James 1 - Introduction

We are to rejoice under the cross, to ask wisdom of God, and in our trials not to impute our weakness or sins unto him; but rather to hearken to the word, to meditate upon it, and to act accordingly: otherwise men may seem, but never can be, truly religious.

Anno Domini 60.

THE object of this epistle being to persuade the whole body of the Jewish nation to forsake the many errors and vices into which they had fallen, the apostle first directed his discourse to such of them as were Christians, many of whom, it would seem, were becomeimpatient under the persecution that they were suffering for their religion; and the rather, because their unbelieving brethren had endeavoured to persuadethem, that the evils under which they laboured were tokens of the divine displeasure: for they applied to them those passages of the law, in which God declared he would bless and prosper the Israelitish nation, or curse and afflict it, according as it adhered to, or forsook the law of Moses. Wherefore,to enable the Jewish Christians to judge rightly of the afflictions they were enduring, and to reconcile them to their then suffering lot, the apostle, in the beginning of his epistle, exhorted them to rejoice exceedingly in afflictions, as a real advantage, James 1:2.—Because it was intended by God to produce in them patience, James 1:3.—And if it produced patience, it would contribute to the perfecting of many other graces in them, James 1:4.—In the second place, the apostle exhorted them to pray for wisdom to enable them to make a proper use of their afflictions, and assured them, thatGod was most willing to grant them that, and every other good gift, James 1:5.—provided they asked thesegifts sincerely, James 1:6.—Thirdly, that the poor among the brethren might be encouraged to bear the hardships of their lot patiently, and that the rich might not be too much cast down when they were stripped of their riches and possessions by their persecutors, he represented to the poor their great dignity as the sons of God, and the excellent possessions they were entitled to as the heirs of God: on the other hand, the rich he put in mind of the emptiness, instability, and brevity of all human grandeur, by comparing it to a flower, whose leaves wither and fall immediatelyon their being exposed to the scorching heat of the sun, James 1:9.—Fourthly, to encourage both the poor and the rich to suffer cheerfully the loss of the transitory goods of this life for Christ's sake, he brought to their remembrance Christ's promise to bestow on them, in recompence, a crown of life, if faithful unto death, James 1:12.

The apostle next directed his discourse to the unbelieving part of the nation, and expressly condemned that impious notion by which many of them, and even some of the Judaizing teachers among the Christians, pretended to vindicate their worst actions; namely, that God tempts men to sin, and is the author of the sinful actions to which he tempts them. For he assured them that God neither seduces any man to sin, neither is himself seduced by any one, James 1:13.—but that every man is seduced by his own lusts, James 1:14.—which being indulged in the mind, bring forth sin; and sin, by frequent repetition, being nourished to maturity, bringeth forth death at length to the sinner, James 1:15.—Wherefore, he besought them not to deceive themselves by the impious notion, that God is the author of sin, James 1:16.—He is the author of every good and perfect gift, and of nothing but good, and that invariably, James 1:17.—Farther, that such of them as professed the gospel might be brought to a right faith and practice, he desired them, as learners, to hearken with attention and submission to the apostles of Christ who had brought them word, and to be charitable in delivering their opinion on matters of religion, lest they might say something that was dishonourable to God; and by no means to be angry with those who differed from them, James 1:19.—and to lay aside all those evil passions which they hast hitherto indulged, and which hindered them from receiving the word with meekness, James 1:21.—Then he exhorted them to be doers, and not hearers only of the word, James 1:22.—because the person who contents himself with hearing the word, is like a man who transiently beholds his natural face in a glass, then goes away, and immediately forgets his own appearance; so that he is at no pains to remove from his face any thing that is disagreeable in it, &c. James 1:23.

The apostle, having thus exhorted the Jews to be doers of the law, proceeded to mention certain points of the law, which too many professors are apt to neglect, but which merit the attention of all who are truly religious: And, first, he recommended the bridling of the tongue, that virtue being a great mark of holiness in those who possess it, and the want of it a certain proof of the want of genuine religion, James 1:26.—An exhortation of this kind was peculiarly suitable to the Judaizing teachers, who sinned exceedingly with their tongue, both by inculcating erroneous doctrines, together with a most corrupt morality, and by reviling all who opposed their errors: and it is highly expedient for professors in general. The second point of duty which the apostle recommended, was kind offices to orphans and widows in their affliction, because such good works are principal fruits of true religion in the sight of God: and the third and last was, a crucifixion to the spirit and practices of the world.

JAMES.] As this epistle plainly intimates that the destruction of Jerusalem was near, which happened in the year 70, this epistle could not be written by St. James the Elder, who was beheaded by Herod in the year 44. Nor were any large number of Jewish Christians dispersed, nor were the Jewish Christians sunk into any remarkable degeneracy, so early as his death. Hence we may conclude, that it was written about the year 60, by St. James the Less, called the brother or kinsman of our blessed Lord. This James chiefly dwelt at Jerusalem; and as he presided over the churches of Judea, to the inhabitants of which he had limited his personal labours, he endeavours in this epistle to extend his services to the Jewish Christians who were dispersed in more distant regions. For this end the apostle confines himself particularly to these two points, to correct those errors into which the Jewish converts had fallen; and to establish the faith, and animate the hope of sincere believers, both under their present and approaching sufferings. These are both treated, jointly or distinctly, in a free epistolarymanner. This epistle is placed before those of St. Peter, because St. James was the first bishop, and because it is more general than the epistles of St. Pet