James 3:13

Who (Ti). Rhetorical interrogative like Luke 11:11 . Common in Paul and characteristic of the diatribe. James here returns to the standpoint of verse Luke 1 about many teachers. Speech and wisdom are both liable to abuse ( 1 Corinthians 1:5 1 Corinthians 1:17 ; 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:20 ). Wise and understanding (sopo kai episthmwn). Sopo is used for the practical teacher (verse 1 Corinthians 1 ), episthmwn (old word from epistamai, here only in N.T.) for an expert, a skilled and scientific person with a tone of superiority. In Deuteronomy 1:13 Deuteronomy 1:15 ; Deuteronomy 4:6 , the two terms are practically synonyms. Let him shew (deixatw). First aorist active imperative of deiknumi, old verb to show. As about faith in Deuteronomy 2:18 . Emphatic position of this verb. By his good life (ek th kalh anastroph). For this literary Koin word from anastrepomai (walk, conduct) see Galatians 1:13 . Actions speak louder than words even in the case of the professional wise man. Cf. 1 Peter 1:15 . In meekness of wisdom (en prauthti sopia). As in James 1:21 of the listener, so here of the teacher. Cf. Matthew 5:5 ; Matthew 11:29 and Zac 9:9 of King Messiah quoted in Matthew 21:5 . Startling combination.