1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, [The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
NOTES:
[James the brother of the Lord: not one of the Twelve, but a
brother of Jesus (see note on Mk 6:3). He played an important role in the
Jerusalem church (see note on Gal 2:9), the leadership of which he took over
from Peter (Acts 12:17). Paul may have regarded James as an apostle.]]
1:1 James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: a
declaration of the writer’s authority for instructing the Christian communities;
cf. Rom 1:1. Regarding the identity of the author, see Introduction.
Dispersion: see Introduction.
1:2 Consider it all joy…various trials: a frequent teaching
of the New Testament derived from the words and sufferings of Jesus (Mt
5:10–12; Jn 10:11; Acts 5:41).
1:3–8 The sequence of testing, perseverance, and being
perfect and complete indicates the manner of attaining spiritual maturity and
full preparedness for the coming of Christ (Jas 5:7–12; cf. 1 Pt 1:6–7; Rom
5:3–5). These steps require wisdom (Jas 1:5).
1:5 Wisdom: a gift that God readily grants to all who ask in
faith and that sustains the Christian in times of trial. It is a kind of
knowledge or understanding not accessible to the unbeliever or those who doubt,
which gives the recipient an understanding of the real importance of events. In
this way a Christian can deal with adversity with great calm and hope (cf. 1
Cor 2:6–12).
1:9–11 Throughout his letter (see Jas 2:5; 4:10, 13–16;
5:1–6), the author reaffirms the teaching of Jesus that worldly prosperity is
not necessarily a sign of God’s favor but can even be a hindrance to proper
humility before God (cf. Lk 6:20–25; 12:16–21; 16:19–31).
1:12 Temptation: the Greek word used here is the same one
used for “trials” in Jas 1:2. The crown of life: in ancient Palestine, crowns
or wreaths of flowers were worn at festive occasions as signs of joy and honor.
In the Hellenistic world, wreaths were given as a reward to great statesmen,
soldiers, athletes. Life: here means eternal life. He promised: some manuscripts
read “God” or “the Lord,” while the best witnesses do not specify the subject
of “promised.”
1:13–15 It is contrary to what we know of God for God to be
the author of human temptation (Jas 1:13). In the commission of a sinful act,
one is first beguiled by passion (Jas 1:14), then consent is given, which in
turn causes the sinful act. When sin permeates the entire person, it incurs the
ultimate penalty of death (Jas 1:15).
1:16–18 The author here stresses that God is the source of
all good and of good alone, and the evil of temptation does not come from him.
1:17 All good giving and every perfect gift may be a proverb
written in hexameter. Father of lights: God is here called the Father of the
heavenly luminaries, i.e., the stars, sun, and moon that he created (Gn
1:14–18). Unlike orbs moving from nadir to zenith, he never changes or
diminishes in brightness.
1:18 Acceptance of the gospel message, the word of truth,
constitutes new birth (Jn 3:5–6) and makes the recipient the firstfruits (i.e.,
the cultic offering of the earliest grains, symbolizing the beginning of an
abundant harvest) of a new creation; cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rom 8:23.
1:19–25 To be quick to hear the gospel is to accept it
readily and to act in conformity with it, removing from one’s soul whatever is
opposed to it, so that it may take root and effect salvation (Jas 1:19–21). To
listen to the gospel message but not practice it is failure to improve oneself
(Jas 1:22–24). Only conformity of life to the perfect law of true freedom
brings happiness (Jas 1:25).
1:25 Peers into the perfect law: the image of a person doing
this is paralleled to that of hearing God’s word. The perfect law applies the
Old Testament description of the Mosaic law to the gospel of Jesus Christ that
brings freedom.
1:26–27 A practical application of Jas 1:22 is now made.
1:26 For control of the tongue, see note on Jas 3:1–12.
1:27 In the Old Testament, orphans and widows are classical
examples of the defenseless and oppressed.
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