13 Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where jealously and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy. 18 And tJ^e fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.

The churches addressed by James were troubled by the contentions of self-appointed teachers who were proud of boasted knowledge, who were fond of dispute, who were bitter in their discussions, who were more eager to defeat their opponents than to establish the truth. Having rebuked their evil use of the tongue, James suggests that the fault is due to their evil hearts, and that their vaunted wisdom, judged by its expression, is false and unreal. Unfortunately the persons described are not confined to the class of teachers or to the churches of the first century. The spirit here reproved is manifested to-day by many who profess to know Christ, and who claim, in their angry disputes, to be defending his cause.

"Who is wise and understanding among you?" James does not intend to suggest, by his question, that none were such, but rather to challenge those who had been loudest in their boasts, "Let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom." This is a fair test. This is the main point of the epistle. This is the modern demand for reality in religion. Let faith be proved by deeds, let wisdom be shown by works.

In mentioning the test of "meekness," James does not mean to advocate weakness, the two should never be associated. Only the strong, who are conscious of their power, are truly meek; the insistence here is upon the modesty which is the mark of true wisdom. "But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart," if cruel envy and a narrow party spirit are your motives, "glory not" even though you are fighting on the right side, even though you seem to have scored a victory, "and lie not against the truth," for your spirit shows your boasted wisdom to be false.

The character of this false "wisdom" is described as being not "from above"; it does not have its source in God. It is "earthly," bounded by earthly horizons, in accordance with earthly standards, identified with earthly motives, plainly contradicting the claims of heavenly knowledge and revealed truth; it is "sensual," by which is meant not merely fleshly, but unspiritual, characterizing only the "natural man" uninfluenced by the Spirit of God, and so proving false all pretensions of divine enlightenment and superior knowledge; it is "devilish," it is one with the spirit that animates demons. It may be employed in discussing religious truth, it may be displayed in defending "orthodoxy," but it is evidently not inspired by the Spirit of God; no matter what his intellectual attainments, no one should pride himself upon a wisdom which is so closely allied with "the world, the flesh, and the devil."

The result of this false wisdom is described as being utter "confusion" and evil of every kind; for heated debates, proud display of learning, bitter sarcasm, lead only to discord and separations; "for where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed."

In striking contrast, James describes "the wisdom that is from above." It is "first" of all and supremely "pure," cleansed from all stain of selfishness and dedicated wholly to the service of God. It is "then peaceable" — not at the price of purity, not so as to compromise truth, not so as to countenance evil — yet not quarrelsome, not contentious, not desiring to dispute, but hungering for peace even if compelled to fight. It is "gentle," not always insisting upon its rights, considerate of others, characterized by "sweet reasonableness." It is "easy to be entreated," not stubborn, not refusing to do a thing because it has been suggested by another, submissive, tractable, conciliatory. It is "full of mercy and good fruits"; instead of envy and hatred it is characterized by compassion and love; instead of producing bitterness and confusion and wrath, its fruitage is helpfulness, and kindness, and joy, and enlarging life. It is "without variance," which probably means "without vacillation" or doubt or indecision or uncertainty, but with definiteness of conviction. It is "without hypocrisy," it needs none; it has nothing to hide, it makes no pretense; it is absolutely honest and sincere. Such is the heavenly "wisdom," the divine understanding which God gives to those who really trust in him. Those who are thus endowed, those who in contrast with the lovers of strife are makers of peace, those who really sow the seed of peace, are preparing no harvest of evil and distress, but the blessed and peaceful fruits of righteousness.