James 3:1

James 3:1

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

a. NLT: Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

b. NIV: Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

c. Young’s Literal Translation: Many teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive,

d. Amplified Bible: Not many [of you] should become teachers (self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation].

1. “My brethren, be not many masters…”

a. be [1096 * ginomai] [Strong: a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

b. not [3361 * me] [Strong: a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

c. many [4183 * polus] [Strong: including the forms from the alternate pollos; (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many; neuter (singular) as adverbial, largely; neuter (plural) as adverb or noun often, mostly, largely:--abundant, + altogether, common, + far (passed, spent), (+ be of a) great (age, deal, -ly, while), long, many, much, oft(-en (-times)), plenteous, sore, straitly.]

d. masters [1320 * didaskalos][Thayer: a teacher, in the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God, and the duties of man, one who is fitted to teach, or thinks himself so, the teachers of the Jewish religion.]

2. “…knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

a. knowing [1492 * eido] [Thayer: to see, to perceive with the eyes, to perceive by any of the senses, to perceive, notice, discern, discover, to see, i.e. to turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything, to pay attention, observe, to see about something, i.e. to ascertain what must be done about it, to inspect, examine, to look at, behold, to experience any state or condition, to see i.e. have an interview with, to visit, to know, to know of anything, to know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive, of any fact, the force and meaning of something which has definite meaning, to know how, to be skilled in, to have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to.]

b. shall receive [2983 * lambano] [Strong:  a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally and figuratively (properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas 1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while 138 is more violent, to seize or remove)):--accept, + be amazed, assay, attain, bring, X when I call, catch, come on (X unto), + forget, have, hold, obtain, receive (X after), take (away, up).]

c. greater [3187 * meizon] [Strong: larger (literally or figuratively, specially, in age):--elder, greater(-est), more.]

d. condemnation [[2917 * krima] [Strong: a decision (the function or the effect, for or against ("crime")):--avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to law, judgment.]

The verse is self explanatory. Those in leadership, teachers, will be held at a higher standard that those under them.