James 1:19 Re-Examined: Quick to Hear, Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger

Some passages of Scripture lend themselves to being easily taken out of context. Their meaning seems to be self-evident and their context seems to be inconsequential. One such passage is James 1:19, “…be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Seems pretty simple and straightforward, doesn’t it? But of all the ways we apply this verse, we tend to overlook its primary application.

The Apparent Meaning

When read apart from its context, this verse seems to be most applicable to interpersonal...