1:19-21, KJV

19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls.

INTRODUCTION

The mention of the “word of truth” in verse 18 leads James to devote a lengthy section to a matter close to his heart -- the appropriate Christian response to God’s Word. James stresses that the Word’s purpose is to be obeyed. Before launching into this critical topic, James interjects a warning about the misuse of the tongue, the first of several that occur in this letter. James echoes a theme often found in Proverbs: the righteous will listen well and consider carefully before they speak and restrain their anger because anger could lead to hasty, nasty, irretrievable words (1:19).

COMMENTARY

19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Let every man be prompt to hear; not just anything; not idle and unprofitable talk, or filthy and corrupt communication; but wholesome advice, good instructions, and the gracious experiences of the saints, and, above all, the Word of God (James is talking to the child of God). It is so essential for all men to hear the Word of God and be prepared to listen to it with understanding. Men everywhere should make haste and be early in their attendance. They should receive God’s Word with all readiness, and with a sort of greediness of mind, that their souls may profit, and God may be glorified.

The man of God is “swift to hear” but “slow to speak” against what he heard, without thoroughly weighing and considering what was said, and this may require silence upon hearing the Word. It would be well to observe the same rule in our private conversations. On the other hand, the sense may be, ‘be content to be hearers of the Word and not preachers of it’; and if called to that work, think before you speak, meditate on the Word, and study to be approved by God and men.

Silence is not only “golden” but highly commended by the Pythagoreans, among whom their disciples practiced it for five years; but also by the Jews: they say, nothing is better for the body than silence; that if a word is worth one shekel, silence is worth two, or worth a precious stone; that it is the spice of speech and the chief of all spices; that it is the hedge of wisdom.

“Swift” also involves a willingness to obey what we hear

Dear reader, After the Word of God, has begotten you, you are not through with it. You are going to grow by the Word of God. You have something that is living, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12). “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14.) However, as a child of God, you are indwelt by the Spirit of God who wants to teach you the Word of God. The Creator of this universe and the Redeemer of lost sinners wants to talk to you, my friend. James says, “Be swift to hear, Be alert.”

My friend, we are supposed to be slow to speak. God gave us two ears and one mouth -- there must be a very definite reason for that. There is a real danger of our talking too much. The next thing Paul says is that we should be “slow to wrath,” that is, “slow to anger.” Don’t argue about religion and lose your temper.

“Swift to hear, slow to speak” should be taken together as two sides of the same coin. Slowness in speaking means speaking with humility and patience, not with hasty words or nonstop gabbing. Constant talking keeps a person from being able to hear. Wisdom does not always have something to say; it involves listening carefully, considering prayerfully, and speaking quietly.

When James speaks here, he is primarily referring to teachers (see 3:1). What they need to listen to is God’s Word.

Teachers are especially prone to an imbalance when it comes to speaking and listening. We should take careful note of the way Jesus mixed the two. His speaking tended to be marked by brevity. He asked questions, He listened. We should ask ourselves, “Have I listened enough to know that what I said was heard. The expression quick to listen is a beautiful way of capturing the idea of active listening. We are not merely to refrain from speaking; we are to be ready and willing to listen. When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are much more important than theirs. James wisely advises us to reverse this process. We need to put a mental stopwatch on our conversations and track how much we talk and listen. Ask yourself, “When people talk to us, do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value?