Bible Students

1 James, and Apostle of the church, did not consider it to his advantage to use his authority as an Apostle, but rather appealed to his audience as a willing servant of God. In this, he sets the example for his audience. Position is nothing if the one in high position does not submit himself to Christ. James addresses his letter to the twelve tribes, which is likely those who understand the old Law and are familiar with Old Testament wisdom literature. 

2-3 James addresses his audience as brothers, demonstrating his care. He instructs them to count trials as joy. Though they are trials, they are the testing of their faith by God in order to produce fruit in the believer. The Christian is disciplined by God as a son, and the believer should find joy in this, for in this they are brought closer to God. 

4 The believer must allow the trial to pass, while keeping in joy, in order that the believer may be shown to be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Of course, this can not mean not lacking anything, for not all things are good things which one would want to not lack. Instead, the believer will lack no good thing. In being brought closer to God through the trial, the believer will find himself with more than he began. 

5 If the believer feels they can not make it through the trial, they must ask God for the help. This is a part of the stretching which comes by trials, that the believer would learn to depend on God for their aid. James assures his readers that God is generous with His gifts, and desires to give them to His children. 

6 However, the believer must ask genuinely, not doubting either the character or the ability of God to give good gifts. For, if he doubts, his mind is tossed around like the sea. He goes back and forth between doubt and faith. The believer must have faith in the face of doubt. To be like a wave of the sea is foolishness. 

7-8 If a man doubts God’s character or ability, they will gain what they believe. If they believe God is incapable, they will find a God who is unwilling to give. The one like a wave is unstable. Rather, they must be firm in faith and expect God to show Himself true, for He will. 

9-10 Now, doubting is not the same as small in faith. The one who doubts does not believe God can deliver. The one with a little faith has the fear of doubt, but chooses to believe. That is the lowly brother, through whom God’s power will be shown. However, those who are not lowly on earth must be lowly in spirit, lest he fall into the trap of pride. Earthly riches will fade away, but heavenly riches (humility) will remain forever.

11 The flower of the field can not control the circumstances around it. Though it is beautiful, poor circumstances can destroy its vitality. The rich man is the same. One day he will die, and his riches will mean nothing. Rather, he must be lowly in heart, for that will never fade away, unlike his material riches. 

12 All, rich and poor, must be willing to endure the scorching heat of spiritual trial. For, when it has passed, he will be shown to be of God. He will be brought closer to God through the trial, showing the humility and lowness of heart. This is the climax of the last eleven chapters. 

13 Let no one be confused: god does not send trials to destroy the person He is testing. Satan “tempts” in order to destroy. God “tests” in order to show them as His own. God’s tests bring believers closer to Himself. They are not meant to destroy, for this is against the character of God. 

14 It is the individual who is tempted by themself, not God. The desire of the individual draws them away from God, where God’s tests bring them closer to Himself. The believer must flee the desire of the self and pursue closeness with God. 

15 Be wary, for the desire to be drawn closer to oneself and further from God will eventually lead to death. Desire is not sin, and sin is not yet death, but they lead into one another. One must consciously and actively flee to God. 

16-17 Where looking to the self brings desire, sin, and death, looking to God brings good gifts. God is represented as pure light, without any shadow. There is no soft light and shadow in God, but only pure bright light. He gives gifts because He is good. 

18 In fact, God gives the good gift of salvation, for He loves His own creation. He is the one who created, and the one who loves. His children were saved so that they could be His inheritance, the good thing He desires. 

19-20 Now, if God gives such great gifts to His children who He loves, who are the children that they would give evil gifts to others? Man’s anger is full of darkness, and is contrary to the nature of God’s righteousness. The one who desires God should desire to be more like Him. 

21 This evil desire must be fled from, and the Word must be sought after. This Word is able to save the souls, and if an individual is to ignore the Word in favor of evil desire, they can not be saved. 

22 If anyone only listens to the Word without doing what it says, they deceive themselves into believing they are righteous. One must pursue humility and love for others and for God, lest he believe he has the implanted Word, when he does not. 

23-24 A man who looks at himself and forgets what he looks like is a fool. This man clearly does not care what he looks like, if he forgets immediately. The man who studies Himself and remembers cares about what he looks like. 

25 The wise man is the one who looks into the implanted Word and does what it says, for He clearly cares. It has been implanted in Him, and He desires to be brought closer to God through it. The one who looks at the Word and does not practice it does not care about the Word, and so does not truly have the implanted Word. 

26 The tongue is the outward expression of the inward self. It is the doorway directly to the heart. If the fruit of the tree is rotten, the root of the tree is rotten as well. If a person can not even pretend to produce good fruit with the mouth, then what hope is there for the condition of the heart? To James, if a man believes himself to be faithful, but can not even speak kindly, he deceives himself. The rest of his faithful actions are useless, because his heart is rotten. 

27 Religion is not used in the sense of the dead structures of empty faith, but in the working out of one’s faith. To James, the way of expressing faith in God is to take care of those who are needing. This is a reflection of the heart of the Father, so it naturally comes from the faith which Christians should have. The faith is being worked out in two ways: First, to help those who are hurting (in the form of orphans and widows). Second, to keep oneself from the world (not allowing the clean to be made unclean, and therefore useless for helping the hurting with the gospel).