Shalom brothers and sisters.
Today’s Bible Verse: James 3:13-18
Title: Heavenly Versus Worldly Wisdom
Verse Text: [James 3:13-18 NKJV] 13 Who [is] wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct [that] his works [are done] in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking [exist], confusion and every evil thing [are] there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
First of all, what does James mean by demonic? In the Hebrew mindset, if one had a demon it meant that they had an evil disposition. It did not mean that a demon had possessed them as it is in modern culture. So all James was saying in verse fifteen is that bitter envy and self-seeking comes from an evil disposition and that is of the world and not of God.
Overall this passage is describing two wisdoms; the wisdom from above, which is the proper application of knowledge obtained from the scripture and the Holy Spirit of Yahshua, and the wisdom of the world.
The wisdom from above is pure that is, it is free from all that is worldly or carnal. From Bible Study Tools: It produces purity of heart, of life, and conversation; and is the means of keeping persons pure and chaste, and free from impure lusts, lusts of uncleanness, pride, envy, wrath which prevail in carnal and unregenerate men.
The wisdom from above is peaceable; that is, it inclines those that have received it to live in peace with others. Thus, vain situations are quickly discerned and the person that has received the wisdom moves on without malice. I have honestly begun to experience this, and discernment is the key. My job is to spread His word and not to force it on others. While it grieves me when others fail to comprehend I pray that they get it before it is too late and move on.
Peaceable also means that the person that has received the wisdom from above becomes more forgiving and will more easily bow out of a situation in which the word is not being heard. This goes back to what I said above.
Those that have the wisdom from above, as James says in verse seventeen, are more willing to yield; that is, to those that have demonstrated more wisdom then they do. There are many I have come across that have better arguments than I and I have found it easy to yield to their superior wisdom. To not do so would be a sign of pride and love has no pride.
Wisdom from above is full of mercy and good fruits. Those that have received it truly love their neighbor no matter how they are treated by their neighbor. There are many examples of this in areas ravaged by groups like ISIS; we often hear of how one or several that have received wisdom from above will help those in need in those groups even though they have been treated very poorly by those people.
Those that have received wisdom from above have no partiality; that is, one’s status in society does not matter to them. They also do not put on a false appearance of virtue; that is, they display no hypocrisy.
Peace is in the heart of the one who has received wisdom from above and they sow peace.
One that has the wisdom from above has love.
[1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV] 4 Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether [there are] prophecies, they will fail; whether [there are] tongues, they will cease; whether [there is] knowledge, it will vanish away.
I hope this has been a blessing to you. May the rest of your day be blessed. Walk Torah-ly. Shalom.
Today’s Bible Verse: James 3:13-18
Title: Heavenly Versus Worldly Wisdom
Verse Text: [James 3:13-18 NKJV] 13 Who [is] wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct [that] his works [are done] in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking [exist], confusion and every evil thing [are] there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
First of all, what does James mean by demonic? In the Hebrew mindset, if one had a demon it meant that they had an evil disposition. It did not mean that a demon had possessed them as it is in modern culture. So all James was saying in verse fifteen is that bitter envy and self-seeking comes from an evil disposition and that is of the world and not of God.
Overall this passage is describing two wisdoms; the wisdom from above, which is the proper application of knowledge obtained from the scripture and the Holy Spirit of Yahshua, and the wisdom of the world.
The wisdom from above is pure that is, it is free from all that is worldly or carnal. From Bible Study Tools: It produces purity of heart, of life, and conversation; and is the means of keeping persons pure and chaste, and free from impure lusts, lusts of uncleanness, pride, envy, wrath which prevail in carnal and unregenerate men.
The wisdom from above is peaceable; that is, it inclines those that have received it to live in peace with others. Thus, vain situations are quickly discerned and the person that has received the wisdom moves on without malice. I have honestly begun to experience this, and discernment is the key. My job is to spread His word and not to force it on others. While it grieves me when others fail to comprehend I pray that they get it before it is too late and move on.
Peaceable also means that the person that has received the wisdom from above becomes more forgiving and will more easily bow out of a situation in which the word is not being heard. This goes back to what I said above.
Those that have the wisdom from above, as James says in verse seventeen, are more willing to yield; that is, to those that have demonstrated more wisdom then they do. There are many I have come across that have better arguments than I and I have found it easy to yield to their superior wisdom. To not do so would be a sign of pride and love has no pride.
Wisdom from above is full of mercy and good fruits. Those that have received it truly love their neighbor no matter how they are treated by their neighbor. There are many examples of this in areas ravaged by groups like ISIS; we often hear of how one or several that have received wisdom from above will help those in need in those groups even though they have been treated very poorly by those people.
Those that have received wisdom from above have no partiality; that is, one’s status in society does not matter to them. They also do not put on a false appearance of virtue; that is, they display no hypocrisy.
Peace is in the heart of the one who has received wisdom from above and they sow peace.
One that has the wisdom from above has love.
[1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV] 4 Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether [there are] prophecies, they will fail; whether [there are] tongues, they will cease; whether [there is] knowledge, it will vanish away.
I hope this has been a blessing to you. May the rest of your day be blessed. Walk Torah-ly. Shalom.
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