CHAPTER S 2-5. Having dealt with subjects in a certain order in chapter 1 the remainder of the letter will now deal with those subjects in the reverse order. Thus: ANALYSIS OF CHAPTER 1. · Introduction. James the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1). · Requirement to rejoice i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory, with respect of persons.' James commences by drawing their attention to the fact that the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ, is far above that of any other. He is our Lord, set above all things (Acts 2:36; Ephesians 1:20); He is Je... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER 2. FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. The Fact That Faith Without Relevant Action Is Dead Is Illustrated (James 2:1). It Will Be Brought Into Judgment (James 2:8,) And The Case Is Argued Scripturally (James 2:14). The passage is split up into three sections, commencing with an example of so-call... [ Continue Reading ]
For if there come into your synagogue (assembly) a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing,' He gives the example of two men entering the ‘synagogue', that is the ‘assembly' (compare Proverbs 5:14 LXX where sunagowgos (syanagogue) and ekklesia (chu... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And you have regard to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, “You sit here in a good place”, and you say to the poor man, “You stand there, or sit under my footstool.” ' But those whose eyes are not on the Lord of Glory, pay great regard to the rich man in his fine clothing, and lead him to a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Do you not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?' James then makes his point. By doing this they are making distinctions among themselves and are judging with evil thoughts. They are looking from the point of view of the world, not from the point of view of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Listen, my beloved brothers, did not God choose those who are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingly Rule which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor man. He then points out in what honour and high esteem that poor man is often held in the s... [ Continue Reading ]
Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?' James then makes a further point. He is not necessarily saying that this is true of that particular rich man. But his point is that that rich man belongs to a class who, while they might be given honour by some in the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Do they not blaspheme the honourable name by which you are called?' Indeed, he can go further. It is the rich and the powerful who more than any others bring the name of Jesus into disrepute. And they openly blaspheme (use abusive and scurrilous language) against His Name, insulting His Name in pub... [ Continue Reading ]
‘If you really (or ‘however, if you') fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself, you do well, but if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.' The basic principle here is simple. If they keep the law... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REASON THAT THEIR TREATMENT OF RICH AND POOR IS TO BE CONDEMNED AND WILL COME INTO JUDGMENT IS NOW GIVEN (JAMES 2:8). Having opened with an illustration so as to seize the attention, James now applies it. The Law declares that they are to ‘love your neighbour as yourself'. This is a requirement... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all.' This is a no escape clause which embraces us all. In order to back his argument up against anyone who might say that this behaviour is so human that it is not really all that bad James then points out a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For he who said, “Do not commit adultery”, said also, “Do not murder”. Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you are become a transgressor of the law.' He then illustrates this from two basic laws, the law against adultery (the breaking up of a marriage relationship and the stealing of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So speak you, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of liberty.' He then applies his words to the Christians who are hearing his letter read to them. They are to recognise this principle and speak and act accordingly, recognising that their words and their actions are to be judged by mea... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For judgment is without mercy to him who has showed no mercy. Mercy glories against judgment.' He then finishes with two sayings which bring this out. The first is that the one who fails to show mercy will never find mercy. This is a reversal of Matthew 5:7, where Jesus said, ‘blessed (by God) are... [ Continue Reading ]
‘What does it profit, my brothers (and sisters), if a man say he has faith, but does not have works? Can that faith save him?' We should note carefully precisely what is said. The man ‘says' he has faith. But the question is faith in what? If his faith does not make him active in doing good then it... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REPLY COMES, ‘BUT SURELY IF WE HAVE FAITH THAT IS ENOUGH. WILL WE NOT BE SEEN TO BE RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE WE HAVE FAITH IN CHRIST? THEN SURELY IT DOES NOT REALLY MATTER HOW WE BEHAVE TOWARDS OTHERS'. THE REPLY IS THAT FAITH WILL CERTAINLY ENABLE US TO BECOME ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, BUT THAT THE ONLY WAY... [ Continue Reading ]
‘If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say to them, “Go in peace, be you warmed and filled”, but you do not give them the things needful to the body, what does it profit (‘what is the benefit of that')?' Once again his thoughts turn for an illustration to the poo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Even so faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.' And that is why he can say that such faith is dead. It is unresponsive, it fails to act, and it reveals a closed mind and a closed heart. It in practise ignores the One Whom it claims as Lord. What then is it faith in? It is a moribund... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” ' He then contrasts two men. One says he has faith. ‘OK,' says the other. ‘Show me your faith. Let me see it, handle it, touch it, experience it.' But the ma... [ Continue Reading ]
“You believe that God is one? You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.' ‘Ah,' says the first man solemnly, ‘I am a believer. I believe that God is One just as He told me to' (in Deuteronomy 6:5). (Or ‘I believe that there is one God.') ‘Well done,' says the other. That puts you on a par w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But will you know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?' Thus he needs to recognise that he is living in vain and for nothing, because his faith is barren. Unless he does works and fulfils his Father's will his faith will bear no fruit. It will be prove to be a useless faith. For how... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?' He then takes the example of Abraham, the first man who is said to have had ‘faith', the Abraham of whom it was said, ‘Abraham believed God and he counted it to him for righteousness' (Genesis 15:6)).... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You see that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect (brought to completeness).' And not only did his works reveal that he really was righteous through faith, something that had been accounted to him long before, but it also made his faith grow stronger and more mature. Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness”, and he was called the friend of God.' So Abraham's action in offering Isaac _in obedience to God's command_ brought to completeness (fulfilled) his action of earlier believing in... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.' So James now reaches his conclusion. That having been recognised as righteous as a result of a response of faith towards God in Jesus Christ, a man will be seen to have been accounted righteous by what happens afterwards when as a r... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?' James then brings a second example out of the Old Testament, the example of Rahab who hid the spies when Joshua was about to invade Canaan. Here he is giving an... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.' Then he comes to his final conclusion. Just like the body is dead if it has no spirit (when the spirit has departed from it), so is faith dead if no life can be seen, if no works can be seen to be springing fro... [ Continue Reading ]