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Throughout the church, there will always be confusion and evil works. The person who
produces envying and strife opens the door into the local church for Satan to bring in
disruption and unruliness. This destroys harmony and peace, which should be present for
any church to function in power.
D. Characteristics of God’s Wisdom

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

But the wisdom (sophia) that is from above is first pure (clean and undefiled), then
peaceable, gentle (epieikes: considerate, courteous and kind), and easy to be entreated
(eupeithes: to be easily persuaded), full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality
(adiakritos: variance), and without hypocrisy (anupokritos).

True wisdom is contrasted with the false wisdom from the previous verses. The wisdom
mentioned previously originates from Satan and is therefore, from below in contrast to
God’s wisdom, which is from above. True wisdom first comes from the Father (1:8) and is
therefore “good and perfect.”

The first characteristic of true wisdom (sophia) is purity. It is free from all vices such as
jealousy and factions. It does not want to see others put down rather, sophia wants to see
them lifted up and cared for. This word is also used for Jesus in 1 John 3:3 as a pattern for
all believers.

Next, true wisdom is peaceable. This is an outward manifestation of purity. It does not
pursue peace at the expense of purity. It will not compromise with sin to maintain peace.
The next characteristic of God’s wisdom is that it is gentle. The Greek word epiekes means
“to be considerate, courteous, and kind.”

“Easy to be entreated” (eupeithes) means to be easily persuaded, being open to new light
but never at the compromise of the truth. It is the opposite of stubborn and unyielding.

“Full of mercy and good fruits” deals again with the inner attitude and its outward
manifestation. Mercy is the grace of God in action in our lives. We need to treat others with
mercy just as God has treated us and continues to treat us. Mercy is a characteristic of God
Himself (Psalm 86:5, 100:5, 103:8; Ephesians 2:40). Even in judgment, God deals with us in
mercy (James 2:13). God wants us to deal with each other in mercy (Isaiah 58:6; Hosea 6:6;
Micah 6:8; Matthew 23:23; Luke 10:37).

This divine wisdom is also without partiality (adiakritos: variance). This type of wisdom acts
consistently; it does not take one position under one circumstance and another in a
different circumstance. It is the direct opposite of the double‐minded man with the
uncontrolled tongue (3: 9‐12).

In the Greek, the last phrase “without hypocrisy” (anupokritos) means “one who does not
speak from behind a mask” or “one who does not put on an outward show that is different
from what is in his heart.” This is also the chief word for “phony” or “one who puts on a