James
Book Outhne
Key theme: Spiritual maturity
Key verse:
The Marks of the Mature Christian:
I. He Is Patient in Testing ()
A. Trials on the outside ()
B. Temptations on the inside ()
II. He Practices the Truth ()
A. Faith and love ()
B. Faith and works ()
III. He Has Power over His Tongue ()
A. Exhortation (, )
B. Illustrations ()
C. Application ()
IV. He Is a Peacemaker, Not a Troublemaker ()
A. Three wars ()
B. Three enemies ()
C. Three admonitions ()
V. He Is Prayerful in Troubles ()
A. Economic troubles ()
B. Physical troubles ()
C. National troubles (, )
D. Church troubles (, )
Book Overview
Beginning a study of a book of the Bible is something like preparing for a trip: You like to know where you are going and what you can expect to see.
“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” () is the way James introduced himself. James wrote to Jews living outside the land of Palestine. The term “twelve tribes” can only mean the people of Israel, the Jewish nation (). James sent his letter to Christian Jews. Christian Jews scattered throughout the Roman Empire would have needs and problems of their own. Being Jews, they would be rejected by the Gentiles, and being Christian Jews, they would be rejected by their own countrymen.
Each New Testament letter has its own special theme, purpose, and destination. Paul wrote the Book of Romans to prepare the Roman Christians for his intended visit. First Corinthians was sent to the church at Corinth to help correct certain problems. Galatians was written to a group of churches to warn them against legalism and false teaching.
As we read this epistle, we discover that these Jewish Christians were having some problems in their personal lives and in their church fellowship. For one thing, they were going through difficult troubles. They were also facing temptations to sin. Some of the believers were catering to the rich, while others were being robbed by the rich. Church members were competing for offices in the church, particularly teaching offices.
One of the major problems in the church was a failure on the part of many to live what they professed to believe. Furthermore, talk was a serious problem, even to the point of creating wars and divisions in the assembly. Worldliness was another problem. Some of the members were disobeying God’s Word and were sick physically because of it, and some were straying away from the Lord and the church.
James’s letter arrived on the scene as a healthy dose of straight talk about practical Christian living. James wanted his brothers and sisters in the faith to live the faith. He poked through the veneer of superficiality and easy answers to provide his contemporaries and us with the kind of wisdom that stands the test of time. Few days will go by in our lives during which guidance from the Book of James will not make a significant impact.
“Be Transformed”
James was a common name in first century Israel. Jesus’ original twelve disciples included two men named James. So people wonder which one wrote this letter. Actually, the writer wasn’t either of those two men. The writer of this letter was no less than Jesus’ half brother (; ), who did not come to faith until after the resurrection (). James was an unbelieving eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, but he came to faith in his brother. Paul described James’s conversion (), and Luke introduced him without fanfare in as the spokesperson for the church in Jerusalem.
James began his letter with a mention of his half brother, but instead of using his familial relationship to claim authority, he focused on his self-perception as Christ’s slave (). James had grown from a brotherly mocker () into a leading believer. The word that readily comes to mind for his spiritual experience is transformation.
Although James had difficulty at first believing that his big brother was the Son of God, from his letter we can see that he had listened and remembered many of the things Jesus had said. The letter of James is practically a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount. His verses are brimming with down-to-earth wisdom that rings true. James writes to us as someone who joined late but was determined to make sure others realized the value and importance of living out their faith in Christ with integrity. He didn’t have time for hypocrisy, and he was convinced God didn’t have time for it either.
Greeting to the Twelve Tribes
1James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings.
Profiting from Trials
3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
The Perspective of Rich and Poor
9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
10but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
11For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Loving God Under Trials
12Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
18Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Qualities Needed in Trials
20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Doers—Not Hearers Only
21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
27Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
Beware of Personal Favoritism
2For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”
4have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
6But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
7Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
9but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
11For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
13For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The Untamable Tongue
2For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
3Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
4Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
8But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
12Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom
14But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
16For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
18Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Pride Promotes Strife
1Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
2You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
3You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
5Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
Humility Cures Worldliness
7Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
9Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Do Not Judge a Brother
12There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
Do Not Boast About Tomorrow
15Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged
2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
3Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.
4Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
5You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
6You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
Be Patient and Persevering
8You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
11Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Meeting Specific Needs
15And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Bring Back the Erring One
20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Annotations for James
Outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action. God tells us to expect trials. It is not “if you fall into trials,” but “when you fall into trials.” The believer who expects the Christian life to be easy is in for a shock. We cannot always expect everything to go our way. Some trials come simply because we are human—sickness, accidents, disappointments, even seeming tragedies. Other trials come because we are Christians. Satan fights us, and the world opposes us, resulting in a life of battle.
Paul also used the word for “count” or “consider” in . When Paul became a Christian, he evaluated his life and set new goals and priorities. Things that were once important to him became “rubbish” () in the light of his experience with Christ. When we face the trials of life, we must evaluate them in the light of what God is doing for us. To consider doesn’t mean we deny the difficulty in trials. It means we learn to see beyond the difficulties to the good results that might come through trials.
Catalyst
Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to “count it all joy when [we] fall into various trials” (v. ). If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better. If we respond well, however, testing works for us. The word “testing” can be translated “being approved.” God’s approval of our faith is precious, because it assures us that our faith is genuine and maturing.
Through testing, God wants to produce in us patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when things are tough. In the Bible, endurance is not a passive acceptance of circumstances. It is a courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and difficulty. Endurance cannot be attained by reading a book, listening to a sermon, or even praying a prayer. We must go through the difficulties of life, trust God, and obey Him. The result will be endurance and character. Knowing this, we can face trials joyfully. We know what trials will do in us and for us, and we know that the result will bring glory to God.
Go to the
God cannot build our character without our cooperation. If we resist Him, then He chastens us into submission. But if we submit to Him, then He can accomplish His work. He is not satisfied with a halfway job. God wants a perfect work; He wants a finished product that is mature and complete.
James had a great deal to say about wisdom (). The Jewish people were lovers of wisdom, as the book of Proverbs gives evidence. Someone has said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.
James not only explained what to ask for (“wisdom”), but he also described how to ask. We are to ask in faith. We do not have to be afraid—God is anxious to answer, and He will never scold us. If we have believing and united hearts, we can ask in faith and God will give the wisdom we need. Instability and immaturity go together.
Love is the spiritual force behind the imperatives James gave us. If we love God, we will have no problem considering (counting, v. ), knowing (v. ), letting (v. ), and asking (v. ). But love has another purpose: Love keeps us faithful to the Lord. The double-minded person has a divided loyalty and is like an unfaithful spouse—he or she wants to love both God and the world.
A temptation is an opportunity to accomplish something good in a bad way, out of the will of God. Is wanting to pass an examination wrong? Of course not, but if we cheat to pass it, then we have sinned. The temptation to cheat is an opportunity to accomplish something good (passing the examination) in a bad way. Eating is not wrong, but if we consider stealing the food, we are tempting ourselves. We think of sin as a single act, but God sees it as a process. Adam committed one act of sin, yet that one act brought sin, death, and judgment on the whole human race.
“Entice” in the original Greek carries with it the idea of baiting a trap. Those who hunt and fish have to use bait to attract and catch their prey. No animal will deliberately step into a trap, and no fish will knowingly bite at a naked hook. The idea is to hide the trap and the hook.
Disobedience gives birth to death, not life. For a sin to mature may take years; however, when it does, the result will be death. If we would only believe God’s Word and envision this final tragedy, we would not yield to temptation. God has erected this barrier because He loves us.
One of the enemy’s tricks is to convince us that our Father is holding out on us, that He does not really love us and care for us. When Satan approached Eve, he suggested that if God really loved her, He would permit her to eat of the forbidden tree. When Satan tempted Jesus, he raised the question of hunger, saying, in effect, “If your Father loves you, why are you hungry?” (). Since God is good, we do not need any other person (including Satan) to meet our needs. We will be better off hungry in the will of God than full outside the will of God. Once we start to doubt God’s goodness, we will be attracted to Satan’s offers, and the natural desires within will reach out for his bait.
God does not change. The Father of Lights casts no “shadow of turning.” God cannot change for the worse because He is holy; He cannot change for the better because He is already perfect. The light of the sun varies as the earth rotates, but the sun itself is still shining. If shadows come between us and the Father, He did not cause them. He is the unchanging God. This means that we should never question His love or doubt His goodness when difficulties come or temptations appear.
Catalyst
Dynamic faith is real, has power, and results in a changed life. James described this true saving faith:
Dynamic saving faith is based on the Word of God. We receive our spiritual rebirth through God’s Word (). We receive the Word, and this saves us (). “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (). James used Abraham and Rahab as illustrations of dynamic saving faith, since both of them heard and received the message of God through His Word ().
Faith is only as good as its object. The person in the jungle bows before an idol of stone and trusts it for help, but he or she receives no help. No matter how much faith a person may generate, if it is not directed at the right object, it will accomplish nothing. “I believe” may be the testimony of many sincere people, but the big question is, “In whom do you believe? What do you believe?” We are not saved by faith in faith; we are saved by faith in Christ as revealed in His Word.
Dynamic faith involves the whole person. Dead faith touches only the intellect; demonic faith involves both the mind and the emotions; but dynamic faith involves the will. The whole person plays a part in true, saving faith. The mind understands the truth, the heart desires the truth, and the will acts upon the truth. The men and women of faith named in were people of action: God spoke and they obeyed. Again, faith is not believing in spite of evidence; faith is obeying in spite of consequence.
True saving faith leads to action. Dynamic faith is not intellectual contemplation or emotional consternation; it leads to obedience on the part of the will. And this obedience is not an isolated event; it continues throughout the whole life—it leads to works. Where we find dynamic faith—saving faith—we will always find good works.
Go to the
Spiritual reality results from the proper relationship to God through His Word. God’s Word is truth (); thus, if we are rightly related to God’s truth, we cannot be dishonest or hypocritical. These verses state that we have three responsibilities toward God’s Word. If we fulfill these responsibilities, we will have an honest walk with God and people.
Just hearing the Word is not enough; we must do it. Many people have the mistaken idea that hearing a good sermon or sitting in on a Bible study is what makes them grow and receive God’s blessing. But the doing brings the blessing, not the hearing. Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them! If we think we are spiritual because we hear the Word, then we are only kidding ourselves.
As we look into the mirror of God’s Word, we see ourselves as we really are. James mentions several mistakes people make as they look into God’s mirror. First, they merely glance at themselves. They do not carefully study themselves as they read the Word. The second mistake is that they forget what they see. If they were looking deeply enough into their hearts, what they would see would be unforgettable! Mistake number three: They fail to obey what the Word tells them to do. They think that hearing is the same as doing, and it is not.
We are prone to judge individuals by their past, not their future. When Saul of Tarsus was converted, the church in Jerusalem was afraid to receive him! God used Barnabas, who believed in Saul’s conversion, to help break down the walls (). We are also prone to judge by outward appearance rather than by the inner attitude of the heart. When visitors come into our churches, we tend to judge them on what we see outwardly rather than what they are inwardly. Dress, color of skin, fashion, and other superficial characteristics carry more weight than the fruit of the Spirit that may be manifest in their lives. We cater to the rich because we hope to get something out of them, and we avoid the poor because they might embarrass us.
The doctrine of God’s grace, if we really believe it, forces us to relate to people on the basis of God’s plan and not on the basis of human merit or social status. A class-oriented church does not magnify God’s grace. When He died, Jesus broke down the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles (). But in His birth and life, Jesus broke down the walls between rich and poor, young and old, educated and uneducated. Building those walls again would be wrong; we will not rebuild them if we believe in the grace of God.
Christian love does not mean that we must like a person and agree with him or her on everything. We may not like a person’s vocabulary or habits, and we may not want him or her for an intimate friend. Christian love means treating others the way God has treated us. It is an act of the will, not an emotion that we try to manufacture. The motive is to glorify God. The means is the power of the Spirit within.
, This section has one obvious message: Our beliefs should control our behavior. If we really believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God is gracious, His Word is true, and one day He will judge us, then our conduct will reveal our convictions. Before we attack those who do not have orthodox doctrine, we must be sure that we practice the doctrines we defend.
To help a person in need is an expression of love, and faith works by love (). The apostle John emphasized this aspect of good works. Any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false declaration. That kind of faith is dead faith. Dead faith is not saving faith. Dead faith is counterfeit faith and lulls the person into a false confidence of eternal life.
, People are shocked to learn that demons have faith! What do demons believe? For one thing, they believe in the existence of God; they are neither atheists nor agnostics. They also believe in the deity of Christ. Whenever they met Christ when He was on earth, they bore witness to His Sonship (, ). They believe in the existence of a place of punishment (), and they also recognize Jesus Christ as the Judge (). They submit to the power of His Word. But believing and trembling is not a saving experience. A person can be enlightened in the mind and even stirred in the heart and be lost forever. True saving faith involves something more: a changed life.
In this second chapter, James emphasized that mature Christians practice the truth. They do not merely hold to ancient doctrines; they practice those doctrines in their everyday lives. Their faith is not the dead faith of the intellectuals or the demonic faith of the fallen spirits. It is the dynamic faith of men like Abraham and women like Rahab, faith that changes a life and goes to work for God. Each professing Christian should examine his or her own heart and life and make sure that he or she possesses true saving faith, dynamic faith.
The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, people can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. What a privilege! But with that same tongue they can tell lies that could ruin a person’s reputation or break a person’s heart. The ability to speak words is the ability to influence others and accomplish tremendous tasks, yet we take this ability for granted. In this section we see the importance of controlled speech and consequence of our words.
Both the bit and the rudder must overcome contrary forces. The bit must overcome the wild nature of the horse, and the rudder must fight the winds and currents that would drive the ship off its course. The human tongue also must overcome contrary forces. We have an old nature that wants to control us and make us sin. Certain circumstances would make us say things we ought not to say. Sin on the inside and pressures on the outside are seeking to get control of our tongues.
, Fire not only starts small and grows and creates heat; it also defiles, leaving behind a charred mess. A friend of mine suffered a fire in the basement of his house, and the smoke damage so soiled the upstairs of the house that the family had to move out while the house was redecorated. Fiery words can defile a home, a Sunday school class, a church. The only thing that can wash away that defilement is the blood of Jesus Christ.
, A spring provides the cool water that a person needs to stay alive. In underdeveloped countries, the presence of a freshwater spring is a great blessing to a village. Human beings need water not only for drinking, but also for washing, cooking, farming, and a host of other activities so necessary to life. Water is life-giving, and our words can give life. If water is not controlled, however, it can bring death and destruction.
Christians look to heaven for all that they need. Their citizenship is in heaven (), just as their Father is in heaven (). Their treasures are in heaven, not on earth (.). They were born from above () when they trusted Jesus Christ. Their home is in heaven (), and their hope is in heaven. They set their affection and attention on things above, not below (). Jesus Christ is our wisdom (, ). The Word of God is also our wisdom (). James indicates that we find wisdom through believing prayer ().
The source of true spiritual wisdom is God. To get our wisdom from any other source is to ask for trouble. We do not need to get the counterfeit wisdom of the world, the wisdom that caters to the flesh and accomplishes the work of the devil. We should get our wisdom from God.
The root cause of every war, internal and external, is rebellion against God. At the beginning of creation was perfect harmony, but sin entered the world, leading to conflict. Sin is lawlessness (), and lawlessness is rebellion against God.
God graciously draws near to us when we deal with the sin in our lives that keeps Him at a distance. He will not share us with anyone else; He must have complete control. We submit to God’s control by confessing our sins and asking for His cleansing. If we do this, then God will draw near, cleanse us, and forgive us; and the wars will cease! (See v. .) We will not be at war with God, so we will not be at war with ourselves. This means we will not be at war with others.
, Christians need to have discernment (, ), but they must not act like God in passing judgment. We must first examine our own lives and then try to help others (). To speak evil of a brother or sister and to judge that person on the basis of partial evidence and (probably) unkind motives is to sin against him or her and against God. We are not called to be judges; God is the only Judge. He is patient and understanding; His judgments are just and holy; we can leave the matter with Him.
Apart from the will of God, life is a mystery. When we know Jesus Christ as Savior and seek to do His will, then life starts to make sense. Even the physical world around us takes on new meaning. Life begins to have simplicity and unity that leads to poise and confidence.
Life’s brevity is one of the repeated themes of Scripture. To us, life seems long and we measure it in years. In comparison to eternity, however, life is but a “vapor” or “fog.” James borrowed that figure from the book of Job where we find many pictures of the brevity of life (it is a “shadow” or a “breath”). Since life passes so quickly, we cannot afford merely to spend our lives, and we certainly do not want to waste our lives. We must invest our lives in those things that are eternal.
Since we are stewards of God’s wealth, we have certain responsibilities toward our Master. We must be faithful to use what He gives us for the good of others and the glory of God. What we possess and use are merely things, apart from the will of God. When we yield to His will and use what He gives us to serve Him, then things become treasures, and we are investing in eternity. Enjoying what God has given us () differs greatly from living extravagantly on what we have withheld from others. Even if what we have has been earned lawfully and in the will of God, we must not waste it on selfish living. Too many needs are waiting to be met.
James pictured the Christian as a spiritual farmer looking for a spiritual harvest. Our hearts are the soil, and the seed is the word of God. The spiritual life has seasons just as the soil has seasons. Sometimes our hearts become cold and wintry, and the Lord has to plow them up before He can plant the seed (). He sends the sunshine and the rains of His goodness to water and nurture the seeds planted, but we must be patient to wait for the harvest.
Many of the prophets had to endure great trials and sufferings, not only at the hands of unbelievers but also at the hands of professed believers. Jeremiah was arrested as a traitor and even thrown into an abandoned well to die. God fed Jeremiah and protected him throughout that terrible siege of Jerusalem, even though at times it looked as though the prophet was going to be killed. Both Ezekiel and Daniel had their share of hardships, but the Lord delivered them. And even those who were not delivered, who died for the faith, received that special reward for those who are true to Him.
The exhortation in verse seems out of place, for what does swearing an oath have to do with the problem of suffering? Those who have suffered know the answer: Saying things we do not mean is easy, even making bargains with God when we are going through difficulties.
Prayer is certainly a high and holy privilege. Just think, as God’s children, we can come freely and boldly to His throne and share with Him our needs! Seven times in this section James mentioned prayer. The mature Christian is prayerful in the troubles of life. Instead of complaining about his or her situation, this person talks to God about it. And God hears and answers the believer’s prayers.
James described church members who are sick because they were being disciplined by God. This explains why the elders of the assembly would be called. A person like this could not go to church to confess his or her sins, thus the request for the spiritual leaders to come to him or her. The leaders would be in charge of the discipline of the congregation.
This section has some practical lessons that we must not overlook. First, disobedience to God can lead to sickness. This was David’s experience when he tried to hide his sins (). Second, sin affects the whole church. We can never sin alone, for sin has a way of growing and infecting others. This person had to confess the sins to the church because he or she had sinned against the church. Third, healing (physical and spiritual) comes when sin is dealt with.
, James’s instruction does not mean that love sweeps the dirt under the carpet. Where love is, so also truth (“speaking the truth in love” said Paul in ), and where truth is, so also honest confession of sin and cleansing from God. Love not only helps the offender to face his sins and deal with them; love also assures the offender that those sins, once forgiven, are remembered no more.
We need to seek to win the lost, but we should also win the saved. If a fellow believer has sinned against us, we should talk to him or her privately and seek to settle the matter. If the person listens, then we have won back our brother or sister. If we are going to help an erring brother or sister, we must have an attitude of love, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” ().
James 1
1:1
1:2
1:2
1:3
1:5
1:5
1:5
1:6 [, ]
1:8
1:10
1:12
1:12 []
1:12
1:15
1:15 [; ]
1:17
1:17
1:18
1:18 [, ]
1:18 [, ]
1:19 ;
1:19 ;
1:19 NU-Text reads Know this or This you know.
1:21
1:21
1:22
1:23
1:25
1:25
1:26
1:26 NU-Text omits among you.
1:27
1:27
1:27 []
James 2
2:1
2:1
2:5
2:5
2:5
2:6
2:6
2:7
2:8
2:8
2:9
2:10
2:10
2:11 ;
2:11 ;
2:11 ;
2:11 ;
2:12
2:13
2:13
2:13
2:13
2:14 , ;
2:15
2:16 [, ]
2:18
2:18
2:18 NU-Text omits your.
2:18 NU-Text omits my.
2:20 NU-Text reads useless.
2:21 , , ,
2:22
2:22
2:23
2:23
2:23
2:25
James 3
3:1 []
3:1
3:2
3:2
3:2 []
3:3
3:3 NU-Text reads Now if.
3:5 ;
3:5 ;
3:6
3:6 [; , ]
3:8
3:9 ; ;
3:12
3:12 NU-Text reads Neither can a salty spring produce fresh water.
3:13
3:14
3:14
3:15
3:16
3:17 ,
3:17
3:17
3:18
James 4
4:1
4:2 NU-Text and M-Text omit Yet.
4:3 ,
4:3 []
4:4
4:4
4:4 NU-Text omits Adulterers and.
4:5
4:6
4:6
4:7 [; ]
4:8
4:8
4:8
4:9
4:10
4:11
4:11 []
4:12 []
4:12
4:12 NU-Text adds and Judge.
4:12 NU-Text and M-Text read But who.
4:12 NU-Text reads a neighbor.
4:13 M-Text reads let us.
4:14
4:15
4:16
4:17 []
James 5
5:1 []
5:2
5:2
5:3
5:4
5:4
5:4 Literally, in Hebrew, Hosts
5:5 NU-Text omits as.
5:9 NU-Text and M-Text read judged.
5:10
5:10
5:11 []
5:11 []
5:11 , ;
5:11
5:11
5:12
5:12 M-Text reads hypocrisy.
5:13 ,
5:13
5:14 ;
5:15
5:16
5:16 NU-Text reads Therefore confess your sins.
5:17
5:17 ;
5:18 ,
5:19
5:20
5:20 []
5:20 NU-Text reads his soul.