Fathers

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What the Fathers say

James 3:2

Eastern Fathers

Theophylact of Ohrid

"For we all stumble in many things," conducting our life inattentively and negligently. That no person escapes sin is confirmed by the mobility of the tongue. From this it is also evident that no one possesses perfection, for who has not sinned with his tongue? But if anyone overcomes the mobility of his tongue, he is able to govern the whole body well. For he who has restrained what is very prone to falling will with less effort and attention gain mastery over what falls more slowly.

Commentary on James ↗

Oecumenius

If anyone does not stumble in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the mouths of horses so that they may obey us, and we turn the whole body about. Behold, ships also, though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, are turned about by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman wishes. …

Commentary on James ↗

Western Saints

Bede

For in many things we all offend. He did not say "you offend," when he reproved those whom he saw as less perfect in both knowledge and action, and would remove such from the chair of teaching, fearing lest they might harm the little ones by preaching erroneously, and turn their ears away from the hearing of teachers by forestalling them; or certainly might defile what they rightly preached with the filth of incorrect action, and thus obscure the path of evangelical perfection with sinister opinion; but he said, "we offend," when we …

Commentary on the Catholic Epistles ↗