James 3:13 - Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
"Meekness is the right use of power, and wisdom is the right use of knowledge. They go together." - W.W. Wiersbe,
The Bible Exposition Commentary.
"It is remarkable that the truly wise man is characterized by a calm spirit, a mild and placid demeanour, and by a gentle, though firm, enunciation of his sentiments. A noisy, boisterous, and stormy declaimer we never select as a safe counsellor. He may accomplish much in his way by his bold eloquence of manner, but we do not put him in places where we need far-reaching thought, or where we expect the exercise of profound philosophical views." - Albert Barnes,
Barnes' Notes on the New Testament.
"Wisdom is not a matter of
acquiring truth, but of
applying truth." - Walvoord & Zuck,
The Bible Knowledge Commentary, paraphrased.
James 3:15 - This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
"Earthly, sensual, devilish. All three of our enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, conspire in agreement against us with counterfeit wisdom to strife and envy." - VM
"Whatever does not come from God is destined to fail, no matter how successful it may seem at the time." - W.W. Wiersbe,
The Bible Exposition Commentary.
Cross references for James 3:13 - Proverbs 26:12, 16; Isaiah 5:21; Romans 12:16.
Cross references for James 3:14-15 - I Corinthians 3:3, 18.
Cross references for James 3:18 - Isaiah 32:17.
See the
prior post on James 3:13.
