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Introduction to James
James was the half-brother to Jesus. He was born of Joseph and Mary; whereas Jesus
was born of God and Mary. We are not
sure of when or how James was converted to Christianity. We can speculate from 1
Corinthians 15:7, Jesus Himself converted James from Judaism to
Christianity. James became a very
important leader with great authority in the Church (Acts
12:17; 15:13-29;
21:
17&18).
James places his emphasis on Christian living. There is no doubt James reflects the divine
teaching and mind of Jesus. James was
concerned more about ethical and moral standards rather than writing of church
theology.
Chapter Synopsis
“He addresses the dispersed twelve tribes, James
1:1. Shows that they should rejoice under the cross, because of the
spiritual good which they may derive from it, especially in the increase and
perfecting of their patience, James
1:2-4. They are exhorted to ask wisdom of God, who gives liberally to all, James
1:5. But they must ask in faith, and not with a doubting mind, James
1:6-8. Directions to the rich and the poor, James
1:9-11. The blessedness of the man that endures trials, James
1:12. How men are tempted and drawn away from God, James
1:13-15. God is the Father of lights, and all good proceeds from him, James
1:16-18. Cautions against hasty words and wrong tempers, James
1:19-21. We should be doers of the word, and not hearers merely, lest we
resemble those who, beholding their natural face in a glass, when it is removed
forget what manner of persons they were, James
1:22-24. We should look into the perfect law of liberty, and continue
therein, James
1:25. The nature and properties of pure religion, James
1:26, James
1:27.” [ADAM CLARKE]
Greeting
Verse 1
1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
Even though James was half-brother to Jesus, he assumed the
role of a servant to God; referring to Jesus as the Christ only once (James 2:1).
James avoided any appearance of vanity or boasting being the brother of
Jesus. James, now an apostle of Jesus
did not come to the realization of who Jesus was until after His
resurrection.
While Paul was commissioned to bring the gospel to the
Gentile, James’ mission was to the converted Jew. The Christian Jews were spread though out the
Roman empire. It was ordained by God
that the converted Jews be dispersed throughout the known world. Christopher
Wordsworth writes: “The dispersion of the Israelites, and their connection
with Jerusalem as a center of religion, was a divinely ordered means of
propagating Christianity. The pilgrim troops of the law became caravans of the
Gospel.”
Why is Our Faith Tested?
Verses 2 - 11
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you
encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance. 4 And
let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.
Even though Saul, the persecutor, was now Paul the apostle,
Christian Jews still faced many hardships and ridicule testing their
faithfulness.
Why did God test their faith in this way? God allowed their testing to
strengthen them. Like a piece of steel
it must first be tempered in the fire and hammered into shape before it becomes
a sword. Faith that flees at the first
sign of trouble is useless, producing nothing of use. It is a phenomenon that where religious
persecution exists, the numbers of those practicing this religion grows. Some of our biggest church are growing
because they are located in countries which prohibit Christian teaching.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask
of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given
to him. 6 But
he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the
surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will
receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all
his ways.
For those who prefer the King James translation, the word
“But” is omitted. The original Greek
manuscripts do have this word. James
uses “But” to draw attention to how difficult reaching a point of wanting
nothing (V4) can be, and therefore his advice is to seek wisdom from God;
having faith without doubting that God will provide it in abundance (K.J.
liberally); see also Mark 11:23
& Matthew
21:21 . Having doubt causes a
person to be swayed easily, making such a person of little use. Henry Alford writes “God gives
without adding aught which may take off from the graciousness of the gift.”
Doubt is a tool of Satan, who uses it to confuse and sway
believers away from the Lord.
9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to
glory in his high position; 10
and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass
he will pass away. 11
For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower
falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in
the midst of his pursuits will fade away.
James is speaking to those who are poor, who may feel
inferior to the more affluent. Often
when our earthly possessions are meager compared to others, we might feel
worthless, forgetting perhaps our hopeful future with God. In God’s eyes material wealth is unimportant
when compared to the value of one's soul; the proof being in Jesus’ sacrifice
on Calvary. So therefore rejoice in your
hope.
(10)
There are some with great wealth who do not flaunt their wealth and are humble;
while others boast of their wealth saying look what I have
achieved. The humble man will have
riches in heaven while the boaster will not receive God’s blessings. The rich man might enjoy his earthly
possessions while they last; however if this rich man places these earthly
things, which are temporal, above God who is infinite, he is endangering his
eternal soul.
(11) James draws an illustration which his readers
would be very familiar with. Israel is a
dry arid place. The land receives very
hot south-east winds off the desert.
This wind could burn the vegetation in an hour. The sun in the summer is very hot and could
dry up the vegetation in a days' time.
This was an excellent example of how easily worldly possessions can be
taken away.
So is it bad to be wealthy?
James is not saying it is a sin to be rich, but rather he is
saying if you are blessed with wealth, the Christian should not boast of it;
lest they become corrupted by the power wealth brings. Wealth in and by itself is not the evil it is
the lust for money which is the root of all evil (1
Timothy 6:10); in that it replaces God in men’s hearts. Jesus has warned us that “It is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God.” and It is simpler for a camel to go through a needle's eye,
than for a man of wealth to come into the kingdom of God.” (Mark
10:25; Luke 18:25;
Matthew
19:24 ).
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial;
for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord
has promised to those who love Him.
Literal translation of “been approved” is having been
tested. If we were to substitute the
first part of this verse it would read “… a man who has been tested…”. [2]
The term “the crown” is translated from the Greek word
stephanos stef'-an-os from an apparently primary stepho (to twine or wreathe);
a chaplet (as a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of
honor generally; but more conspicuous and elaborate than the simple
fillet.[2] Paul in his letter to Corinth
compares the wreath received in the games as temporal whereas the wreath Jesus
will give us is eternal (I
Corinthians 9:25 ).
Ian Mackervoy writes:
“Those who overcome the
trials of this life have real joy. They have proved their trust in God. They
can look for the blessing that God has promised. This is the crown of life. God
will give it to those who love him. It will be that better life that they will
enjoy after this life ends. The crown and the life are the rewards that God
will give to those who have real faith in him.”
It is extremely difficult to feel blessed when trials come
our way. How then do we overcome the
feelings of abandonment, fear, depression, and in some instances physical pain
resulting from these trials?
We must rely on our faith in the promises Jesus made “… I
am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew
28:20), and in John
14:18 Jesus says “I will not leave
you as orphans; I will come to you."
So therefore ask, in faith, for Jesus to give you strength and courage
during times of stress (James 1:6).
Remember, God allows this testing to strengthen you, and to prove to yourself,
that through Jesus all things are possible.
Therefore rejoice in these trials for God loves you, and because you
love Him He allows this testing.
Seeking Evil Instead of God
Verses 13-21
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am
being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does
not tempt anyone.
When trials come it is human nature to point the finger of
blame to someone other than yourself.
Far too often that finger gets pointed at God, saying how could you allow
this thing to happen to me. Often times
we bring about troubles upon ourselves because we fail in trusting in God for
all things, resulting in poor decisions.
Temptation is a tool used by Satan in an attempt to lure us
into sinning against God (Job 1:13). To be tempted means to be enticed to
sin. God cannot be tempted to sin, nor
will he tempt you to sin. Through Jesus
we can resist any temptation Satan can bring.
We are our own worst enemy.
Because of our carnal desires, we are tempted to sin. Without Jesus we would fall prey to these
temptations. Do not cast the finger of
blame at others when it is you who yielded to sin.
[6] Ian Mackervoy writes: “The source of the temptation is in ourselves. The fault is in the
desires and the weakness of our human nature. Those who sin have no excuse for
their sin. It was their own choice and they are responsible for it. Our desires
tempt us. They make us want to do what we know to be wrong. The trap for us is our
own weakness. That which is not good attracts us. We could refuse to do it. But
if we do not refuse we fail and sin.”
We must
therefore come before our Lord daily, asking Him in faith, to give us strength
to resist the temptations of our carnal being.
15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth
to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
Notice the progression towards sin. The sin spoken of here is the unchecked
carnality of man. A man will behold the
temptress with his eyes leading to lust in his heart for what he sees. As I have said before, guard your gateways
against sin. Guard against those things
that are viewed by you. If you choose to
view pornography, your eyes will awaken the lust that lies in every man; this
decision will lead you down a slippery slope towards sin.
The second portal is what you hear. You have the choice to listen to lies and
deceitfulness or to righteousness. There
is a saying that if you tell a lie often enough, you will believe that
lie. I also believe if you hear the same
lie often enough you will believe that lie as well. What you choose to listen to will bring you
to destruction, or to the saving grace of Jesus; it is your choice which to
listen to.
At any point on this pathway we can choose the path of
righteousness. If we become ensnared by
these traps the longer we remain in them the more difficult it becomes to
recognize the danger and ask our Lord for help.
Again guard your gateways.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us
forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among
His creatures.
James gives a warning here to be on guard against lies that
would try to convince you God brought this thing upon you. James tells us, and his readers God only
brings forth that which is good, and there is no deceit in Him.
James calls God, the Father of lights; because He created
the lights in the heavens (Genesis 4:20 Genesis 4:21 , Hebrews 12:9 ), and
He himself is light, with no darkness in Him (I John 1:5). Light coming from all directions at the same
time will not cast a shadow. James
points out this type of light (God’s light) is always constant, unwavering,
enveloping us, and is always pure.
19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to
speak and slow to anger; 20
for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
We see a prime example of talking without listening on
Television forums, two people of opposing views, will interrupt up each other,
before the other person has finished talking.
When this happens everyone loses; the one talking, the one being
interrupted, and everyone else who is trying to listen. I think, to some extent, we can all plead
guilty to this. When a person talks he
hears only his own voice, which cancels out the others voice. Not only is this extremely rude, but it also
tells people that you think your opinion is the only one that matters.
When you feel you are not being heard by the other; the
volume of your voice increases. Each end
up screaming to be heard, and when that fails, frustration sets in, and anger
ensues. Not only will anger not solve
the problem the result of this anger, sin will not please God.
21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and
all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which
is able to save your souls.
Use of “Therefore” - James, having warned them in verses
19&20, continues with additional guidance.
Saying do not dwell on those carnal things which will lead you astray;
put these thoughts and anger out of your mind; that you may remain righteous
through Christ Jesus. Your soul can be
likened to soil which has been prepared for the seed. Like weeds in a garden, we must first rid
ourselves of impure thoughts, deeds, and anger or malice towards another, to
prepare our hearts for the word of God.
The word of God, like a seed, needs to be planted in fertile ground,
free of anything which might hinder growth. Once the seed is planted it must be
nurtured for it to grow and bear fruit.
To summarize; Once we have confessed our sin and have been
forgiven those sins, we must put them behind us and begin our growth through
the word of God.
Testing Obedience
Verses 22-25
There are far too many people who listen, or perhaps even
read the word of God believing that to be sufficient. What good is it to learn how to live if you
if you do not those teaching into practice in your life? This would be like good seed, which lands on
fallow ground (Matthew
13:1-7
& 19). We must put the word of God to productive use
in our lives, changing our lives; transforming us to a living testimony of
Jesus. Faith without works is hollow and
avails little. Therefore listen, and
read the word of God, and then become doers of the word (James 2:20;
James
2:26 & James 2:17).
[6] Ian Mackervoy writes: “To receive the word means more than just to hear
it. They must do what the word says. They must hear. But, unless they do what
it says, it is of no benefit. It is not true that, by merely hearing the word
of God, it will save them. If they think that all they need is to hear the
word, they lie to themselves. To hear the word of God and not to obey it is a
serious mistake.”
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not
a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24
for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten
what kind of person he was.
The word of God reveals the inner man. People tend to shy away from reading the
Bible, or skip certain books, chapters, or verses because it makes them feel
uncomfortable (guilt). Sometimes people
might be listening to a sermon and something the pastor says makes them feel
uncomfortable. This is a reflection of
unconfessed sin lying deep within our souls; sin we may have never thought of
before. This sin, like all sin separates
us from God and keeps us from experiencing spiritual growth. If we choose to ignore this uncomfortable
feeling we will soon forget what made us feel uncomfortable. Remember the Holy Spirit is speaking to us
when we feel guilty when we have not heeded or ignored God’s word.
25
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides
by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man
will be blessed in what he does.
James is speaking about the law written upon the hearts of
Christians; this is the perfect law; showing the purpose of God. By abiding in, and putting into practice,
this perfect law, we are set free from the guilt of sin, and experience
Christian growth. Those who fail to put this perfect law into practice, will not
experience freedom from guilt (brought about by sin), and their Christian
growth will stagnate.
Ian Mackervoy writes: “The word of God becomes a delight as they obey it. They will mature in
their experience of God. God will bless those who love him and obey his law.
They look into the word of God. They study it and think about that law of God.
They do what God asks them to do. God blesses them now. And he promises them a
good future that has no end.”
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and
yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion
is worthless.
“to be religious” – That is to say, a person thinking of
oneself as being pious.
How can a person be pious when he speaks without thinking,
and thereby deluding himself? How can a
person be pious, when he deludes himself into believing that his thoughts are
more important, or perhaps more righteous than others?
We have all heard that our tongues are like a two edged
sword. Proverbs 12:18 states it this way “There is one who speaks rashly like
the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The wise man puts the clutch of thought in
before running his mouth.
The damage caused by a careless word can bring great pain to
another. While a kind, empathetic word
can sooth many sorrows. When a person,
who thinks of himself as being righteous, and yet causes pain to another by his
words; what sort of testimony is he showing?
Remember to put the clutch of thought in, before running your mouth, and
you will avoid much damage.
True Religion
27
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to
visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by
the world.
What is religion?
According to Webster religion is (a) : the
state of a religious
<a nun in her 20th year of religion>(b) (1) : the
service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) :
commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance.
James defines pure religion as being doers of the word, and
uses the example; visiting orphans and widows.
We are not to take a passive role in our worship of God, but rather to
apply those principles brought forth in His word. In Matthew 25:34-40 we see Jesus saying “… ‘Truly
I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine,
even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Jesus was telling them, and us,
to put into practice His teachings, by giving aid and comfort to those who have
a need; to give freely and ungrudgingly of your time, and resources.
CREDITS AND CITATIONS
[2]- Greek translation are derived from Crosswire.org/study
bible and Strong’s Exhaustive concordance
[4] – Wikipedia.org
[8]- Commentary by Adam
Clarke
For other commentaries visit the online Preceptaustin
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