JAMES—NOTE ON 1:1 Greeting. Jesus chose 12 disciples to signify the twelve tribes and thus to identify the church as the new Israel (see note on Matt. 10:1). James reminds these Jewish Christians of their spiritual heritage as the people of God, gathered by Jesus the Messiah. in the Dispersion. The tribes of Israel were scattered throughout the world by the Assyrians and Babylonians. They looked forward to being regathered as a people (Jer. 31:7–14; Ezek. 37:15–28). James implies that the true Israel is now also dispersed (away from its heavenly homeland) and oppressed, but assured of their final gathering to the Lord.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:2–18 The Testing of Faith. Trials test faith in order to make spiritual pilgrimages complete. They are part of the “good gifts” (v. 17) God gives his people in order to make them whole.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:2–4 Joy in Trials. Trials are designed to produce spiritual maturity and should therefore be counted as joy.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:2 Trials are “tests” that challenge faith (vv. 2–5). When trials occur, one should count it all joy—not meaning mere worldly, temporal happiness, but rather spiritual, enduring, “complete joy” in the Lord who is sovereign over all things, including trials.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:3 Testing of your faith defines the meaning of a trial for the Christian: as Jesus was “tested” in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–13), so believers are tested. The Greek dokimion (“testing”) denotes a positive test intended to make one’s faith “genuine” (cf. 1 Pet. 1:7). The result is steadfastness, a life of faithful endurance amid troubles and afflictions.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:4 Steadfastness leads ultimately to perfection. Believers grow in holiness but are not yet perfected in it; such perfection will be realized only when Jesus returns.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:5–8 Wisdom from God for Trials. Believers are to have an undivided faith, asking for wisdom from their ever-wise and all-generous God.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:5 James addresses the believer who lacks wisdom in handling trials. Wisdom, as in the OT, is a God-given and God-centered discernment regarding the practical issues in life. Wisdom comes from prayer for God’s help. God gives generously (with “single-minded” liberality) and without reproach (he does not want anyone to hesitate to come to him).
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:6 faith. A settled trust and confidence in God, based on his character and promises as revealed in Scripture (cf. Heb. 11:1). doubting. Vacillating between trusting God and trusting the world or one’s own natural abilities. This makes a person like a wave of the sea, a picture of instability and uncertainty.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:7–8 A person who doubts God’s goodness dishonors him. Such a person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is unsure whether God is good or will do good. He is a double-minded man, that is, in “two minds,” torn between God and the world, and is therefore unstable in all his ways (cf. v. 6).
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:9–11 The Place of Rich and Poor before God. Both poverty and riches bring enormous pressure on a person to focus on the world rather than on Christ. Thus James exhorts the poor to boast (or glory) in their high status in Christ. The lowly brother will be exalted or vindicated by God. In contrast, James exhorts the rich to boast in their humiliation, (1) by realizing that their wealth is temporary and that it brings them no advantage before God, and (2) by identifying with the poor in their affliction. The church is to be a “countercultural” community, which reverses the values of the world (cf. 2:2–4). Given the context, James seems to be saying that the challenges of poverty and wealth may be one of the greatest “trials” for Christians, as would be suggested by his immediate emphasis (see 1:12) on the “blessed” status of those who remain “steadfast under trial.” James also echoes Jesus’ warning that “You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24).
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:12 Reward for Those Who Endure. James returns to the theme introduced in v. 2. Crown of life alludes not to the jewel encrusted ruler’s crown but to the laurel wreath given to winners in athletic games (1 Cor. 9:25) and victorious emperors. The reward for faithful perseverance is eternal life, with all its abundant blessings (cf. Rev. 2:10).
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:13–18 The Process of Temptation. James turns to the other side of trials, namely, when testing becomes temptation (see note on v. 2).
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:13 God tests his people (e.g., Abraham, Genesis 22; Israel, Ex. 16:4; Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32:31) so that their character is strengthened, but he never tempts (i.e., lures people into sin). Since God cannot be tempted with evil, and he is unreservedly good, he would never entice human beings to sin or seek to harm their faith. Tempted (Gk. peirazō) is the verb form of the noun translated “trial” (Gk. peirasmos) in James 1:12, but the context shows that different senses of the word are intended. God brings trials in order to strengthen the Christian’s faith. He never tempts, however, because he never desires his people to sin. Christians should never blame God when they do wrong.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:14 lured and enticed. A fishing metaphor for drawing prey away from shelter in order to trap them with a deadly hook. Here it is the person’s evil desire that ensnares; in 1 Pet. 5:8–9 it is Satan who “seeks to devour.” Sin is never God’s fault.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:15 The picture changes to a birth/rebirth metaphor, as full-grown desire bears its own child, sin, which itself grows into maturity and bears the grandchild, death. This dramatic depiction shows the terrible result when one gives in to temptation.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:17 James moves from evil temptations (which God never gives) to the observation that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from God (cf. Matt. 7:11). As in James 1:5, James reminds the readers of God’s goodness. In their trials, God is not tempting them to sin, but the difficulties in life are intended to strengthen and perfect them and make them more like God. God’s intentions for them are always for good (cf. Rom. 8:28). There is nothing in this world that is truly good that has any other origin than from above, namely heaven, descending from the Father of lights, which refers to God as creator of the heavenly “lights” (Ps. 74:16; 136:7–9)—a prime example of his good gifts. God is unchanging in his character and therefore in his giving of good, unlike the variation of the night changing to day or the shifting shadow caused by the sun or moon.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:18 Brought us forth by the word of truth speaks of spiritual salvation, with “us” meaning believers, the “word of truth” being the gospel, and “brought … forth” (that is, from the womb) being a metaphor for the new birth. The firstfruits of the harvest (cf. Ex. 23:16–19; Lev. 23:9–14) are pioneer believers, who are a prelude to further conversions yet to come (cf. Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:15).
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:19–27 Hearing and Doing the Word. The central theme of this section is practical Christianity mandated by “the word of truth,” which is the gospel (v. 18), and characterized by both truly “hearing” and then resolutely “doing” the truth. Obedience is the hallmark of the true child of God.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:19–21 Hearers of the Word. James encourages the church to pursue hearing the word, and to avoid hasty speech and unrighteous anger.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:19 James echoes Jewish Wisdom tradition on the misuse of the tongue and the anger that can result (cf. Prov. 10:19; 11:12; 15:1; 17:28). quick to hear. Lack of listening, combined with lack of restraint in speech, leads to ill-tempered action. Slow to anger does not mean that all human anger is sinful (cf. Eph. 4:26), but the quick-tempered, selfish anger of the world (“the anger of man,” James 1:20) betrays lack of trust in God and lack of love for others.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:20 The self-reliant anger of man, even when directed against some wrongdoing, fails to recognize that mere human reproach cannot change another person’s heart, and thus it does not produce the righteousness of God; nor indeed is such anger fully righteous itself. God is holy and righteous, requiring that his people emulate his righteous character (e.g., Lev. 19:2; Matt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:16). “Righteousness” here is not Pauline legal or forensic righteousness proclaimed in God’s court of law (e.g., see notes on Rom. 3:20; 5:10) but is closer to the usage of the OT (Isa. 61:3) and Jesus (Matt. 3:15; 5:6, 10, 20; 6:1, 33; 21:32), in the sense of conducting one’s life by the will of God, according to his standards.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:21 Put away all filthiness pictures the stripping off of dirty clothes (cf. Rom. 13:12; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:8) based on a desire to have nothing to do with the dirt (here, moral evil) ever again. In place of filthy behavior, the implanted word must take root in God’s people. This idea of God planting his revealed truth reflects Deut. 30:14 (“the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart”) and especially the new covenant of Jer. 31:33 (“I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts”). Save your souls refers here to progressive sanctification and ultimately the completion of God’s saving work on the last day.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:22–25 Doers of the Word. Hearing the word without action is self-deceptive, while hearing that results in doing the word is a blessing.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:22 Being doers of the word, and not hearers only is the only proper response to the Word of God (not only the gospel but the entirety of Scripture), allowing it to take root in one’s life (cf. v. 21).
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:23–24 Looking intently at his natural face in a mirror and then forgetting what he was like demonstrates the folly of examining oneself in God’s “mirror” of the “implanted word” (v. 21) and then doing nothing about it (v. 22). When one sees imperfections (as when looking in a mirror), common sense says something should be done about it.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:25 the law of liberty (cf. 2:12). In James, the “law” and the “word” are two different ways of describing the same reality. Earlier, the “word of truth” (1:18) is the gospel of Christ, and the “law” here refers to the OT law as it has been interpreted and fulfilled in Christ. Though the OT law was “holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12), it had no power by itself to enable sinful people to conform to it. Thus, the OT law did not liberate God’s people but enslaved them, as Paul taught (Gal. 3:10–4:7; cf. Rom. 2:1–3:20; 5:20; 6:14–15; 7:1–25). But the law is one of “liberty” when it comes along with the word of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to change hearts. See also note on James 2:12.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:26–27 True, Practical Religion. This section on obedience (vv. 19–27) concludes with three characteristics of the one whose religion is pure and undefiled, that is, one who “does” the word. First, he refuses self-deception and bridles his tongue, which means he keeps a tight rein on his speech like a bridle controlling a horse. Second, he shows mercy and love to the oppressed. Orphans and widows were frequent OT examples of this (see Deut. 10:18; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 7:5–7) because of their particularly helpless state (on widows in NT times, see note on 1 Tim. 5:3–16). Third, he remains unstained from the world; James uses the sacrificial language of “the lamb without blemish” (Ex. 12:5; 1 Pet. 1:19) to describe the pure religious person.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:1–13 The Sin of Partiality. The problem of the poor and the rich, already emphasized in 1:9–11, 27, now comes to center stage with this warning about discriminating against the poor in favor of the wealthy in the Christian assembly.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:1–7 Preferring the Wealthy over the Poor in the Assembly. James shows the fundamental incompatibility of holding faith in Christ and showing partiality among people.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:1 partiality as you hold the faith. There is no place for prejudice in the life of faith. “Partiality” combines a group of terms signifying “to accept/judge according to face” and refers to favoritism shown on the basis of status in society. Jesus, according to James, is the exalted and glorious Lord and Christ, and is always to be thought of as such.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:2–4 Assembly probably refers to a Christian house church. Here two types of people arrive: one with a gold ring and fine clothing, and another with shabby clothing. The wealthy person is told to sit here in a good place, a place of honor, perhaps in the front, while the poor person is shown contempt and told either to stand (probably in the back) or sit down at my feet like a servant. Those who make such distinctions show themselves to be judges with evil thoughts. Christians are not to “judge” each other (Matt. 7:1–5; Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 5:12), and to do so can only mean one’s mind is consumed with evil “thoughts” (Gk. dialogismos, which can mean “opinions,” “reasoning,” or “conclusions”).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:5 chosen … to be rich in faith. Using the language of election, James declares that the poor have a special place in God’s economy of salvation. They are rich in an eternal sense because they are heirs of the kingdom (cf. “poor in spirit, … theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Matt. 5:3).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:6–7 oppress you. This oppression, or exploitation, reflects a situation of radical social polarization in the first century, with merchants and landowners taking land and possessions from the poor (cf. 5:1–6). James challenges his Christian readers as to why they would honor the rich in the assembly when it is the rich unbelievers of the world who blaspheme the name of Christ. drag you into court. As frequently recorded in the OT (e.g., Amos 4:1; Hab. 1:4; Mal. 3:5), the wealthy often used the court system to steal from the poor. This situation was the primary reason for the revolts in Galilee that led to the war of A.D. 66–70.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:8–11 The Royal Law of Love. Favoritism and discrimination are violations of the kingdom law of love.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:8 Royal law (Gk. basilikos), i.e., “law belonging to the king,” with reference here to God’s law in Lev. 19:18 (“love your neighbor”; cf. Matt. 22:34–40) as the apex of kingdom rules for ethical conduct. Cf. Rom 13:8–10.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:9 Partiality is the antithesis of the love command (see v. 8). Favoritism toward the rich breaks the OT commands to treat the poor equitably (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 16:19; Job 34:19) and is a serious transgression of God’s law.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:10–11 accountable for all of it. The law was considered an interdependent whole, and any infraction constituted a breaking of the law as a whole. Jesus said, “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). Thus favoritism (James 2:9) makes one “accountable” (Gk. enochos, a legal term for “liable” or “guilty” before God’s court) for the whole law.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:12–13 Acting in Light of Judgment. Believers must speak and act in accordance with the law of liberty and with a view to the coming judgment.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:12 the law of liberty. True freedom is freedom to obey God and do what pleases him. The law of Christ provides freedom from sin through the gospel. In the context of James’s discussion of rich and poor (vv. 1–7), he may also be suggesting that God’s law will set the poor free from prejudice, oppression, and exploitation. Every Christian will be judged by God (1 Cor. 3:12–15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 1:17).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. This proverbial saying sums up the implications of vv. 1–12 and leads into the “faith without works” discussion in vv. 14–26. It was the core of Roman law (lex talionis, “the law of retribution”), but more importantly it is central to God’s law: what you do to others will be done to you in the judgment (i.e., rewarded for good and punished for evil). Mercy triumphs over judgment does not, in this context, mean that God’s mercy is extended to believers at the judgment. Rather, believers’ acts of mercy (e.g., caring for the poor and hurting) will mean that they are vindicated at the judgment (cf. Matt. 25:34–40). Mercy was an essential OT requirement for dealing with the poor (Mic. 6:8; Zech. 7:9–10). Mercy is likewise a requirement of believers in the NT (e.g., Matt. 5:7; 6:15; 18:32–35), or they will experience God’s judgment rather than his mercy.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:14–26 Faith without Works Is Dead. James continues the theme that hearing/faith must lead to doing/works. Although it may seem as if James is contradicting Paul’s “by grace you have been saved through faith … not a result of works” (Eph. 2:8–9), in reality there is no dichotomy between faith and works, for Paul and James would agree that the basis of salvation is grace alone through faith, with works not the basis but the necessary result thereof (Eph. 2:10).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:14–17 Faith without Works. Faith that is not accompanied by action is useless and dead, unable to save.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:14 What good … ? The form of the question indicates that a negative answer (i.e., “no good”) is expected. The Greek particle mē at the beginning of the next question (Can that faith save him?) shows that James again expects a negative answer. If someone says he has faith but lacks the resulting evidential works, one must doubt that he has been saved. James is not implying that even genuine faith is the basis of salvation; rather, it is the means and instrument by which one is saved (see Eph. 2:8–9).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:15–16 An illustration of what faith without works looks like in everyday life. In itself the phrase Go in peace, be warmed and filled is a pious wish and prayer for the welfare of the poor, but in reality it is a cop-out, masking a refusal to help the person in need. There is no good (Gk. ophelos, “profit, honor”) in such a prayer. “What good is it?” frames vv. 14–16.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:17 dead. Useless, without any life at all. It brings no results, and cannot lead to salvation (v. 14). There can be no true faith that fails to produce works (here seen as care for the poor, but including good works of all kinds).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:18–20 Response of a Critic. An objector argues that faith and works are indeed separable, and James responds that faith can be shown only through righteous deeds.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:18 But someone will say. As was common in Hellenistic rhetoric, James introduces a hypothetical respondent into his discussion of faith and works, continuing his argument against those who think that faith can save without works.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:19 God is one. This affirmation of monotheism stems from the core Jewish creed called the Shema (Deut. 6:4; see Mark 12:29; Rom. 3:30). But James stresses its inadequacy, since even the demons believe this, and they shudder. Mere mental assent to the Christian faith does not save anyone. The faith that saves, as both Paul and James affirm, embraces the truth of the gospel and acts accordingly.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:21–26 Examples of Abraham and Rahab. James continues his rebuttal by citing the examples of Abraham and Rahab, who were both shown by their deeds to be righteous.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:21 Abraham … justified by works. On the surface James may seem to contradict Paul. I.e., Paul denies that Abraham was “justified by works” (Rom. 4:2), arguing from Gen. 15:6 that Abraham’s faith “was counted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). However, James’s assertion in this verse (that “Abraham [was] … justified by works”) is based not on Gen. 15:6 but on Gen. 22:9–10, where (many years later) Abraham began to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Thus James apparently has a different sense of the word “justify” in view here, as evidenced by the different Scripture passages, and the different events in Abraham’s life, to which James and Paul refer. The primary way in which Paul uses the word “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) emphasizes the sense of being declared righteous by God through faith, on the basis of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice (Rom. 3:24–26), whereas the primary way that James uses the word “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) here in James 2:21 seems to emphasize the way in which works demonstrate that someone has been justified, as evidenced by the good works that the person does (cf. Matt. 12:33–37). Some others hold a similar view, which understands “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) here to mean to declare someone to be righteous because, at the final judgment, the person’s works give evidence of true saving faith. See note on Gal. 2:16.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:22 faith was completed by his works. James does not disagree that faith alone saves (Rom. 3:28). “Completed” (Gk. eteleiōthē) often means “bring to maturity.” Full-grown and genuine faith is seen in the good deeds it produces.
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:23 James uses Gen. 15:6 in a way that complements rather than contradicts Paul (Rom. 4:1–9; Gal. 3:6), for he sees it as having been fulfilled (see James 2:22) in Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Genesis 22). James centers on Abraham’s act of obedience while Paul centers on God’s declaration of Abraham’s righteousness. Abraham was called a friend of God, in contrast to those who have no acts of obedience to prove their claims to faith and are therefore seen to be friends of this world (James 4:4).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:24 not by faith alone. James again seems at first to contradict Paul’s teaching that one is justified by faith alone (Rom. 3:28), but the two are compatible. For James, “faith alone” means a bogus kind of faith, mere intellectual agreement without a genuine personal trust in Christ that bears fruit in one’s life. On justified, see note on James 2:21. James, in agreement with Paul, argues that true faith is never alone, that it always produces works (cf. Eph. 2:10).
JAMES—NOTE ON 2:25 Rahab the prostitute believed the stories of God’s saving work for the Hebrews (Josh. 2:8–11). So, at some personal risk, she hid the Jewish spies from her own people, then lowered them on a rope so they could escape (Josh. 2:15). Thus she became a model of faith completed in works.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:1–4:12 The Sin of Dissension in the Community. This section, the lengthiest of the letter, has an ABA pattern: A, danger of the tongue (3:1–12); B, the solution, “wisdom from above” (3:13–18); A, danger of the tongue (4:1–12). The main issue is the problem of dissension (4:1) and slander (3:9; 4:11), perhaps beginning with the leaders/teachers (3:1) but also involving the whole “body” of the church (3:6).
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:1–12 Taming the Tongue. James establishes the general principle that small things can cause great results (vv. 1–5a) then more specifically applies this to the power of the tongue to destroy (vv. 5b–12).
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:1 Teachers were important in the early church (Acts 2:42; Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11), and those who were ambitious sought teacher status for the wrong reasons. However, with greater responsibility comes greater expectations by God (Luke 12:48; Heb. 13:17), and teachers will be judged with greater strictness (lit., “greater judgment”), since they are accountable for more.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:2 in what he says. A person’s words reflect his character and thus are a key to his whole being. James emphasizes the importance of good works but also acknowledges that all Christians stumble (a metaphor for sinning; Gk. ptaiō, translated “fails” in 2:10) in many ways. James’s call for good works, therefore, must not be seen as expecting perfection. When James says that a person who can control his mouth is a perfect man, he probably has absolute perfection in view. It is a perfection, however, that will be attainable only in heaven. Still, believers should always seek to grow in holiness.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:3–4 Bits in a horse’s mouth and the small rudder on a ship are examples of very small things that control large objects. The tongue, one of the smaller organs of the body, has a similar control over everything a person is and does.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:5–6 boasts of great things. Pride (cf. “bitter jealousy,” “boast,” v. 14) is a major cause of the misuse of the tongue. In a progressive series framed by the imagery of fire, the tongue is presented in all its terrible potential. The small fire is the proud “boast” or other careless use of the tongue, and the great forest fire is the resulting conflagration. a world of unrighteousness. The tongue represents and puts into expression all the wickedness of the world. The entire course of life (lit., “the cycle of existence”) likely means the “ups and downs” of life. The tongue turns upside down every aspect of life in the community as well as in the individual. set on fire by hell. Evil speech destroys because it comes from Satan himself.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:9 It is both hypocrisy and folly to bless God during a worship service and then, after the service, to curse someone made in God’s image (see Gen. 1:26–27). If the “curse” implies the common practice of invoking the name of God against the person, then this is doubly heinous.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:11–12 In three illustrations of ridiculous natural contrasts, James drives home the point that blessing God while cursing his people cannot be countenanced. spring. Springs were the key to survival in dry Palestine, and the placement of villages and towns tended to depend on their presence. olives … figs. Just as no tree would produce two kinds of fruit, so also a true believer would not produce both blessings of God and curses toward others.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:13–18 The Solution: Wisdom from Above. These verses could be called “the tale of two cities”—the realm of wisdom (framing the passage in vv. 13, 17) contrasted with that of selfish ambition. The one “from above” leads to “peace,” while the “earthly” one leads to “disorder.”
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:13 wise and understanding … conduct. Wisdom for James is not merely intellectual but also behavioral. meekness of wisdom. Meekness (Gk. prautēs, translated “gentleness” in Gal. 5:23) was considered weakness by the Greeks, but Jesus elevated it to a primary Christian virtue (Matt. 5:5; 11:29). Meekness comes not from cowardice or passivity but rather from trusting God and therefore being set free from anxious self-promotion.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:14 Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are the antithesis of true wisdom as characterized by “meekness” (v. 13). They are also far different from the righteous character of a “jealous God” (Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; see James 4:5), who appropriately yearns for his own honor and the loyal devotion of his people, while the envious yearn for what does not belong to them. “Selfish ambition” is a divisive willingness to split the group in order to achieve personal power and prestige (it is translated “rivalry” in Gal. 5:20; Phil. 1:17; 2:3).
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:15 earthly, unspiritual, demonic. James describes worldly behavior in terms that “progress” from bad to worse, recalling the list in vv. 5b–6. Such behavior is ultimately earthbound, absolutely sensual as opposed to spiritual, and its origin is in the cosmic powers of darkness.
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:16 The final result of such Satan-driven conflict can only be disorder and every vile practice. “Disorder” (Gk. akatastasia) connotes a chaotic frenzy of fighting (cf. 4:1) in the church. The related adjective (Gk. akatastatos) means “unstable” (1:8) and “restless” (3:8).
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:17 The answer to the “disorder” of v. 16 is to seek wisdom from above, which produces character qualities beginning with purity and concluding with peace (cf. Gal. 5:22–23, where godly qualities are the fruit of the Spirit). first pure, then. Purity (blamelessness) is the primary virtue, with the rest providing aspects of this moral purity. Peaceable is the polar opposite of “selfish ambition” and the discord it produces. Peace, further emphasized in James 3:18, is one of the critical attributes of the pure believer (Matt. 5:9; Gal. 5:22; Heb. 12:11).
JAMES—NOTE ON 3:18 The legacy of those who bring peace rather than conflict is a harvest of righteousness. The “fruit” that comes from peacemaking in the Christian community will be the righteous conduct that God will bless (but this is not produced by “the anger of man”; see note on 1:20).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:1–12 Warning against Worldliness. This is written in the rhetorical form of a diatribe against those who fracture the community due to “selfish ambition” (3:14). Such people are God’s enemies (4:4) and the devil’s allies (v. 7), and they must repent (vv. 8–10). Finally, this all returns to the tongue, i.e., “speaking evil” against others in the community (vv. 11–12).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:1 In contrast to those who make peace, quarrels and fights are caused by the passions or self-centered desires (“hedonism” comes from Gk. hēdonē, “passions”) that are causing these people to make war against each other in the church. This is extremely violent language for dissension, and some even think it should be taken literally of people killing each other (v. 2), though it is best to view this as a metaphor for the devastating effect of unrestrained hostility.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:2 This verse consists of several short statements; there was no punctuation in ancient Greek, and various translations connect the statements in different ways. The esv punctuation works well when comparing this verse to 3:13–18: people desire and covet (Gk. zēloō, cf. zēlos, “jealousy,” 3:14), which leads to the terrible wars and infighting in the church. You do not have, because you do not ask is a reminder that believers should ask God for what they seek rather than fighting each other. Prayerlessness results in failure to receive many of God’s blessings. James does not imply that God wills to grant sinful, selfish desires (4:3), but bringing requests before God can have a purifying influence on one’s desires.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:3 you ask wrongly. Not all prayers are pleasing to God, only those consistent with his will as revealed in Scripture (cf. 1 John 5:14–15 and notes). Rather than seeking to honor God and advance his kingdom purposes, such prayers seek only to gratify self-centered passions (Gk. hēdonē, see note on v. 1) or desires. James is not saying all pleasure is wrong (cf. Gen. 1:31; Ps. 16:11; 84:1–4, 10–12; 1 Tim. 6:17), only pleasure that does not have the glory of God as the goal (1 Cor. 10:31).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:4 Adulterous people recalls OT prophets who used this language to describe Israel’s unfaithfulness to God (e.g., Jer. 2:20; 3:6–10; Hos. 1:2). Such people have chosen friendship with the world by imitating worldly ways of thinking and worldly activities, making them enemies of God. It will always be impossible to satisfy the expectations of unbelievers, whose hearts are set on this world (1 John 2:15–16; 5:19), and at the same time please God (Gal. 1:10; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 John 3:13). Cf. also Matt. 6:24; James often alludes to the teaching of Jesus (see chart), which is not surprising if he was Jesus’ earthly brother.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:5 He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us. God created mankind with a “spirit,” and he deeply desires that our spirits worship him (cf. John 4:23–24). Some interpreters believe the verse speaks of human jealousy (“The spirit that he has made to live in us envies intensely”). But the idea of divine jealousy fits the context best, since the surrounding verses (James 4:4, 6, 7, 8) deal with man’s relationship with God. Scripture says. See further the note on 3:14 regarding references to a “jealous God.”
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:6 God’s grace will be extended to those who are humble before him; cf. Prov. 3:34 (cf. also James 4:10; 1 Pet. 5:5). God opposes means he resists and sends judgment, for the proud have chosen the praise and the methods of the world and are acting as God’s enemies (James 4:4).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:7–8a The only way to resist the devil is by also submitting and drawing near to God (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13). Satan will be defeated and will have to flee, as indeed he did from Christ (Luke 4:13).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:8b–9 Cleanse and purify are OT terms for ritual purity (e.g., the priests at the bronze basin, Ex. 30:18) and ethical purity. Laughter shows how casually James’s readers were treating their sin. The only proper reaction to God’s impending judgment is to be wretched and mourn and weep, as is seen often in the OT (e.g., Isa. 15:2; 22:4; Jer. 6:26).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:10 Returning to the theme emphasized in v. 6, it is the humble whom God will exalt (cf. Matt. 23:12 par.; Luke 1:52; 14:11; 18:14; 1 Pet. 5:6). But as long as people exalt themselves, God will not exalt them.
View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c213
| James | Teaching | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | joy amid trials | 5:10–12 |
| 1:4 | exhortation to be perfect | 5:48 |
| 1:5 | asking God for good things | 7:7–11 |
| 1:17 | God the giver of good | 7:11 |
| 1:20 | against anger | 5:22 |
| 1:22 | hearers and doers of the word | 7:24–27 |
| 2:5 | poor inherit the kingdom | 5:3, 5 |
| 2:10 | keeping the whole law | 5:19 |
| 2:13 | merciful receive mercy | 5:7 |
| 3:12 | know them by their fruits | 7:16 |
| 3:18 | blessings of peacemakers | 5:9 |
| 4:2–3 | ask and you will receive | 7:7–8 |
| 4:4 | serving God vs. friendship with the world | 6:24 |
| 4:9–10 | consolation for mourners | 5:4 |
| 4:11–12 | against judging others | 7:1–5 |
| 4:13–14 | living for today | 6:34 |
| 5:2–5 | moth and rust spoiling earthly treasures | 6:19 |
| 5:10 | prophets as examples and patterns | 5:12 |
| 5:12 | against oaths | 5:33–37 |
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:11 James restates the basic problem behind the issues discussed in 3:1–4:10: the misuse of the tongue to speak evil or to slander others. Speaking ill of others is the result of all the arrogant boasting (3:5), jealousy (vv. 14, 16), self-centered desires (4:1, 3), and pride (v. 6) that James is warning against. Such slanderous conduct is decried in both the OT (Lev. 19:16; Ps. 50:20; Jer. 6:28) and NT (Rom. 1:30; 2 Cor. 12:20; 1 Pet. 2:1). judges the law. The “law” likely refers to these OT laws against slander, particularly Lev. 19:16, which leads to 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” which James calls “the royal law” (James 2:8). Yet it also includes in a broader sense Jesus’ kingdom laws regarding love for neighbor (Matt. 22:39) and for one another (John 13:34–35; 15:12, 17). Those who inappropriately judge others (Matt. 7:1–5; Rom. 2:1; 1 Cor. 4:5) break God’s law and show contempt for God.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:12 When a person begins to “judge the law,” he is usurping the place of the one lawgiver and judge. God alone gave the law, and he alone is judge of all (Ps. 9:19; Isa. 2:4; Joel 3:12). to save and to destroy. Possibly an implicit message to the divisive boasters, warning them of future judgment.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:13–5:12 The Sins of the Wealthy. James condemns the sins of the wealthy (arrogant presumption, 4:13–17; and robbing the poor, 5:1–6), then issues a call for patience in suffering (5:7–11).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:13–17 Boasting about Tomorrow. James addresses merchants, showing that the sovereignty of God precludes presumption and arrogance in making one’s plans.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:13 trade and make a profit. On the surface this sounds like good business sense, but it masks a secular worldview that ignores God. These people are probably Christians belonging to the wealthy merchant class, whereas the rich people mentioned in 5:1–6 are probably not believers (cf. 2:6–7).
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:14 you. These business people think they control events but fail to recognize God’s providential control and the temporary nature of life, which is like a mist that can fade away at any moment. Planning and investing are not wrong, but arrogant self-confidence and boasting are.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:15 The key to vv. 13–17 is if the Lord wills, with “Lord” referring to Yahweh as the Creator who sustains the universe and whose will controls all that happens. Every business decision must be based on submission to God’s will.
JAMES—NOTE ON 4:17 Fails to do it describes what are commonly called “sins of omission.” It is not only what people do that matters; the good that they fail to do is equally important to God.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:1–6 Warning to the Rich. James turns his attention from businesspeople (4:13–17) to wealthy landowners (5:4) who controlled much of Galilee, and indeed much of the Roman Empire. He denounces them for their materialistic accumulation of wealth, for defrauding their workers, and for their self-indulgent actions that have led to the deaths of innocent, righteous people.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:1 weep and howl. Prophetic language for those under indictment by God when the day of the Lord arrives (e.g., Isa. 13:6; 15:3; Hos. 7:14; Amos 8:3). miseries that are coming. Referring to final judgment, rather than the miseries of this life.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:2–3 Riches, garments, and gold sum up the sumptuous, materialistic lifestyle of these landowners. These things will not only be lost forever but will be evidence at their final trial before God and will feed the very flames of the lake of fire, where they will spend eternity (Rev. 20:11–15).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:4 the cries of the harvesters. These landowners have cheated their field workers and harvesters to support their own lavish lifestyle, and now the cries of the defrauded have reached the ears of the final Judge, who will soon act in response. The Lord of hosts, or “Lord of heaven’s armies,” pictures God as a warrior going into battle against his enemies (1 Sam. 17:45; Rev. 17:14; 19:14).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:5 fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. Like the cattle in their fields, the rich gorge themselves on luxuries and fail to realize that they are headed for the final slaughter (see Isa. 30:25; Jer. 12:3; Rev. 19:17–21).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:6 Righteous (Gk. dikaios) person may have a double meaning: both “one of God’s forgiven people” and “a person who is innocent” of the death sentence that the wealthy have handed him. He does not resist. The righteous person does not avenge himself (Matt. 5:38–42).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:7–12 Patience in Suffering. The attention turns from rich to poor, from the evil oppressors to the righteous oppressed, from presumption to patience. Rather than fighting back, they are called to patient endurance and to trust in God to vindicate them.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:7 The righteous are to wait until the coming of the Lord (see 1 Thess. 4:15), when he will right all wrongs. The early and the late rains describe the Palestinian climate, in which the autumn rains occur just after sowing and the spring rains just before harvest (Jer. 5:24; Joel 2:23). Even though three-fourths of Palestine’s rain fell from December to February, these two rains were the most critical.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:9 Do not grumble sums up the divisive complaining behind 3:1–4:12. It can be particularly painful in times of suffering when people explode in frustration and turn upon each other.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:10 The example of the prophets centers on the many who suffered and died (see Heb. 11:32–38) for speaking in the name of the Lord.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:11 The theme of enduring trials recalls 1:2–4, 12.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:12 It is not entirely clear how do not swear is connected to vv. 7–11. Above all may indicate that this begins a three-part conclusion to the letter (vv. 12, 13–18, 19–20). Yet it could also refer back to the sins of the tongue and hence the grumbling of v. 9. Oaths were allowed in Israel, but the person was required to fulfill them, especially because they so often involved invoking the name of God (see Lev. 19:12; Jer. 5:2). James’s prohibition of oaths builds on Jesus’ prohibition in Matt. 5:33–37, and the point in both cases is that one’s word should be enough. Still, this does not mean all oaths (e.g., official oaths) are prohibited (cf. Rom. 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:23; Phil. 1:8). (See Jesus’ prohibition of oaths in Matt. 23:16–22.)
View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c214
| Leviticus 19 | James | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| v. 12 | “You shall not swear” | 5:12 | “do not swear” |
| v. 13 | “The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night” | 5:4 | “Behold, the wages of the laborers … which you kept back by fraud” |
| v. 15 | “You shall not be partial” | 2:1, 9 | “My brothers, show no partiality” |
| v. 16 | “You shall not go around as a slanderer” | 4:11 | “Do not speak evil against one another” |
| v. 18a | “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge” | 5:9 | “Do not grumble against one another” |
| v. 18b | “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” | 2:8 | “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” |
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:13–18 The Prayer of Faith. Speaking mainly of prayer, James restates some of the letter’s key themes, including trials (cf. 1:2–4) and misuse of the tongue. The ultimate way to “tame” one’s tongue (cf. 3:8) is to “pray for one another” (5:16).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:13–14 There is another ABA pattern in these verses (cf. note on 3:1–4:12). James begins with those suffering (A), then addresses the cheerful (B), and concludes with those who are sick (A). He alludes back to 1:2, where the one under trial was to “count it all joy.” Though “sick” (Gk. astheneō) can also mean “to be weak” (even spiritually weak, as in Rom. 14:1), when used (as it is here) without any qualifiers, it usually refers to physical sickness. Elders were pastors and overseers (cf. Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Pet. 5:1–2), known for wisdom and maturity, who functioned as leaders in the churches. This provides evidence for a plurality of elders in all the churches to which James was writing, for he simply assumes a sick person could call for “the elders of the church.” Some think that anointing … with oil was medicinal or sacramental (as in Roman Catholic extreme unction at death), but it is best seen as a symbol representing the healing power of the Holy Spirit to come upon the sick person (cf. the use of “anointing” for symbolic consecration to God’s use and service, both in the OT [Ex. 28:41] and in the NT [Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21; Heb. 1:9]). In the name of the Lord means it is God, not the oil, that heals.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:15 the prayer of faith. Not the faith of the sick person but the faith of those praying. In this instance, James mentions no requirement for the sick person to exercise faith, only that he call for the elders. Christians who are ill often find personal prayer difficult. Will save perhaps carries a double meaning here: (1) the sick person will be physically healed (one meaning of Gk. sōzō), and/or (2) the sick person may also experience spiritual salvation (another meaning of Gk. sōzō), or growth in the blessings of salvation (sins … forgiven). As seen throughout the Gospels, Jesus healed both physically and spiritually, and the same double connotation may be present here as well. James is not teaching that all illnesses will be healed if people would simply call on the elders, or try to make themselves have enough faith, or pray with enough conviction. Healing, when it does come, is always a gift from God, who is sovereign over all circumstances, including sickness and health. It does not follow, therefore, that lack of faith on the part of the sick person is the reason that the sick person may not be healed. (On the gifts of faith and of healing, see note on 1 Cor. 12:9.) Some interpreters suggest that James is referring to the promise of the resurrection rather than physical healing. If, in the phrase “if he has committed sins,” implies that not all sickness is connected to specific sins, though James seems to expect that some sickness is (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:16 confess your sins to one another. Sometimes confession in the community is needed before healing can take place, since sin may be the cause of the illness (cf. 1 Cor. 11:29–30). Pray for one another is directed to all the readers of James’s letter and indicates that he did not expect prayer for healing to be limited to the elders (James 5:14). The righteous will have great power in prayer, as God grants their requests.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:17–18 Elijah illustrates how a man with a nature like ours could have the powerful prayer life of “a righteous person.” The drought recorded in 1 Kings 17–18 was punishment on King Ahab and Israel for idolatry, and the three years and six months is probably derived from “in the third year” (1 Kings 18:1) as symbolic of judgment (half of seven; see Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 11:2; 12:6, 14; 13:5).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:19–20 Concluding Admonition. The style of James is abrupt, and there is no concluding greeting as in most NT letters. Instead, James calls the community to action in helping those who have fallen into the ethical sins dealt with in the book. Therefore, this closing section acts as a summary of various sins and their solutions.
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:19 The righteous saints must be vigilant in spotting anyone who wanders from the truth, namely, by not living in accord with the word of truth (1:18) as enunciated in this letter. Right belief is exhibited in right living (1:19–27).
JAMES—NOTE ON 5:20 save his soul from death. Not physical death (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30) but spiritual death (cf. 1 John 5:16–17). Timely intervention (see Gal. 6:1; Heb. 3:13) will “save his soul” and bring forgiveness from God. The person who saves the sinner in this case is the person who restores the one who has fallen. Ultimately, of course, only the Lord saves a person. The one who restores the person will cover the many sins of the one who had strayed, for the one who returns from the way of error receives forgiveness. Again, only God can cover sin, but Christians can be agents of God’s forgiveness.