James Study by Neal Ledbetter

JAMES

A U T H E N T I C

F A I T H

NEAL LEDBETTER

Copyright © 2020 by Neal Ledbetter.

All rights reserved. In compliance with copyright restrictions, no portion of these materials may be reproduced in any form or stored on any system without written permission from the publishing author, except as permitted by U.S. copywright law.

Unless indicated, all scripture references are taken from the English Standard Version.

Design: Blogger Kit Co. Editing done by Anna and Jennifer Thornton.

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HOW TO USE THIS STU D Y G U I D E

This study of the book of James follows the natural flow of the text. Each study guide provides the text, a summary of the big idea, brief commentary and context, relevant quotes to consider, discussion questions, and concludes with recommendations for further study.

Though this study will benefit individuals, it is best used in the context of gospel community with at least two or three other people. Before each meeting, it will be beneficial for each group member to read the Bible text, ask questions, make observations of the text, and then read the "context/ background information" from the study guide. It's always important for you to study the text yourself before reading what others say in commentaries or even in this study guide. Having done that, then meet as a group, ask the Lord to "open your eyes to see wondrous things" from his word (Ps 119:18), work through the discussion guide, be charitable in your judgments of one another, and then close in prayer.

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TABLE OF CONTENT 1.

JAMES 1:1 ....................................................5

2.

JAMES 1:2-4 ................................................9

3.

JAMES 1:5–8 ..............................................12

4.

JAMES 1:9-11 .............................................16

5.

JAMES 1:12 ..............................................19

6.

JAMES 1:13-18 ...........................................23

7.

JAMES 1:19-21 ...........................................27

8.

JAMES 1:22–25 ...........................................31

9.

JAMES 1:26–27 ...........................................34

10.

JAMES 2:1–7 ..............................................38

11.

JAMES 2:8–13 .............................................42

12.

JAMES 2:14-23 ...........................................46

13.

JAMES 2:24 ..............................................50

14.

JAMES 2:25-26 ...........................................53

15.

JAMES 3:1–5 .............................................58

16.

JAMES 3:5–12 .............................................61

17.

JAMES 3:13–18 ...........................................65

18.

JAMES 4:1–5 ..............................................69

19.

JAMES 4:5-10 .............................................73

20.

JAMES 4:11–12 ...........................................77

21.

JAMES 4:13–17 ...........................................80

22.

JAMES 5:1–6 ..............................................83

23.

JAMES 5:7-11 .............................................87

24.

JAMES 5:12 ..............................................90

25.

JAMES 5:13-18 ...........................................94

26.

JAMES 5:19-20 ...........................................98

27.

CONCLUSION ..........................................102

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JAMES 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : What does it mean to be a servant? Jesus completely redefined what it means to serve. Jesus taught that if we truly want to rule and reign in his kingdom, we will not seek power, prestige, and authority; rather, we will seek to serve everyone. James understood what it meant to be a servant, and his life was marked and defined by servanthood.

James was the half-brother of Jesus, was referred to as an apostle by Paul, and was considered a pillar in the early church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal 2:9). However, rather than boast in his position or authority he calls himself a slave. Specifically, a slave to God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. James models the message he preaches (James 4:10) and simultaneously presents his audience with the way into the kingdom and the way of the kingdom.

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B A C K G R O U N D

I N F O R M A T I O N :

The author of the letter identifies himself as James. This name occurs forty-two times in the New Testament and refers to at least four different men (three of whom are mentioned in Acts 1:13).1 So who wrote the letter of James?

The first James in question is the son of Zebedee. He was the brother of John, one of the twelve disciples, and one of Jesus' inner circle (Mk 1:19, 5:37, 9:2, 10:35, 14:33). But he was one of the first martyrs of the early church (Acts 12:1–5) and likely died before this letter was written. The second James was the son of Alphaeus and another one of the twelve disciples. He is an unlikely candidate because the writer did not identify himself as an apostle as Peter and Paul do in their letters (Mk 15:40; Matt 27:56). He was also not well-known enough to sign a circular letter only as “James.” The third James was the father of Judas (Lk 6:16). This James was far too obscure to be the well-known wrioter of Humility is not thinking the letter of James. Most likely, none of less of yourself; it's these three men wrote this letter.2

thinking of yourself less.

C.S. Lewis

Of the four men called James in the New Testament, the only viable candidate to have written this letter is the James not mentioned in Acts 1:13 — James, Jesus' half1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 9.

2 Andreas J. Kostenberger, L. Scott Kellum, and Charles L. Quarles, The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2009) 704.

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brother (Matt 13:55). He was sufficiently well known to have written it, specifically because he was known to be a leader and an authoritative voice within the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal 1:19). Simply stating his name in James 1:1, with no other details, indicates his audience needed no introduction and was well aware of who he was. Additionally, Paul says it was James "the Lord’s brother" that he went to when presenting his message to the church at Jerusalem (Gal 1:19, Acts 21:17-18). Furthermore, the language used in the book of James matches much of the language found in James' speech at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:21-29).

James was likely the oldest of the brothers of Jesus since his name is listed first in the two times Jesus' brothers are mentioned (Matt 13:55; Mk 6:3). Interestingly, during Jesus' ministry, this James ­— the brother, pillar, church leader, and writer of pastoral wisdom — was not always so confident in Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus' brothers did not understand his true nature and could not believe that he was the Messiah (John 7:5; Mk 3:20-22).

So what happened in James' life that transformed him into this pillar of the Christian church? After Jesus' death, Paul points out that Jesus "appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me" (1 Cor 15:6-8). After the risen Lord Jesus appeared to James (1 Cor 15:7), all of James' doubts were dissolved and he was transformed from a skeptical observer of Jesus to one who personally encountered the living savior of the world. James' life was never the same.

James was the half-brother of Jesus, was referred to as an apostle by Paul, and was considered a pillar in the early church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal 2:9). However, rather than boast in his position or authority, he calls himself a slave (lit., servant).

Specifically, a slave to God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. James does not exalt himself, he humbles himself. What we learn as we study the H u m i l i t y i s f r e e d o m book of James is that he is modeling, here, the very from the need message he is proclaiming at the climax of the book to prove you are (James 4:6, 10). The way into the Kingdom of God superior all the and the way of living within the Kingdom of God is time… not by boasting in our power, authority or resume.

David Brooks Instead, it is by humbly submitting to Jesus' power, authority, and resume on our behalf.

In his book, The Road To Character, New York Times best-selling author and columnist David Brooks argues that we live in the age of the "Big Me." In other words, we live in a world where everyone says, "Look at me, look at what I have done, look at what I have accomplished." He argues that humility is needed more than ever, which he says "is freedom from the need to prove you are superior all the time…"3 Brook's solution is to develop a "humility code." In it, he argues, we need a proper understanding of self.

We need to remove ourselves from the center of our universe. His solution is to wage 3

David Brooks, The Road to Character (New York, NY: Random House Publishing, 2015). KL 288.

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war within ourselves against pride. While the book is excellent, and his humility code is commendable, a question remains. As soon as we win the war within…who are we going to give a trophy to?

Because of sin, our default position is to put ourselves at the center of our own universe. What is needed is not more willpower or more self-debasing. Instead, we need a replacement at the center of our personal universe; One who is sufficient to keep the orbit of our lives from spinning out of control. We must look away from ourselves to someone greater. John Calvin notes, "it is certain that man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he has first looked upon God's face, and then descends from contemplating him to scrutinize himself."4 James could do this because he looked into the face of the living king. And we hear it in the language he uses in James 1:1. Specifically, "It is certain that m a n n e v e r a c h i e v e s James links both the one true God and the Lord Jesus together. Remember, this is the brother a clear knowledge that questioned if Jesus was the Messiah, the son of himself unless of God. But here he acknowledges that Jesus is the he has first looked True King worthy of our obedience and he himself upon God’s face, and then descends is a servant of the True King.

from contemplating him to scrutinize himself."

James is now a servant of the True King. But he's also now a servant to the church. He is writing to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion," those that John Calvin were Jewish by ethnicity but had transferred their trust and hope to Jesus and were scattered abroad beyond Jerusalem. Based on the language used by James, the audience he was writing to were wrestling with practical application of their faith in a social context of real world poverty and persecution. Therefore, James' is a shepherd-leader concerned with equipping these believers with practical wisdom for spiritual growth and gospel living.

The gospel is dripping from the pen of James because it was dripping from the man James. James was a man who had great position but humbled himself for the sake of others. Though he could boast in a significant spiritual resume, he humbled himself to serve, teach, and grow the believers in the dispersion. Why? Because he encountered the True Brother, the True Servant, the True Shepherd-Leader Jesus, who though he had the ultimate spiritual resume, humbled himself as a servant to the point of death.

4 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2nd Edition. Edited by John T. McNeill. Translated by Ford Lewis Battles. Vol. 1. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011). 37.

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JAM ES 1: 1

D I SCU SSI O N 1. How does your view of servanthood change as you consider both Jesus and James?

2. Why is it our default mode to try and build a resume of our own achievements? How do James' example, words, and message challenge this tendency?

3. Why is humility both the way into the Kingdom and the way of the Kingdom?

4. What does James 1:1 teach us about a gospel-transformed person?

5. What fears and concerns arise in your heart when you consider God's call to be a servant? What do those fears reveal about your heart and what you prize most?

6. How does reflecting on the cross and the gospel humble us?

7. What are some specific practices/ activities that you can implement within your community group to grow in humility?

Consider these prompts: service without recognition, meditation on the cross, surrounding ourselves with wise counsel, studying

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Mk 10:45; Phil 2:3-10; 2 Cor 8:9; John 3:30 2. Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney 3. Road to Character by David Brooks 4. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

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JAMES 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : We will all face trials and adversity in our life; it is not a question of if, but when.

Trials, tests, and temptations are inevitable for Christians. Following Jesus does not exempt us from adversity. Knowing that we will inevitably face trials should change the way that we view the trials we face. Knowing that God is with you and for you, and using the trials you face to mature you, gives a whole new perspective on trials.

James urges us to make the definitive decision to rejoice in the afflictions of life because we know that God can and will use those to grow, stretch, and mature us. Spiritual growth, maturity, and greater conformity to the image of Christ are the goal. We must consider trials for what they are…tools in the hand of God to grow us evermore in the image of Christ.

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B A C K G R O U N D

I N F O R M A T I O N :

James uses cognitive language, “Count it" or "Consider it pure joy,” to encourage a new perspective on adversity, trials, and suffering. He is not suggesting that we ignore our emotions and only feel joy at our tragedy. And he is not suggesting that we rejoice for suffering. James is urging a new mental disposition towards trials where we rejoice in suffering.

Also worth noting is that James does not say "if" but "when" you face trials of various kinds. It is not a question of if, but when we will face trials. Trials, tests, adversity, and temptations are inevitable for all people, including Christians. Following Jesus does not exempt us from adversity. The Christian, however, has an alternative way of viewing trials and an abiding hope in the midst of trials.

Douglas Moo helps us understand trials when he says, “‘Trial, 'peirasmos,' has two basic meanings in the New Testament.

God’s refuge for his It can refer to the inner enticement to people is not from sin, as in 1 Timothy 6:9, ‘But those who suffering and death, but desire to be rich fall into temptation, into final and ultimate defeat. a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and John Piper. destruction.’ At other times it denotes external afflictions, particularly persecution (cf. 1 Pet 4:12)."1 The context in this

1 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 62.

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passage suggests James is pointing to external adversity.

Based on the language James uses throughout the book, his audience was wrestling with the practical application of their faith in the real world of poverty and persecution (James 1:9–11; 2:1–7; 2:15–17; 4:13–5:11). Religious persecution was likely one of the causes of the poverty the believers were experiencing (James 2:6–7).

In the secular view, suffering is never seen as a meaningful part of life but only as an interruption.

Tim Keller.

In verses 3 and 4, James gives Christians an alternative perspective on trials when he provides us with "why" we ought to consider it joy when we face various trials.

He says, "For you know that the testing A Christian without of your faith produces steadfastness. trials would be like a And let steadfastness have its full effect, mill without wind or that you may be perfect and complete, water; the contrivance lacking in nothing." James argues that we and design of the wheelought to view trials with joy because we work within would be know God is using them to stretch, grow, unnoticed and unknown, and mature us. Moo argues, "these trials without something to put i t i n m o t i o n f r o m w i t h o u t . are means of testing through which God works to perfect faith.”2 Nor would our graces

grow, unless they were called out to exercise; the difficulties we meet with not only prove, but strengthen, the graces of the spirit.

The word “testing” is the same word used in 1 Peter 1:7. There the emphasis is on the result that testing produces, which is genuine faith. James takes this same approach. Trials are a means to produce spiritual growth, maturity, and genuine John Newton faith. As the writer of Hebrews put it, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained to it” (James 12:11). Trials and testing have a purpose, according to James. That purpose is to produce steadfastness, which in turn will produce spiritual maturity. Therefore, we can approach them with joy and hope, knowing they are not meaningless, and we are not alone. Therefore, Moo contends, "The believer is asked to respond to trials with joy, then, because he knows that they are working to produce a deeper, stronger, more certain faith."3

2

Ibid.

3

Ibid., 63.

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JAM ES 1: 2-4

D I SCU SSI O N 1. In what ways are trials beneficial to our spiritual growth?

2. What fears do you have about facing trials, adversity, and suffering? What does this reveal about our hearts?

3. Often we only see the value and lessons from trials in hindsight.

What is a trial which you have faced in the past which has confirmed the truth that we can "count it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds”?

4. What is steadfastness, and why is it so important?

5. What is a trial you are facing now in which you need strength to persevere to the finish? Take time to pray for one another in these areas.

6. How does Christ want to use you to touch the hurts in the world this week?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Gen 50:19-20; Lam 3:32-33; Rom 5:3-5; Acts 5:41; Acts 9:15-16; 2 Cor 1:8-9; 2 Cor 4:8-12; Heb 12:11; 1 Pet 1:6-7.

2. Suffering and The Sovereignty of God by John Piper and Justin Taylor 3. How Long O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil by D.A. Carson 4. Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller 5. Trusting God by Jerry Bridges

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JAMES 1:5–8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. [6] But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. [7] For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In James 1:2-4, James encouraged us to consider it joy when we face trials because we know that trials and adversity produce spiritual maturity in the Christian life. Such wisdom is always easier said than done. It is far more difficult when we are the ones being tested. What if we don't even know how to handle the trial we’re facing, let alone how to consider it joy?

James anticipates these questions and encourages us to seek wisdom from God. James reminds us that God is the source of all wisdom and, therefore, we must turn to and hope in Him and Him alone. James then shares the manner in which God gives wisdom: generously and without reservation. And finally, James challenges us on the manner in which we ask: in faith without reservation or doubt. What we learn through this text is that God longs to lavish his wisdom and grace on the one who fully trusts in him.

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B A C K G R O U N D

I N F O R M A T I O N :

James is subtly connecting "enduring joyfully through trials" with the answer on how to do that. “Lack" in verse 4b and “lack" in verse 5a subtly connects these two passages. The aim of trials and adversity in the economy of God is spiritual maturity, wholeness, and completeness so that we lack nothing. But often we do lack something. We lack wisdom.

Douglas Moo notes, "wisdom is above all a practically oriented virtue that gives direction for the life of the godly person.”1 Wisdom is knowledge applied and lived out in whatever context we find ourselves. We live in an age where information is always at our fingertips. James is intensely concerned that his audience not only know things about God, but they lean fully on God for their hope and daily living.

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.

C.H. Spurgeon

1 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 65.

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James is commending absolute dependence, faith, and reliance on the one true and living God. James is challenging his audience and us to completely depend on our ultimate provider. In other words, James desires for his audience to see that God is their provider and sustainer rather than their job, their wealth, their possessions, or any other possible rival god.

Remember that James leans heavily on the wisdom literature of Proverbs.

James understands that God is the source of all wisdom (Prov 2:6).

James is commending the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-8, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing Edmund Clowney to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." Job asks, "where shall wisdom be found?" (Job 28:12). And then he answers, "God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens" (Job 28:23-24). Instead of trusting in ourselves or rival gods, James calls for us to humble ourselves and recognize that God has the wisdom we need and the strength for which we long. He is our hope.

Trials should not surprise us or cause us to doubt God’s faithfulness. Rather, we should actually be glad for them. God sends trials to strengthen our trust in him so that our faith will not fail. Our trials keep us trusting; they burn away our self-confidence and drive us to our Savior.

James then indicates the manner in which God provides wisdom (vs. 5b). He says God gives generously. The word James uses for generous can be translated as lavish. It is the same word Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 when he talks about the Macedonian Christians and their lavish giving motivated by Jesus' lavish sacrifice.

Remember that James is also leaning heavily on the teachings of his brother Jesus.

In this case, James is likely looking to Jesus' wisdom in Matthew 7:7-11, particularly verses 9-11, “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Many of us view God as an old curmudgeon who has to be pleased before he will show love in return. Others view him through the lens of their earthly fathers, who were distant, aloof, or even non-existent and uncaring. James teaches us that God is nothing like either of these views. He is lavishly generous. His love abounds in staggering measure. He loves without reservation, long before we could ever do anything to please him.

Finally, James challenges us on the manner in which we are to seek this wisdom from God (verses 6-8). James links "doubt" with "double-minded" in this text. He is not speaking of the doubt of the unbeliever but the double-mindedness of the believer, one who claims to trust God fully but is simultaneously trying to trust in other Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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answers. This word only occurs in the Bible here and in James 4:8, and it further clarifies James' primary point. It carries the idea of being divided within one's self: torn between two rival factions and seeing both as viable options. We sometimes call this person a "fair-weather" fan or someone who "straddles the fence." James says this person is duplicitous - they are essentially living a double life and they are like the uncertainty of the sea - they have no anchor.

Paul uses similar wording in his description of Abraham's faith. Abraham, Paul says, "did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God" (Rom 4:20). We know Abraham had doubts — he laughed at God when he told him he was going to have a son. But we know Abraham also had single-minded focus and faith that God was who he said he was and could do what he said he could do. How do we know this?

Because Abraham abandoned his land, his extended family, and his gods to follow the one true God and later raised the knife over his only son (Gen 22:12).

Consider Abraham's faith in light of what James is encouraging, namely single-minded faith and confidence. James is calling every believer to complete confidence in and dependence on God as their first and greatest source of wisdom and hope. How will we ever consider it pure joy when we face trials? Only when we see our Savior and his joy in enduring the cross on our behalf. Why would we turn first and always to our Heavenly Father and his wisdom in the midst of our trials? Because as an infinitely loving Father he gave the greatest gift of his lavish grace in the sacrifice of his only Son. How can we take heart and have hope in the midst of our earthly trials? Because Jesus stepped into and conquered our greater trials of sin and death.

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JAM ES 1: 5-8

D I SCU SSI O N 1. How do you see James' exhortation in these verses (5-8) to be connected to the immediately preceding verses (2-4)?

2. Why is prayer such an important activity when facing troubles and trials? What role does prayer usually play in your life during challenging times? How about in times of peace?

3. What is “wisdom" and how does it differ from knowledge?

4. What are various avenues through which God provides his wisdom?

5. What does verse 5 tell us about the character of God? How does it serve to correct our tendency to see God as hard and difficult to please? How have you seen God show forth his generosity in his relationship with you?

6. What do verses 6-8 tell us about our own character and faith amid trials? What is the nature and character of the doubt which James is addressing in vs. 6-8? How is this doubt to be distinguished from legitimate doubt? What does the double-minded person doubt about God that makes the person's doubt particularly sinister?

7. How does this passage point us to the gospel and our hope in Jesus?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Prov 2:6; Prov 3:5–8; 1 Kings 3:9-12; Matt 7:7-11; Rom 4:20

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JAMES 1:9-11 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, [10] and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. [11] For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Every day, we are tempted to compare ourselves to others. Every day we are tempted to measure ourselves by what we have or don’t have; by what we produce or fail to produce. Christians, however, must always evaluate themselves by spiritual and not material standards. We must ask what makes us valuable in God’s eyes, and the answer to that question is always the blood of Jesus Christ.

C O N T E X T /

B A C K G R O U N D

I N F O R M A T I O N :

James says, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation….” In other words, let the one who is relatively poor and powerless boast in his position. Why? Because we know that the Lord… "is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit”(Ps 34:18).

We know that the Lord “regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer”(Ps 102:17). If we see James 1:9-11 as strictly an economic discussion, we will quickly miss the point. It certainly is about poverty, but it is about something greater. It is about the spiritual poverty that inherits the kingdom. James' audience is likely facing poverty, powerlessness, and persecution. But his entire letter is about helping them grow spiritually and gaining a new spiritual maturity and new spiritual perspective. James will later ask, “has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”(James 2:5). In essence, James says, “You may be poor, but God is near to you. You may think riches will save you, Prosperity knits a but money makes a very poor savior. It is not by man to the world. riches you will find hope and rest and peace.” It He feels that he is is by spiritual poverty, or spiritual bankruptcy, finding his place in that one finds true hope in the kingdom of God. it, while really it is It is the one who acknowledges his spiritual finding its place in bankruptcy who Jesus calls blessed in the him.

Sermon On the Mount (Matt 5:3).

C.S. Lewis

The larger context of James reveals that James' audience is dealing with poverty and persecution. They are likely the “tests” James has in mind in verse 2. But it is important to recognize that both poverty and wealth, hardship and prosperity, are equal tests. It is easy to see the test of poverty and hardship. It is equally as easy to miss the test of prosperity and wealth. Both can lead us to trust in a lesser savior. James' wisdom echoes Proverbs 30:8-9: “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” Here we see that it is possible to deny God in plenty and poverty.

James is challenging us to boast, but only in what truly matters. It is the same challenge we read in Jeremiah 9:23-24: “Thus says the Money never stays LORD: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, with me. It would let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not burn me if it did. the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who I throw it out of boasts boast in this, that he understands and my hands as soon knows me, that I am the LORD who practices as possible, lest steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the it should find its earth. For in these things I delight, declares the w a y i n t o m y h e a r t .

LORD.” Boasting in anything else is useless.

John Wesley Most confusing is the second phrase in verse 10, “and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.” Is James speaking of the “rich man” having this attitude towards riches? Or is he speaking of the poor man’s perspective on those who are rich? The answer is really “both/ and.” James argues that money and life are transitory and fleeting. They are like a withering wildflower in the scorching sun. James likely draws this example from Isaiah 40:6b–8, which is the most famous example of this idea of a withering Blessed are those flower: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is who realize that like the flower of the field. The grass withers, they have nothing the flower fades when the breath of the Lord within themselves to blows on it; surely the people are grass. The commend them to grass withers, the flower fades, but the word God, for theirs is the of our God will stand forever.” He is also likely kingdom of heaven. drawing from the wisdom writer in Ecclesiastes R. Kent Hughes 2 when he recounts that he had acquired all that he desired and yet realized it was all futile and empty. What is the point? There is only one thing stable, secure, unchanging, and certain. There is only one thing worth risking your whole life, even your soul, on. It is the unchanging, never withering, steadfast God of the universe. Jesus says something similar, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:36).

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JAM ES 1: 9-11

D I SCU SSI O N 1. Do you see any connections between these verses and the preceding verses 1-8?

2. Why would a person in "humble circumstances" be in a "high position"? What reasons can you list for why a person could take pride in humble circumstances? What does this reveal about the kingdom of God? 3. What temptations and spiritual dangers might a person in "humble circumstances" be susceptible to? How might you overcome these temptations and dangers?

4. Why do you think James calls being rich a "low position"? What seems to be his attitude toward the "rich" and why?

5. What temptations and spiritual dangers might a person who was "rich" be susceptible to? How might you overcome these temptations and dangers?

6. What truths or practices have you found to be helpful in enabling you to become more generous with your resources? What steps have you taken in your spiritual journey to become a more generous person?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Job 24:19-24; Jer 9:24; Is 40:6-8; Ps 67:25; Prov 29:23; Prov 30:8-9; Ecc 2:1-11; Matt 5:3; James 2:5

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JAMES 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Those who endure both tests and trials will receive the prize towards which they are running. While it is not the last time James will reference trials in his letter, verse 12 is the concluding bookend to James' teaching on trials in verses 2-12. In verses 2-4, he tells us to consider it pure joy when facing trials of many kinds. In verses 5-8, he offers hope amidst trials by calling us to turn to and rely on God above all things. In verses 9-11, he presents two different kinds of trials, poverty and prosperity, and challenges us, once again, to look not to our circumstances but to God. Now James is wrapping up his argument on trials with encouragement to endure faithfully.

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I N F O R M A T I O N :

Follower's of Christ understand that trials are sovereign maturity makers. In other words, God is with us in our trials, and God is using our trials. Therefore the person who endures through trials is "blessed."

James says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial…." Some might translate "blessed" as "happy." But this misses the point. First, this puts the focus primarily on us before God. Secondly, it puts the focus on our happiness before our holiness. Neither of these is a healthy position to take. It is better to understand James' words in light of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5, where "Jesus is not declaring how people feel; rather, he is making an objective statement about what God thinks of them. Blessed is a positive judgment by God on the individual that means 'to be approved' or 'to find approval.'"1

We forget that God's primary goal is not changing our situations or relationships so that we can be happy, but changing us through our situations and relationships so that we will be holy.

Paul Tripp

James, like Jesus, uses the word "blessed" to make an objective statement about a person's positional status, not their emotional state. God's gracious favor is upon those who are in Christ, and it is precisely that gracious favor that fuels and enables faithful endurance. It is grace that motivates and drives us to endure. As William Cowper suggests, it is the "hidden smile of God" behind the dark clouds of tragedy that compels and moves us to keep going.

But James is making a more significant point in verse 12. God's grace fuels faithful 1

R. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount: The Message of the Kingdom (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013). KL 195-196.

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endurance, but faithful endurance also reveals and confirms a believer's claim to faith.

Referencing the word "trial" in both verse 2 and verse 12, Douglas Moo suggests, "'trial'…refers to any difficulty in life that may threaten our faithfulness to Christ: physical illness, financial reversal, the death of a loved one, etc."2 Therefore, in verse 12, James is communicating that the one who faces trials and yet remains faithful to Christ verifies the favor of God is upon them. Endurance through trials verifies/proves one's claim to faith. James repeatedly indicates throughout his letter that words don't verify our faith; actions do (James 1:19-25; James 2:14-26). Furthermore, endurance through trials also magnifies and glorifies God as we display to the world that despite our circumstances, we still look to God as our supreme hope and joy.

James continues building on his point, saying, “for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life….” The Greek adjective "dokimos," which is translated as “has stood the test,” was used in the testing of coins and metals to establish their genuineness.3 Peter says something similar in 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Trials reveal the genuine nature of our faith. How? In metallurgy, gold is refined by melting it at high Though Satan should buffet, temperatures. When gold is t h o ugh trials should come, Let melted, the impurities, known this blest assurance control, That as dross, rise to the surface Christ hath regarded my helpless where they are removed. But estate, And hath shed His own in the refining process, it is b l o o d f o r m y s o u l . M y s i n — o h , t h e possible to overheat gold b l i s s o f t h i s g l o r i o u s t h o u g h t ! — M y converting it to vapor where sin, not in part but the whole, Is it is ultimately lost. Peter says nailed to the cross, and I bear it our faith is more precious no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! than gold. It is of a higher standard, and the testimony Horatio Spafford of the Bible is that genuine faith cannot be overheated and lost. This is James' point when he says, "for when he has stood the test." It is a foregone conclusion to James that those who are in Christ will remain faithful and will not be crushed by the trials they face. Why? Because the favor of God is upon them.

When Job recounts the various trials that he faced, he says, “But [God] knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (Job 23:10). Job uses the same language of “trials” and indicates that they serve a purpose to remove the impurities, which will lead to Job coming out on the other side shimmering like gold. This is why James says the person that endures will receive the crown of life 2 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 70.

3

D. Edmond Hiebert, James (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2002). 83.

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because they prove their claim to faith is genuine. Theologian John Frame asks, ”How do we know that we belong to Christ? Scripture says that those who belong to Christ persevere to the end….”4 This is echoed in Matthew 10:21-22 where Jesus points to the last days and the trials Christians will face, "Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

James concludes by saying the one who remains faithful, enduring trials, will “receive the crown of life….” James is using "crown" similarly to Paul. We often think of crowns in terms of kings, but in the Greco-Roman world, crowns were more often presented as wreaths on the heads of victorious athletes, enduring to the finish of their race.

Paul says, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Cor 9:25). James uses "crown" in reference to a reward, and the word "life" following crown further clarifies what that reward is. What is the crown we will receive? Paul calls it the “crown of righteousness” in 2 Timothy 4:8. It is called the "crown of life" in Revelation 2:10 and the "crown of glory" in 1 Peter 5:4. It is the final culmination of our faith. It is the crown of right standing before God himself.

James' "overall purpose in this verse is to encourage believers to endure trials faithfully so that we might receive the reward that God has promised."5 The one who endures verifies he has right-standing before God. Simultaneously, it is because of right-standing with God that one can and will endure.

4

John M. Frame, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Phillipsburg, N.J.: P&R Publishing, 2013). 988.

5 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 70-71.

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JAM ES 1: 12

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What motivations does this passage give for standing up firm under tests and temptations?

2. Blessed is a very religious-sounding word. What does it mean to be blessed? How does understanding what this word really means change the way that you view blessedness?

3. How does the hope of a future reward change the way that you view the trials you experience now?

4. How does right standing before God enable us to endure trials?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Matt 10:21-22; 1 Cor 4:17; 2 Tim 4:8; James 5:11; 1 Peter 4:19; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev 2:10b; Rev 3:11

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JAMES 1:13-18 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. [14] But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. [15] Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. [16] Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. [18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Thus far, James has been writing to a group of scattered Christians and encouraging them to remain faithful to Christ even as they find themselves in a season of trials and difficulty. He reminds them that God is working to accomplish his purpose in their lives and their trials.

As James continues, he takes his encouragement one step further because he understands that trials do not come alone. Often, trials are accompanied by temptation. Trials will be accompanied with the temptation to despair, temptation to doubt God’s goodness, and temptation to sin in all sorts of ways that we think might make the trials less painful. James wants to distinguish, however, between trials and temptations and their source. James' point: Just because God allows trials in our lives, and just because God at times tests us, does not mean God is to blame for the temptations that we experience.

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I N F O R M A T I O N :

“The Greek word for ‘test’ in vs. 12, peirazō, is the same word that is translated ‘tempt’ in vv. 13–14.”1 By using this term as a linking word, James makes the transition from the topic of trials and testing to temptation. Though there is a difference between trials and temptations, there is still a connection between them. The goal of tempting is to “entice towards evil” while the purpose of testing is “that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4).2 A poor response in the human heart can make the testing that God meant for our good Misplaced affections an occasion for sin.3 Every trial that we face carries with it a temptation, an inner enticement to sin. The poor can be tempted to steal in order to be satisfied. Those who lose a loved one can be

need to be replaced by the far greater power of the affection of the gospel.

Thomas Chalmers

1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 76.

2

Russell Moore, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ (Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2011). 40

3

D. Edmond Hiebert, James (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2002). 89.

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tempted to curse God. Non-Christians see trials as God’s fault and therefore are tempted to blame God. Legalistic Christians see their trials as their own fault for “sinning." Therefore, they are tempted to see the way of escape as more of their own religious self-effort.

James makes it clear that God uses trials, but he is not the author of temptation (vs.

13). Enticement to sin comes from our own sinful nature, not from God (vv. 14–15). This is the reason why James says God cannot be tempted. If temptation is the “lure” away from God and faithfulness to Jesus, then it is impossible for God to be tempted because God cannot be unfaithful to himself, nor would He ever lead anyone to be unfaithful to Himself. What about Jesus being led into the wilderness where he was tempted (Matt 4:1)? Notice that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness and that it was Satan who tempted Jesus. Notice Satan’s temptations were repeated efforts at enticing Jesus to abandon God for self-glory and that it was by wholly leaning on the truth-filled words of C.S. Lewis the Father that Jesus resisted the temptation.

James sees it as important to remind his audience that just because God allows trials in our lives and just because God, at times, tests us, does not mean God is to blame for the temptations that we experience.

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Who is to blame? James says it is ourselves and our own evil desires. He indicates that our failure in temptation, as well as the temptation to blame God and others for our failure, are rooted in our broken, fallen hearts. This response is as old as the entry of sin into the world. Adam, Satan's first device to draw the after the Fall in the Garden of soul into sin is, to present the Eden, blamed Eve. He told God, bait—and hide the hook; to “the woman you gave to be with present the golden cup—and me, she gave me fruit of the tree, hide the poison; to present the and I ate” (Gen 3:12). But notice sweet, the pleasure, and the Adam’s blame of Eve also had a profit that may flow in upon the hidden accusation against God, soul by yielding to sin—and to hide from the soul the wrath “the woman you gave to be with and misery that will certainly me.”

follow the committing of sin.”

Thomas Brooks

In verses 14–15, James communicates the progression of temptation to sin in each of our hearts. He breaks down the process of how temptation, when left unchecked, can lead to sin. The Greek word for "desire" is "epithymia," which means inordinate desire. Temptation begins with our misplaced Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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inordinate desires. James uses two metaphors to communicate the temptation of the human heart: 1) a fish with a lure and 2) conception and birth. James suggests that temptation to sin is like a lure to a fish. The reason we find ourselves in the struggle and the snare is that we did not shun the bait. We think “My life is incomplete without ‘X.’” Or “If I could only have ‘Y,' I would be happy.” Or “If I don’t have ‘Z,' I will die.”

According to James, if left unchecked, these desires will conceive and give birth to sin.

Finally, in verses 16-18, James argues that God does not lead us into temptation because God is the giver of good and perfect gifts. Every act of his giving is good, and every gift he gives is perfect. James is likely leaning again on Matthew 7:7-11.

Verses 16-18 point us toward the greatest gift God gave: his only son to die on our behalf. How can we escape temptation? By looking to the one who was tempted in every way, yet was without sin (Heb 4:15).

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JAM ES 1: 13-18

D I SCU SSI O N 1. James makes a distinction between "tests" and “temptations.”

How would you articulate the difference?

2. Why is it that God cannot be tempted? Consider the definition of temptation.

3. What does our tendency to blame others reveal about the human heart?

4. How do verses 16-18 further clarify that temptation does not come from God? 5. What verses, promises, and/or truths do you turn to in the face of temptation to resist the lure?

6. How does a better understanding of these verses help you in the midst of temptation?

7. Considering that God is a loving Father who knows how to give good gifts, how does James 1:13-18 shed light on Jesus' phrase “lead us not into temptation” in Matt 6:13? What is Jesus teaching us to think and pray in this phrase?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Gen 3:6; Gen 3:12; Job 1-2; Matt 4:1; Matt 6:9-13; Lk 23:31-32; Heb 2:18; Heb 4:15; James 4:7-8 2. Tempted and Tried by Russell Moore

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JAMES 1:19-21 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; [20] for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. [21] Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In verse 18, James argued that through the “word of truth," God makes us “firstfruits of his creatures.” James now argues that as “firstfruits,” gospel transformed individuals are those who rightly receive, respond, and live out of an overflow from the word of God.

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I N F O R M A T I O N :

Every other time the phrase “word of truth” is used in the New Testament it refers to the gospel as the agent of salvation (2 Cor 6:7; Eph 1:13; Col 1:5; 2 Tim 2:15).1 As a result, we are all now “firstfruits,” which is a term describing the first converts in a specific province (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:15).2 James now argues in James 1:19-21 that as “firstfruits,” gospel transformed individuals are those who rightly receive, respond, and live out of an overflow from the word of God. If we have been transformed by the word then our lives ought to reflect that transformation James reminds his readers that, “new birth through the word must lead to a new life directed by the word.”3 This means followers of Christ don’t just hear the word, they act on the word (James 1:22-25); they bridle their tongues (James 1:26; 3:1-12); they care for the poor and powerless (James 1:27; 2:1-13); they live the word (James 3:14-26); they guard their hearts (James 4:1-12); they endure faithfully (James 1:212; 5:7-12), and, in the context of James 1:19-21, they receive wisdom quickly and respond with reaction slowly. This exhortation to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger is extremely common in the Old Testament (Prov 10:19; 13:3; 14:29; 15:1; 17:27–28; 29:11, 20; Ecc 7:9). The wisdom writers repeatedly refer to the person who restrains their words as wise, while they call the one who reacts in haste or in anger foolish.

Be killing sin

In verse 20, James clarifies the type of anger he is or it will be warning against. It is the “anger of man” that is his killing you. primary concern. James distinguishes the anger of John Owen man from the anger of God by articulating what the anger of man produces, or, more specifically, what it does not produce. James says the anger of man “does not produce the righteousness of God.” In most cases, the 1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 79.

2

D. Edmond Hiebert, James (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2002). 104.

3

Ibid., 113.

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righteousness of God is used to refer to right standing before God. This is especially the case when Paul uses the phrase. Instead, James uses the phrase righteousness of God to mean “right living before God” or “the righteous activity that meets God’s approval.”4 By implication, James argues that man’s anger does not lead to right living before God; instead, it leads to a different way of living — an anti-gospel way of living.

The anger of man is far more concerned with the kingdom of self (self-preservation, self-justification, self-exaltation) than it is the kingdom of God. Consider the various texts where Jesus is said to be angry (Mk 3:1–5; Matt 21:12– 13; Lk 19:41–44). What is he angry about? Each time it is directed towards sin and injustice. Like James, Paul challenges the church at Ephesus to "Be angry and do not sin”(Eph 4:26). Both James and Paul are clearly indicating that more often than not, man’s anger is rooted in response to minor inconveniences than it is a response to the things that grieve God. We can know that our anger is in line with the kingdom of God when we are angry over the things that anger God. This is sometimes referred to as “righteous anger.” John Piper says about righteous anger, “What makes God angry is the perversion of his goodness; the turning wrong of what he made right.

God calls this perversion evil. Evil twists and disfigures God’s glory, vandalizing what is most valuable, and profaning what is most holy. So our anger is righteous when we are angered over evil that profanes God’s holiness and perverts his goodness.”5 Notice James does not say, “do not get angry,” he says, “be slow to anger.” He assumes anger is part of the human experience. Coupled with “be quick to hear” and “slow to speak,” James is admonishing his audience to thoughtful gospel-centered restraint in the face of disagreement and opposition. James' encouragement is to be angry about those things that anger God. Rather than react, James suggests a better two-fold response:1) put away sin and 2) receive and submit to the word of God. First, James says, “put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness.” The phrase “Put away,” sometimes translated as “get rid of,” uses the image of stripping off a garment, a common metaphor in the New Testament (Rom 13:12; Eph 4:22; Col 3:8; Heb 12:1; 1 Pet 2:1). It can also mean: cease doing what you have grown accustomed to doing. In theological terms, this is the believer’s joint partnership with the Holy Spirit in the work of sanctification, where the believer shuns sin and abandons their “preChristian lifestyle.”6 As Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp suggest, “It is tempting to look at the trouble in our relationships and locate the problem outside ourselves.”7 But James' exhortation to his audience is that they first look at their own hearts and the sin that lies within before locating the problem outside of themselves. If we have been transformed by the “word of truth,” then we must respond to conflict according to that same word of truth. If we are going to respond rightly, we must recognize our tendency to 4 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 83.

5 John Piper, “How Can We Be Angry and Not Sin?” Desiring God (February 26, 2016), https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-can-webe-angry-and-not-sin 6

Moo, The Letter of James. 86.

7

Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp, Relationships: A Mess Worth Making (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2008). KL 508.

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misunderstand, over-react, and fight for the kingdom of self.

Second, James says, "receive with meekness the implanted word." How are we transformed from sinner to saint? How do we grow in Christ-likeness? How do we know what angers God? How do we know what is out-of-bounds behavior in the kingdom of God? How do we know what ought to be put off and what ought to be put on? James argues that it is by receiving the implanted word of truth "which is able to save your souls."

First and foremost, James is talking about the word of the gospel, which is the "power of God for salvation" (Rom 1:16). The gospel is good news that though we are sinners deserving God's just judgment, instead, he offers us his profound mercy, grace, rescue, and redemption in Jesus. Where is this word of the gospel found? It is found in the written word of God, which is "able to make us "wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 3:15). And what does the written word of God always point us towards? It points us to the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. .

Notice James moved from the metaphor of clothing to the metaphor of farming. By "implanted," James is not referring to "something that all people have within them from birth onward, but an entity that has taken up residence within believers" by the work of the Spirit.8 The Spirit implants the word of the gospel, using the written word of God, which points towards the living Word of God, Jesus. We must receive this word with meekness, and it must be watered and brought to full life, informing the believer's everyday living. Meekness is power under control. It is humility. It is acknowledging the truth of the gospel that we cannot rescue and clean up our own lives. It is acknowledging the truth of the written word that we are sinners in need of a savior. And it is acknowledging that Jesus is that savior to whom we must submit. It is by receiving and submitting to the word of God in all the above-listed ways that we are rescued, redeemed, transformed, and grow in Christ.

8

Moo, The Letter of James. 87.

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JAM ES 1: 19-21

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What do you notice about the progression of James' exhortation, "Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to become angry?” What is the typical progression we often follow? Why do you think James' exhortation is often so difficult?

2. What does good listening look like? How much do patience and restraint play a part?

3. What is the difference between man’s anger and the anger of God? (Consider making a list). What are some examples of things that might anger God? How do these compare to the things we typically get angry about? What does this reveal about God and about you?

4. What does “putting away” sin look life in your life? What does receiving the word with meekness look like in your life?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Prov 10:19; 13:3; 14:29; 15:1; 17:27–28; 29:11, 20; Ecc 7:9; Mk 3:1–5; Matt 21:12–13; Lk 19:41–44; Eph 4:26; Rom 13:12; Eph 4:22; Col 3:8; Heb 12:1; 1 Pet 2:1.

2. Relationships: A Mess Worth Making, Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp

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JAMES 1:22–25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24] For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25] But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Gospel-transformed individuals are those who rightly receive, respond, and live out the word of God. In James 1:22-25, James further amplifies this point arguing that wholehearted acceptance of the Word must result in active obedience to the Word.

We cannot just be hearers of the Word because obedience is not merely listening.

One demonstrates obedience by taking action- by being a doer of the

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Since verse 18, James has been making the argument that the word of God changes us and that the word must be lived out and applied in every context and contour of our lives. In verse 22, James argues that the word of God was never intended to be merely soaked up like water in a sponge. Instead, it was intended to change individuals and then be wrung out in everyday living. Douglas Moo writes, “James would certainly endorse the need to pay careful attention to what the word says, studying it, meditating on it, and pondering its meaning and application.”1 But the word must also be applied and lived out.

Studying the Bible is much more than an intellectual classroom exercise. It is a life-transforming process. Application of the word begins with belief, which results in doing. Regarding studying the Bible, David Dockery notes, “Fine study without thoughtful reflection and application is like a fine run [by a running back] that stops short of the goal line or a fine meal [cooked to perfection] that goes in the trash.”2 James is not concerned with merely transferring information. He is concerned with life transformation. It is the theme of his entire letter and this specific passage.

James argues that we must not be “hearers only, deceiving [ourselves].” The word “deceive” in this context means to make false arguments against something. James suggests that when we receive the instruction, Dietrich Bonhoeffer correction, or rebuke of the word of God, we must not argue against that which is revealed. In other words, we must not look for ways to squirm out of the application of the Word revealed.

One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons.

1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 88.

2

David Dockery and George Guthrie, Holman Guide To Interpretting The Bible (Nashville, TN; B&H Publishing Group, 2003). KL 1358.

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James goes further, saying the person who hears the word clearly and yet does not do it is like a man who looks intently in a mirror but goes away and forgets how looks.

The language James uses is important and carries more than just forgetfulness.

To look “intently” means to inspect deeply You may as well quit and discover something. Notice the thing reading and hearing the James' imaginary man looks at intently. It word of God, and give is his “natural face.” This phrase means his it to the devil, if you “true face” or “true self.” Mirrors in the first do not desire to live century were not like the glass mirrors that according to it. we have today. Instead, ancient mirrors were Martin Luther “generally polished bronze, sometimes silver or even gold.”3 These polished metals enabled someone to get a good enough look at themselves. The reflection from these metals was imperfect.

Truth in the Bible means stability, reliability, firmness, trustworthiness, the quality of a person who is entirely selfconsistent, sincere, realistic, undeceived. God is such a person: truth, in this sense, is his nature, and he has not got it in him to be anything else. That is why he cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Heb 6:18). That is why his words to us are true, and cannot be other than true.

J. I. Packer

The mirror of God’s word is different, however. It allows us to have a true picture of ourselves and see ourselves as we really are. The word of God is a mirror revealing our true selves. To look into it, see ourselves for what we are, and to learn of areas that require change yet do nothing would be absurd to James. The crux of his challenge is that we must look into the word and respond when we learn of sin in our lives, see a call to obey, or discover an area we must submit. To see the truth and to do nothing requires an individual to literally deceive himself. As Paul says in Romans 1, it requires suppressing the truth.

Deception happens all the time when we pick and choose the commands we like and are willing to obey. However, James argues this is not faith and is not full submission to Jesus and his word. He also argues in verse 25 that this is not the life that will experience the full favor of God. Instead, it is the one who looks into the law of freedom and acts that will be blessed. In the word, we not only see that we are sinners, but we also begin to see the beauty of grace and freedom offered to us in Jesus' substitutionary and sacrificial death on the cross. That results in a tangible response: joy-filled obedience. That person, according to James, will be blessed.

Remember, "blessed" means the approval or favor of God. James' chief point is that the person that receives the approval of God is the person that submits to God’s rule and reign in their lives. Submitting to God’s rule and reign means hearing what he says and doing it — not hearing only, not picking and choosing — but full obedience, demonstrated through action.

3

D. Edmond Hiebert, James (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2002). 120.

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JAM ES 1: 22-25

D I SCU SSI O N 1. According to these verses, what role is the word of God meant to play in our lives?

2. Why do you think we are so willing to stand before the mirror of the word of God and yet not change the things it reveals about our hearts and lives? What does this say about us? What does it say about our study of the Word?

3. What does the phrase "the perfect law which gives freedom" tell us about God's law and where true freedom is found? How does this understanding differ from how people often view God's law and genuine freedom?

4. How do you personally avoid and protect against being a person who just hears God's word, rather than one who does it?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Consider doing a comparative study of Psalm 1 and Psalm 2.

How many people are spoken of in 1:2 and 2:1? What does the man do in 1:2 and the nations do in 2:2? What is the difference in attitude in 1:2 and 2:3? What is the result in 1:3 and 2:4-5?

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JAMES 1:26–27 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. [27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : What does a gospel transformed life look like? In James 1:26-27, James gives three different ways the gospel is made visible in the gospel transformed life. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. James is not implying that these are the only things we are to do. But he gives us some examples of what doing the word looks like when we have experienced a relationship with Jesus and have implanted the word in our hearts.

These examples are: controlling the tongue, a concern for the helpless, and avoiding the impurities of the world.

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What does “religion” mean in the way that James uses it in this context? The only occurrence of the adjective “religious” (thrēskos) in the entire New Testament is in this passage in James 1:26a.1 The word religion is uncommon in the New Testament for the same reasons that it is often avoided today. Religion is often associated with outward practice divorced from inward heart change. Perhaps this is the reason James uses the word. He is challenging his audience to authentic faith. Faith that is not mere words, or as he said in verse 22, not mere listening. In the context that James uses the word, “religious” can mean the “devout or devoted life,” “the life that God requires,” or “the life consistent with what God expects.” In the context of James 1:26-27, James argues that the life consistent with what God expects lives up to three tests or marks of authentic faith. The three marks James provides makes it possible to verify that one’s faith is more than mere words or outward practice.

James argues throughout his letter that the proof of one's faith is in outward action.

He says that anyone who thinks they are living according to what God expects will outwardly display at least three minimal markers of genuine gospel transformation.

These three markers are not meant to be exhaustive. Instead, they are tests of gospel transformation. He argues that authentic faith: You are not only 1) restrains the tongue, 2) cares for and defends responsible for what the powerless, and 3) values what is right. you say, but also for

what you do not say.

James provides one test in negative terms and Martin Luther two in positive terms. The first test of authentic faith, according to James, is whether a person restrains the tongue. If a person does not restrain their tongue and thinks they are living the life that God expects, James

1

D. Edmond Hiebert, James (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2002). 124.

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says, that person is “deceived.” Speech plays an important role in James' letter about authentic faith. Certainly, James has in mind gossip, slander, and deception. But he also has in mind “self-justifying speech” (James 1:13-14), flattery (James 2:3-4), “careless speech” (James 2:16), hypocritical, inconsistent speech (James 3:9), and boastful speech (James 4:13).2 A second test James provides is the test of care for and defense of the powerless.

James says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…” Orphans and widows are representative of the two most needy classes in ancient society.3 They had no power and were taken advantage of often. Yet, a common Religious posers, on the other Old Testament theme is that God hand, will be exposed for a is “a father to the fatherless and dead theology, for faith without defender of widows” (Ps 68:5, accompanying deeds, for Deut 10:18-19). In the context hearts and homes that offered of James, orphans and widows no welcome, for charity that s t a r t e d a t h o m e a n d a l s o e n d e d represent any person who is t h e r e . T h e r e l i g i o u s p o s e r s w i l l helpless, weak, and/or powerless. h a v e b u i l t b o r d e r s a r o u n d t h e i r James exhorts followers of Christ hearts and lives, borders that to recognize that this once was k e p t t h i n g s t i d y a n d p r e d i c t a b l e their condition under the power and under control, borders of sin. Yet, “Jesus…though he was that kept them safe from all rich…became poor so that [we] by the messiness and costs and his poverty might become rich” i n c o n v e n i e n c e s o f l o v e , b o r d e r s (2 Cor 8:9). Jesus leveraged all of that will show they may have his power to rescue us who were never encountered the broadr e a c h i n g , t r a n s f o r m a t i v e l o v e o f powerless. James argues that true gospel transformation will display Jesus in the first place. itself in care for the poor and Scott Sauls powerless.

James' third and final test is the test of value. James says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this…to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Daniel Doriani notes, “From one perspective, the world is simply God’s creation. But the world is a system of thought, a system of values.” James makes the argument that one who is transformed by the gospel will value the things that God values. This means the gospel transformed person will not value the same things that the world values.

In other words, “If anyone thinks he is living according to what God requires yet does not restrain his words is deceived.” Furthermore, “The life that God requires is one that defends the powerless and values what is right.” This is what it means to be obedient to the word and to live out the faith that we have from a changed and a regenerated heart. James insists upon “right conduct that results from a right relationship with 2 Daniel M. James Doriani, Edited by Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani. Reformed Expository Commentary.

(Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007). 58 3

Hiebert, James, 127.

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God through the transforming word of God. Sympathy with suffering and separation from sin demonstrate the operation of living faith in the heart.”4 These verses, and the idea that true religion is manifested in a lifestyle of obedience to God, become the recurring theme of the rest of the letter.5

4

Hiebert, James, 128.

5 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 96.

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JAM ES 1: 26-27

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What ideas and concepts come to mind when you think of a religious person? How do James' words counter this view?

2. James lists three things as characteristic of religion that is pure.

Why do you think these things are so important?

3. Restraining the tongue is an important theme in James' letter?

Why do you think this is so important to the Christian life? Consider Matt 12:34.

4. What are some examples of “orphans and widows” that surround you daily? What are some ways as individuals or as a group we can tangibly serve them this week?

5. What is a common phrase we often hear about abstaining from the world? How does understanding James' teaching on the world as a value system help you understand James 1:27 better?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Deut 10:18-19; Deut 24:19-21; Job 29:12-13; Prov 13:3; 21:23; 18:7; Ecc 10:12; Jer 7:6; 22:3; Matt 12:34.

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JAMES 2:1–7 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. [2] For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, [3] and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” [4] have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? [5] Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? [6] But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? [7] Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? (ESV) B I G

I D E A : James continues with his discussion on the marks of a genuinely transformed gospelcentered life. James points out our tendency to play favorites and challenges us to consider how favoritism and partiality are not in line with the gospel. In this particular passage, James focuses on our tendency to make economic distinctions placing value on those with more.

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James begins by addressing his audience with “my brothers.” James often uses this phrase to introduce a new topic. But it also shows James' pastoral care as he issues his imperatives (James 1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19).

Here he is transitioning to the topic of favoritism and partiality. The word James uses for partiality literally means “receiving the face.”1 To “receive the face” means to make judgments about people based on external circumstances such as race, class, rank, age, gender, achievements, ancestry, or wealth.2 James argues that playing favorites is not compatible with “hold[ing] the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” James' point is that “discriminating against people is inconsistent with true faith in Christ.”3 Before exploring the example James offers and the larger point he is making, it is important to note what James is not saying. He is not talking about giving or withholding respect from those who deserve it. This assertion would contradict the rest of the biblical witness. Peter says, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Pet 2:17). Later he exhorts those who are younger to honor those who are older. Paul says, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Rom 13:7). James is not talking about 1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 102.

2

D. Edmond Hiebert, James (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 2002). 132.

3

Moo, The Letter of James, 100.

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showing respect or honor towards those who deserve it. He is talking about showing preferential treatment towards people based on external appearances and based on our own internal motives of selfish gain.

Following James imperative to forgo partiality, James proceeds to give a tangible and visible example to make his overarching point on favoritism. To make this larger point, James presents Jesus, in his incarnation, “moved the example of a man in” with the poor. He lived with, ate w i t h , a n d a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e s o c i a l l y of great wealth, social o s t r a c i z e d ( M a t t 9 : 1 3 ) . H e r a i s e d t h e status, and shiny clothes (lit.) contrasted with a son of the poor widow (Luke 7:11– 1 6 ) a n d s h o w e d t h e g r e a t e s t r e s p e c t poor man of low social to the immoral woman who was a status in filthy clothes. social outcast (Luke 7:36ff). Indeed, James argues “if” the man Jesus spoke with women in public, of great wealth enters something that a man with any your assembly and “if” you standing in society would not have pay special attention to done, but Jesus resisted the sexism of his day (John 4:27). Furthermore, him, associating his value Jesus refused to go along with the with his possessions and racism of his culture, making a you devalue the man of hated Samaritan the hero of one lesser wealth “have you of his most famous parables (Luke not made distinctions 10:26ff). Additionally, he sparked a r i o t w h e n h e c l a i m e d t h a t G o d l o v e d among yourselves and G e n t i l e s l i k e t h e w i d o w o f Z a r e p h a t h become judges with evil and Naaman the Syrian as much as thoughts?” “Distinctions” Jews (Luke 4:25–27). Jesus showed can be translated as “to special concern for children, despite discriminate unjustly.” his apostles’ belief that they were

not worth Jesus' time (Luke 18:15).

Lepers also figured greatly in Jesus' ministry. They were not only sick and dying but were the outcasts of society. Jesus met their need for physical healing and reached out his hand and touched them, giving them their first human contact in years (Mark 1:41; Luke 5:13). He called his disciples to give to the poor in the strongest and most startling ways while praising the poor for their own generosity (Mark 12:42–43).

James’ primary point is that when one makes these sorts of distinctions in human value, he is snubbing God. Is this not rooted in our sinful hearts (lit. evil thoughts)? In the garden, man raised his fist to God and thought himself better and wiser than God. If we think Tim Keller ourselves better than God, we will naturally think ourselves greater than the people around us, and we will also be quick to make “distinctions” in human value. James subtly points out, by his example and his imperative, that the judgment we are making is not only in human value but in the value we believe we will receive from them. In contrast, the gospel calls us to humble ourselves before God recognizing that every person was made in the image of God and therefore has intrinsic value. We must further recognize that we are all equally Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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poor, powerless, and desperately in need of God’s grace. This is James' point in verse 5.

James then moves on to ask his audience to evaluate the desire behind giving preferential treatment to the rich person in the first place. In the context of James' audience, the rich were “the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court” and “the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called."

James is pointing out the inconsistency of their belief and actions. You treat those of great wealth with great honor, but the very ones you honor are the ones who blaspheme Jesus and exploit you.

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JAM ES 2: 1-7

D I SCU SSI O N 1. How would you define “partiality” or “favoritism?”

2. What are some of the hidden motives behind why we play favorites?

3. Are there any tangible examples of favoritism that you have witnessed like James' example in verses 2-3? What harmful effects do you think this favoritism has? What does favoritism within the Christian community communicate to the watching world?

4. How are playing favorites, discrimination, and partiality contradictory to the gospel? What impact does a right understanding of the gospel have on favoritism?

5. Does God play favorites (consider and then see Rom 2:11 & Acts 10:34)? What is the evaluative measurement God uses in accepting us?

6. Read Isaiah 53:2-3. What similarities and insights do you see in James' example and the promised Messiah of Isaiah 53:2-3?

7. What does James 2:1-7 tell us about God's concern for the poor and what are the implications for us?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Lev 19:15; Deut 1:17; 16:18-19; John 7:24; Lk 14:12-13; 2 Cor 8:9 2. Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just, by Tim Keller

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JAMES 2:8–13 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. [9] But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. [10] For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. [11] For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. [12] So speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. [13] For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In these verses, James drives home his point on partiality. James argues, if we are showing partiality, then we are not showing neighbor love. Instead, we are playing the judge and making a distinction. He then reminds us that partiality was not shown to us in our salvation. We did not receive love because of our riches or achievements or good works. Instead, we were shown mercy. Therefore, James argues, we ought to love in this same way. Always strive to speak and act in light of the fact that no partiality was shown to us. God did not judge us but showed us mercy; therefore, we ought to love in the same way.

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James begins with reference to the royal law and “loving your neighbor as yourself.”

The royal law can be translated as the supreme law or the greatest commandment.

When Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment by a Pharisee in Matthew 22:36, he responds with, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The first refers to a right relationship to God. The second follows the first and is about right relationship to man.

Here James only emphasizes the second great commandment. Why do you think that is? It is likely because his emphasis is on how we live as Christians, not on how we become Christians. This has been his theme all along (e.g., his repeated reference to “my brothers.”). If there is an inner transformation by the Gospel, then there ought to be an outward transformation of actions. Particularly, a transformation in how we love others, even those not like us.

James' reference to “loving your neighbor as yourself” originates in Leviticus 19:18.

In the Old Testament, 'neighbor' referred to fellow Israelites. However, in the New Testament, “Jesus expands the application to include everyone with whom a person might come into contact, including foreigners (Lk 10:25–37) and enemies (Matt

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5:44).”1 Kurt Richardson expounds, “Neighbor love in Scripture is directed to everyone in close proximity to each believer, without distinction. Whether or not the “neighbor” is a believer in Jesus, that one is to receive the same love.”2 He further clarifies that “No one is outside the The impious Galileans [Christians] boundary of neighbor support not only their own poor, but love, not even the ours as well, everyone can see that our poor and unlovely, people lack from aid from us. indeed, especially not R o m a n E m p e r o r J u l i a n ( a r o u n d 3 6 0 A D ) them.”3 So, in essence, James says if you love everyone equally, graciously, and generously, you do well and are legitimately keeping the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.

James then sets the hook saying, “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” Verses 10-11 echo this point. Failure in one point of the law means you are breaking the whole law. Although James uses these extreme examples, we could also understand these to include the broadened and deeper sense of lust and anger, as taught by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:21–30). Both [During the great epidemic] most of these commands o f our brother Christians showed relate closely to the unbounded love and loyalty, never law of love, and the sparing themselves…heedless of extreme instances danger, they took charge of the of adultery and s i c k , attending to their every need murder demonstrate and ministering to them in Christ… the absurdity of Many, in nursing and curing others, inconsistent obedience transferred their death to themselves to one over the other. and died in their stead… The [pagans] If we commit murder, behaved in the very opposite way. At do we still love just f i r s t o n s e t o f t h e d i s e a s e , t h e y p u s h e d because we have not the sufferers away and fled even from their dearest, throwing them into the committed adultery? roads before they were dead.

If we commit adultery, do we still love just Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria because we have not (around 360 AD). murdered?

James' answer is an emphatic no.

Showing the slightest bit of partiality does not love in line with the Gospel. In verse 5, he says that when we show partiality, we make ourselves the judge. We elevate ourselves to god-like status. It makes an unjust distinction between people based on external circumstances. James' point in this entire section is that showing partiality 1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 112.

2

Kurt A. Richardson, James. Vol. 36. The New American Commentary. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997). 119.

3

Ibid., 120.

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is incompatible with gospel-centered neighbor love. If you love your neighbor regardless of their circumstances, then you do well. But if you show just one person partiality in the least bit, you do not love in line with the Gospel. Why? Because it is inconsistent with the way that God loved us in Jesus on the cross.

James then closes with the challenge to live in light of the grace that God has extended to us. He says, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” This is best translated as “be constantly speaking” and “be constantly acting” as those who are judged under the law of liberty. Doug Moo contends, "Christians [ought] to regulate their conduct with an eye on the judgment to come; literally rendered, it says, ‘Speak in such a manner and act in such a manner as those who are about to be judged by the law of liberty.’”4 In other words, always be speaking and acting in light of the fact that no partiality was shown to us in the Gospel. God did not judge us as he should: as rebels that deserve to be crushed. Instead, He showed us mercy. We did nothing to earn His favor yet, because of His grace and mercy, we received it. Therefore, we ought to love in this same way.

4

Moo, The Letter of James, 116.

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JAM ES 2: 8-13

D I SCU SSI O N 1. The Word tells us that the royal law is "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." How does our broader culture define love? How does this differ from the biblical model of love?

2. James, like Jesus, broadens the boundary of neighbor-love from those who are like us to anyone in proximity to us. Is loving in this way easy to do? Why or why not? What does our answer reveal about our hearts?

3. What motivations does James give for showing no partiality and loving everyone near to us?

4. James writes, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” What did he mean by this? What impact did he intend for it to have on his readers? How did he intend for them to change their lives as a result of reading these words?

5. What does James mean by the “law of liberty?” Most people perceive their relationship with God as “I do, therefore I’m accepted.” But the Gospel reverses this completely and teaches us, “I’m accepted, therefore I do.” How does this liberate us to love more generously and graciously?

6. Who, around us, needs gospel-centered neighbor love? Is there a specific person you can show mercy filled, gospel-centered neighbor love this week?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Lev 19:18; Matt 22:36-39; Matt 5:44; Lk 10:25-37

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JAMES 2:14-23 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17] So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. [19] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [20] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In these verses, we come to James’ primary point in writing his letter. Namely, genuine faith ought to produce deeds of faith. One could also say acts of faith ought to overflow out of genuine faith.

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In this text we come to what some have called the “theological highpoint” of the letter.1 James’ argument: There is an “inseparable union between faith and works.”2 James is ringing the bell and calling to account those who pay lip service to inward transformation but have no outward transformation. The lack of outward action proves they do not understand salvation and is yet another evaluative tool to measure genuine faith.

Faith is a living, restless thing. It cannot be inoperative. We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith.

Christians tend to fall into one of two traps, each an enemy of the gospel. On the one hand, legalistic Christians start to live and act as if works have the power to save them. On the other, Christians abuse their liberty when they try making a kind of law out of the doctrine of justification by faith apart from works. They suppose Martin Luther that works don’t matter at all and call any concern for moral purity and acts of mercy legalism. But the gospel tells us that faith and works are inseparable. The gospel proclaims we are not saved by works, but we are set free to do works (i.e., Eph 2:8-10).

1 Daniel M. James Doriani, Edited by Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani. Reformed Expository Commentary.

(Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007). 103.

2 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 81.

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James begins by asking two rhetorical questions. First, He asks, “What profit (or good) is it if someone says (or claims) he has faith but does not have works?” Implied in James' question is that such a claim is of no value It is a good thing to or profit or good. There is a double meaning possess an accurate to this. First, a faith that produces no deeds of theology, but it is u n s a t i s f a c t o r y u n l e s s faith is no good to the world that is in desperate need to receive those deeds. Secondly, a faith that good theology also possesses us. that produces no deeds of faith is no good. It is defective. James will say three times in verses 17, J.L. Mitton 20, and 26 that such a faith is dead and useless.

James asks a second rhetorical question, “Can that faith (that is claimed) save that man?” Again, implied is a negative answer, “No!” By this, “James is not saying that faith does not save: he is saying that the faith this person claims to have, a faith that has not works, cannot save.”3 Moo points out, “the Greek word for faith (pistis) has the article in this clause, and shows that it is referring back to the faith just mentioned: the faith the person claims to have.”4 “Mere profession…does not count,” says Kurt Richardson.5

Bad things happen when maturity is more defined by knowing than it is by being.

Danger is afloat when you come to love the ideas more than the God whom they represent and the people they are meant to free.

Paul Tripp

James then asks a third question by way of illustration. James asks if one of your fellow believers (notice he says brother or sister) is lacking in basic provisions like food and clothes, and all you do is give them a verbal blessing “what good is that?” Yet again, implied is that such a verbal proclamation is of no value. “Go in peace” is a common biblical blessing and means “May God go with you.” The latter phrase “be warmed and filled” can be translated as “warm yourself and feed yourself.” In other words, “May God go with you…as you take care of yourself.” What good is the verbal proclamation?

It makes no difference in the life of the one in need, nor does it make a difference in the life of the one making the claim. Richardson notes, “The poor need more than mere words; so does the believer who needs the saving act and wisdom of God.”6 In verse 17, James comes to the conclusion, “faith without works is dead.” Moo notes, "The contrast is not, then, between faith and works, but between a faith that ‘has works’ and a faith that does not have works. The latter is, like a body without a spirit (cf. James 2:26), lifeless, and profits one nothing on the day of judgment.”7 James moves to yet another example when he speaks of the demons who believe. Here again, he emphasizes that mere intellectual acknowledgment that there is a God does not result in life transformation, nor does it produce deeds of faith. Salvation 3

Moo, James: An Introduction. 104.

4

Ibid.

5

Kurt A. Richardson, James. Vol. 36. The New American Commentary. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997). 128.

6

Ibid., 130.

7

Moo. James: An Introduction. 107.

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is both propositional assent and personal allegiance. As both of these truths are worked out in the life of a believer, they must and will result in outward deeds of faith.

James concludes in vs. 21-23, and then again in vs. 25-26, with two final pieces of evidence: the visible faith of Abraham and Rahab. In both cases, prior faith was displayed in action. The verbal claims led to a visible faith, and the visible actions verified the verbal claims. The John Calvin two are inseparable in genuine faith. Moo notes, “Abraham and Rahab ‘were justified by works’ in the sense that they demonstrated their righteous status by performing good works.”8

It is, therefore, faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone.

8

Ibid., 112.

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JAM ES 2: 14-23

D I SCU SSI O N 1. From an initial reading of this passage, what does James seem to be saying is the relationship between faith and works? What apparent difficulties does this passage present both theologically and practically?

2. What are the greatest obstacles you face when it comes to being a merciful person? What do you think you need to do in order to surmount those obstacles?

3. What are specific situations in which you presently find yourself where you can show mercy to others? What kind of plan will enable you to do this?

4. Look closely at James' account of Abraham. Was he not considered righteous prior to offering up Isaac? Did his offering of Isaac by faith earn him right standing before God or display his right standing before God? Read Genesis 22:1-14, particularly verse 12. How does this shed light on James' teaching in 2:14-23.

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Gen 12-17; 1 Jn 3:17–18; Eph 2:8-10 2. Ministries of Mercy, by Tim Keller 3. Dangerous Calling, by Paul Tripp

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JAMES 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : James is intent on clarifying "justification by faith.” Namely, that works overflow from faith, reveal faith, and clarify faith.

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At first glance, it appears that James is directly contradicting Paul in Galatians 2:16, where he writes, “a person is not justified by works of the law.” Or in Romans 3:28, where Paul says, “we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

However, it is important to understand that while Paul and James both use the same word for “works” and “justify” they both approach these words from different sides of the same coin.

While many see James and Paul contradicting one another, especially in verse 24, it is important to note that they are actually complementary to one another. Paul speaks primarily of works that precede faith, while James speaks primarily of works that proceed from faith. Paul primarily confronts those who attempt to leverage their works to earn God’s favor. James, on the other hand, confronts those who overconfidently assume they have favor with God and, therefore, can live however they want without works.

It ought to be the first concern of every Christian to lay aside all confidence in works and grow in the knowledge, not of works, but of Christ Jesus, who suffered and rose for him.

Martin Luther

As Douglas Moo argues, ”Paul and James are combating opposite problems.”1 Paul combats legalism while James combats license (also known as antinomianism). Paul addresses our tendency to over-rely on our own works and obedience to please God. James, on the other hand, addresses our tendency to “under-emphasize” works with an “attitude that turn[s] faith into mere doctrinal orthodoxy. Against this perversion of faith, James is forced to assert the importance of works.”2

G.C. Berkouwer points out that license or antinomianism, “tirelessly preached the completely and perfectly finished work of Christ on the cross. Redemption was accomplished in this unrepeatable and definitive event, and from this it was

1 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 47.

2

Ibid.

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concluded that there is really nothing for the believer to do, that every effort to ascribe an activity to the believer was a refined form of work-righteousness, and that this was an attempt to add self-righteousness to the work of Christ as though His work were insufficient.”3 James, however, argues that true redemption always results in a transformed life that leads to transformed actions and works.

Both Paul and James are addressing works, but

What makes faith from opposite sides of one’s justification. Both Paul s a l v i f i c i s t h e o b j e c t and James use the Greek word “dikaioo” or “justify," of faith.

but in two different ways. Paul uses the word “to Thomas Schreiner describe the dynamic activity whereby the sinner is graciously given a new status” before God.4 In this sense, our moral performance and religious activity play no part in earning, meriting, or achieving a new status before God. Paul repeatedly asserts that this new status is based solely on the sufficient work of Christ. Therefore, according to Paul, no one can point to their works to justify themselves or to secure justification for themselves.

James also uses “dikaioo," but with a different meaning. Moo contends that it is “a meaning that is well attested in the Old Testament, in the Gospel of Matthew and in many Jewish sources. In these sources dikaioō usually describes a verdict that is based on the actual facts of the case; a judge declares a person ‘righteous’ because that person can be proven, in fact, to be ‘righteous’ or innocent.”5 In other words, James is speaking of justifying works as the evidence of justification and saving faith.

James understands as Martin Luther puts it, “We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith.”

3

G.C. Berkouwer, Faith and Justification (Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans, 1954). 148-149.

4

Moo. James: An Introduction. 47-48

5

Ibid.

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JAM ES 2: 24

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What is your understanding of the relationship between justification (our new legal standing before God) and sanctification (our ongoing spiritual growth)? Which one must come first? Why? 2. Justification is a legal term that refers to God’s gracious activity in forgiving our sins and giving us right standing before God. 1. Why do we need justification according to Romans 3:10 & 23?

2. Who needs justification according to Romans 3:9 and Galatians 2:15?

3. How are we justified, according to Romans 3:24?

4. In Galatians 2:16, Paul says three times we are not justified by what?

3. How would you articulate the complementary nature of Paul and James regarding works?

4. What does a gospel transformed life look like?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Faith Alone—The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters, by Thomas R. Schreiner.

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JAMES 2:25-26 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? [26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : James has been making one singular point in James 2:14-26. Namely, that works do not gain or earn acceptance before God. They do however, overflow from faith, reveal faith, and clarify faith. James’ primary point is found in verse 24. On either side of verse 24 are two case studies of people whose works overflowed from faith.

The first was Abraham in Genesis 22:12 and the second is Rahab in Joshua 2. Both displayed active faith that resulted in obedience and works.

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James’ overarching theme in James 2:14-26 is that works overflow from faith. As Calvin argues, we are not justified by works, and yet our faith is “not without works.”1 Three times James says faith without works is dead, useless, and dead (James 2:17, 20, 26). James’ point: If we are transformed by the gospel, then it will and it must result in outward works of the gospel. “Something is amiss,” Luther says, if one claims to be a follower of Christ and yet is not loving, sacrificing, serving, and giving.2 Paul says followers of Christ take on the aroma of Christ (2 Cor 2:15). All of this echoes the message of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5) and with the Pharisees (Matt 15). Jesus says, these “people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me” (Is 29:13; Matt 15:8). Their outward words and actions do not match the inward condition of their hearts.

In verse 24 James says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” This verse is controversial. Many see it as James contradicting Paul and even contradicting the gospel. Instead, A true faith produces as has been said, we should see this as results, and in complimentary to Paul. Paul speaks of works particular the result that precede faith. While James speaks of costly and wholly of works that proceed from faith. Our trustful obedience to justification is made evident by our actions. the word of God. James has been saying works must proceed J.A. Motyer from faith. If not, then what you are calling faith is not genuine faith.

And he provides two case studies to illustrate his point. Abraham in Genesis 22:12 and his faith made evident through the action of offering up Isaac. And then, “in the 1 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 798.

2

Martin Luther, Sermon on Luke 17:11-19, The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, Vol. 3:1 (Michigan: Baker Books, 2000), 71-72.

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same way” Rahab. Her faith was made evident through the action of covering the spies and then seeking covering herself.

Rahab Acts In Joshua 2 the people of Israel are on the verge of taking the promised land after wandering for 40 years, Moses is dead, and Joshua is in command. The Israelites are on the Eastern side of the Jordan River in a place called Shittim where God told them to prepare because he was about to give them the promised land. Joshua then sent two spies from Shittim into the city of Jericho to spy it out. They entered into the city of Jericho and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab.

Rahab was a Cannanite prostitute in the Canaanite city of Jericho. She was a Gentile, female, and a prostitute. And yet, we later learn, Rahab becomes the mother of Boaz, Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus, and Rahab is listed in the Hebrews 11 faith hall of fame. Why? To be fair she was the central We are saved figure, used by God to convince Israel to enter and by faith alone, take the land. While the men of Israel, 40 years earlier, but the faith abandoned God, went into prostitutes in Shittim, and that sves is ran in fear from the promised land, now God uses a never alone. prostitute to confirm his promises to spies sent from John Calvin Shittim (Num 13-14; 25:1–3; 31:16).

But why does James use her as a case study. First, she acted. She hid the spies and she protected them. Joshua 2:4-6 says, “But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.’

But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.

This is an extraordinary act of faith. If her actions had been discovered by local residents, especially the rulers, she would have likely been put to death. She acted at great cost to herself, offering the spies covering and protection at the risk of her own life. Her actions were all motivated by her recognition that God was the true and only God over the universe. She acted because of faith.

Rahab Professed In Joshua 2:9-11, Rahab says, “I know that the Lord has given you the land…For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you…as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”

Rahab’s faith in God is the clear cause for why she acted to protect these spies.3 Rahab believed that God had given the land to Israel, that God had ultimate power

3 Thomas D. Lea, Hebrews & James. Vol. 10. Holman New Testament Commentary. (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999).

289.

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and authority, and that God was the true and only God. As D.M. Howard observes, ”Here was Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute who presumably knew her culture’s religious traditions, [and yet she was] affirming that Israel’s God ruled over the very heavens and earth that her own religious traditions asserted belonged to Baal, Asherah, and others.”4 Rahab’s confession is remarkable in that when she says "the Lord your God, he is God” she is simultaneously confessing"that Baal, Asherah, and the rest were not true gods.”5 This is the essence of confession and repentance. Even more importantly, she says, “in the heavens above and the earth below.” Howard notes this “is found only three times prior to this, all in contexts that affirm God’s exclusive claims to sovereignty” and ultimate rule over the universe.6 Rahab recognized and believed God as the true and only God, and James’ primary point is that she acted on that faith.

Rahab Pleads For Grace Rahab recognizes God’s power, but she also recognizes his grace. In Joshua 2:12, Rahab uses covenant making language begging the spies to be kind to her in the name of the Lord, as she has been kind to them. She is recounting the Abrahamic covenant, likely, without knowing it. In Genesis 12, God told Abraham that he would make Abraham into a great nation, that whoever blesses Abraham will be blessed, and whoever curses Abraham will be cursed. Now in Joshua 2:12 Rahab is blessing the people of Abraham, trusting them to return kindness to her based on their covenant keeping God. James’ Reason For Highlighting Rahab In James 2:23 James first pointed to a recognized and prominent Jewish patriarch. As J.A. Motyer notes, "Abraham, [was] a major Bible figure; Rahab, a minor participant.

Abraham the father of the faithful; Rahab a foreigner. Abraham the respected; Rahab the disreputable. Abraham a man; Rahab a woman.”7 James is making a profound statement, no matter who you are, whether Jew or Gentile, Male or Female, Prominent or Prostitute, regardless of status, transforming faith leads to a transformed way of living.

Justification brings a changed relationship with God. It will also bring a change in behavior before God. It will and it must for it to be genuine faith. Consider the actions of Abraham. He was willing to sacrifice the dream, the child of promise, in obedience to God. Why, because his confidence, his hope, his trust was in God not the dream or the child. Three times in Genesis 22 it says “Abraham take your son, your son Isaac, the one you love” and offer him as a burnt offering. Paul says in Abraham “hoped against hope”(Rom 4:19). This means that against all human reason and rationale, Abraham believed God. Abraham believed and then acted.

The faith and action Abraham displayed is the same faith and action displayed by 4

D. M. Howard Jr. Joshua, Vol. 10. Holman New Testament Commentary. (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998). 103

5

Ibid.

6

Ibid.

7 J. A. Motyer, The Message of James: The Tests of Faith. The Bible Speaks Today. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985). 115.

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Rahab. Don’t miss, however, where Abraham confessed and then he acted. She acted then she confessed. Her behavior/actions revealed her belief and her words confirmed her belief. She hid the spies, then covered for them, then provided them a means of escape…and then confesses. Her actions verified and authenticated her words and vice versa.

What is James’ point? His point is less about the order and more about the union!

Faith and works are like a hand in a glove. Or as James says it, like the spirit to the body. You cannot have one without the other or something is wrong! James concludes in verse 26 saying, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” There is a solution to dead works. We must move from deadness to life.8 The only means by which anyone moves from death to life is by the one to whom Rahab points. Notice Rahab, at great cost to herself, became a covering for the spies, protecting them from the wrath of the rulers of Jericho. Not only so, but she advocated on behalf of her family and became a covering for them as well. She points us clearly to Jesus, whose actions on the cross offer us covering and protection from the just wrath of God.

8

P.A. Cedar & L.J. Ogilvie, James, 1 & 2 Peter, and Jude, Vol. 34, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1984). 64.

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JAM ES 2: 25-26

D I SCU SSI O N 1. How does the life and story of Rahab compliment the life and story of Abraham and serve to make James’ point regarding the tight knit relationship of faith and works?

2. What is so astounding about Rahab’s confession?

3. How does this text help us understand that spiritual maturity is not simply acquiring more knowledge but also life change and action?

4. Where Paul says we cannot gain God’s favor by our obedience, James says obedience ought to overflow from our salvation. How do these complimentary truths encourage you and help you better understand the gospel?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Joshua 2

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JAMES 3:1–5 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. [2] For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

[3] If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. [4] Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. [5] So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In the preceding verses, James makes the case that genuine faith will and must lead to deeds of faith. James builds on this logic as he transitions to a discussion on the power of the tongue. James makes the case that those who teach should understand the weight and responsibility of their words (vv. 1-2). They should understand this because the tongue has enormous powers for both good (vv. 1-5a) and evil (vv. 5b6). He will further argue that the tongue is unable to be fully controlled by human means (vv. 7-8), that it is wildly inconsistent (vv. 9-10), and all of this because it is an outward indicator of the heart (vv. 11-12). In verses 1-5b, James' primary focus is on the weight of responsibility that teachers carry and the power of the tongue for good.

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James begins his discussion on the tongue by first highlighting those who tend to use it most: teachers. “The office of teacher was roughly the equivalent of the rabbi in the Jewish community (cf. Matt 23:8; John 1:38).”1 It is likely that among James' audience, “many were seeking the status of teacher without the necessary moral (and perhaps also intellectual) qualifications.”2 James argues that those who teach should understand the weight and responsibility of their words. Why? Because: 1) their words can easily contradict the lives they live and thereby lead others to sin and bring greater scrutiny on the teacher and the gospel (vv. 1-2), 2) words have tremendous power for good (vv. 3-5a), and finally 3) words have immense power for evil (vv. 5b-6). Therefore, teachers, above all, should understand the weight and responsibility of their words.

In verse 1, James argues the spiritually mature should understand the need for consistency in that their words and actions should align. If they do not, something is Proverbs 18:21 wrong. This point is a carryover from his larger argument in chapter 2 on faith and works. Paul says in Romans 2:21 that those who teach must first teach themselves. In other words, an essential quality of

Death and life are in the power of the tongue…

1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 148.

2

Ibid., 149.

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Christian living and especially Christian teaching is that we apply the word of God first to ourselves before trying to apply it to others. Elsewhere, Paul says that teachers must understand what it is that they are saying (1 Tim 1:17). This understanding certainly refers to knowledge but also to the application of that knowledge. If someone makes a claim but does not live according to that claim, then the claim is undermined.

Teachers must not undermine the truth of God’s word by living contrary to it. James indicates that a teacher's words open Be it resolved, never to the door for greater scrutiny and say anything at all against judgment of the teacher, his life, and anybody, but when it is the gospel.

perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by, the test of this Resolution.

James then moves into his broader point on the tongue. He asserts that the tongue is small like a bit or a rudder, yet it controls the raw power of a horse or a ship in a storm. James states that the tongue, although small, has enormous power, particularly power for good. Coupled with verses 1 and 2, James makes the case in the remaining verses that Jonathan Edwards, the tongue has the power to build Resolutions. up or tear down and that those who wield it should do so with reverence and responsibility. Implied in his argument is that controlling the tongue is a mark of spiritual maturity. This teaching is gleaned heavily from the wisdom writing of Proverbs. In Proverbs, the theme of wisdom, discretion, and restraint regarding words repeatedly surfaces (i.e., Prov 13:3; 18:7; 21:23). Additionally, the writer of Proverbs argues for the life-giving power of words, saying that the words of the wise are: invigorating, healing, soothing, encouraging, motivating, sweet, precious, and rewarding (Prov 12:17-19; 15:4; 16:24; 29:5).

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JAM ES 3: 1-5

D I SCU SSI O N 1. James begins by addressing teachers, but what are some of the broader principles that should be applied to all followers of Christ?

2. What are some common “sins of speech” that come to mind when thinking about an uncontrolled tongue? Why do you think addressing these and the subject of a controlled tongue is so important to James?

3. How is a controlled tongue a mark of spiritual maturity?

4. In what ways can the tongue be a power for good? Who is one person that you can encourage, support, motivate, and cheer on this week? Consider telling, texting, or writing them a note of encouragement this week.

5. What practices do you incorporate to try and control your tongue?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Prov 10:19; Matt 12:34-37; Eph 4:29; Col 4:6; James 1:26; 1 Pet 3:10 2. The Power of Words and the Wonder of God, by John Piper and Justin Taylor

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JAMES 3:5–12 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! [6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.

The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. [7] For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, [8] but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. [10] From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

[11] Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? [12] Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In the first 12 verses of chapter three, James examines the subject of the tongue and the power of our words. In verses 1-5a, James notes the power of the tongue for good. In verses 5b-12, James shifts his attention to the power of the tongue for evil. In this section, James echoes again that, although small, the tongue has enormous power. He then expounds on the enormous potential for evil contained in the tongue, making the case that the tongue is not fully controllable by human effort (vv. 7-8), that it is wildly inconsistent (vv. 9-10), and all of this because it is an outward indicator of the inward sinful heart (vv. 11-12).

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I N F O R M A T I O N :

In verse 5, James reiterates that although small, the tongue boasts of enormous power. Where verses 1-5a emphasized the enormous power for good, now from 5b onward, James is emphasizing the enormous power for evil. He says, “How great a forest is set ablaze [ignited] by such a small fire.” His emphasis is on the distinction in size. The tongue, this little spark, has enormous destructive power.

In verse 6, James says the tongue is a spark, a staining influence for the whole body. It sets ablaze everything it touches and is fueled by hell. Commenting on this verse, Kurt Richardson notes that the tongue is “the entry point” for great evil in the world.1James' point is that though the tongue is small, it in the igniting spark that can and will consume everything in its path. This passage contains an implied imperative: we must restrain the tongue. Letting the tongue roam freely will wreak havoc on everything it touches.

Restraining the tongue, however, presents a problem, according to James. Twice in verse 7, James points out that the animal/ natural world can and has been “tamed.”

This word means "to control or subdue" and is a throwback to Genesis 1:28, where

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Kurt A. Richardson, James. Vol. 36. The New American Commentary. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997). 153.

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man was commanded to “subdue” or “tame/ control” the animals/ natural world.

However, James says that the tongue cannot be tamed, controlled, or subdued.

Indeed, James argues that the tongue is “restless.” By this, he means uncontrollable.

James is making an important distinction for dramatic effect. James is intentionally pointing out the irony that although we can tame animals, we cannot tame our own tongues. Why? First, according to James, the tongue is a restless/ uncontrollable evil.

The temptation to speak negatively, to speak about someone, or to tear down is far greater and far easier to succumb to than to encourage, to build up, or to love.

Furthermore, and this is his more comprehensive point, James is saying the taming the tongue by human effort is impossible. He is not saying the tongue is simply untamable. He is stating that “no human being” can tame the tongue.

This word, “tame," is rarely used in the New Testament. One of its few occurrences is Mark 5:4. There, Jesus and the disciples had just crossed the sea of Galilee to the country of the Garasenes. When they arrived, they encountered a man possessed by demons. The text says: “for he had Jesus came to rescue and set often been bound with shackles and free, not simply to restrain chains, but he wrenched the chains and subdue. apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue [tame/control] him.” “No one” in this context means no man, woman, or thing. In other words, no human effort could tame/ subdue him. No one, except Jesus! Notice in the story of the demon-possessed man, however, that Jesus came to rescue and set free, not simply to restrain and subdue. He came to liberate and radically transform. What we see is that when Jesus transforms, He transforms every part of us. The transformation is total, including our words, which are rooted in and overflow from our hearts. This is why James will make the point in verses 11-12 that the tongue is a diagnostic of spiritual transformation and maturity. James argues the tongue is a fire and possesses enormous destructive power to tear down, to kill, and to destroy. The tongue is untamable by human effort… but it can be transformed by Jesus.

To further prove his point about the inability to tame the tongue, James notes in verses 9-10 the radical inconsistency of the tongue. He says that we use it to both bless and curse. On the one hand, we treasure God, while on the other, we trash His treasures. He makes another reference back to Genesis 1:27, where we learn that man is made in God's image. What this means is that man has intrinsic value as God’s pinnacle creation. James is asking: How can it be that you defend Jesus when someone speaks ill of him…but you demean your brothers and sisters that Jesus came to rescue? James says this "ought not to be so.” This is another Jamesism found nowhere else and was written to stress the shock and the imperative. In other words, James argues, this can’t be so in the family. It absolutely jeopardizes the message of the Gospel!

And now we come to James’ primary point in verses 11-12. The tongue has enormous power for evil, is uncontrollable by human means, and is wildly inconsistent because it is rooted in our sinful hearts. In verse 11, he speaks of two types of water mixing. In verse 12, he focuses on the source. What is his point? The water will be what it is at its Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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source. The fruit is reflective of the type of tree. The outward words are symptomatic of the inward heart. If you address the source, then you resolve the issue. Jesus says, “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart…For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matt 15:18-19). The writer of Proverbs notes, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” Again, Jesus says, “for the tree is known by its fruit…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34-37). Jesus did not come merely to clean up our words. He came to transform our hearts.

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JAM ES 3: 5-12

D I SCU SSI O N 1. Thinking back to last week's study on the positive power of words, what challenges, changes, or growth did you see?

2. This week we looked at James 3:5b-12 and the destructive power of words. Can you remember a time where someone said something that wounded you? How are you still affected by that?

What does this tell us about the power of words?

3. Many times we say things like “I need to clean up my language.”

Is this possible, according to James?

4. James indicates that the tongue is humanly untamable. Based on the text, why do you think that is? What hope is there, then, with regard to our words?

5. What does James say about the inconsistency of our words?

What does this tell us about our hearts?

6. Why do you think James is so adamant that cursing “people made in the image of God” is so detrimental to the Gospel?

7. What is one specific situation in which you would like to exercise better control of your tongue?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Eph 4:29–32; 2. The Power of Words and the Wonder of God, by John Piper and Justin Taylor

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JAMES 3:13–18 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. [14] But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. [15] This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. [17] But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. [18] And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In these verses, James contrasts the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world.

He begins by asking his audience to consider who is truly wise and once again points to a person’s actions as the primary measuring stick. He then contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God and articulates what each produces in man and in the world.

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I N F O R M A T I O N :

In verse 13, James turns from discussing the teacher to the one who is wise. By this he means the one who is knowledgeable. But James is not speaking of just any wisdom. James is speaking of those who understand truth and know how to apply it.

Particularly, those who understand the truth of God. In essence James asks, do you want to know who is wise? Do you want to know the one who understands the secret to life? Look at his or her conduct.

At first glance this seems a bit odd. We often think of wisdom as merely an internal issue having to do with the mind. But James is telling us to look at the external actions.

What we see is that James is being consistent with his entire message of chapter 2 and 3, particularly that a person’s works, not just their words, reveals the authenticity of their claims. What we learn is that the claim of wisdom is verified by the acts of wisdom. Do you want to know who is wise and understanding among you? Look at their life and actions. Particularly, pay attention to their attitude and disposition and “the meekness of wisdom” they Y o u a r e c o n s t a n t l y p r e a c h i n g display. The person that is truly wise to yourself some kind of is humble. They understand they gospel. You preach to have power, but that power is under yourself an anti-gospel of an ultimate authority. It is submitted your own righteousness, to something beyond themselves. It is power, and wisdom, or you submitted to God. preach to yourself the true

gospel of deep spiritual need James then turns in verse 14 to make and sufficient grace.

Paul Tripp

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a further point. Are you bitter, are you jealous, are you self-centered? Then

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you are not wise. At least you have not yet understood the wisdom of God. What is bitterness but saying, “things didn’t go my way!” What is jealousy but saying, “what I have is not enough!” What is selfish ambition [desire] but saying, “I want what I want and no one else can tell me otherwise.” James says, "do not boast and be false to the truth.” In other words, are you full of bitterness, jealousy, and self-centeredness?

Do not glory in that and call it wisdom. It is the opposite of wisdom; it is hubris, arrogance, and pride. It is not the wisdom of God “that comes down from above.”

Instead, it is “earthly, unspiritual, When our Lord and Master, demonic.” That wisdom is based on this Jesus Christ, said ‘Repent,’ worlds value system. It is man-centric.

He called for the entire life It is the way demons act. Specifically, of believers to be one of acting as though there is no God or as repentance. though they are God. Martin Luther James is saying, "If the prevailing attitude and disposition of your life is focused on you, then you have yet to understand the principle of the universe.” If you have yet to understand that you are not the center, that you are not the pinnacle, that you are not ultimate, that it’s not by power and authority but rather by weakness and submission that true life comes…then you have yet to understand God and you have yet to understand the gospel. More of you "is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.”

James is saying the wisdom of the world is rooted in self-centered, fleshly desire and seeing your own way as supreme. In verse 16, he directs our attention to what this sort of wisdom produces. Namely, more pain, more suffering, more chaos, more hopelessness. He says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” In other words, “Where this wisdom prevails, there will be more chaos, more pain, more hurt, more harm.”

Instead, what we desperately need is the wisdom from above. Wisdom only God can give. Wisdom that is not focused on self but focused on God and others. According to James this sort of wisdom “is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and The root of all sin is pride, s u p e r b . I w a n t t o b e m y o w n sincere.” The wisdom from God that l a w , I h a v e a r i g h t t o m y s e l f , James describes in verse 17 is selfless, caring, empathetic, sacrificial, gentle, my hatred and my desires, pure, encourages and endorses peace, my life, and my death. full of mercy and grace and good. It is Dietrich Bonhoeffer loving and sincere.

What is he describing? Or more specifically, Who is he describing? It is Jesus! Jesus is the true and better wisdom of God. He is the greater Solomon (Matt 12:42). He is the wisdom of God in the flesh. Jesus had all power, yet he willingly humbled himself to the point of death on the cross. He willingly submitted his authority under the authority of God. James says the wisdom from below is man-centric acting as though there is no God and operates independent from God. But, according to James, the wisdom from above is submitted to God and focused outwardly towards others.

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In verse 15, James describes the wisdom of the world. Then in verse 16 he describes what the wisdom of the world produces…more chaos. In verse 17, James shows us true and better wisdom from above. And finally, in verse 18, James describes what the wisdom from above produces. Specifically, the wisdom from above produces peace. First, peace with God, then inner peace with self, and then outward peace with others. Those who trust in Jesus- who cling to him and his work over their own- will be and are continually transformed, and this results in "a harvest of righteousness.”

Particularly, it produces humble people. People who are not jealous, bitter, or selfcentered. Instead they give up, they serve, they sacrifice…and it results in peace and more peace.

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JAM ES 3: 13-18

D I SCU SSI O N 1. According to this passage, how do you identify a wise person?

2. Using these verses, compare and contrast the wisdom of the world and the wisdom that is from above. Think of the wisdom of this world and what it boasts in, treasures, and points to. How is it different from the wisdom from above? Think of the product each produces. One produces chaos, while the other produces peace.

Why do you think this is?

3. Why do you think humility (meekness) is such an integral part of godly wisdom?

4. Can you think of any other lists of character traits in the Bible that sound similar to the list James offers in verse 17? These outward characteristics overflow from a transformed heart, but what do they look like in every day practical application?

5. Is there one characteristic you feel you need to grow in?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Prov 9:10; Ps 2; Matt 11:28-30

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JAMES 4:1–5 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. [4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Every person needs to ask the introspective question of James 4:1: What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? There are many different reasons, as James will help us to see, but, ultimately, fighting and quarreling are just another outworking of our inner lives. As James has done time and again, he is addressing our actions and obedience by addressing our hearts.

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I N F O R M A T I O N :

James addresses the issue of division, fights, and quarrels by addressing the heart.

As he has done in previous verses, James links outward actions to inward conditions.

In verse 1, James asks us to consider the cause of the fights and quarrels in our midst (external actions). Then he suggests the cause is our passions at war within us (internal condition). James asserts that it is the war within that causes all of the wars without.

The word “passions” is the Greek word hedone, which means pleasures. More often than not, the focus is on our sinful, self-centered pleasures. It is where we get the word hedonism: the unchecked pursuit of pleasure. James suggests that our internal passions are divided and at war against one another. James goes further using two more words that emphasize the internal dynamics of the human heart. He uses the word “desire”, which is often used to mean inordinate, excessive desire. And finally, the word “covet”, which means “to set one’s Misplaced affections need affections on something.” By all of these to be replaced by the words, James is drawing attention to the far greater power of the heart. He is arguing that the cause of all affection of the gospel. our fights and quarrels is rooted in our hearts. Namely, our affections, desires, Thomas Chalmers, and treasures. Even more specifically, James is suggesting that what causes division among us is our disordered and divided affections, desires, and treasures.

James K. A. Smith makes the argument in Desiring the Kingdom that we are desiring beings. In other words, Smith says, we were made to worship. Unfortunately, the Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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things we often worship leave us empty and longing for more. Paul Tripp and Timothy Lane say it this way, “Either I get my identity vertically, out of my sense of who God is and who he has made me in Christ, or I will seek to get my identity horizontally, out of my circumstances, relationships, and successes.” James argues that the reason we fight and quarrel is because we worship God’s gifts more than we worship God. We have inordinate, excessive desire for the wrong things. Furthermore, if we will trample God under foot to get his things then how much more will we trample our fellow man? This is James' point. If your The heart must have treasure is in things, then people will something to cling to…the either be a means to getting those only way to dispossess it of things (leading to objectifying and using an old affection is by the people), or they will be an obstacle in expulsive power of a new the way of getting those things (leading one. to fighting with people). Our desires Thomas Chalmers are frustrated according to James.

They are frustrated because we cannot have the things we desire, but also because we desire the wrong things.

In verses 2b-3, James offers two reasons why we don’t have the things we desire. The first is reason we don’t have what we desire is because we look to things to satisfy our desires rather than God. James says, “you do not have because you do not ask.”

In other words, you have not sought God. You have not submitted to God. You have not looked to God. You are not dependent on God. Instead, you have looked past God to his good gifts. Instead, you are looking to things to satisfy and fill all your needs. Greater still, you are attempting to gain those things by your own effort.

In verse 3, James offers a second reason for why we do not have the things we desire. He says it is because we ask “to spend on ourselves.” In other words, our motive is focused squarely on ourselves. James gets directly to the issue. We don’t want God; we want God’s stuff. In this, James is exposing our hearts and motives. He is pointing out the inconsistency of our lives; that with our words we worship God, but in our hearts we worship his things.

In verse 4, James makes a bold claim calling our divided affections and doublemindedness “spiritual adultery.” The word here is moichalides and is better translated “unfaithful creatures."1 What is he saying? He is boldly asserting to his audience that the root of their divided Thomas Chalmers loyalties is in their unfaithfulness to God. It’s as if James is saying, “The fights and quarrels you are experiencing are not someone else’s fault…they’re yours!” James is also pointing out the inconsistency and dysfunction of divided loyalties. In essence, James is arguing, “You are doubleminded. Your passions are at war. Your affections are divided. Your loyalties are split

We know of no other way by which to keep the love of the world out of our heart than to keep in our hearts the love of God.

1 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 147.

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and misplaced. Don’t you see that loyalty to the world is disloyalty to God? Choosing to chase the treasures of this world is choosing to walk away from the only treasure that will ever satisfy.” Not only will this lead to fighting and quarrels as we fight and claw for earthly treasures but also will this result in dissatisfaction and distance from God. Instead, what is needed is repentance and humility. Instead, what is needed is to disavow our loyalties to the world. Instead, what is needed is to replace our little treasures with a greater treasure. Instead, what we need are eyes to see Jesus as the greater treasure worth our lives.

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JAM ES 4: 1-5

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What are common fights and quarrels seen in the church? How do those fights and quarrels often make themselves visible in the church? What is often the root of those fights and quarrels?

2. What sort of desires do you think James is focused on?

3. How is a “me first, my way is always right” attitude contrary to the gospel and destructive to the church?

4. What does verse 3 teach us about prayer? Why do some of our prayers go unanswered?

5. Friendship can mean “sharing the same values and attitudes.”

What values and attitudes does the world possess that are contrary to the gospel? What values and attitudes of the world do Christians often adopt in their own lives?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Matt 7:7; Matt 6:9–10; Matt 12:39; 16:4; Jer 3:20; Hosea 2 2. The Expulsive Power of A New Affection, by Thomas Chalmers 3. Counterfeit Gods, by Timothy Keller

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JAMES 4:5-10 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? [6] But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In these verses, James carries forward his thoughts from verse 4 and his accusation of “spiritual adultery” highlighting the spousal affection of God, God’s grace for the unfaithful, and a call for humility, submission, repentance and returning.

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I N F O R M A T I O N :

Verse 5 is connected closely to verse 4. In verse 4, James calls our divided loyalties "spiritual adultery." He says we are adulterous people. The phrase is better translated “unfaithful beings.” In verses 4 and 5, James is highlighting the intimate relational nature of God. He is not simply a slot machine in the sky for us to pull and get his stuff (vv. 1-3). He is like a marriage partner: fully committed, loving and compassionate regardless of circumstances. Sin against him is not simply transactional; it is relational and wounds his heart. God is our true and better spouse, and flirtation with lesser gods is a serious matter. So serious, James calls it spiritual adultery. Why? Because God did not create us to give our lives, our affections, or our glory to another.

In verse 5 James asks, “Is it for no reason that the Scripture says….” At first glance it sounds like he is referencing or quoting one specific verse. However, this quote is not found anywhere in the Bible or extra-biblical literature. So it is more likely that he is referring to a theme found throughout the Bible, specifically, the spousal jealously of God (Ex 20:5; 34:14; Zech 8:2). When jealousy is used in the Bible, it is used in both the positive and negative sense. When used of God it is always in the positive sense specifically referring to his righteous jealousy; what he has a right to.

The Scriptures repeatedly remind us that God created us. We are not our own (Ps 100:3). Our lives belong to him. Those who are in Christ further belong to him as they have been “bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:20). This idea is further amplified by the remainder of James' sentence: “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us.” Given that James never makes mention of the Holy Spirit anywhere in his letter and that spirit here can be translated life, it is likely that James is speaking of the breath of life God has given.

What is James saying? Flirtation with the world rouses the spousal affections of God. He created us to give our glory to him, to give our lives to him, to know him, glorify Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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him, and to make him known in the world. He created us for himself. Furthermore, when we have divided loyalties and when we flirt with lesser, little gods, we betray our true and better spouse; we wound his heart; we break intimacy with him, and as Paul says, our idolatry "provokes him to jealousy" (1 Cor 10:22). To be clear, this is not because God needs our love, but because he knows that we need his. He knows that our fullest experience of joy will only ever be found in him.

There are two ways to go about repentance—religious repentance and gospel repentance. In ‘religion,’ the purpose of repentance is basically to keep God happy so he will continue to bless us and answer our prayers. So, in religion we are sorry for sin only because of its consequences. The gospel, however, tells us that as Christians sin can’t ultimately bring us into condemnation (Rom 8:1). Its heinousness is therefore what it does to God; it displeases and dishonors him. Thus in religion, repentance is self-centered; the gospel makes it God-centered. Also, religious repentance can easily turn into an attempt to ‘atone’ for one’s sin—in which we convince God (and ourselves) that we are so truly miserable and regretful that we deserve to be forgiven.

In the gospel, however, we know that Jesus suffered for our sin.

We do not have to make ourselves suffer to merit God’s forgiveness.

We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ.

In verse 6a, James teaches us that although we are unfaithful and treacherous, God is not. He remains faithful. His grace is greater than our greatest sin.

However far we run and rebel, His grace runs farther still. How encouraging and hope filled. Despite our rebellion, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). But consider further the good news of verse 6a. If there is grace for our greatest adultery against God, how much more grace is there for the wounds we cause others?

This leads to verses 7-10 and the means to experiencing this profound grace. At first glance, we might be tempted to read these verses as steps to receiving grace. They sound as though James might be Timothy Keller contradicting the gospel of grace and venturing into the realm of works. Said another way, “If you do these four things, then you will experience God’s grace.” Instead, as Doug Moo notes, “God’s gift of sustaining grace is enjoyed only by those willing to admit their need and accept the gift.”1 In other words, rather than see humility as another “thing” we must “do” to earn God’s favor, we must understand humility as the admission that we cannot do enough. This is the clear theme of the remaining verses in this passage. Verse 7a and verse 10 serve as bookends on the subject of gospel-centered humility.

1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 191.

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James is not advocating a list of steps to pleasing God. Rather, he is articulating the way into the kingdom of God and the way of living in the kingdom of God. It is not by might, or strength, or power, or ability, or by cleaning ourselves up. It is by weakness, by humility, and by bending the knee and bowing the head to one who is greater.

Submit in verse 7 is another way of saying humble yourselves. We have power, but it must be brought under authority. It must be submitted. The word “submit" means to “put in order under.” It means W o r l d l y s o r r o w i s s e l f - c e n t e r e d , to recognize the right order of while godly sorrow focuses on things, the right ranking of things. how God was offended and God is supreme and demands others were hurt. Godly sorrow all our loyalty and affection and especially sees that God’s love allegiance. The way up is down. (not just his commands) has We win by losing. We experience been treated lightly. Worldly life through death. We need look sorrow produces tears of selfno further than the cross to see pity, but godly sorrow produces tears of true humility. this message lived out.

Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp

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JAM ES 4: 5-10

D I SCU SSI O N 1. Why does God have a right to be jealous over the life he has breathed into us?

2. On the heels of calling his audience “adulterers” James says, “but God gives more grace.” Why is this so important to hear?

What does this teach us about God and the gospel?

3. What does it mean to submit to God and why is this so important in the context of sin and “spiritual adultery?”

4. What does it look like to live a life of repentance as the quote by Luther indicates (see Luther quote above)? What is the difference between religious repentance and gospel-centered repentance (see Keller quote above)? How is this new and enlightening to you?

Why is understanding this so important in the life of a believer?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Prov 3:34; Lk 15:17-22; Lk 18:9-14; 2 Cor 7:10; 1 Pet 5:5

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JAMES 4:11–12 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against 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 only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (ESV) B I G

I D E A : James has been pleading with the church along pastoral lines to address several issues in their midst. One particular issue he continually addresses is their speech. He argues that bridling the tongue is a mark of spiritual maturity and obedience (James 1:26). He argues that bridling the tongue is necessary for spiritual unity (James 3:212). In James 3:9 he notes the inconsistency of blessing God and then speaking evil of people. And now in chapter 4:11-12 James reveals the root of speaking evil against another, namely spiritual pride.

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James says in verse 11, “Do not speak evil against.” The word katalaleō means literally ‘to speak against’ and describes many kinds of harmful speech.1 But it specifically carries the idea of slandering someone, bringing false accusations, and attacking with malicious intent (i.e. Lev 19:16; Num 21:5; Ps 101:5; 1 Pet 2:12; 3:16). It is unclear why the church was fighting or what they were fighting over. But what is clear is that they were fighting and their words were quickly becoming personal and attacking.

James is admonishing his audience to avoid such fights and personal attacks. Slander ruins the unity that the gospel brings. Slander is a You are not only common theme in the vice lists of Paul and Peter. responsible for what If the gospel is true and we are accepted by grace you say, but also for despite our sin, then how much more ought we what you do not say. to extend that same grace to those around us, especially within the context of the church.

Martin Luther Notice James says brother 3x’s in verse 11. He is making a point. It is clear, by the use of “brothers” (or brothers and sisters), that James is addressing the church and slander in the church. It is also clear that James is pleading with them along pastoral lines to address their speech towards each other and about one another. He is giving clear indication that speaking evil against someone is not acceptable in the Christian life. If speaking evil against another is unacceptable in general, then how much more unacceptable is it when it is against those in the family of faith.

James quickly moves to the root of such evil speech against one another. He says, “The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.” It is important to note that this is not the first time James has 1 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 112.

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mentioned the law. In James 2:8 he says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.”

James’ reference to the “royal law”and “loving your neighbor as yourself” originates in Leviticus 19:18. In the Old Testament, neighbor referred to fellow Israelites.

However, in the New Testament, “Jesus expands the application to include everyone with whom a person might come into contact, including foreigners (Lk 10:25–37) and enemies (Matt 5:44).”2 James' connection of evil speech If I can easily discuss the and judgment of the law “is s h o r tcomings and the sins of an interesting association,” a n y ; i f I can speak in a casual says Moo. James is suggesting way even of a child's misdoings, “that speaking evil against then I know nothing of Calvary our fellow believer is actually love. ‘standing in judgment over that If I can enjoy a joke at the believer.”3 But it is also standing expense of another; if I can in judgment over God who in any way slight another commands us to love others. in conversation, or even in In other words, when we sit in thought, then I know nothing of judgment over others, we sit in Calvary love. the seat of God judging people If I can write an unkind letter, and the God who commanded speak an unkind word, think an us to love them. ”This failure to unkind thought without grief bridle the tongue is a form of and shame, then I know nothing self-righteous pride,” elevating of Calvary love. oneself to god-like status, Amy Carmichael condemning that which God created, and sitting in judgment against the “royal law” of love expanded and initiated

by Jesus.4 Summarizing, in verses 11-12, James argues that speaking evil against another is harmful towards others, detrimental to the unity of the church, and is ultimately a matter of unchecked spiritual pride.

This leads James to be very direct in his questioning of his audience and specifically those who speak evil against others. “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” There are multiple implications in James' question. First, who are you to judge? Are you without sin? Have you not been shown grace for your own failures? Why would you ever condemn another when you have been forgiven so much. Second, who are you to sit in the seat of God? Do you know all things? Are you holy and sovereign over all? Third, who are you to judge your neighbor? James is not suggesting that confrontation of sin or accountability is wrong. In fact, he will later say this is good in chapter 5. Instead, he is speaking of judging based on external appearances and personal preferences and not according to the gospel. This, again, is a theme he has already mentioned in chapter 2:8-13, namely the sin of partiality.

2 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 156.

3

Moo, The Letter of James, p. 198.

4

J. B. Adamson, The Epistle of James. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1976). 176.

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JAM ES 4: 11-12

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What is the difference between gossip and slander? What does it mean to slander someone?

2. How is speaking evil of someone contrary to neighbor love mentioned in Leviticus 19:18 and expanded on by Jesus in Matt 22:36-37? Why is slander so contrary to the gospel?

3. How do “judging brother” and "judging the law" correlate? How are both of these forms of spiritual pride?

4. Are there areas where you can improve regarding bridling your tongue? How can we pray for one another regarding this?

5. Is James suggesting that confronting sin in a fellow believer is wrong? How can this be done in light of the gospel? Paul suggests that we guard one another from “every wind of doctrine” by “speaking the truth in love.” What does this look like? What does it look like to speak truth without love? What does it look like to speak love without truth?

6. In light of this passage and the admonishment to guard ourselves from judging others, what does this mean when walking in community with someone clearly in sin.

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Prov 11:12-13; Isaiah 33:22; Matt 7:1-4; 2 Cor 12:20; 1 Pet 2:1; James 5:9

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JAMES 4:13–17 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—[14] yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. [15] Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” [16] As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. [17] So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Proverbs teaches that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9:10).

This means living in reference to and in light of God. It also means treasuring him above all things. James expounds on this idea by admonishing anyone who lives according to their own whims and desires and without reference to God and his desires.

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It is important to note what James is not saying before exploring what he is saying.

James is not offering commentary against making a profit. He is also not condemning planning and thinking strategically. He is, however, addressing those who live their lives without reference to God. In other words, those who say, "We’re going to go where we want, do what we want, make what we want, when we want.” In light of such an attitude, James is asking, “How can you be so cavalier?” Furthermore, he adds, “you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” This is reminiscent of Proverbs 27:1, which exhorts “Do not boast about So pervasive is our tomorrow, for you do not know what a culture’s arrogant i n d e p e n d e n c e o f G o d t h a t day may bring.” James calls this sort of attitude boastful, arrogant, and even evil even many…Christians (vs. 16). Why? Because his audience is attend church, marry, far too confident in their own abilities, choose their vocations, have children, buy and knowledge, and strength. Their hope is in sell homes, expand themselves. This is contrary to living a life their portfolios, and fully submitted to God.

numbly ride the currents of culture without substantial reference to the will of God.

James goes on to make another strong point via a very direct question and answer. He asks, “What is your life?” and then answers saying, “For you are a mist R. Kent Hughes that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Said another way, “Who do you think you are? Your life is as brief and fleeting as the morning mist.” James is reminding his audience of the brief, transitory nature of their lives. He is echoing the words of the wisdom writer in Ecclesiastes who uses a similar word to describe life without God. In Ecclesiastes 1:2 the writer states, "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” The word Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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translated as vanity is ‘hebel’ and is a brilliant play on words to describe life without God. Hebel means a breath devoid of life and is often translated as vanity, vapor, mist, or empty air. It is without meaning, content, or life. What is he saying, “Life without God, without reference to God, apart from God is empty, meaningless and no life at all. It is a vapor.” James makes a similar point but goes a step further calling this sort of attitude boastful, arrogant, and even evil.

James offers an alternative way Indeed, James tells us, we are of thinking and living saying, always ignorant of the future to “Instead you ought to say, ‘If some extent, and we ought not the Lord wills, we will live and to pretend that we know more do this or that.’” By this James is about it than we do. teaching that our first point of John M. Frame reference ought to be God over and above self. The life of the Christian is one of submission and obedience and our first thought ought to be to consider the Lord’s desires and intentions over our own.

James is reminding his audience that Jesus is king, and as king his will, his desires, his intentions must be considered and consulted before all else. James is urging and pleading with his audience to live in reference to and in light of God and the king of their lives. He is challenging them to humble themselves, to bring themselves low before the mighty hand of God. This is what Peter says in 1 Peter 5:6 writing, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” This is what James just said in James 4:5-10. And this is the way that Jesus taught us to pray and the way he lived his life (Matt 6:10; 26:39).

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JAM ES 4: 113-17

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What new attitudes and ways of thinking is James seeking to instill and develop in his readers?

2. James has repeatedly emphasized humility and submission before God. How does this passage further echo this emphasis?

3. Are James' words discouraging being a planner or strategic thinker? Why not?

4. How, if applied, does this passage make a difference in the way you make decisions?

5. What does this teach us about ourselves? About God?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Ps 25; Prov 9:10; 16:9; 19:21; 21:1

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JAMES 5:1–6 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. [2] Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. [4] Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. [5] You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : In this text James issues a call for the unrighteous rich to repent (1). He shows the emptiness and insufficiency of riches (vv. 2-3). He reveals that corruption of heart always leads to corruption of action (vv. 4-6). And he directs our attention to the only treasure worthy of our lives.

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James begins in verse 1 saying, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.” Based on the context of verses 2-6 it is likely that James is addressing the unrighteous, unbelieving rich: those who trust in their possessions and wealth rather than Jesus. Here, he calls them to do the opposite of what we would normally expect a person with riches to do. He says “weep and howl.” In other words, “mourn, grieve, be broken and repentant No amount of money, (lit. bawl your eyes out).” Interestingly, both education, or budget words emphasize the outward visible and construction has the audible nature of grief. James is calling power to free me from for an outward expression of an inward t h e r a v e n o u s g r e e d o f m y recognition and change. Furthermore, sinful heart. For that, I howl is only ever used by "the prophets can only look to one thing: in the OT and always in the context of the powerful grace of my judgment.”1 James, like the prophets Redeemer. before him, is announcing that judgment Paul Tripp is coming and therefore the proper response is weeping, howling, repenting, and turning (see also Jesus words in Lk 6:24-25). James is not talking about future earthly consequences; he is speaking about future divine, eternal consequences.

James is calling for them to understand and recognize the consequences of what they have done. Verse 1, along with verses 4-6, give indication that James is not simply condemning having money or possessions. Doug Moo notes, ”although some traditions appear to condemn the rich merely because they are rich, in the New

1 Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 16. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985). 164.

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Testament, at least, condemnations of wealthy people are almost always attributed to a misuse of wealth.”2 Verse 1 and James' strong rebuke raises the question, “What have these rich people done that calls for such a strong rebuke?” Remember James is writing to believers scattered abroad beyond Jerusalem where persecution of Christians was rampant.

The text indicates that James is speaking to unrighteous rich individuals who have leveraged their wealth to persecute Christians and even kill them. Verse 4 indicates that these individuals defraud the poor. Verse 6 indicates that they likely even leveraged their wealth to oppress, condemn, take the property of the poor, and even murder righteous men and women in need. And what is worse, these unrighteous rich did all of these things while continuing to live in luxury and opulence (vs. 5).

James announces that the result will be future misery and calamity.

Why is this so important? Throughout the Old and New Testaments there is a common theme regarding power imbalance and the wise use of power, particularly the wise use of possessions and wealth. Wealth and possessions often equaled power in society and they were intended to be leveraged on behalf of those without power (e.g. Job 29:12; 29:17; 1:21; 31:24-28; Deut 10:18-19). There is a reason for this theme throughout the Scriptures. It is a picture of the gospel. You and I are helpless and weak. And God, who has all power, possessions, and wealth leveraged them all on our behalf. James is confronting a group of people living in a manner exactly opposite of the gospel. These people are leveraging their power and wealth to oppress the poor, to defraud them, and to even kill them.

James goes on to reveal the emptiness and insufficiency of their riches. He says, “Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded….” By noting riches, garments, and gold and silver James covers the bases of wealth and possessions. Notice that each item he highlights is followed by an adjective “rotted,” “moth-eaten,” and “corroded.” The word rotted emphasizes organic material that spoils. Our possessions are not eternal and should not be valued as such. James is emphasizing the transitory and empty nature of wealth and possessions. By implication, James is pointing them and us to the only thing that does not spoil, that does not rot, that does not rust - our treasure who is in heaven, Jesus.

James goes further: not only are their riches empty, insufficient saviors but they will be destroyed in the day of judgment and will stand as a witness against them on that day revealing the location of their hope and that it was not truly in Jesus (vs. 3).

James has been confronting their inward hearts and hope. Now in verses 4-6, he confronts their outward actions. In doing so he notes that their inward corruption of heart has led to outward corruption of action. Namely, they have oppressed and cheated the workers of their fields by stealing, cheating, and ignoring their cries.

Beautifully, however, James notes that although the unrighteous rich ignored their cries, the Lord will not.

2

Moo, James: An Introduction, 165.

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In verse 5 James points out that while others have suffered and been oppressed at their hands, the unrighteous rich gloried in themselves and their possessions spending their wealth on themselves. James again points out their sinful behavior and by implication points to Jesus who does quite the opposite, emptying himself for our sakes (i.e. 2 Cor 8:9).

Finally, in verse 6 James concludes noting that not only did they spend their wealth on themselves, not only did they hoard and keep it from others who were in need, but these unrighteous rich went even further and leveraged their resources to oppress, condemn, take the property of the poor, and even murder righteous men and women in need. This brings us full circle back to something James already argued to his believing audience, “Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?” (James 2:6-7).

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JAM ES 5: 1-6

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What are the faults and behaviors of those James is addressing that lead to such a strong rebuke?

2. What does James' strong language here reveal about God and his concern for the poor, weak, and powerless?

3. What does this teach us about ourselves and the gospel?

4. How do you know when money has become an idol in your life?

5. What mechanisms or practices do you have in place to prevent this?

6. In the use of your money, does it make you happier to use it for your own purposes and pleasure or to offer it to God for his purposes and the work of his kingdom?

7. Are you able to celebrate what you’ve been given while at the same time looking without compassion at someone clearly needier than you?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Ecc 5:10; Prov 16:8; Matt 6:24; 19:10; Lk 6:24; 12:15; 18:24-25; 1 Tim 6:10-11; Heb 13:5 2. “Money Matters” & “Treasure Hunters” in Sex and Money by Paul Tripp.

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JAMES 5:7-11 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. [8] You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. [9] Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. [10] As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [11] Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : James returns to the topic of remaining steadfast amidst trials. In this passage, he calls for patience three times in the context of persecution and poverty. He also points three times to the joyful return and reign of Christ as our primary motive for patience. His primary aim is to call his audience to live in light of Jesus' imminent return as well as the hope and joy that it promises.

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James calls for patience three times in verses 7 and 8. Add to that the phrase “establish your hearts” in 8b, and we see that James is commending an attitude of steadfast commitment despite our circumstances. The previous verses reveal that the believers James was addressing were facing ongoing persecution by a wealthy unbelieving community. In light of this persecution, James urges his audience to be patient. James roots his call for patience in something greater than themselves by pointing to the goal of their patience. Specifically, he points to the return of Jesus as king and judge over all. James speaks of this as though it is a given factual reality. It is as if James is saying, “The rich leverage their Though dark be my way, wealth against you" (James 5:1-6). They live since He is my Guide, ’ T i s m i n e t o o b e y , ’ t i s H i s as though they were god and rule over you t o p r o v i d e . … B y p r a y e r l e t with an iron fist, but you know there is an me wrestle, and He will ultimate king and judge over all. You know perform. With Christ in that there is a day coming when He will the vessel I smile at the return to rule over all things and make right storm. all that is wrong (James 5:7-8). Therefore, take heart, stand fast.”

John Newton James calls for patience “until the coming of the Lord.” The Greek word for this phrase is parousia, which means “the return of Christ.” James is clearly speaking of the end-time return of Jesus. Notice, however, he is much less concerned with the specific time of Jesus’ return than he is the ironclad reality that Jesus will return and the hope that certainty offers. Jesus’ return, according to James, is our hope during trials, tragedy, and suffering. This world is not all there is, and our circumstances will not last forever. There will be an end and a glorious one at that. Jesus will return, and Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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all that is wrong will be made right. To illustrate his point and help them understand, James uses the tangible example of a farmer and his fields. James points to how the farmer works his land, how he waits patiently, and how he trusts the Lord to provide the rains and the crop. The farmer knows that despite what he sees and despite his circumstances, there is a day coming when there will be a bountiful harvest and great reward. His fields will be full of food, life, and joy. Likewise, James reminds his audience of the promised return of Christ and all that his return promises. Namely, it promises an abundant harvest, the righting of all that is wrong, the removal of sin, the removal of disease and pain, the removal of death, and ultimately intimate union with God. With that future hope in mind, James calls his audience to be patient in trials.

Amplifying his point further, James says to his audience, “establish your hearts." In other words, remain steadfast. Like the farmer, do not believe your eyes, instead "establish your hearts" in the cement of Jesus’ promised return. This declaration is remarkably practical wisdom in the face of trials, tragedy, and suffering. In the face of uncertain circumstances, we must establish our hearts in the cement of God’s word, God’s promises, his past faithfulness, and in his future grace and return. Notice again, James roots the motive for patient endurance in the future grace and return of the Lord, saying, “for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” It is imminent. The inauguration of the last days began with the death and resurrection of Jesus, but the duration of those last days is never defined. Therefore, every day is a day full of the possibility of the Lord’s return. James is again less concerned with when Jesus returns and more concerned with the fact that he will return, the hope that he brings, and that we live in light of his return.

James provides further practical instruction in the face of difficult circumstances.

Specifically, he says, “do not grumble (stenazo - sigh, groan, complain) against one another.” James does not say, “do not groan against sin,” rather “do not groan against one another.” James is perceptively warning against turning our frustration, anxiety, and fear on those closest to us. He is simultaneously reminding us of the great need and value of authentic community amid trials, tragedies, and suffering. James once again lifts their eyes, and ours, away from themselves and their circumstances to Jesus, the Judge who “is standing at the door.” This phrase indicates nearness. For a third time, James roots the motive to remain faithful and steadfast in the imminent return of Christ and the hope his return offers.

James' final encouragement to remain steadfast is to point his audience to the faithfulness of the prophets of old. James makes specific mention of Job and his steadfastness despite excruciating pain and loss. While the prophets and Job did exhibit faithfulness, James points his audience past them to the faithfulness of God in their suffering. Look at how he came to the rescue of Job, how he provided for him, and how he spared him. James knows his audience is familiar with Job, and he is reminding them, and us, that God has done infinitely more to rescue, provide, and spare us in Jesus. Don’t just look to God’s faithfulness to Job when all was lost…look to his faithfulness to you in Jesus on the cross when you were lost, when there was no hope. If he was faithful to Job, if he was faithful to you on the cross, he will remain faithful to you in the midst of your pain and suffering here and now.

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JAM ES 5: 7-11

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What does the return of Christ promise for those who believe?

2. How does the future return of Christ give hope amid current trials, tragedy, and suffering? Read Revelation 21:4. What hope does this give to the circumstances you may be facing now?

3. How does reflecting on God’s past faithfulness give hope and encouragement for his future faithfulness? Is this something you practice with regularity? Why or why not?

4. What other biblical examples, besides Job, can you think of where God’s faithfulness, compassion, and mercy were displayed.

How does reflecting on these help us amid our own suffering?

5. James seems to make a point about authentic community in verse 9. Why is this so important in the midst of trials, tragedy, and suffering? Why do we have a tendency to turn on those closest to us when our frustrations, anxieties, and fears grow? What practical wisdom does James offer in this verse to avoid this tendency?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Deut 11:14; Jer 5:24; 1 Thess 3:13; Matt 7:1; Rom 13:11; Ex 34:6 2. Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller.

3. Trusting God by Jerry Bridges.

4. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper and Justin Taylor.

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JAMES 5:12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : The words of a Christian ought to be true, trustworthy, and reliable. Additional qualifiers like “I promise,” “I swear,” etc. should not be needed to verify the truthfulness of our words. Our words represent Jesus and the certainty of the gospel. To lie, be deceitful, or not be consistent in our words undermines the gospel.

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James' use of the phrase “above all” is interesting and has confused a number of scholars. Is James elevating this command in verse 12 above all the others he has mentioned throughout the letter? Is he linking verse 12 to the immediately preceding context on patience in trials? Or is “above all” a transitional phrase to wrap up the letter and transition into his conclusion? Although the answer remains uncertain, it is this latter understanding that is most accurate. In this case, James is following a traditional literary device and marking his transition to the conclusion of the letter (e.g., Paul’s “finally brothers” in 2 Cor. 13:11; Phil 3:1; 4:8; 1 Thess 4:1; 2 Thess 3:1; 1 Tim. 4:8 or Peter’s “above all” in 1 Pet 4:8). With this in mind, James is not saying, “The most important thing you can learn is that you must avoid promises."

Instead, he reminds his audience as he concludes his letter that their outer words, truthfulness, and claims must match their deeds and, more importantly, their inner heart. When we say yes with our words and no with our hearts, we raise questions about our own integrity, character, and redemption. But more importantly, when this is done, we raise questions about the character of God, the gospel, and the truthfulness of redemption itself.

All words are binding, and the Christian’s word should need no buttressing.

R.T. France

James has consistently relied on and expanded Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

His wisdom in verse 12 is no different. A careful comparison shows that James uses and paraphrases Jesus' words in Matt 5:33-37 nearly identically.

James says, “Do not swear.” This Greek word, “swear/omnyo,” is sometimes translated as oath and means "to affirm the truth of a statement by calling on a divine being to execute sanctions against a person if the statement in question is not true.”1 Put another way, it is “invoking God’s name to guarantee the reliability of what a person

1 J. P. Louw, & E. A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996). 440.

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says.”2 Oaths, in and of themselves, are not condemned in the Bible. However, making them, taking them seriously, and keeping them is addressed regularly (e.g., Num 30:2; Deut 23:21; Lev 19:12; Jer 5:2). Often the concept of an oath is closely intertwined with the concept of a covenant. A covenant is a promise made where one party of higher status binds themselves to another party calling on God to invoke sanctions against the one who breaks the covenant. The Old Testament often records God making and keeping oaths and covenants (e.g., Gen 12; Num 14:21; Deut 4:31). So again, making a covenant or oath is not primarily an issue in the Bible. Taking them lightly, using them frivolously, and not keeping them is, however, addressed and condemned. Here in James 5:12 and Matthew 5:34, both Jesus and James go a step further and force their audience to ask the question, “Why are oaths needed in the first place?”

As Jesus regularly did in the Sermon on the Mount, he expands previously understood teaching, going further to address the real issue: our hearts. In Matthew 5:33, Jesus says, “you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, do not take an oath at all.” James simply says, “Do not swear.” Both Jesus and James are forcing their audience to recognize that if man were not deceitful as a result of the fall, oaths would not be needed.

Historical context reveals that the most commonplace for an oath was as testimony in a trial or business transaction, and the most common method was to swear by the name of the Lord. But, as can be seen in Jesus' address to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:16-22, many people began to swear by less sacred things. The thought was that if one makes an oath by less sacred things, then the oath is less important, and one is less obligated to keep the oath. Jesus and James both shake their heads and remind their audiences that there should not be a debate over what a Christ-follower swears by. If someone is a follower of Christ, their words should just simply be true. What Jesus commends and what James expounds is that for the Christian oaths ought not to be necessary. While oaths still exist today, our words ought to always be true and trustworthy in all contexts. In other words, followers of Christ should not need additional support or verification as to whether their words are true. Moo notes, ”our truthfulness should be so consistent and dependable that we need no oath to support it: a simple “yes” or “no” should suffice.”3 But Jesus and James are concerned with more than our character. They are concerned with the character of God and the gospel. Our words are intimately and intricately linked to our hearts. And for the follower of Christ, our heart has been redeemed and transformed, and it is no longer devoted to deceit but to King Jesus. If the fall was ushered in by deceit and fallen man is marked by deceit, then redemption and restoration are marked by the opposite, namely truth. When we live contrary to this, we raise suspicions regarding the truthfulness and faithfulness of God and the good news of Jesus as savior.

2 Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000). 232 3

Ibid., 233.

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James says, “let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no….” In Matthew 5:37, Jesus says, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” A more accurate translation of Matthew 5:37 would be, “Let what you say be simply “yes yes” or “no no.” In other words, let your words be doubly true with no shade of error. Followers of Christ must say what they mean and mean what they say. When we say yes, it must truly mean yes. In fact, one commentator expands their translation to include “let your word be (an outer) yes (which is truly an inner) yes, etc.”4 But why is this so important, and how is it linked to God and the gospel? Jesus and James are not merely concerned with the outward effects of our deceit but the inward effects of our deceit. If we are deceived, then we are not walking in the light of the gospel. And if we are deceiving, then we are not walking in line with the gospel.

Jesus says the alternative to being truthful, to letting our yes be yes and our no be no “comes from evil” (some translations have “evil one”). It reflects the garden and the deception of the serpent and the evil in our hearts. God is a God who keeps his promises and guarantees the finish line. When we don’t keep our promises, we contradict and undermine the God who is true and faithful. When our words are deceptive, we bring him and the gospel into question. James raises the stakes on our words, but he also uses this to reveal our need for the gospel. We are not perfect; we are not consistent, and we don’t keep our word…but James points us to the one who is perfect, who is consistent, and who did keep his word. One who says what he means, means what he says, and said, “it is finished.” The certitude of his promises and truthfulness is what frees us from ultimate condemnation.

4

P. H. Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary On the Greek Text. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 1982). 190.

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JAM ES 5: 12

D I SCU SSI O N 1. What happens to the witness of the church when Christians are deceitful? What happens to the witness of the gospel and the assurance of God’s promises when followers of Christ are deceitful?

2. Why is our truthfulness connected so closely to the gospel?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Compare and contrast James’ words in 5:12 with Jesus' words in Matt 5:33-37.

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JAMES 5:13-18 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. [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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. [17] Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. [18] Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Prayer is the central focus of this text. The word pray(er), "proseuchomai" in Greek (root "eucho"), is used seven different times in verses 13-18. James teaches that we ought to pray in all circumstances, pray in community, and pray in faith, knowing that God hears and does answer

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As James works towards a conclusion, he provides final instructions on prayer.

Remember, James began his letter encouraging believers to patiently endure trials, tragedy, and suffering. But he reminds them in James 1:5 that if they need wisdom, they need look no further than God himself who longs to lavish his grace upon his children. James also addressed double-mindedness throughout his letter calling for believers to walk in confident faith that God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do. As he concludes his letter, he circles back to these themes and offers important practical wisdom on prayer.

Verse 13 is very similar to Paul’s wisdom in Philippians 4:12-13. While Paul encourages contentedness in all circumstances, James encourages prayer in all circumstances.

James encourages prayer in circumstances of Eugene Peterson both poverty and plenty. He asks, “Is anyone suffering?” In the original language, the word James uses for suffering is a general term to capture opposition, bereavement, marital breakdown, sickness, trials, etc.

James simply answers, “Let him pray.” This might seem a simplistic response to pain and suffering, but prayer, rightly understood, is the very thing we need. Ultimately, prayer is a confession of weakness. It is the confession that “We can’t…but God can.”

We can’t solve all our problems, we can’t control all the circumstances of our lives, and we aren’t the answer to all our issues. But God can, God does, and God is. This pronouncement echoes James' wisdom to “humble” ourselves before God, trusting him to lift us up (James 4:10).

Prayer is the disciplined refusal to act before God acts.

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James then swings the pendulum away from circumstances of poverty and towards those of plenty. “Is anyone cheerful?” James exhorts raising praises to God. Do you have what you need? Have you been blessed?

The purpose of true From where did it come? Did you provide it? The prayer is not to bend clear answer is no, God provided. Therefore, G o d ' s w i l l t o o u r s , b u t celebrate Him, worship Him, and praise Him. always to bend our James reminds us how easy it is to turn to God will to his. only in our need and forget Him in times of John Stott abundance. He also teaches us that praise is an integral component of prayer.

With this in mind, we see that whether in plenty or want, James encourages prayer.

In his commentary on this verse, John Calvin notes, “there is no time in which God does not invite us to himself.”1 Like Paul in Eph 6:18 and 1 Thess 5:17-18, James encourages us to pray at all times and trust more in God and less in ourselves. Are you suffering? Look to God. He is near, he hears, and he provides. Do you have plenty? Look to God. He is the one who provided for you. He is the one who loves and cares for you.

In verses 14 and 15, James encourages prayer in community and in proximity.

James says, “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.” By "sick," James is referring to someone who is incapacitated, weak, immobile, or experiencing “debilitating trouble.”2 James encourages someone in this condition to request the community of faith, particularly the elders and authority figures representative of the whole church, to come bedside for prayer. Rather than an opportunity to ignore or discard someone, this provides an opportunity for community gathering. James also encourages praying in proximity. He says, “let them pray over…anointing with oil.”

These phrases indicate and encourage proximity, including hovering over, prostrating over, and touching. James later points to the prophet Elijah as an example of this. In 1 Kings 17:21-22, Elijah “stretched himself out on” a dead child asking God to heal and return life to the boy. James is encouraging intimate, communal dependence on God. It is worth noting that it is not the act of praying, touching, and anointing, but the name of the Lord that is the power for healing.

Furthermore, James exhorts us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another. Together, these verses point to the communal nature of faith, prayer, and confession. It is important to note that this is the only verse in the Bible that encourages confession of sins towards one another. Therefore, it is important to consider the whole counsel of the Word concerning confession. Sins ought to be confessed to God and as well as to fellow believers for accountability. Psalm 32 describes the inner turmoil, wasting, and sickness that results from unconfessed sin.

However, one must give consideration, wisdom, and discretion to confessing any sins publicly.

1

John Calvin, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010). 354.

2

Kurt A. Richardson, James. Vol. 36. The New American Commentary. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997). 232.

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Lastly, James encourages believers to pray in faith, believing that God hears and answers prayers. Interestingly, he points to the story of Elijah in 1 Kings chapters 17 to 18. Elijah was widely revered in Israel, yet James downplays Elijah’s revered status, saying Elijah “was a man with a nature like ours.” In other words, God answered his prayers, and he will answer ours too. What is the difference? Elijah prayed with the full confidence that God hears and answers prayers. What did Elijah experience as a result? Remarkable answer to prayers: drought for three years, rain on demand, fire from heaven, healing, and more.

How is this passage resolved in Jesus? First, we see that in all circumstances, great or small, we don’t have the strength to rescue ourselves, but Jesus does. Second, we see that our greater sickness is the sickness of sin and death, and Jesus is the Greater Elder and the Greater Elijah, whose requests to God and intercession on our behalf are always answered.

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JAM ES 5: 13-18

D I SCU SSI O N 1. According to these verses, when should we pray?

2. How is prayer an act of confession? Asked another way, by turning to God in prayer, what are we acknowledging?

3. If prayer is the admission that we cannot control all our circumstances, what does the lack of prayer signal?

4. When James exhorts us to confess our sins to one another, does he mean publicly confess any and all sins? How does the rest of the counsel of the Word shed light on this?

5. While not all sickness is directly linked to sin (i.e., John 9:1-3), James does suggest a possible link in verse 15. How does Psalm 32 shed light on this possible link?

6. Why is Elijah given as an example of a righteous person praying in verses 17-18? Review 1 Kings 17-18.

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. James ends his book with this teaching on prayer and a direct reference to Elijah in verses 17-18 and an indirect reference in verses 19-20. How does studying 1 Kings 17-19 shed further light on James' instruction here?

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JAMES 5:19-20 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, [20] let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (ESV) B I G

I D E A : Scholars say James issues more imperatives per verse than any other book: 59 in just 108 verses.1 Therefore, it is no surprise that he ends as he began. However, his final command is really more of a commission for believers calling us to be people who seek out, find, and call home those who have wandered from the truth.

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James has been reiterating verses 19-20 throughout his entire letter, namely, calling the dispersed and scattered believers to stay true to the faith. He has been addressing double-mindedness, fear, faith, hypocrisy, partiality, grumbling, the tongue, and more. James has been addressing each of these issues in believers that were scattered, persecuted, and fearful. Each step of the way, James has addressed these with the truth of the Gospel. As he comes to his concluding remarks in verses 19-20, he turns to his audience and says, “Now it’s time for you to go and do as I have done and call wanderers to return, to encourage them to not lose heart, and to stay true to the faith.”

James uses the word "wander" twice in verses 19 and 20. This means to roam from safety, go astray, or be deceived, whether casually or intentionally. He further clarifies his concern by using the phrase those who “wander from the truth.” By this, he means all that the Gospel entails. James understands that the Gospel is both a matter of knowledge and living, faith and action, mental assent and personal allegiance.2 He also knows that movement away from the truth and good news of the Gospel begins inwardly. James says as much in James 1:14-15, that we are tempted and led astray by our desires, that the active outward movement away from the truth first begins with inward deception, doubt, and disbelief.

James is concerned for those who wander from the safe harbor of God’s Word and the good news of Jesus. James understands something about his audience and us. It is why he wrote his letter and why he ends his letter this way. Every one of us faces the temptation to wander from the truth, to go astray, to take good things and try to squeeze out of them our value and meaning and hope. We are all like sheep, as Isaiah says, who “have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way” (Is 53:6). Here, in verses 19-20, James concludes his letter by addressing the reality that there will be some who wander from the truth. But this leads us to his primary aim in these concluding verses. Just as sure as there will be wanderers, James asserts, there must also be seekers.

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At first glance, it would seem that James' concluding remarks are strictly about those who wander. But James' last imperative in these verses is directed at the believing community that James has been addressing throughout his letter, which is evidenced in his address to “brothers” and the “someone” of verse 19. This “someone” is distinct from the person that wanders from the truth. The “someone” James is addressing is the believing community who themselves were previously scattered and wandering and have returned. James urges, begs, and pleads with them to now be people who go and seek those who wander.

One cannot help but think about Jesus and the various shepherding passages of the Old and New Testament. In Ezekiel 34, God rebukes the priests and shepherds because they were not seeking the lost sheep of Israel. He says, “the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought” (Ez 34:4). God’s sheep “were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts” (Ez 34:5). Therefore, God says, “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak….” (Ez 34:15-16). Fast forward to the New Testament, and what does Jesus say he came to do? He came “to seek and save the lost” (Lk 19:10). And what does he call himself but the “Good Shepherd” (John 10)? Furthermore, Jesus himself addresses the believing community of Pharisees in Luke 15 and confronts them for their lack of seeking. He tells the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:3-7 precisely because God’s shepherds were not seeking. What happens in that parable is that a shepherd that loses a sheep, seeks the sheep, finds the sheep, hoists it on his shoulders, and “brings him back.”

Wandering can happen for a variety of reasons. James' primary concern is that when it occurs, the community of faith takes intentional action to go and seek. There will be some who wander casually and some who wander intentionally from the truth.

Regardless, the community of faith is responsible for making every effort to seek and restore those who wander.

Don’t forget that James has set his concluding remarks in the context of the life of Elijah. In verses 17-18, James concludes his instruction on prayer by pointing to the prophet Elijah as an example. Elijah, per God’s instruction, calls for God to shut up the heavens and dry up the land, and God does. Elijah calls on God to provide food for him and the widow, and God does. Elijah calls upon God to revive a dead child, and God does. Elijah calls down fire from heaven on Mt Carmel, and God does. Elijah calls upon God to send rain after three years, and God does. Elijah saw remarkable answers to prayer, but that was all in 1 Kings 17-18. Do you remember what happened in 1 Kings 19? After all of these amazing, remarkable moments of God’s direct intervention and interaction on behalf of Elijah, Jezebel threatens to kill him. And Elijah, “a man with a nature like ours," ran, feared, doubted, worried, and wandered. In one moment, he’s walking in the confidence of God and the fact that God is for him…in the next, he’s defeated, hiding under a broom tree asking God to kill him (1 Kings 19:3-4). Consider James' larger point. If Elijah is prone to wander, how much more are you and I? Copyr i g ht © 20 2 0 | JA MES: A u t h e n t i c F ai t h . A ll r i gh t s r eser v ed .

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But notice what happens. God doesn’t let Elijah go. Instead, he seeks, confronts, and restores Elijah. God comes alongside Elijah and quietly feeds him (1 Kings 19:5-8), and then asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:9). Elijah gives God multiple self-justifying and prideful reasons for wandering. But, rather than come in great wrath, great power, and crushing authority (which God displayed), God comes in a still, small voice and asks again gently, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:13). Then, in that tenderness, he instructs Elijah to return home. What is more, God doesn’t expect him to go it alone. He provides him a community of faith to walk with him on his journey (in the form of Elisha).

As we conclude, remember, this was not just Elijah’s story. It was also James' story.

Remember, James was once a lost and wandering sheep. James was a doubting skeptic. He was part of Jesus' family that mocked Jesus as crazy (John 7:3-5; Mk 3:2022). But then Jesus came to him (1 Cor 15:6-8), and James' life was never the same.

Now, James writes to scattered sheep, calling them home. Now he comes to us and commissions us to go and do the same.

But remember this story is also your story. You, too, were once a lost and wandering sheep (Rom 3:10-12). You, too, were once double-minded like Elijah. You, too, were once a doubting skeptic like James. And, rather than leave you for dead or crush you for your rebellion, God did something remarkable. He did not deal with you according to your sins nor repay you according to your iniquities (Ps 103:810). Instead, he sought you. Instead, he came near in the flesh and blood of Jesus.

Instead, he graciously called you home. Instead of crushing you, he crushed Jesus.

Why, you ask? So that the multitude of your sins might be covered and so that you might experience the peace that only Jesus can offer: peace with God, peace with self, and peace with others.

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JAM ES 5: 19-20

D I SCU SSI O N 1. Who is James addressing in these verses?

2. What obligation does James place on the believing community with regard to those who wander?

3. Evangelism is often motivated by guilt. What is James rooting evangelism in, and how is it different?

4. What, if any, is the connection of verses 5:19-20 to James' reference of Elijah in 5:17?

5. James says Elijah had “a nature like our own.” How similar are we?

6. Consider Elijah’s double-mindedness. In one moment, he sees remarkable answers to prayer (1 Kings 17-18), and in the next, he’s wandering in fear (1 Kings 19). How often do you celebrate God’s provision one day and then doubt his provision the next? Why do you think this is? In what ways can we reduce that pendulum swing?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Is 53:6; Ez 34; Lk 15; Lk 19:10

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CONCLUSION What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? James 2:14 (ESV) The book of James was written to encourage authentic faith. As we conclude our study pause, reflect, and celebrate the wisdom of God in the book of James regarding: • Testing, suffering, poverty, oppression and patient endurance (this serves as the primary context and backdrop to all that James teaches) (1:2–4, 12; 5:7–11) • Godly speech and the power of speech (1:20, 26; 3:1–12; 4:11–12; 5:12) • Genuine faith (1:6–8; 2:14–26; 5:14) • Faith producing good works (2:14–26) • Humility (3:13–18; 4:13–17) • The law (1:25; 2:8–13; 4:11–12) • Favoritism and partiality (2:1–11) • Godly versus worldly wisdom (3:13–18) • Godly values versus worldly values (4:1–10) • The power of effective prayer (5:13–18) • The responsibility of believers to seek those who wander and the motivation to go forth being rooted in Jesus’ gracious seeking of us (5:19-20) James certainly wanted to convey godly wisdom. But he also wrote to encourage believers to apply the life-giving good news of the gospel to the world around them.

As you reflect on the wisdom of God in the book of James, spend a few minutes asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any attitudes and/ or actions that you might need to address in your own life. Looking at the topics above ask the Spirit to highlight any areas where you might need to grow. Finally, ask the Spirit for wisdom in how to apply all that you have learned in the world around you.

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C ON C LUSION

D I SCU SSI O N 1. How would you answer a friend if they were to ask you, “What’s the book of James all about?”

2. In your own words, what are some of the topics and lessons you learned as a result of this study?

3. What is one new thing you gained from the study of James that you found especially encouraging or challenging?

4. What areas of your life (i.e., attitudes or actions) did you try to adjust as a result of studying the book of James?

5. What is one thing we can do better as a community as a result of studying James?

FO R FU RTHE R STU DY 1. Allberry, Sam. James For You S.I.: The Good Book Company, 2015).

2. Doriani, Daniel M. James. Reformed Expository Commentary.

Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007.

3. Martin, Ralph P. James. Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 48.

Waco, Tx: Word Books, Publ, 1988.

4. Moo, Douglas J. James: An Introduction and Commentary.

Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 16. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985.

5. Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000.

6. Motyer, J. A. The Message of James: The Tests of Faith. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985.

7. Richardson, Kurt A. James. The New American Commentary, Vol. 36. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.

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