Modern Bible Commentary on James 1:19-27

¹⁹ So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls (WEB).

The Bible clearly speaks to the human heart, from the beginning of time until now. The phrase here: “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,” sounds like it was written in recent times. This is great advice and a testimony that wisdom stands the test of time.

When someone is quick to hear, it means they are willing to carefully listen and analyze what others are saying. To have biblical wisdom and keen insight, it’s paramount to learn from mature Christians so that you don’t make the same mistakes. This is why we should hear “quickly” so that we don’t fall into a trap that can suddenly destroy us.

Moreover, if one is quick to hear, they will be slow to speak. In other words, by having active ears and practicing patience, our ability to control the tongue will also flow naturally due to self-discipline. Slow to speak doesn’t mean to remain silent; it just means to listen more and talk less.

Think of Jesus. His disciples would ask him a question, and Jesus would respond back with a question. He made them “think”, talked less and listened more.

When we are quick to hear and slow to speak, we will consequently be slow to anger. Anger is an emotion that can be hard to control. However, with the help of the holy spirit, we can practice the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Allowing the holy spirit to navigate our desires will keep the tongue controlled and out of trouble.

As James clearly states, “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” While it is possible to be angry at sin, fight for justice, and seek honor, this type of anger is self-controlled and channeled to the proper authorities.

On the other hand, James is talking about a type of anger that is uncontrollable and unwise, which tends to happen more often than righteous anger.

Consequently, God calls us to put away all filthiness and wickedness and receive the implanted word , which is able to save our souls. When the Lord intervenes in our lives, He will give us the ability to practice self-control in our speech by listening more and talking less.

Additionally, Adonai will protect us from the carnal desires of the flesh when we meditate on Scripture. This is the way to live your best life now!

²² But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

This passage needs to be memorized by the modern church. Sermons today focus on faith and love, which are obviously two good attributes to have that reflect the nature of God. However, faith is demonstrated by our actions.

That’s why James tells us not to “only” hear the word, deceiving yourselves, but actually obey God’s commandments. Therefore, while it is good to focus on God’s love and faith, those attributes must be understood within the proper context: obedience.

Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commands.” There is no clearer statement than this. If we say we have faith but do not obey, we are like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror and then forgets what he looks like. You see, all of us know that faith is clearly taught in God’s word.

We also know that obedience is clearly taught in Scripture, but obedience requires effort. Effort is not always fun for the natural man, and I think that’s why we like to stress “faith” more than “obedience.”

The apostle James tells us that the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and perseveres, he will be blessed in what he does. This is imperative to grasp. The Law is not to be a burden. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matt. 11:28).”

The Law is to set us free from our sinful nature. When one follows God’s Law and obeys it, they will be truly blessed. This means that if you say you have faith but not works, you are deceiving yourselves and your faith is not genuine. Furthermore, if you are not living for God’s perfect Law, you will not be blessed.