Wisdom from Above | James 3:13-18

James 3:13–18 (ESV)

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Introduction

April 19, 1775—the day when the “shot heard around the world” rang out in Lexington and Concord, and from then on out, the world turned upside down. The American War for Independence was officially on. With these shots, a young, angsty upstart, eager to restore his family’s ruined reputation, a man by the name of Benedict Arnold set out to join the continental army. Arnold quickly rose to prominence for his courage, his veracity, and the inspirational effect he had on his men. He would go on to lead a famous successful raid on Fort Ticonderoga, stalled British forces on Lake Champlain, and served with distinction in New York City. 

Despite his successes, Benedict Arnold became frustrated with his perceived lack of recognition for his successes, until he was finally promoted to Major General in 1777. It was that same year, in the famous battle of Saratoga that Arnold, despite his brave leadership and fighting, received a career-ending wound to his leg. Arnold was sidelined, and forced to play politics in the tumultuous town of Philadelphia. Feeling the wound to his pride as much as to his leg, Arnold began to mix with the Tory sympathizers of the Philadelphia aristocracy. And in 1780, he did the unthinkable: Major General Benedict Arnold defected to serve with the British army, forever to be know by history as “the Traitor Benedict Arnold.” Shortly after learning about the betrayal of one of his most trusted and distinguished generals, the despondent George Washington is quoted asking, “Whom can we trust now?”

Before we begin the how-could-hes and I-would-nevers, it is worth pondering the reality that the very same weeds that grew in the heart of Benedict Arnold leading him to betray not only his friends but his nation, often appear in our own hearts. As our author today would put it, Benedict Arnold’s desire of fame and recognition gave birth to the sins of jealousy, pride, and vainglory, leading to his treachery. And it is this type of bitterness and vain ambition being warned about in our passage today.

Benedict Arnold almost derailed a revolution. These same seeds in our hearts can derail our spiritual lives, and it can derail a church; the very body of Christ. There are massive things at stake here….but today, the Lord has graciously given us a text to recognize these weeds and pull up these weeds, clearing the ground and keeping these weeds from growing. If we heed the warnings from this text, our churches and our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ might be preserved and strengthened in a society looking at every turn to divide us.

Throughout this letter, James is seeking to identify and make clear to his Christian audience that how we live and our daily conduct reveals what we really do believe, and what we believe is intended to have an effect in how we live. The two are intrinsically related. James is telling orthodox Christians, people who go to church, “Check out your life, and that will tell you what you truly believe.” And I believe that it is in this passage in chapter 3 that James means to communicate this: Godly wisdom produces a life marked by humility and peace.

Background

Before we dive into the text, there are a few points to consider regarding the letter itself that will help us understand the author and his audience better. 

The book of James was written most likely by James, not James the brother of John, one of the 12 and belonging in Jesus’ inner circle, but James the half-brother of Jesus. This James rose to prominence by leading the Christian church in Jerusalem after Pentecost. We see this James leading the famous Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, with all the apostles, including Peter and Paul, showing deference to him as the leader of the council, and it is this James, because of his leadership in the church in Jerusalem, which has always been the home for the Jewish people, that becomes the leader of the Jewish-wing of early Christianity.

While the book of James contains some of the hallmarks of a traditional Greek letter, this letter does not read quite like the epistles of Paul. James is typically categorized in the General Epistles because of it not containing a particular audience or occasion; James is not written to the Church in Antioch, but is written (v. 1:1)…To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Likely, this is a general letter being sent out and meant to be read by all Jewish-Christians living in the Dispersion, or those scattered throughout the Roman Empire. 

James is a pastor. And due to his heritage and his context, James is seeking to pastor Jewish Christians. Not worldly Greek pagans out on the Roman frontier, but people who, as it were, grew up in the church. And it is this influence and aim that informs and permeates how he diagnoses problems and prescribes solutions.

Because we are so familiar with Paul and his pioneering evangelism out into the Gentile and pagan world, we can often forget that Christianity began in Jerusalem in a very Jewish context. And as the gospel, which was good news not only for the Gentile, but the Jew first, permeated its way out of Jerusalem and away to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), it is easy to forget that someone had to lead and strengthen the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. That man appears to have been James.

The book of James is not traditionally the first book that may pop into one’s mind when seeking for a straight, unvarnished, “Christ died for your sins” gospel doctrine. But as you read the letter, the aroma of the gospel’s influence on the life of James is evident throughout. Like a tea bag in hot water, the gospel had permeated throughout the life of James, causing him to interpret his entire Jewish upbringing and his Jewish context through a gospel lens, and as a good pastor, he wants to see that same gospel function in the lives of the Jewish Christians he’s addressing, and in our lives today. 

As we mine this passage, we are going to see two ways, two sources of wisdom that influence our conduct: wisdom from below and wisdom from above.

1. Wisdom from Below

James interrupts his flow of thought on the power of the tongue in chapter 3 with a ponderous rhetorical question. He steps back and asked, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” Just prior to this section, James had addressed his audience, warning them to beware of the power of their speech. He begins that section in James 3:1 by making this provocative statement: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

While this is addressed to the general congregation, it seems that James might have the leaders of the churches in mind as he issues these warnings. James is warning his readers of the weightiness and seriousness of the responsibilities of teachers, to be a learnéd sage, to be someone that people come to for answers to the hard questions in life. And it’s with this arresting question in 3:13 that James is calling out all those who just a few paragraphs earlier had heard that warning regarding teachers and said, “Oh ya, that’s not me. I have nothing to fear. I know who you’re talking about James, but I’m not one of them. I definitely am qualified to be a teacher due to my genuine wisdom and understanding.”

And James says to them, “You think so?! You say that you are wise and understanding, that you need not heed the warnings I give you, but let me ask you this: “By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13b).

Those who step forward to the questioning of who is wise and understanding find themselves being examined not by their knowledge, intellect, or ability to define key theological terms, but by the conduct of their lives. And not just the conduct of their lives, but in the “meekness (humility) of wisdom.” It’s not enough, James says, to simply do good works or to say good things, but these works and words must be born out of a discernible humility. And that word good in v. 13 in the original language can mean simply doing right instead of wrong, but here it carries more of the sense of attractive, noble, and praiseworthy actions that show the true character of the one doing them. For those claiming to be wise, are they marked by this evidence of humility? If not, then they should question their claim to wisdom and understanding.

An examination is needed. An examination of the secret life and unseen motivations of those claiming to be wise. Where do their motivations spring from? What is the source of their so-called “wisdom”? The two key elements that James is looking to hunt out are bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. James mentions them together twice in v. 14 and in v. 16, using the same words in the original language. He repeats them because these two things have a peculiar power to destroy relationships and divide brothers from one another.

He is aware that there is the tendency in every human heart, but especially among those who are in positions of leadership, to maneuver and position oneself in a way that elevates one’s position and status, and maintains a certain image. We want to be seen to be knowledgeable and understanding. And we are willing to say and do whatever is needed to protect that image. And when someone may impede on that opportunity, our reaction and inclination is to wonder why we aren’t being recognized, which leads to jealousy. 

The examples of this in daily life are too numerous to list exhaustively. But think of a time in your life that you wanted something you felt you deserved, whether that is a job or a job promotion, or simply wanting to be recognized by the amazing service you did for that person, and to see yourself being passed over, the opportunity going to someone else, or even the recognition and praise going to another…that feeling, that heat you can feel rising in your heart is what James is putting his finger on. Notice James does not just call it “jealousy”, but “bitter jealousy” (v. 14). This is jealousy that quickly turns into bitterness, resentment, and eventually division. James refers to these two vices again in v. 16 when he says: “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exists, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”

We can not sweep bitterness, jealousy, and selfish ambition under the rug. These things can not stay hidden. Against our very best efforts, these will come out of our fingertips and effect those around us in discernible ways. There will be disorder, and if not dealt with, it will only lead to more and more vile practices. Recall James’ diagnosis in James 1:14-15: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

And if selfish ambition and bitter jealousy are present, James says back in 3:14 that we may profess truth, but in fact our conduct proves us to be false. Humility is needed.

Considering the context, a chief indicator of the fruit of this wisdom is our speech. Oh, how easy it is to criticize—whether that’s people we think are in the wrong, or people in our church that take a different stance on “x,” or the direction our leaders are taking us that we disagree with, or the lack of our leaders speaking out on “x” topic. We may be able to convince ourselves that we are displaying our godliness to the world in our courageous stance on a topic, but our boasting of the truth and our willingness to fight for it by any means necessary, even if it leads to wounds and division, is actually showing the depravity of our so-called “wisdom.” Our claim to truth may be accurate, but it is anything but humble.

Commentator Alec Motyer says this in regard to the destructive effects these vices can have in the life of the church:

Over and over again the formation of a party, the growth of a clique, the promotion of a split have been justified as standing for the truth. It is said that, unless we divide, the truth cannot be safeguarded; the body from which we are dividing has rejected all truth, or this truth or that. But when Paul withstood Peter to the face over the really cardinal issue of the truth of the gospel, he did not separate, form a party, send word to the churches he had founded that they were now a new denomination. The sad thing is that we who are born into a divided, wretchedly denominational situation are inured from birth to separation, and we have lost James’ realization that in Christian division, as in time of war, truth is the first casualty.

Although Motyer was writing and commenting on the status of the church decades ago, one glance at Twitter will show us all the examples we need to see this alive and well in our own day. Masks, Critical Race Theory, feminism, the patriarchy, elections, vaccines—it seems the ammunition to divide Christians is endless and in abundance all around us. Oh, how needed is the rebuke from James to all those on twitter: “Who is wise and understanding among all of you? By your good conduct, not your twitter feed and your hot takes, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

To be clear, James does not call us to shrink from the truth of God’s word. Just like Paul didn’t shrink from confronting Peter in Galatians 1. But here he is saying to us while we speak the truth, what is our motive? Are we seeking to declare truth out of a righteous zeal for the glory and honor of the Lord, or are we seeking to pounce on those who disagree with us in order to gain points in the culture wars?

James has a sobering warning for those who, while claiming to be wise, show their colors through their tweets and conduct. He pulls back the veil and shows the source of our so-called wisdom: “This is not the wisdom that comes from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:15).

There is no neutral ground. All wisdom comes from somewhere. And the source of this earthly wisdom, or a life characterized by strong talk but motivated by bitterness, jealousy, and selfish ambition is not only ungodly, but is in fact demonic. What a startling thought! For all our attempts at godliness and righteous living, James is pushing through all our external bravado and drilling down to our hearts and to our motivations and says, “You may sound godly, but that blackness in your heart which is not uniting the brothers around the gospel of Christ, but actually causing division is not from my Spirit, but is actually demonic.” What a sobering and arresting thought! If our wisdom produces division, and is bred in bitterness and selfishness, we are not operating out of the Spirit of God. Remember, James is addressing Christians, so he is saying to them and to us, “examine your souls!” And this is especially true for leaders in the church, the shepherds of the flock of God, because they (we) have the most potential to lead others and our churches into this way of vile practices marked by division, bitterness, and selfishness.

This should drive us to self-examination and self-reflection. We should ask God, as the Psalmist does: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24).

This should also drive us to community. We need others to detect and address these things in us. Thank God for the local church; a people who love us and know us and serve as a means by which we can examine our hearts and see where change needs to happen. 

So James calls us to hold no quarter for worldly wisdom. But what does a life of Godly wisdom look like? Let’s look at the other source of wisdom.

2. Wisdom from Above

There is a clear turn in James’ logic here in verse 17 as he turns away from wisdom from below that is marked by disorder, and turns to an altogether different wisdom. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).

In contrast to worldly, earthly wisdom, James describes wisdom from God not so much by what it is, but by what it does. This wisdom does not produce division, chaos, bitterness, etc, but produces peace and unity. It is the type of wisdom that is attractive to those around it, not causing jealousy of one’s knowledge or insight, but by its noble conduct. Or, as 3:13 says, it is good conduct that is marked by humility and meekness. 

The list that James gives reminds us of the famous “Fruits of the Spirit” that Paul writes about in Galatians 5:22-23. These are James’ “Fruits of Wisdom.” And, keeping in mind his Jewish audience, there is a connection between wisdom and godliness. For Jews, wisdom was not primarily a knowledge or a certain philosophy like the Greek thought that was common at that time, but was righteous living, and actually the personification of God himself. Wisdom is a life of godliness. 

So, James sets the priority in his list of the characteristic of purity to highlight not only the genuineness of the motivations that follow, but the purity and holiness of the source of this wisdom, God himself. True wisdom is focused on God and resides in those devoted to God. If our hearts are not aimed at the glory and honor of God, then we haven’t begun to know wisdom. 

He then lists three qualities: peaceable, gentle, and open to reason; NIV: peace loving, considerate, and submissive. Here we see the open-heartedness of the wise man. He is peaceable in his conduct and speech; not interacting harshly with others online or in the church in order to score points, but aware of how his speech and conduct can effect others. He is gentle in his coming-alongside others, putting an arm of encouragement around them, and expressing, “I’m here, and I’m not leaving.” The wise man is open to reason in displaying humility in his opinions that we like to hold with an iron fist. We must be in pursuit of God’s own righteousness, not our opinions. Humility is submitting all of our lives and opinions to the word of God, brought to us by others, recognizing that sin often blinds me from the truth. That’s why we are open to reason and truth from the word of God. These three attitudes are listed in direct opposition to the worldly wisdom of jealousy, selfishness, and ambition listed in verse 14. 

While those are attitudes, next come discernible actions (mercy and good fruits), that should be evident to those around the wise man. One author comments on this couplet with this:

James provides his own definition of “mercy”: love for the neighbor that shows itself in action (2:8–13). It is not surprising, then, that James couples mercy so closely with good fruit—acts of mercy are those “fruits” that genuine wisdom, like genuine faith, must produce.

—Doug Moo

Finally James rounds out his fruits with 2 judgements (impartial and sincere). Impartial, meaning he is steady, not swinging the winds of the zeitgeist, but balanced by the ballast of God’s word. And sincere, not putting on a show to be someone he’s not, but filled with conviction. The wise man is someone who is genuine in his pursuit of unity, while at the same time unyielding in his pursuit of the truth. R. Kent Hughes says:

Those full of wisdom from above never play-act. What you see is what you get. No masks—no feigned sincerity—no pretense. How refreshing this is in a world full of off-stage actors who believe a little hypocrisy is part of the essential wisdom of life. Christian wisdom demands and demonstrates the sincerity of Christ. 

—R. Kent Hughes

In sum, here is the wise person: he is devoted to God, he is devoted to unity, he is devoted to humility, he is devoted to grace, he is devoted to godliness, he is devoted to truth.

This Godly wisdom was exemplified in the author himself and his conduct in Acts 15. At a critical juncture in redemptive history (the crisis of what to do with the Gentiles), where tensions were high and where the two sides (passionate characters like Paul and Peter on one side and the infamous Judiazers on the other) were dug in, and the where the stakes were tremendously high for the direction and growth of newly planted churches all over the Empire, James the pastor stood over the council, seeking to preserve unity in Christ above all things, but also find a solution that was consistent with what pleased the Lord. Where division and disunity could have raged, James sought unity and truth. That same attitude is what permeates this passage as well.  This section on wisdom ends with almost a proverbial statement: “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18).

This strange, almost awkward proverb is placed at the end as a capstone to hammer home James’ point that the life of the Christian is to be marked by humility and peace, and when seeds are sown in that season and attitude, they will produce righteousness. Another translations renders this passage this way: “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18, NIV).

We reap what we sow. Who we are, what we believe, and our motivations are intimately tied to what we do. Gospel truths inform Gospel conduct. You can not sow in anger and expect a harvest of good works and godly living. Only when we address our attitudes and the stirrings in our souls can we expect to see the fruits of godly conduct. 

Now, after the examination of your heart, you may be asking, “how do I get this wisdom? How do I lay hold of this wisdom?” Ultimately, without being explicitly stated, what is underneath all of this wisdom from above is the reality that this is a gift. This wisdom does not come from within, but from above! The source of this wisdom is outside of us. We can not generate the type of godly life that James describes here without receiving it from outside of us. So how do we lay hold of it? We find the answer in the only other place wisdom is mentioned in this letter: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

What a promise! And notice, the very posture of asking requires humility—the very thing that marks true wisdom! 

And this is not because of anything in us, but only because there was one who came down from heaven, became one of us, humbled himself all the way to death, yes, even death on a cross, in order that he might bring us to God and that we might have peace with God. During his life, Christ exhibited to the world the supreme example of true wisdom from above. Christ was devoted to God the Father, seeking to glorify him above all. Christ was devoted to unity, praying in John 17:21 that those he came for would be one as he and the Father are one. Christ was devoted to humility, as he laid his life down willingly to die for those who hated him. Christ was devoted to grace, Christ was devoted to godliness, and Christ was devoted to truth. As the Apostle Paul says, “Christ became to us wisdom from God, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

And above all, through the death and resurrection of Christ, we have access to this wisdom on high. Because of the cross, we have a wise and good representative before the Father. What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer; there is no more for heaven now to give! We can have a harvest of righteousness because Christ has secured peace for us between us and God the Father. So, my friends, rest in the finished work of Christ, examining your hearts for the weeds of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, and humbly seek the wisdom from on high, and see the fruits of wisdom permeate your life and the lives of those around you.