James
Chapter 1
Greeting to the Twelve Tribes
1 James, a bond servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
“Bond servant”
Set apart for holy purposes.
“Twelve tribes”
At that time
the Jewish nation
was made up of
twelve groups
of people.
Profiting from Trials
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
“Patience”
“Romans 5:3-4”
And not only that,
but we also glory in
tribulations, knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance;
and perseverance, character;
and character, hope.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
“Wisdom”
“Colossians 1:9”
For this reason we also,
since the day we heard it,
do not cease to pray for you,
and ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge
of His will in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The Perspective of Rich and Poor
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
“Exaltation”
Being spiritually uplifted.
10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
11 For 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.
“Rich man”
“Revelation 3:17”
“Because you say, I am rich,
have become wealthy, and
have need of nothing; and
do not know that you are
wretched, miserable,
poor, blind, and naked.”
Loving God Under Trials
12 Blessed 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.
“Endures temptation”
To remain faithful to Jesus,
not yielding to temptation, and sin.
“James 4:7-8”
Therefore submit to God,
Resist the devil and
he will flee from you.
draw near to God and
He will draw near to you.
“Draw near to God” - In prayer
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
“Enticed”- evil passions, lust.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
“Romans 6:23”
For the wages of sin
Is death, but the
Gift of God
Is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
“No variation or shadow of turning”
God never changes.
God’s word
will never change,
and His gifts are as
perfect as Himself.
“Hebrews 13:8”
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
18 Of 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
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
“Proverbs 10:19”
In the multitude of words
sin is not lacking, but he
who restrains his
lips is wise.
“Proverbs 17:27”
He who has knowledge
spares his words, and a
man of understanding
is of a calm spirit.
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
“Wrath” - anger
“Colossians 3:8”
But now you yourselves
are to put off all these;
anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy
language out of
your mouth.
Christian ministries
have written about the
differences between
righteous and unrighteous
anger on the internet,
It would be helpful
to study this.
Doers—Not Hearers Only
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
“Be doers of the word”
“Matthew 7:21”
“Not everyone who says to Me
Lord, Lord, shall enter the
kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will
of My Father in heaven.”
“Luke 6:46”
“But why do you call
Me Lord, Lord, and
not do the things
which I say?
“John 14:32”
"Jesus answered and said to him,
“If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My word; and My
Father will love him,
and we will come to him
and make Our home with him."
“Revelation 22:14”
Blessed are those who
do His commandments,
that they may have the right
to the tree of life, and may
enter through the gates
into the city.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But 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.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
27 Pure 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.
“Keep oneself unspotted from the world”
“Romans 12:2”
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that you may prove
what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God.
Chapter 2
Beware of Personal Favoritism
1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
“Partiality” - favoritism.
2 For 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,
3 and 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,”
4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
“Luke 6:20”
Then He lifted up His eyes
toward His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor,
for yours is the
kingdom of God.”
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
“The royal law”
“Matthew 22:36-40”
Teacher, which is the great
commandment in the law?
Jesus said to him,
“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your mind.
This is the first and great
commandment. And the
second is like it: You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments hang
all the law and the prophets."
9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
“Partiality” - favoritism.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For 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.
12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
“The law of liberty”
“Amplified Version, verse 12”
So speak and act as
(people should) who
are to be judged under
the law of liberty (the moral
instruction given by Christ,
especially about love).
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
“Amplified Version, verse 13”
For to him who has shown no mercy
the judgment (will be) merciless;
but mercy (full of glad confidence)
exults victoriously over judgment.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and 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?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
“Amplified Version, verse 17”
So also faith if it
does not have works
(deeds and actions of
obedience to back it up),
by itself is destitute of
power; inoperative, dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And 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.
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
“Amplified Version, verse 24”
You see that a man is justified
(pronounced righteous before God)
through what he does and not
alone through faith; through
works of obedience as well
as what he believes.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
“Amplified Version, verse 26”
For as the human body
apart from the spirit is lifeless,
so faith apart from (its) works
of obedience is also dead.
Chapter 3
The Untamable Tongue
1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
2 For 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.
3 Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
4 Look 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.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
6 And 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.
“Matthew 15:10-11”
When He had called the multitude
to Himself, He said to them,
“hear and understand:
not what goes into the mouth
defiles a man; but what
comes out of the mouth,
this defiles a man.”
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
12 Can 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
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
“Matthew 5:9”
“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.”
Chapter 4
Pride Promotes Strife
1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
2 You 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.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
“Amplified Version, verse 3”
(Or) you do ask (God for them)
and yet fail to receive, because
you ask with wrong purpose
and evil, selfish motives.
Your intention is, (when you
get what you desire) to spend
it in sensual pleasures.
4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
“Friend of the world”
“John 15:19”
“If you were of the world,
the world would love its own.
Yet because you are not of
the world, but I chose you
out of the world, therefore
the world hates you.
“1 John 2:15-17”
Do not love the world
or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world
the love of the Father is not
in him. For all that is in the
world; the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life; is not of the father
but is of the world. And the
world is passing away,
and the lust of it;
but he who does the
will of God abides forever.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
“Proverbs 8:13”
The fear of the Lord
is to hate evil;
pride and arrogance
and the evil way and
the perverse mouth
I hate.
Humility Cures Worldliness
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
“Submit to God”
Live obedient to God’s word.
“Resist the devil”
Pray and Pray,
Stand against,
Refuse to obey.
Defeat the devil.
“Ephesians 6:10-11”
Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord and in the power
of His might. Put on the
whole armor of God
that you may be able to
stand against the wiles of the
devil.
“James 1:12”
Blessed 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.
“Revelation 21:7”
“He who overcomes
shall inherit all things,
and I will be his God and
he shall be My son.”
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
“Draw near to God”
Pray always,
communicate with God.
Study God’s word.
“John 8:31-32”
Then Jesus said to those
Jews who believed Him,
“If you abide in My word,
you are My disciples indeed.
and you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.”
“Double-minded”
“Luke 16:13”
“No servant can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or else
he will be loyal to the
one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and money.”
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
“Humble yourselves”
The humble are always
In the presence of God.
Do Not Judge a Brother
11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
“Matthew 7:1-2”
“Judge not, that you be not judged.
for with what judgement you judge,
you will be judged; and with the
measure you use, it will be
measured back to you.”
Do Not Boast About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
“Amplified Version, verse 17”
So any person
who knows what is right
to do but does not do it,
to him it is sin.
Chapter 5
Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
3 Your 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.
“Matthew 6:19-21”
“Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in
and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust destroys and
where thieves do not break in
and steal. For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also.”
4 Indeed 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.
5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have
fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
“Amplified Version, verse 6”
You have condemned,
you have murdered the
(innocent) righteous (man,
while) he offers no resistance
to you.
Be Patient and Persevering
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
“Establish your hearts”
Remain faithful and
obedient to Jesus.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.
11 Indeed 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.
“Endure”
To remain faithful
without giving up.
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.
Meeting Specific Needs
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And 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.
16 Confess 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.
17 Elijah 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.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Bring Back the Erring One
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let 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.
“Galatians 6:1”
Brethren, if any man is overtaken
in any trespass, you who are
spiritual restore such a one
in a spirit of gentleness
considering yourself
lest you also be
tempted.