ACC ~ James 1 v19

THE TRUTH SPOKEN AND HEARD. AUGUSTINE: Truth is more safely heard than preached. For when it is heard, lowliness is preserved, but when it is preached some bit of boastfulness may steal in almost unawares, and this brings corruption. TRACTATES 57.2.3.

THE DISCIPLINE OF THE TONGUE. BEDE: James is right to say this, for it is stupid to think that someone who is not prepared to learn from others will somehow be well-equipped to preach to them. Someone who wants to become wise must first of all ask for this gift from God, as James has already said. Then he must find himself a good teacher and in the meantime discipline his tongue so that he says nothing useless but restricts himself to preaching the truth which he has recently learned from others. CONCERNING THE EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES.

EAGERNESS TO PRACTICE THE TRUTH. OECUMENIUS: When James says “quick to hear” he is not talking about simple listening but about eagerness to put into practice what has been heard. For he distinguishes quite clearly between the person who is ready to act on what he has heard and the one who is weighed down by laziness and procrastination, sometimes even to the point of never attempting to do anything at all. COMMENTARY ON JAMES.

Jas