For this is not wisdom, descending from above: but earthly, sensual, devilish.
ουκ εστιν αυτη η σοφια ανωθεν κατερχομενη αλλ επιγειος ψυχικη δαιμονιωδης
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
[...] and he says that such teachings do not belong to true teachers, because they flow not from Divine wisdom but from demonic wisdom. He said this after first praising the good teacher. Since zeal can be applied both to good and to evil, for zeal is a fiery striving of the soul toward something, with a certain likeness to the object of its zeal, the Apostle added “bitter,” to show what kind of zeal he means.
Paul says, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:14). James rightly calls stubborn and proud wisdom earthly, natural, and demonic. While the soul seeks earthly glory, it remains cut off from the grace of the Spirit and from God. Such a soul is naturally part of the fallen world, and the evil spirit urges it toward foolish and sinful deeds.
Since the divine James, as Saint Metrophanes explains, has already given many examples and likenesses to persuade Christians to bridle their tongue and not allow it to speak what is improper, he then notices that they remain insensible.
Therefore he continues in perplexity: Who is wise and understanding among you Christians? If there is such a man among you, let him show the works of a good life with wise meekness.
The prophet Hosea did the same at the beginning, and at the end of his prophecy said this: "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? And prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous shall walk in them, but the ungodly shall stumble in them" (Hos 14:10).
This saying of the brother of the Lord has the following meaning. I have given you, Christians, many and various examples to persuade you to cease from anger and bitter words against your brethren.
I have done this so that you may love and begin to practice meekness and soul-profiting conversations.
If anyone among you confesses that he has understood my foregoing discourse, has wisdom from above and divine understanding, and has profited from it by changing for the better, let him furnish his confession with good works.
Let him show the fruit of the benefit he received from my words by living a Christian life in meekness and longsuffering. Let him not boast in lofty and empty words that he has profited from my teaching.
For if such a man has bitter envy in his heart, according to Theophylact, this is a movement of a zealous and troubled soul. Likewise, if he produces rivalry, that is, vain disputes and accusation, let him not boast that he profited from my words.
Such a man is a liar and does not speak the truth. Therefore, if someone does not show virtuous works, longsuffering, and meekness toward his brethren, but speaks only plausible and rhetorical words in order to appear blameless, he is plainly convicted.
He does not have in his soul the indwelling of divine wisdom from above, of which the author of Proverbs said: "The Lord gives wisdom, and from His face come knowledge and understanding" (Prov 2:6).
The same one says in Wisdom: "Wisdom will not enter a soul that devises evil, nor dwell in a body subject to sin" (Wis 1:4).
For this reason the brother of the Lord says in order that this is not the wisdom from above, descending from God, of which I have already said to you: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to all without partiality and without reproach."
Rather, this is earthly wisdom, psychic wisdom, that is, fleshly wisdom, and demonic wisdom. He rightly called this wisdom by evil names, in order to separate it from the wisdom given from above by the Father of lights.
That wisdom does not have the fruits and signs of true and divine wisdom. It is falsely named, fleshly, and foolish before God, being composed of plausible words.
Concerning it blessed Paul wrote: "Not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we conducted ourselves in the world" (2 Cor 1:12). Again: "My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom" (1 Cor 2:4).
And elsewhere: "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Cor 3:19).
The holy brother of God truly constructs and shows this whole meaning by consecutive phrases, saying that envy and disputes are disorder and every evil thing. Disorder and evil are the result of earthly, fleshly, and demonic wisdom, not of divine wisdom from above.
Since there are rivalries and disputes among you, you are possessors of earthly, fleshly, and demonic wisdom, not of divine wisdom from above.
Paul wrote almost the same thing to the Corinthians: "For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, rivalries, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and walking according to man?" (1 Cor 3:3).
Theophylact and Oecumenius say that certain Christians of that time loved to rule and were proud of worldly wisdom. Out of envy toward virtuous and true teachers, they preached to others.
Therefore they mixed much that was human with what was divine, so that by novel words they might draw their listeners to their own opinion. From this came heresies.
Therefore the divine James, having finished his teaching about the unbridled tongue and evil speech, here teaches against envy and vain disputes. He says that this teaching, which comes from envy, is not from divine wisdom, but from demonic wisdom.
Since the word "zeal" or "envy" has a neutral meaning, as it signifies both good zeal and evil zeal, he calls it bitter in order to distinguish it from good zeal. Zeal is a fiery movement of the soul toward something. Rivalry is vicious contentiousness.
Earthly, sensual, demonic wisdom are synonyms explaining the properties of wisdom opposed to the higher and true wisdom.
It is earthly by the objects to which it is directed. It is sensual by the powers or faculties that man uses to attain it. It is demonic by its origin from the devil.
The sensual differs from the spiritual and does not have the spirit (Jude 19?). The Jews distinguished spirit and soul.
The spirit belongs exclusively to man and places him above the animals. The soul is what he has in common with animals (cf. 1 Cor 2:14).
Therefore sensual wisdom is the wisdom that cares for the satisfaction of man's animal needs. For this reason it may be called worldly wisdom (compare Mt 6:25; Mt 10:39).
The apostle Paul calls this same wisdom fleshly (Rom 8:7), the wisdom of this world (1 Cor 1:20), and the human wisdom of this age and of the rulers of this age (1 Cor 2:5-6).
By these rulers the devil and his angels are meant (Jn 12:31).
Opposed to it is spiritual wisdom, which descends from above (Jas 3:17), is revealed by the Holy Spirit, and is therefore divine (1 Cor 2:7-13).
Wisdom whose foundation is evil zeal and contentiousness is not true wisdom. It is not the wisdom needed for fruitful teaching, the wisdom that descends from above (Jas 1:17), from God, the Father of lights.
Rather, it is imaginary and false wisdom, namely earthly, sensual, demonic.
It is earthly in contrast to that which descends from above. It belongs not to heaven, but to the earth, to the world hostile against God (Jas 4:4). Therefore it is not only sinful wisdom, but God-fighting and God-opposing wisdom.
It is sensual in contrast to spiritual wisdom. It has its root in the sinful region of human nature, and therefore is sinful wisdom (cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 1 Cor 3:3; Jude 1:19).
It is demonic by its origin and properties, in contrast to divine wisdom. It is demonic not figuratively, but in the proper sense, as hostile to the truth and therefore proceeding from the primordial enemy of truth, the devil (Jas 3:6; Jas 4:7).
The inclination to excessive use of the tongue is especially found in people striving to display their intelligence and skill in speaking reasonably.
The apostle James does not attach special value to these qualities by themselves. He knows that with an impure heart, hatred, and contentiousness, neither intelligence nor eloquence has high value.
They can even lead to every kind of disorder, falsehood, cunning, and evil in general. Therefore, instead of imaginary wisdom, that is, empty eloquence, he counsels distinction by a good life and wise silence.
Subtle reasoning and flattering speeches of evil people are not only far from true wisdom. They are often a clear sign of the action of an alien evil power (see 1 Jn 3:10).
Especially the wisdom that proceeds from contentiousness is earthly, that is, hostile to God. It is sensual, that is, grounded in the sinful region of human nature (cf. 1 Cor 2:14; Jude 1:19).
Finally, it is demonic, that is, proceeding from the devil as the chief author of all divisions (cf. Jas 3:6; Jas 4:7). True wisdom is not like this.
In view of the double-edged significance of human speech in life, only he has the right to teach others who has tamed in himself the sinful tendency toward looseness in speech.
Such a man thereby possesses true wisdom, manifesting it "in deed by good conduct."
The essence of Christian wisdom is precisely that it is not only knowledge, nor only the mind's acknowledgment of certain truths. It is life itself, in accordance with these truths.
The one who possesses Christian wisdom is meek, pure in motives and intentions, modest in desires, obedient to elders and authority, full of mercy and good fruits, and free from bitter envy and contentiousness.
This is because the source of this "heavenly" wisdom is God.
In contrast to heavenly wisdom, there is "earthly, sensual, demonic" wisdom, whose source is the father of lies, the devil. Its characteristic manifestations are envy and contentiousness, and the result of its influence is disorder and every evil thing.
"The wisdom that is from above is first pure." The first distinguishing property of true wisdom is that it is pure.
To determine, according to the apostle's own understanding, what he wished to indicate here by the name of purity, one must consider that he opposes "the wisdom that is from above" to "earthly, sensual, demonic" wisdom (Jas 3:15).
Thus the first distinguishing property of true wisdom is that it is removed from earthly, sensual, and demonic impurities. Or, in the words of another apostle, from "every defilement of flesh and spirit" (2 Cor 7:1).
The follower of true wisdom does not defile his hands with unjust profit, his heart with lust, or his spirit with pride and evil intent.
In every possible way he keeps himself morally pure in thoughts, intentions, feelings, and actions.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 11 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS