Book of James Bible Study
By Most Rev Bishop P.J. Lawrence
James chapter 1, learn how Christians are to deal with trials and temptations that undoubtedly will come our way. Also learn that we’re to be not only hearers, but doers of the Word of God.
Chapter 2, learn about the dangers of personal favoritism and that faith without works is dead. Does this contradict what Paul said about justification by faith?
This is the chapter that tells us about our unruly tongues and teaches us the difference between man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom.
In chapter 4 we learn of the problems with pride, the judgment of others, and boasting. Learn the biblical standards in contrast to these worldly standards.
In this final chapter, learn about God’s view of rich oppressors in this life; and therefore what our attitudes should be, how we can persevere with patience, and how we can cover a multitude of sins. Also learn exactly what to do when we are sick.
James 1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
Writer of this letter is identified as James, but which James.
Four men in the NT have this name. The author of this letter could not have been the apostle James, who died too early (a.d. 44) to have written it. The other two men named James had neither the stature nor the influence that the writer of this letter had.
It is commonly accepted this writer James is the brother/half of Jesus.
James was one of several brothers of Christ, probably the oldest since he heads the list in Mt 13:55. At first he did not believe in Jesus and even challenged him and misunderstood his mission (Jn 7:2-5). Later he became very prominent in the church:
• He was one of the select individuals Christ appeared to after his resurrection (1co 15:7;).
• Paul called him a “pillar” of the church (gal 2:9).
- Paul, on his first post-conversion visit to Jerusalem, saw James (Gal 1:19).
- Paul did the same on his last visit (ac 21:18).
- When Peter was rescued from prison, he told his friends to tell James (ac 12:17).
- James was a leader in the important council of Jerusalem (ac 15:13).
Date
Some date the letter in the early 60s. There are indications, however, that it was written before a.d. 50:
Recipients
The recipients are identified explicitly only in 1:1: “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Some hold that this expression refers to Christians in general, but the term “twelve tribes” would more naturally apply to Jewish Christians. Furthermore, a Jewish audience would be more in keeping with the obviously Jewish nature of the letter (e.g., the use of the Hebrew title for God, kyrios sabaoth, “Lord Almighty,” 5:4). That the recipients were Christians is clear from 2:1; 5:7-8. It has been plausibly suggested that these were believers from the early Jerusalem church who, after Stephen’s death, were scattered as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Syrian Antioch (see Ac 8:1; 11:19)This would account for James’s references to trials and oppression, his intimate knowledge of the readers and the authoritative nature of the letter. As leader of the Jerusalem church, James wrote as pastor to instruct and encourage his dispersed people in the face of their difficulties.
Trials and Temptations Joy and pain go together:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, [a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,
To have joy in trials is not to deny pain. It is to recognize the fact that they can exist together. They can co-exist in the same way an expectant mother can go through the travail of birth and still have joy in thinking about what is to come.
Secrets to joy in the midsts of troubles
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 1:6
St. Paul writes rejoice always again I say rejoice. Paul writes these words from prison Philippians because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Wholeness of life)
Paul speaks of glory in suffering:
Romans 5:3-5 “3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us”.
Wisdom and prayer:
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.
JAMES IS TALKING ABOUT GOD’S WISDOM THAT ENABLES US TO ENDURE TRIALS JOYFULLY.
When you study the Bible, it is crucial to study the text in its context, and also to understand how the words are used in Scripture. In the context of James 1, wisdom refers to the wisdom that we need to endure trials with God’s joy, so that we will be “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (1:4). James realizes that in a time of trials, God’s people often do lack His wisdom on how to endure those trials with joy. Thus he adds verses 5-8. Of course, we can ask God for wisdom in any matter in life that we face, but in the context here, it is focused on asking God for the wisdom that we need to endure trials joyfully.
6But 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. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
James 4;8
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded”.
Matthew 6:24).
Humility and pride;
9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
11For 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.
The poor believer must glory in his eternal riches in Christ (1:9).
The rich believer must glory in his humiliation in Christ, knowing that it represents eternal riches that will never pass away (1:10-11).
BOTH POVERTY AND RICHES ARE TESTS OF FAITH.
Greed is not the exclusive temptation of the rich. The poor man can be just as greedy and materialistic as the wealthy man. The poor often covet what the rich already have. But if the focus of both groups is on getting more money or possessions as the way to true happiness, they do not have God’s perspective.
Both rich and poor are prone to pride. The poor Christian can become proud over how poor he is for the sake of the kingdom, and thus boast in being more spiritual than the rich. The rich can be proud over how God has blessed them and given them such influence. Both need to develop the humility that comes from bowing before God’s grace.
12Blessed 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.
THE WAY OF TRUE BLESSING IS NOT TO BE EXEMPT FROM TRIALS, BUT TO PERSEVERE UNDER THEM.
James does not say, “Blessed is the man who never goes through trials.” Nor does he say, “Blessed is the rich man.” Rather, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.” Testing has a way of leveling the rich and the poor. It helps all of us to get our focus on the right things, namely, eternal things. It’s only when we believe in Christ and adopt God’s eternal perspective that we can persevere under trials with the joy of salvation.
THE CROWN OF LIFE IS GOD’S REWARD FOR THOSE THAT PERSEVERE UNDER TRIALS.
The man who perseveres under trials is blessed in this life, but James’ emphasis is on the rewards of heaven. The English name, Steven (or, Stephen) comes from the Greek word for crown, which referred to the victor’s wreath in athletic contests. The picture here is of the believer struggling and striving in the contest, but the reward of the crown awaits him at the end if he perseveres. The “crown of life” refers to the eternal life that we will enjoy forever with God.
Temptations
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
To overcome temptation, recognize its source.
Tempted (1:13) is the same Greek word that is translated trial (1:2, 12), but clearly it has two different senses. God tests or tries believers’ faith, but He does not tempt anyone into sin. God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac (Gen. 22:1-19). God tested Job by allowing Satan to afflict him with all of his trials (Job 1:8-12; 2:3-6).
TEMPTATION COMES FROM OUR OWN SINFUL DESIRES (1:14).
James does not mention here the devil as a source of temptation, although he will do so later (3:15; 4:7). Here he wants us to see that to blame God or circumstances or the devil or others for my sin is to dodge the real source of it. To label it as a disease is to absolve myself from responsibility for it. There is no hope for overcoming it unless I acknowledge, “It comes from my own sinful desires.” But, conversely, there is hope for victory when I begin to recognize and be on guard against the monster that resides within.
Lust means desire. Also, we need to distinguish between the manner in which Jesus was tempted and the way we are tempted. Jesus did not have an innate desire toward sin, as we do. Thus for Jesus, temptation had to come from outside, not from within. He did not have to battle sinful thoughts, such as lust or greed or being jealous of others, as we do. All of these wrong desires come from our sinful hearts, which we inherited because of Adam’s sin.
James shows that sin is never stationary. It moves steadily in its course toward its ultimate, hideous end—death. Death (1:15) stands in contrast to the crown of life (1:12). They are two totally separate destinies. Someone has said, “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
James states that all of the good things we experience come “down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” This is the only time that God is called, “the Father of lights.” It refers to the fact that He created light and the heavenly bodies that give off light. Light stands for that which is good, in contrast to Satan’s evil domain of darkness (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-13). “Father” points not only to God’s creative power, but also to His tender care for His creatures.
God brought you from death to life (James 1:15, 18) by the power of His word of truth, the gospel. You weren’t the deciding factor in your salvation. God was! You were saved because “in the exercise of His will, [God] brought [you] forth by the word of truth.” Because of that, you can trust Him to take care of you in times of severe trials.
As God’s first fruits, He owns you and He is free to use you as He chooses. Since He saved you by bringing you from death to life in the exercise of His will, you are not your own. You have been bought with the blood of Christ. Therefore, you must present yourself and everything that you have to God as a thank-offering, to use as He chooses.
James wants you to realize that if God has imparted new life to you, then you are His first fruits. Especially in trials, your aim should be to bear fruit for Him and to bring glory to His name.
Listening and Doing
19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, 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.
If God has given us new life through His word, we must prepare our hearts to be receptive to His word.
He gives us five marks of the receptive heart:
1. The receptive heart opens the ears: “Be quick to hear.”
James says that the first mark of a heart that is receptive to God’s word is that it is quick to hear the word. Jesus told the Jews who disputed with Him (John 8:47), “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” Obviously, these Jews heard the sound of the words that Jesus spoke. They were not deaf. But they did not (and could not, according to Jesus) understand them (see John 8:43), because they were not born of God.
To be quick to hear God’s word implies an attitude of eagerness to take in the word from every angle. As a believer, you should desire to read the word, to listen to biblical preaching of the word, to memorize the word, and to understand all of its teaching with a view to obedience.
2. The receptive heart controls the tongue: “Be slow to speak.”
Book of Proverbs, says, “Slow down! Hold your tongue!” As Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”
Someone long ago pointed out that we have two ears that we cannot close and one mouth that we can, which ought to teach us something! TV interviewer, Larry King, observed, “I never learned anything while I was talking”
3. The receptive heart controls the emotions: “Be slow to anger.”
It has been said “An angry spirit is never a listening, teachable spirit”
James (1:20) gives the reason that we should be slow to anger, “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” If you want to grow in righteousness, stop fighting God’s word and submit to it.
Jesus labeled anger as the root sin behind murder (Matt.5:21-22). Before Cain committed the first murder in history, God confronted him with the question (Gen. 4:6a), “Why are you angry?”
4. The receptive heart clears the crud of sin: “Putting aside all filthiness.”
Therefore” links verse 21 as the conclusion to verses 19 & 20. “Putting aside” is a term used for taking off filthy clothes. All filthiness and all that remains of wickedness” expands from the sins of verse 19 to include all sorts of disobedience to God’s word.
James’ thought here is the same as Paul’s, when he tells us to put off the old self (or man) and to put on the new self (Eph. 4:22-24).
If you don’t do this, the crud will prevent you from growing as a Christian.
5. The receptive heart welcomes the word: “In humility receive the word implanted.”
The picture here is that of the parable of the sower, scattering the seed of the word. Will your heart be good soil that receives the seed and bears fruit, or will it be one of the other kinds of soil that is unproductive? Once the seed falls into the good soil, it still needs to be nurtured in order to bear fruit.
The word translated humility is a difficult word to translate.
The Greek word has the idea of strength in submission or strength under control. It was used of Alexander the Great’s horse, which was powerfully strong, but totally submissive and responsive to the master’s touch. The believer with this quality can be very strong, as Jesus and Paul were, and yet completely submissive and sensitive to the Lord’s command.
When James says that the word implanted “is able to save your souls,” he is viewing salvation as the entire process of the Christian life, culminating in our “ultimate deliverance from sin and death that takes place at the time of Christ’s return in glory.
Be doers of the word
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25But 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. 26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion 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.
To hear the word and not do it leads to deception, but to hear the word and do it leads to blessing.
In James 1:21, he talked about receiving “the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” In 1:22-27, he goes on to emphasize doing the word. In 1:22-24, he shows that hearing the word without doing it leads to deception. He illustrates this in 1:26 with the man who claims to be religious, but who does not bridle his tongue. He deceives himself and his religion is worthless. In 1:25, he shows that hearing the word accompanied by doing it leads to blessing. He illustrates this with two examples in 1:27: caring for orphans and widows; and, keeping oneself unstained by the world.
THE BLESSED HEARER AND DOER APPLIES THE WORD SO THAT IT CHANGES HIS CONDUCT AND HIS CHARACTER IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.
In contrast to the worthless religion of the man in 1:26, in 1:27 James gives two practical examples of a person who applies God’s word. These two examples represent “pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father.” James says that to contrast it with the outward religion of the man who is doing it to be noticed by other men. He calls God “Father” here because of the reference to orphans and widows. In Psalm 68:5, God is called “a father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows.” He has a special concern for the helpless who could not provide for themselves.
