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Easy to understand commentary on the book of James chapter one Easy to understand commentary on the book of James By John Chopores A few words of
introduction The book of James is a book that deals with very
"day-to-day" matters. Such as, how to believe even when you do not
feel like it! Also, walking as we talk. Like the Old Testament book of
Proverbs, its wisdom can be "put to work" right away! The author of this book has been held to be James, the half
brother of our Lord Jesus Christ. This view makes sense to me, because he would
have spent much time with Jesus. And time spent with the Lord Jesus, is the
best time spent! This James seems to know about the Law, which a Jew would
have. Cf. Romans 2:17 ¶ And since you claim the name of Jew, and find rest and
satisfaction in the Law, and make your boast in God, 1 Corinthians
9:20 To the Jews I have become like a
Jew in order to win Jews; to men under the Law as if I were under the
Law--although I am not--in order to win those who are under the Law; Also, many Christians would have been more willing to read
and obey a book written down, by someone so close to the Lord Himself! Chapter one James 1: 1 ¶ James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ: to the twelve tribes who are scattered over the world. All good
wishes. We see
"right off the bat", that James is very thankful to be in Christ, for
it is the first thing he mentions after his name. Also, in a way, being in
Christ is part of who and what he is, and a part of his name. All Christians
should be pride of carrying the name of Christ with them. There is no greater name for us to glory in!
Cf.Ph. 10 That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth; We also see, that James has a good heart, for he wishes his
readers well. Should not all people seem for the best, for their fellow men?
The answer is of course, yes! Cf. Luke 6:27 ¶ "But to you who are
listening to me I say, Love your enemies; seek the welfare of those who hate
you; James 1: 2 ¶ Reckon it nothing but joy, my brethren,
whenever you find yourselves hedged in by various trials. How why should we be joyful, in hard times? Well, with trial
comes reward, if we endure. Cf. James 1:12
Blessed is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the
test, he will gain the victor's crown--even the crown of
Life--which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Matthew 5:10
"Blessed are those who have borne persecution in the cause of
Righteousness, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens. James 1:3 Be assured
that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance. Here James helps our faith! For we can be
"assured". James 1: 4 Only
let endurance have perfect results so that you may become perfect and complete,
deficient in nothing. James says for
us to "let" endurance do its work.
The Greek word for "let" is "echo", it means
"to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling
to", so we are to hold on to
"endurance" until it has done its work! As they say, "Rome was
not build in a day!" Our Old Testament friend Job, learned this! Cf. James
5:11 Remember that we call those blessed
who endured what they did. You have also heard of Job's patient endurance, and
have seen the issue of the Lord's dealings with him--how full of tenderness and
pity the Lord is. At the End Job was
better off, then before! Cf. Job. 42: 12
So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for
he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of
oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13 He had also seven
sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the
name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of
the third, Kerenhappuch. 15 And in all the land
were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them
inheritance among their brethren. 16 After this lived
Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four
generations. James 1: 5 And if
any one of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives with
open hand to all men, and without upbraiding; and it will be given him. As we can see, God is not selfish, for even while God is all
wise and all knowing. Cf. Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Romans 11:33 ¶ O the
depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out He is more than willing to share some of His Wisdom and
knowledge with us! He does not "put
us down" as He gives it to us! For He wants to help us. Cf. 2 Samuel
22:33 God is my strength and power: and
he maketh my way perfect. Psalms 59:9 Because
of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. Psalms 62:7 In God is
my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. James 1:6 But let him
ask in faith and have no doubts; for he who has doubts is like the surge of the
sea, driven by the wind and tossed into spray. Some reasons why we should have faith are-
Sometimes, God uses
faith, to save more than just the soul! Such as the human body. Cf. 2 Peter 2:5 And He did not spare the ancient world,
although He preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven
others, when He brought a deluge on the world of the ungodly. James 5:15
And the prayer of faith will restore the sick man, and the Lord
will raise him up to health; and if he has committed sins, they shall be
forgiven. James 1:7 A person
of that sort must not expect to receive anything from the Lord-- When you pray in line with the Will of God, you truly pray
in faith. Cf. Luke 11:2 And he said unto
them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Matthew 26:42
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if
this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. James 1:8 such a
one is a man of two minds, undecided in every step he takes. The only mind that we need, is the Mind of God! We find this
Mind, in Christ (God the Son). This Mind comes to us, my the Holy Spirit. Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that
he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Mark 1:8 I have baptized you with water, but He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Luke 11:13 If you then, with all your human frailty,
know how to give your children gifts that are good for them, how much more
certainly will your Father who is in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask Him!" John 16:13 But when He has come--the Spirit of Truth--He
will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak as Himself
originating what He says, but all that He hears He will speak, and He will make
known the future to you. John 16:15 Everything
that the Father has is mine; that is why I said that the Spirit of Truth takes
of what is mine and will make it known to you. Romans 8:14 For those who are led by God's Spirit
are, all of them, God's sons. Romans 8:16 The Spirit
Himself bears witness, along with our own spirits, to the fact that we are
children of God; Matthew 10:20 for it is not you who will speak: it will be
the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. As we seek more of God, He will show us more of
Himself. But we much come in faith, with all of our hearts! James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw
near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you
who are half-hearted towards God.
James 1: 9 Let a
brother in humble life rejoice when raised to a higher position; The Greek word for "humble" is "tapeinos
" it means " lowly, of low degree", "humble of
condition, or mind". So, what
James is talking about, the humble Christian who follows God, will be lifted
up! James 1:10 but a
rich man should rejoice in being brought low, for like flowers among the
herbage rich men will pass away. Brought to a humble state of mind, and knowing that God is
higher then men! Cf. Isaiah 55:8 For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isaiah 55:9 For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. James 1:11 The sun
rises with his scorching heat and dries up the herbage, so that its flowers
drop off and the beauty of its appearance perishes, and in the same way rich
men with all their prosperity will fade away. Only the things of God, last forever. James 1:12 Blessed
is he who patiently endures trials; for when he has stood the test, he will
gain the victor's crown--even the crown of Life--which the Lord has promised to
those who love Him. "the crown of
Life" that's the kind of crown, that I want! James 1: 13 ¶ Let no one say when passing through trial,
"My temptation is from God;" for God is incapable of being tempted to
do evil, and He Himself tempts no one. At the first temptation, in Eden, it was the Devil, not God
who tempted Adam and Eve. Cf. Ge.n 3: 1 ¶ Now the serpent was more subtil
than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto
the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the
garden? 2 And the woman said unto the
serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of
the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall
not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent
said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
It was the Devil who temped Jesus. Cf. 1 ¶ At that time
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the Desert in order to be tempted by the
Devil. Matt. 4:1 1 ¶ At that time Jesus was led up by the Spirit
into the Desert in order to be tempted by the Devil. 2 There
He fasted for forty days and nights; and after that He suffered from hunger. 3 So the Tempter
came and said, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones
to turn into loaves." 4 "It is
written," replied Jesus, <"`It is not on bread alone that a man
shall live, but on whatsoever God shall appoint.'"> Jesus won, but Adam and Eve did not! Jesus trusted God the Father and His word.
Jesus answered the Devil with the word of God, while Eve told what God had said
earlier, she did not answer Satan's doubt with the word of God! James 1:14 But
when a man is tempted, it is his own passions that carry him away and serve as
a bait. Yes, the Devil does put temptation, before us, but we are
the ones who decide to take it! And for the temptation to be a temptation to
us, there must be something inside us that wants it. James 1:15 Then
the passion conceives, and becomes the parent of sin; and sin, when fully
matured, gives birth to death. In all of life, one thing can always lead to another thing.
All that we do has an effect on something, even if only on us. Someone has said that "you are what you think",
true, but we are also changed by what we do! James 1: 16 Do not
be deceived, my dearly-loved brethren. James does not want them deceived, because he loves them! James 1:17 Every
gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from
the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor
the slightest suggestion of change. The best gift from God that came down, is His Son, Jesus
Christ! Cf. Php. 2: 5 Let this mind be
in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of
no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in
the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. James 1:18 In
accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the
truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He
has created. It is God's will that we become His children and be holy. James 1: 19 ¶ You know this, my dearly-loved brethren.
But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to be angry. Cf. Pr 10:19 ¶ In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise. James 1:20 For a
man's anger does not lead to action which God regards as righteous. There is a great power in keeping one's angry under control! Cf. Ecclesiastes 9:17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 2 Timothy 2:24 and a bondservant of the Lord must not quarrel, but must be inoffensive towards all men, a skilful teacher, and patient under wrongs. Jas 1: 21 Ridding
yourselves, therefore, of all that is vile and of the evil influences which
prevail around you, welcome in a humble spirit the Message implanted within
you, which is able to save your souls. There is great
power; from God; that is in His words! Cf. Ro 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of
the Good News. It is God's power which is at work for the salvation of
every one who believes--the Jew first, and then the Gentile. 1Co 15:2 through
which also you are obtaining salvation, if you bear in mind the words in which
I proclaimed it--unless indeed your faith has been unreal from the very first. This power is for
all of God’s people. Cf. Eph 1:13 And in Him you Gentiles also, after
listening to the Message of the truth, the Good News of your salvation--having
believed in Him--were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit; Tit 2:11 ¶ For the
grace of God has displayed itself with healing power to all mankind, 22 But prove yourselves obedient to the
Message, and do not be mere hearers of it, imposing a delusion upon yourselves. True
faith; will show itself, by good works, done in obedience to the Word of God.
Cf. Mt 7:21 ¶ "Not every one who says to me, `Master, Master,' will
enter the Kingdom of the Heavens, but only those who are obedient to my
Father who is in Heaven. Ro
2:13 It is not those that merely hear the Law read who are righteous in
the sight of God, but it is those that obey the Law who will be
pronounced righteous. 1Jo
3:7 Dear children, let no one lead you astray. The man who acts righteously
is righteous, just as He is righteous. 23 For if any one listens but does not obey,
he is like a man who carefully looks at his own face in a mirror. The first problem
here is looking, only at one’s own face! We must look beyond are own selves. It is possible for a
Christian to see somewhat as the Lord sees. We will need to be holy. Cf. Mt 5:8
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Heb 12:14 Pursue
peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see
the Lord: 24 Although he has looked carefully at
himself, he goes away, and has immediately forgotten the sort of man he is. 25 But he who looks closely into the perfect
Law--the Law of freedom--and continues looking, he, being not a hearer who
forgets, but an obedient doer, will as the result of his obedience be blessed. 26 If a man thinks that he is scrupulously
religious, although he is not curbing his tongue but is deceiving himself, his
religious service is worthless. 27 The religious service which is pure and
stainless in the sight of our God and Father is to visit fatherless children
and widowed women in their time of trouble, and to keep one's own self
unspotted from the world. (WNT) James 5: 17 Elijah
was a man with a nature similar to ours, and he earnestly prayed that there
might be no rain: and no rain fell on the land for three years and six months. Elijah was not a "super saint", for there are
none! But he has faith, in God, in the power of true prayer, and he kept at it! The power of prayer, the greatest power ever put in the
hands of men! But not in the hands of all men, for to use this power, you must
believe that cares and will answer! Cf. Hebrews 11:6 But where there is no faith it is impossible
truly to please Him; for the man who draws near to God must believe that there
is a God and that He proves Himself a rewarder of those who earnestly try to
find Him. James 5:18 Again
he prayed, and the sky gave rain and the land yielded its crops. The power of faith, is only as strong as the One that we
have it in! James 5:19 My
brethren, if one of you strays from the truth and some one brings him back, 20 let him know
that he who brings a sinner back from his evil ways will save the man's soul
from death and throw a veil over a multitude of sins. We are to always watch out, for each other. Caring for the welfare of others is a major part of
the Gospel. As Jesus Cf. Luke 6:38
give, and gifts shall be bestowed on you. Full measure, pressed, shaken
down, and running over, shall they pour into your laps; for with the same
measure that you use they shall measure to you in return." John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one
another, as I have loved you. and Paul
make clear! Cf. Galatians 5:13 ¶
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an
occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 1 Timothy
4:16 Be on your guard as to yourself and
your teaching. Persevere in these things; for by doing this you will make
certain your own salvation and that of your hearers. [Please note, that all main New Testament text use in
this page, are from the Weymouth New Testament, unless other wise noted.].
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