James 2:8-11 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
           
When asked what the greatest commandment was (Mark 12:28-34), Jesus responded by saying, “love God” (Deut. 6:4) and “love your neighbor” (Lev. 19:18). This is a summary of the entire Law of God and the words of the Prophets (Matt. 22:34-40; Rom. 13:8-10; Gal. 5:13-14). Since the first four commandments (Ex. 20:1-11) concern one’s relationship with God, if one loves God, then those commands are fulfilled. Since the last six commandments (Ex. 20:12-17) concern love for one’s neighbor, if one truly loves his neighbor these commands are fulfilled. The Ten Commandments are thus summarized in two commands, called the “royal law according to Scripture,” for it is the Law of the King. Therefore, discrimination against the poor violates all the commands of God, for it proves a lack of love for both God and man.

In the OT, where Israel was concerned, one’s neighbor was one’s fellow Israelite. Yet Jesus taught Israel that anyone with whom they might come in contact with was also their neighbor, even foreigners (Luke 10:25-37) and enemies (Matt. 5:44). Paul later said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female” (Gal. 3:28). Thus, the teaching of James 2:8-11 is theological in that favoritism of the rich over the poor contradicts God’s concern for the poor. Moreover, from a functional standpoint, favoring the rich over the poor is absurd since God chose many among the poor to be rich in faith (2:5). The point James is making concerns the application of true religion (1:21-27), for true faith manifests itself in works since faith apart from works is dead (2:14-26). In sum, faith is the root of salvation; good works are the fruit of it.

In v. 8, James is neither talking about being “in love” with oneself (cf. 2 Tim. 3:2) nor with one’s neighbor. Since “love” is an imperatival verb in the Greek text, it has to do with caring for others as one cares for oneself. As one feeds himself when he is hungry, clothes himself when he is cold, provides shelter for himself from the elements, so too is one to love their neighbor. In James’ context, since the poor would also appreciate a seat among other worshipers in church (2:1-4), they should be helped as one might help himself to a comfortable and honorable chair.

Now in v. 9, those who would favor the rich over the poor are “convicted by the law as transgressors.” Since the law protects the poor, those who persecute them are found guilty by the law. By transgressing one law, they are guilty of transgressing the entire law. Certainly James is not advocating the idea that all of God’s laws can be kept. He knew that was impossible. But neither was James softening the law of God to allow any intentional transgression of it. He was merely reflecting the words of Jesus: “Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:18-19).

Food For Thought
            We might not have committed murder, but we’re all murderers at heart (Matt. 5:21-22). We might not have ever committed adultery, but we’re all adulterers at heart (Matt. 5:27-28). The laws we can keep are good, but breaking just one entails breaking them all. Keep that in mind the next time you’re tempted to show favoritism. It’s a sin on the level of both adultery and murder.
            

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James 2:5-7 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
           
James surmises in v. 5 that since the early Church was comprised mainly of the poor—by God’s own choosing, what sense did it make for the Church itself to despise the poor? If God elected the poor to salvation, then the Church has no business condemning the poor. The fact that so many poor people were, and are, Christians points to the fact that God highly regards them.

“Poor” (Gr. ptōchos) can refer to both destitution or humility. When it refers to material destitution, the antonym is “wealthy”; if humility, then the antonym is “arrogant,” a common trait among the materially rich. The materially poor who had received Christ for salvation had a stark reversal of fortune, for God’s choosing of them made them rich in faith and heirs of His promised kingdom. Addressing both the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3) and the poor in general (Luke 6:20) in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised all of them the “kingdom of heaven,” a common subject throughout His teachings, and certainly the subject of James’ teaching in v. 5. This kingdom of God is surely present with the Church on earth, yet it is ultimately future.

As to His future return, Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne… Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ ” (Matt. 25:31, 34). Likewise, Paul spoke often of “inheriting the kingdom” which is the heavenly and eternal realm (1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 15:50; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5). It is this kingdom that God “promised to those who love Him,” inclusive of so many of the poor.

God has indeed “chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise… the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong… so that no man may boast before God” (1 Cor. 1:26-29). Mary spoke of this upon hearing that she would bear the Messiah, speaking of the reversal of fortunes for the people of the world: “He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:51b-53). The context of Paul’s and Mary’s words dates back to the OT when the wealthy Israelites oppressed their own people, even widows and orphans (Ez. 22:7). Most of the prophets, especially Amos, spoke out against this atrocity. They dragged their own people into courts and used their wealth to influence judges in their favor, causing poor widows to turn over their land to pay debts.

By oppressing the poor the rich were not only dishonoring them, they were blaspheming—slandering the “fair name” by which they themselves were called by God. Though not stated, this “fair name” is likely the name of God, perhaps Christian, that is in view. Thus, by dishonoring the poor, the rich were slandering the very name of God who had redeemed them. This criticism may have come from both within and outside the Church. Either way, it was blasphemy of God.

Food For Thought
Some have surmised that God loves the poor but hates the rich. But we must not exchange one form of discrimination for another. For the early Church had many rich people—from the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) to Cornelius (Acts 10) to Lydia (Acts 16). It also ignores the fact that many rich people have devoted their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. What James is teaching us is that those God has honored, we too must honor. No one should be favored over another, for giving undue honor to one at the expense of another is clearly unacceptable in Christ’s Church.
            

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James 2:1-4 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
           
Having challenged his audience to be doers of the word and not just hearers (1:22), James addresses what appears to have been an issue in the early Church: favoritism to the rich while demeaning the poor. In the OT, God instructed Israel to act on His behalf by defending the cause of the orphan and widow (Deut. 10:17-18) and to not pervert justice or show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich (Lev. 19:15). Jesus Himself taught that one’s neighbor is one in need (Luke 10:30-37). Sadly, though many in the early Church claimed to be followers of Christ, some were deceived by their own hypocrisy (1:22-24), showing favoritism to the rich and demeaning the poor. Such people would be judged without mercy (2:13).
           
Since James viewed Jesus as “glorious” (Gr. doxa), he bristled at those who acted contrary to Christ. In the OT, glory was associated with God’s presence (1 Sam. 4:22), for He is the “God of glory” (Ps. 29:3), “the King of glory” (Ps. 24:7-10). This glorious God took on flesh, and John saw it (John 1:14). Paul thus called Jesus “the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). Peter also, who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration said, “For when [Jesus] received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’ ” (2 Pet. 1:17; cf. Rom. 9:4; Heb. 1:3). James thus calls Jesus “glorious,” seeing Him as the manifestation of God’s presence among humanity. Now although all of Christ’s followers, the Church, will inherit this glory in eternity (cf. Rom. 5:2; 8:18, 30; 2 Cor. 4:17), in the present we are no less responsible to reflect such glory. Yet the Church acts contrary to Christ’s glory in showing favoritism—defined here as “making unjust, outward distinctions between people by treating one person or group better than another.”

When James speaks of personal “favoritism” (Gr. prosōpolēmpsia), literally “receiving the face,” he’s referring to thoughts about people based on their outward appearance. Douglas Moo says, “The word was apparently invented by NT writers (cf. Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25) as a literal rendering of a Hebrew word for partiality.” The specific location as to where this sin was occurring was in “your assembly,” literally synagogue—the Jewish place of fellowship outside the Jerusalem Temple. But since James qualifies this location as “your assembly,” and since the word itself simply means “gathering,” he is certainly referring to the place where first century Jewish Christians met for fellowship, worship, and teaching (cf. Acts 2:42), namely their church.

Clearly the early Church gatherings were attracting people from all walks of life. But contrary to Christ’s example, those with gold rings and fine clothes (cf. Acts 10:30; Rev. 15:6) were being favored and receiving special attention over those who were poor and who wore shabby clothing. While the rich were seated in the good places, the poor were either left standing or seated on the ground. Upon hearing this, James rebukes his audience, accusing them of making evil distinctions between people, belittling one under another. These judgments caused them to assume the role of wicked judges with evil thoughts. In 4:11-12, James likewise condemns those who speak against other Christians who take upon themselves the rights of a judge that only God can rightfully employ. Clearly James warns that God has not called the Church to judge the socioeconomic status of its members; all are one in Christ (cf. Gal. 3:28).

Food For Thought
Although God does not play favorites, He has indeed been known to give special attention to certain ones—from Abraham to Israel to Daniel to the virgin Mary whom God paid special attention to due to her low social status and high moral character (Luke 1:48-50). James therefore is not instructing the Church to treat everyone equally. It is perfectly acceptable to honor those exceptionally faithful servants in the church who are particularly helpful. Whereas we tend to judge by outward appearances, God sees the heart of man (1 Sam. 16:7). We are to thus avoid outward judgments while highly appreciating inward character.
            

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James 2:1 My brothers, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
           
Firstly, we notice in James 2:1 that James is addressing “my brothers.” James being one of the half-brothers of Jesus (cf. Matt. 13:55), and Jesus being from the tribes of Israel, specifically Judah (Matt. 1:1-16), James was Jewish. His “brothers” therefore were the twelve tribes of Israel (Jas. 1:1), more specifically Jewish Christians (1:2, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10; 4:11; 5:12, 19) and by extension all believers whether Jew or Gentile. Knowing that his audience was Christian—that salvation is by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9), James was not content to allow professed Christians to be idle in their faith; he demanded that they put their faith to work. For without works, faith cannot be verified (Jas. 1:22; cf. Eph. 2:10).
           
Secondly, James speaks of how Christians must “hold” (Gr. echō) their faith in Jesus. The term simply means “have”—how professed Christians continually have, or live, in their saving faith. The point he will make in vv. 1-13 is that true Christians are not partial to one person or group over another; they show no “personal favoritism.” If Jewish, Jews are not favored over Gentile Christians. And if wealthy, the rich do not favor the rich over the poor.
           
Thirdly, James speaks of the object of our Christian faith: our “glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” In this phrase we see “Jesus” sandwiched between “Lord” and “Christ,” all three terms being modified by “glorious.” First, “glorious” (Gr. doxa) is a term in the NT that means “honor; brightness; splendor”—a term used for deity, or something associated with deity. No one in Scripture except God is “glorious.” Hence, James exalts his half-brother as full deity (Col. 2:9).
           
Second, James calls Jesus “Lord” (Gr. kurios). Though this term can be translated “master” and “sir” as terms of respect, it is the term that the LXX scholars used for translating the holy name of God (Yahweh). Jesus, being God in flesh (John 1:1-2, 14), is thus called “Lord.”
           
Third, James refers to Jesus as “Christ” (Gr. Christos), the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Messiah,” or anointed one. It refers to the one who delivers. Now since all three terms modify “Jesus” (Gr. Iēsous), the Greek translation for the Hebrew “Joshua,” a name that literally means “Yahweh saves,” it is obvious that Jesus is God. What other conclusion could be drawn?

Jesus is God

• …the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true… His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20).
• The Jews answered Jesus: “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God” (John 10:33).
• The high priest said to Jesus, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! (Matt. 26:63–65).
• Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and Pharisees said “…who can forgive sins, but God alone?” (Luke 5:20–25)
• …you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21).
• Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel—God with us (Matt. 1:23).
• John the Baptist prepared the way for “Yahweh,” Jesus Himself (Mark 1:1-11).
• Jesus: “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58; cf. Ex. 3:14).

            

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Matthew 13:5-7, 20-21 “Other [seeds] fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out… 20 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
           
Jesus preached a sermon in Matthew 13 revealing the various kinds of people who hear the gospel preached. Some hear it, and the devil immediately comes and steals it away (Matt. 13:19). Others hear it and believe it but ultimately fall away. One of their kind is depicted as seeds sown on “rocky places” without “much soil.” This person exists today as one who hears the gospel “and immediately receives it with joy.” They profess Christ! Yet since the soil was thin, as the parable teaches, when the sun came up it scorched the shoot, and it withered and died. Jesus thus likens the rocky, shallow soil to one who seemingly receives Him by faith, yet “when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.” These folks do not expect to suffer for their faith. When they do, they abandon Christ. Lacking a “firm root,” when the strong winds of life blow hard, they fall over. Having only the truth without knowledge, they are not able to endure the trials associated with faith in Christ. The Apostle John said, “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19).
           
Another kind of perceived Christian is represented by soil with thorns underneath the surface. Like the rocky soil, they too sprout up, but the thorns grow in around their roots, choke them, and keep them from bearing fruit. Whereas those represented by the rocky soil fell away (Gr. skandalizo) “because of the word,” the thorny-ground people, because of the anxieties of the world and their desire for wealth, are merely said to become “unfruitful.” Chuck Swindoll says, “It perfectly describes many American Christians, who embrace the Word of God and call themselves followers of Christ but never sacrifice anything significant. They merely add the Bible and Sunday sermons to their cluttered mental storeroom, along with money, possessions, and all the anxieties that accompany wealth. Years pass, and they never progress in their spiritual walk. The ‘worries’ Jesus had in mind are the cares associated with losing something we hold too dearly. That’s the danger of material wealth: We too easily think in terms of loss prevention.”
           
Worldly desires replace Christ in some people’s lives. So they live out their days bearing no fruit. These are spiritual “adulteresses” (Jas. 4:4) who turn from trusting in Christ to trusting in their wealth. James says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself and enemy of God.”

Food For Thought   
True salvation cannot be lost. Jesus’ parable proves, however, that some who think they have salvation actually don’t. They may come to church for a time, but they either fail to endure their trials, or become overwhelmed with the love of riches and worldly anxieties. Some fall away, and we never see them again while others just remain fruitless. As for you, prove yourself true by faithfully enduring all that God puts before you each day, and make strides to never let the desire for riches and fame take the place of Jesus Christ in your life. Be found faithful!
            

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James 1:26-27 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
           
Elsewhere in the Greek NT, the root for “religious” in vv. 26 and 27 is only used in Acts 26:5 and Colossians 2:18. It is a general term for worship, especially as it relates to some outward practice or ritual that honors a god. Instead of singling out Christianity as a faith of good works related to its confession of Christ, James seems to have been emphasizing the core of all religions, namely good works. He lists three of them as tests for “pure and undefiled religion.”

The first test of any religionist is to “bridle his tongue” (cf. 1:19-20; 3:1-12; 4:11-12). As the bit and bridle are instruments for the rider of a horse to control a horse (cf. 2 Kgs. 19:28; Isa. 30:28; 37:29), so too does one with true religion control his tongue through the influence of his god. Those who fail to do so not only deceive themselves into thinking they are pleasing to their god, they worship that god through a “worthless” (Gr. mataios) religion. This word is translated elsewhere in the NT as “meaningless” in relation to idol worship (Acts 14:15; Rom. 1:21; Eph. 4:17). James thus believes that the religion of those who cannot control their tongue is idolatry. But those who speak with self-control, who live without duplicity, are properly “religious.”

A second test of true religion is reflected in those who are concerned for the helpless (cf. 2:1-13, 15-16; cf. 5:1-6), and James specifies “orphans and widows in their distress.” These two groups were the most needy in the first century and prior. Since women were not professionals in the work force, and since there were no state welfare agencies to aid them, widows and orphans were unable to provide for themselves and needed to be cared for by God’s people. God not only commanded Israel never to afflict the widow or orphan (Ex. 22:22), He demanded that they be cared for (Deut. 14:29). God condemned Israel when they failed at this, reminding them to seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the fatherless, and plead the widows cause (Isa. 1:10-17). It is no wonder that James referred to God as “Father” in v. 27, for God Himself was a “father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows” (Ps. 68:5). Since God accomplished this through His people, in order to prove they were His people, they were to obey this ordinance.

A third test of true religion is for its adherents to keep themselves “unstained by the world,” that is, to avoid worldliness (cf. 4:4-10). This means that true religion is not bound up simply in charitable acts; it must also be followed with moral behavior that reflects a heart dedicated to God. Where Christianity is concerned, those who have looked at themselves in the spiritual mirror and have seen their depravity (1:23-25) and turn toward God to save them out of their sinful rebellion against Him, it is these who have ended their war with God and have been reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. The product of this peace with God (Rom. 5:1) is a new life in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) where the believer strives to distance himself from his prior life of sin and to keep himself from being influenced—from being “stained”—by the unbelieving world where he lives. This is indeed true religion, reflecting the worship of the only true God.

Food For Thought
The Christian life is not a life not of empty religion but of faith that produces works. It’s about controlling our tongues, speaking the truth in love, and helping those in need. As we live and breathe in this world, we are to maintain a distance between ourselves and the corrupt influence of the worldly system that tempts our lusts. We are those who not only profess love of Christ and others with our lips, we demonstrate that love in action. That is true religion.
            

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James 1:22-25 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
           
Once we have “received the word” (v. 21), it is then that we apply it. Knowing the word of God is insufficient, for we must now “prove” ourselves “doers of the word” (v. 22). Only the doers of the word will be “blessed” (v. 25). If merely knowing the word of God could save, then the devil himself would be saved, for even the devil can quote God’s word (cf. Matt. 4; Luke 4). Jesus Himself said, “Blessed… are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28, italics mine). James says that those who fail to apply God’s word “delude” themselves. Thus, faith in Christ and and obedience to Christ are two sides of the same coin (cf. John 3:36).
           
In vv. 23-24 James gives a negative example, commenting on the absurdity of those who hear the word but who fail to act on it. Like one who looks at his reflection and notices that he is unkempt but fails to make the proper adjustments, such a one is a fool since he sees what needs to be fixed yet fails to do it. Spiritually speaking, since the verb for “look” connotes a careful pondering of oneself, James is saying that the one who hears God’s word preached and agrees with God’s assessment that he is lost and in need of Christ’s salvation, yet fails to receive Christ by faith and obey Him, is self-deluded. Better to respond to God’s word as Isaiah did: “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isa. 6:5). Or as Peter did: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). Or as Job did: “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6).
           
In v. 25 James gives a positive example of one who responds to God’s word aptly. Such a one “looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it.” First, note that he “looks intently.” This is how both John and Mary came to Christ’s empty tomb, for they “stooped and looked” into it (John 20:5, 11). Second, note that what Christians look intently at is the “perfect law.” Although the Jews saw the Mosaic Law as perfect (Ps. 19:7), James speaks of the “law” as “the word” that Christians must do (vv. 22-23)—“the word of truth” that regenerates the soul of the one who trusts in Christ for their salvation (v. 18). James is not referring to the OT Law per se; rather, he speaks of the OT as Jesus interpreted it (cf. Matt. 5-7). Referring to the Law as “perfect” in that it grants “liberty” is to say that the perfect Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, fulfilled God’s flawless and ideal Law, bringing freedom to those who receive Christ by faith and who abide in Him by doing all that He commanded (cf. John 15). In short, true Christians have the Law of God written on their hearts (Jer. 31:31-34), and they have the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power enabling them to obey God’s Law to the glory of God.
           
The effectual doer of God’s word, in contrast to the forgetful hearer, “will be blessed in what he does” (v. 25). The blessing here appears to be a present, ongoing gift of God that culminates into an ultimate, future eschatological blessing. In the present, the believer is saved from the penalty and power of sin. But in the future he is saved from the very presence of sin.

Food For Thought
There are two very different responses to God’s word. We can hear it, be convicted of sin, and receive Christ for salvation, or we can hear it and forget it. Since Christ warned us never to forget His works on our behalf but to remember Him (2 Pet. 1:12-13; 3:1, 8; cf. Deut. 6:12; 8:2; Mal 4:4), let us never forget what we really look like in the mirror, then let us rejoice in Him.
            

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James 1:20-21 For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
           
James’ Jewish Christian audience was angry with God about their trials. But having instructed them concerning joy in the midst of these trials (v. 2), he explains that “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (v. 20). The “therefore” in v. 21 transitions to the antidote for such anger: “putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness…” The verb “putting aside” means to “take off,” like removing a filthy garment (cf. Acts 7:58). This verb is also used in reference to the former lifestyle of sin that the unbeliever once knew (cf. Rom. 13:12; Eph. 4:22, 25; Heb. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:1) before coming to faith in Christ—putting it aside in favor of righteousness. “Putting aside” is actually a Greek participle modifying “receive the word implanted” in the sense that the “word implanted,” the saving power of the gospel, cannot be effective until “all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness” has been put aside.

The “filthiness” (Gr. rhuparia) James speaks of comes from the same root of the term “dirty” in 2:2, describing filthy clothes (cf. Zech. 3:3-4), although James speaks of it here as moral filthiness. Just so the audience will know exactly how filthy sin is, James couples “filthiness” with the “remains of wickedness” (v. 21), that is, the surplus, or abundance, of evil (cf. Rom. 5:17; 2 Cor. 8:2; 10:15). Clearly James sees the dangers of sin and temptations to sin in the midst of God-ordained trials. He therefore not only warns his audience, he wants them to remove this abundance of wickedness like old clothing and lay it aside forever. James himself would know, however, that this is an intense spiritual battle that Christians face daily, a battle that never truly ends until death. In fact, the battle is so intense that as long as Christians engage it by daily striving to set aside their wickedness, they will find more sin in their lives to be laid aside and greater conflict with each rotten fruit they uncover.

Of course James’ audience already had the word of truth preached to them. He knew that they knew God’s word and the message of the gospel. But what he could not know for certain was whether the gospel had truly impacted their lives now that their faith was being tested. So, after commanding them to abandon their sinful ways, he tells them to humbly “receive the word implanted.” This is typical of James who, throughout his epistle, demands works as the proof of genuine faith (cf. 2:14-26). He never tells his audience to adopt a new corpus of ethics; rather, they were to trust that which they already possessed: “the word.” It was this truth in action that would determine their worth and allow them to experience joy in the midst of their trials.

Notably, the word “implanted” (Gr. emphutos) does not mean that everyone has God’s word innately. James’ Christian audience had received this word; thus, it was implanted. The “word” (Gr. logos) is equivalent to the “word of truth” which has the power to regenerate (v. 18), that is, to save (v. 21). Now they just needed to let God’s saving “word” influence their behavior. By adding that they received this “in humility,” James reminded them to be receptive to the work of God’s word in their hearts (cf. Mark 4:3-20)—the word that had been implanted for power.

The power of God’s implanted word is that it “is able to save your souls” (v. 21). The soul in this context is a reference to the entire human being, not just a part. Also, since the salvation of the soul is spoken of as future, James was referring to the Christian’s final salvation from sin at the time of Christ’s return in glory (cf. Rom. 5:9, 10; 13:11; 1 Thess. 5:9; Phil. 2:12; 1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 4:18; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:5, 9; 2:2; 4:18). It thus seems evident that James’ heart for his readers was that they not merely know Jesus but obey Him for their ultimate salvation.

Food For Thought
How might we “receive the word implanted” when we already believe in Christ for salvation? Answer: prepare your hearts! You can begin by confessing unconfessed sin to God and receiving His forgiveness for the restoration of your fellowship (1 John 1:9). Next, you can read and meditate on God’s word, asking God to search you and reveal to you all the ways you are offensive to Him (cf. Ps. 139:23-24). Finally, you can humble yourself before God, accepting everything the Scriptures teach—from salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-10) to the doctrine of election-predestination (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4-14) and to agreeing with God that men are men, women are women, and that women are not to teach or have authority over men in the church (1 Tim. 2:9-14). Though these doctrines can anger us, it’s only because we are wrong and God is right. Let us thus receive God’s implanted word and live the abundant life, no longer tossed about by our anger and frustration over life’s trials.
            

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James 1:19-20 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
           
James’s audience was scattered beyond Palestine due to a severe persecution of Jewish Christians in and around Jerusalem in the first century (1:1; cf. Acts 8:1ff.; 12:1ff.). Both the rich and poor had to leave their homes to find refuge (1:9-11), and James challenged them to find joy in the midst of their God-ordained trials (1:2-4). God was testing the value of their faith for their benefit, not tempting them to anger. After all, God never tempts anyone to sin (1:13). He tests our faith; He never tempts to sin. So, in an effort to bring calm to his brothers in Christ, James, having preached joy in the midst of trials (1:2-4), is now instructing Christians to receive the word of God through him, being “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
           
Although the mood of the verb “you know” is an imperative in Greek, translated “Know this” in the NIV, ESV, LSB, and NET, the NASB translates it in the indicative mood: “This you know.” Since James was writing to a Jewish audience (1:1) whose Scriptures are replete with teachings about being “quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” (Prov. 10:19; 11:12-13; 17:27-28), James was reminding his audience of things they knew, not giving them new orders.

There can be little doubt James’ audience was angry about being torn from their homes. This is why James first told them to be “quick to hear.” Instead of being swift to grumble about their current trial, as most are, they were to be eager to hear God speak to their predicament. Of course being quick to hear also entails being “slow to speak,” for when one is tuned into listening to God, or anyone for that matter, they are not talking over the person who is speaking. This is of course sound advice for all Christians, then and now, in the midst of a trial—listening to God and not tuning Him out. After all, when we get upset, angry, or confused, we are not often under the Spirit’s control; instead, we are fighting for our rights, demanding answers, and completely oblivious to what God is teaching us. James’ admonition is therefore of great value for us all.
           
In v. 20 James explains that anger can be sinful. No matter what situation a Christian finds himself, he is to reflect God’s righteousness. This includes justice, mercy, grace, compassion, love—all virtues that reflect the holy character of God. Obviously a believer under the control of selfish anger cannot work any such righteousness. Now in this context James is not speaking of the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ alone—the righteousness Paul writes about in terms of God placing man in a right relationship to Himself (cf. Rom 3:21-22; 2 Cor 5:21). No, James’ context of righteousness concerns Christians, already righteous in Christ, doing what pleases God. Jesus used “righteousness” this way when He called His disciples to exceed the legalistic good works of the religionists (Matt. 5:20; cf. 5:6, 10; 6:33). Simply put, James is exhorting his audience to avoid the angst with which they were struggling; it was a detriment to them. He wanted them instead to rejoice in their trials, knowing that God was maturing their faith through trials. He wanted them to be encouraged, knowing that the trials of God are not temptations to evil but occasions to be reminded of the future crown of life (1:12).

Food For Thought
            Being “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger” is a great principle in all our dealings. But James isn’t writing a self-help book; he is instructing us in worship. We can apply it in church, being “quick to hear” God’s word, “slow to speak” when God’s word is taught, and “slow to anger” when we hear something from God’s word that rubs us wrong. Since God is speaking to us in our trials, let us find that joy (1:2) while sitting still listening to Him speak—whether a pastor is teaching us or whether we’re just simply sitting still reading God’s word.
            

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John 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

The work of the Holy Spirit with regard to regeneration is a key issue in John 3, and it answers many of the questions posed about the Holy Spirit’s work. Regeneration, or being “born anew,” might be defined as the sole work of God by which He imparts spiritual life into His elect children in order that they might respond by faith to the gospel call and be saved. God promised this to His people before Jesus, circa 600 BC, saying, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ez. 36:25-27; cf. Jer. 31:31-34). Clearly God has always intended to impart spiritual life to His elect people.

In John 3:3-10 Jesus chastised Nicodemus, “the teacher of Israel” (John 3:10), for failing to understand, or even be aware of, Ezekiel’s prophecy and what it meant to be born anew—to be regenerated. Jesus asked him, “You are the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” Jesus spoke of the same “water” that Ezekiel did—the spiritual cleansing from sin—and the new heart that was needed to be spiritually reborn. Both of which are given by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Peter, likewise, said, “…according to God’s great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pet. 1:3; cf. Eph. 1:13; Col. 2:13; Jas. 1:17-18). From Peter’s words, along with Paul and James, it appears that it is God the Father who regenerates. The conclusion to the matter is that both the Holy Spirit and the Father are responsible for the regeneration of the sinner dead in his sin.

It is vital to note that regeneration occurs prior to saving faith, for no one can respond by faith to Christ’s call without having been regenerated. Jesus speaks of this marvel in John 6:44 saying, “No one can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him.” There is a sequence, therefore, in salvation whereby God the Father draws one to Christ, then after they hear the word of truth (1 Pet. 1:23, 25; Jas. 1:18), those who have been drawn respond in faith. But they must first hear the gospel preached before they can believe. Though many hear the gospel, only those chosen by God will respond in faith (Matt. 22:14). But they must be regenerated, “born anew,” through the work of God before they are able to respond in faith. The Spirit washes and regenerates, then faith follows immediately thereafter, as in the case of Cornelius in Acts 10:44. As Peter preached the gospel to him and his household, “the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.” There is also the example of Lydia in Acts 16:14: “And the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” It is God’s work, therefore, that reaches into the hearts of His elect children to summon their response—an instantaneous event that occurs only once for all believers in Christ. Now although regeneration occurs before saving faith, in the minds of believers, belief and regeneration are practically simultaneous.

Food For Thought
There are those who hear the gospel but do not respond to it by faith. They remain “dead in their trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1-5), unable to comprehend and receive the gospel since they are spiritually appraised (1 Cor. 2:14; cf. Mark 4:14-15). It is the work of the Holy Spirit that gives new life through regeneration and enables God’s Elect to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. Jesus thus said, “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes or where it goes; so it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).
            

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James 1:18 In the exercise of His will [God] brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.
           
Though some might blame God for tempting them with evil, James says that this is impossible. God certainly tests His people to mold us after His will, but He never tempts us to evil. Temptations come from our own lusts, and when we are carried away and enticed by them, God is not to blame. Our loving God cares for His creation, giving perfect gifts from above as the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (1:13-17).
           
Whereas in v. 17 James speaks of who God is, in v. 18 he speaks of what God has done. Rather than attempting to destroy His people by tempting them to sin, God not only gives them physical life, He gives them spiritual rebirth through “the word of truth”—the preached gospel. This is the greatest gift from above that God could give! And He did it “in the exercise of His will” which means that it was His choice to do so—by grace! Of His own freewill, in His love and grace and mercy, God gave the gift of eternal life—His Son Jesus Christ.
     
When James says, “He brought us forth,” he is not talking in this context about physical life but of the doctrine of regeneration—being born anew through faith in Christ by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 3:3, 5-8; Titus 3:5). This gift from above does not set man free from sin; rather, it cleanses him and gives him the ability to not sin. The means through which this occurs is the “word of truth,” namely Scripture (Ps. 119:43; Jer. 23:28; Deut. 22:20; Prov. 22:21; 2 Cor. 6:7; Eph. 1:18; Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 1:25). Moo says, “This reference to ‘word’ must also be seen in relation to the other important uses of the same term (Gk. logos) in this context (vv. 21, 22, 23). The ‘implanted word’ of v. 21 is sometimes thought to be a consciousness of God resident by nature in every human being. Yet this word, James says, can ‘save your souls’: indication, again, that the gospel is in view.”

God’s purpose in regeneration is “so that we would be a kind of first-fruits among His creatures.” The “first-fruits” are an allusion to OT passages like Exodus 34:22 and Leviticus 23:10 where first-fruits are the first portion of the harvest to be given to God. Peter Davids says, “The OT background is that of the first fruit of people, animals, and plants which belonged to God and were either redeemed or offered to Him (Ex. 22:29-30; Num. 18:8-12; Deut. 18:3; 26:2, 10; Lev. 27:26; Ez. 20:40). Israel was pictured as God’s firstborn (Ex. 4:22; Jer. 2:3) and thus specially belonging to Him.” Interestingly, the first-fruits in the NT are Christians (Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:15; 2 Thess. 2:13; Rev. 14:4). Like the first-fruits of grain or crops, those first century Christians represented a harvest of souls that were the initial sign of the great multitude of people, called “His creatures” who through succeeding millennia would be born anew by the Spirit of God. In short, they were representative of every future soul that would be born again.

By appealing to the new birth of man, being brought forth by God’s will through the word of truth, James presents the greatest example of God’s good and perfect gifts from above. A God that would bring new life to a spiritually dead people is a God who could never tempt anyone with evil. In exercising His will in this way, God reveals Himself as loving and merciful.

Food For Thought
            The grace of God can be seen when we look at our wretched lives prior to knowing Christ. We were rebels living only for ourselves, having forsaken our Creator for our own depraved desires. But after being born again, having submitted our lives to Jesus Christ by faith, we see a new creature saved by grace (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17), having been given the word of truth by a preacher or evangelist. Praise the name of God for regenerating our wretched souls! Sola de gloria!
            

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James 1:16-17 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Since “Do not be deceived” is a present imperative, the gist of it is more like “Stop being deceived.” James is thus attempting to put to rest the idea that had crept into the minds of some Christians that God tempts with sin. He wanted them to stop believing this lie. Richardson aptly says, “If the great temptation of the sinner is unbelief, then the great temptation of the believer is misbelief.” All Christians must be taught about God’s role in molding His people through trials versus man’s role in being tempted to sin against God in the midst of those trials.

What James wants believers to understand in v. 17 is that “every good thing and every perfect gift” is from God—who is “above.” So, why the repetition of both “good” and “perfect”? Although “good” might be a predicate adjective in the sense that “every giving is good,” but “every perfect gift comes from God” distinguishes the two, the fact that there is no “but” in the text mitigates this. Moo says, “A popular poetic device among the Greeks was the hexameter, a series of words whose syllables formed six rhythmical sections… The repetition of the ‘giving’ idea, then, is necessary in order to create this literary form, and no difference in meaning between the two Greek words should be seen.” Richardson thus says, “The gifts of God are good because they never foster evil desire or sin. The gifts of God are perfect because they are the fulfillment of His will for His people.” D. Burdick likewise says, “God’s gifts are marked by kindness and helpfulness, not destructiveness. They are ‘perfect,’ which in this context excludes any possibility of moral evil, such as tempting His people to commit sin.”

Verse 17 speaks of God as being “above” (i.e., heaven), that is, not of this world. It is thus from the eternal heavens that good gifts derive. In contrast to “above” Jesus denounced those who were from “below” in John 8:23—those who are of this world. James wants all Christians to know that God ordains that which is good, those things that derive from His eternal mind. But that which is evil, the worldly temptations that stir our lusts, actually originate from the world itself. Consider the Garden of Eden as an example, created perfect so as to house the “very good” Adam and Eve. The gift of the Garden was from above, but the temptation to sin came from the devil who was from below. Jesus told those who hated Him, who were “from below,” that the devil was their father, the originator of murder and lies (John 8:44).

Unique to James is his label for God as the “Father of lights.” Speaking of God’s good gifts coming from “above,” context reveals that the lights are the stars and planets—birthed by God at the creation (Gen. 1:3-18). His creation of light makes Him the author of it, depicting His power and ongoing care for His creation (cf. Job 38:4-15, 19-21, 31-33; Ps. 136:4-9; Isa. 40:22, 26). But contrary to the “variation or shifting shadow” caused by the sun, moon, and stars God created, He Himself never changes (cf. Heb 13:8). God is thus not like His creation, for He remains above it and sovereign over it. In order to nurture it, God put man in charge of it to care for it. And in order to make man all that he can be, God tests him with trials. But God, who is from above, is in no way responsible for man’s depraved lusts which originate from below.

Food For Thought
God is the Giver of good and perfect gifts. No wonder He sent His unique Son, Jesus Christ, who came to give spiritual light to the world (John 1:5; 9:5). It is through Christ alone that God gives good and perfect gifts to those who ask Him (v. 5). God judges motives (4:3), but the prayer for wisdom in the midst of trials (v. 5) will always be answered with a resounding “yes!”
            

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James 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Sadly, man’s nature is to sin, a disease that always leads to death (Rom. 6:23). As Paul said, “Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all, for all sinned…” (Rom. 5:12). Man is thus not the good creation he was in the beginning. Though still in God’s image, from the time of Adam’s rebellion in Eden, man has sought his own way, driven by his inner lusts. Our inborn rebellion necessitates our need for a Savior.

James says that Christians, though tested by God, are never tempted by Him to sin. Our “own lusts” are responsible for that (v. 14). Peter likewise warns, “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). But apparently Satan is only able to devour when we allow ourselves to be “carried away and enticed by [our] own lust.”

Although Scripture portrays Satan as tempting humans to sin, as he does with Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4; Luke 4), James was concerned with the Christian’s own role in leading himself into lustful temptations. God is never to blame when Christians follow after their own lusts, for even the redeemed struggle with their own flesh, conflicting with the Spirit (Gal. 5:17).

Though James uses the term “lust,” or “desire” (NIV) in v. 14 in the context of sin, the term is not inherently evil in the NT (cf. Luke 22:15; Phil 1:23). Yet on most occasions “lust” either has a sexual undertone or a more general meaning for how man longs for that which is forbidden (cf. 1 Pet. 2:11; 1 John 2:17). This is James’ meaning for the term, for anything that man desires outside of what God permits is what carries us away and entices us. The Greek terms for “carried away” (exelkō) and “enticed” (deleazō) picture a fish being hooked. As the fish swims along it is alerted to something that looks good. Partaking of it, it is snagged and killed. The fisherman is not to blame, for the fish was enticed by what it saw and paid for it with its life. Such is sin. Like a child conceived that grows in his mother’s womb and is later birthed, so too are lustful desires —starting small becoming irresistible. Solomon pictures the scene in Proverbs 7:6-27 where a young man is lured by a loose woman. What initially looked good to him ended in his death.

Now the “death” that James is referring to here is not a reference to the end of life. If it were, no one would be alive today since all are lured by sinful lusts throughout their lives. Neither is he referring to eternal death in hell for succumbing to sinful lusts. Sinners are saved by God’s grace when they trust Christ, in spite of their sinful lusts (Eph. 2:8-9; cf. Rom. 8:1). The “death” James is referring to here reflects the Jewish way of thinking, namely that death was a way of life, “more as a trajectory than a destination” (Swindoll). As King David, in his lust, willfully sent for the married Bathsheba and committed adultery with her, then later had her husband killed, he lived in a state of death: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer” (Ps. 32:3-4; cf. Deut. 30:15; Prov. 12:28; 13:14).

Thus, the “death” James is referring to is a “death-like existence”—not the “abundant life” Christ promised to those who love Him (John 10:10). In the death-like existence, having succumbed to our sinful lusts, we experience neither victory over sin nor the benefit of the Spirit’s fruit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23). David escaped this by repenting: “I acknowledged my sin to You… I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.”

Food For Thought
We must pray for wisdom, for we all struggle with temptations to sin leading to a death-like existence. Wisdom is the antidote in those times of testing (Jas. 1:5-8). It’s not a prayer against Satan or a rebuke of the devil; it’s the prayer, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:13) we must pray. Clearly, the “evil one” lurks during our times of testing. Our prayer therefore is that Satan not take us down during those vulnerable times. Note Agur’s prayer: “Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or that I not be in want and steal, and profane the name of my God’ ” (Prov. 30:8-9). Agur knew what his weaknesses were, namely too much and too little. So he prayed that neither of them would overtake him. He knew that his nature, like every human being, was as inclined to sin just as a fish is inclined to water. The antidote? Prayer to God for temptation to be removed. Wisdom!
            

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James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
           
Since the Greek term behind “trial” (peirazō) can also translated “temptation,” context must determine the English translation. Trials are clearly the topic of vv. 2-4 & 12, but in v. 13 the context shifts to temptation, James distinguishing between the two. Whereas God certainly ordains trials in the lives of His people to draw out the hidden nature of their hearts and mature their faith, He never tempts His people to sin. For example, God may test a man by allowing him to lose his job through no fault of his own. In response, the man might question God’s love or even His existence if his unemployment is prolonged. Likewise, God might ordain that a mother be bereaved of her child, prompting her to be tempted to believe that God has forgotten her or that He is not truly good. Like the Teacher (Heb. Qohelet) in Ecclesiastes who observed the vanity of life (1:2; 12:8) in light of how unfair life can be, man can be tempted to blame or question God for all the seemingly unfair things that happen to him. James, like Qohelet, desired that true believers persevere under these trials (v. 12). This of course entails remaining faithful under trial, finding joy in the midst of them while praying for wisdom (1:2-5).
           
In reality, our inward temptation to sin is congenital from our conception. Our will is free to choose, but our will is also depraved. Even our good decisions are made for selfish reasons, for when given the opportunity to do the right thing, if we succeed, we expect something for our efforts—either recognition or payment or both. Even when we make the wrong decision for right reasons, we blame someone or something else for that decision. Nothing is more common among mankind! But this is not so with God. He is holy and pure, unable to sin or tempt us to sin.

James deduces that since God cannot be tempted by sin, He could therefore never tempt anyone to sin. Donald Burdick comments, saying, “[God] cannot be successfully tempted. His omnipotent, holy will fully resists any invitation to sin. Furthermore, in Him there is not the slightest moral depravity to which temptation may appeal. Therefore, it is inconsistent to think that God could be the author of temptation.”

So, since there is no moral depravity inherent within God to which the devil may appeal, Satan’s efforts to snare God to sin are worthless. This can be seen in his efforts to tempt Jesus—God in flesh—to sin in the 40 days in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Though Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for testing, the devil used the opportunity to tempt Him to sin. This is a perfect illustration of what James is talking about. Christians are obviously led by God’s Spirit into times of testing, but in those situations satanic temptations abound.

Food For Thought
            Since it is clear that God tests His people—from Abraham (Gen. 22:1) to Joseph (Gen. 40-50) to Job (Job 1:12; 2:6) to Israel (Judges 2:22) to Hezekiah (2 Chron. 32:31; cf. 2 Kings 20:12-19)—believers must pray as Jesus taught us: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13). But why pray this if in fact God cannot tempt us? Answer: so that while God is testing us, we fervently seek His mercy that He not allow Satan’s temptations to prevail upon our weaknesses (cf. Prov. 30:8-9). Paul thus assures us that “no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). Therefore, our prayer is that God be true to His word and assure us that the sins we most fear succumbing to will never overtake us during our trials. Such a prayer is guaranteed to be answered in the affirmative, just like the prayer for wisdom in 1:5.
            

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James 1:9-12 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. 12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
           
The “brother in humble circumstances” (v. 9) specifically refers to financially devastated Christian chased from his home during the persecution in Jerusalem depicted in Acts 12, leaving what little he had to flee for his life. Yet James tells such a man to “glory in his high position,” for as Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11-12; cf. Acts 5:41). Donald Burdick says, “To endure persecution for Christ’s sake lifts the believer to a position of honor that more than offsets his poverty.” James calls us to rejoice in this.
           
The poor Jewish Christian in v. 9 is contrasted with the rich in v. 10. Since the rich also would have been chased from their homes during the persecution, unlike the poor, they were not accustomed to humble means. As in any society, the rich enjoy the glory of exaltation, not humiliation. James, however, tells the rich that instead of feeling like they had lost everything by leaving it all behind, they should rather glory in their “humiliation.” Douglas Moo says, “The rich believer is to boast not in his wealth or his elevated social position but in his identification with Christ and His people, a matter of ‘humiliation’ in the eyes of the world.”

Whether rich or poor, James exhorts both to look toward their identity in Christ as the gauge of their definitive worth. Financially poor believers, though often scorned or ignored in society, are to boast in the fact that they know God (Jer. 9:23-24) and will one day be seated next to Christ. Likewise, wealthy believers who are accustomed to leisure and admiration from the world must learn not to lean on their wealth as the answer to life’s problems. The suffering of the rich man reminds him that his wealth is powerless and that his life is no more enduring than the grass that fades or a wild flower that loses its beauty in the scorching heat (Isa. 40:6-8). He will learn in his trial that it is not his riches that will “pass away”; it is he that will pass away! To rejoice in his trial, therefore, is for the rich to learn how trials, suffering, persecution, and death do not distinguish between the rich and the poor. Wisdom is demanded for both.

Moo concludes James’ meaning, saying, “The point of the passage is… that Christians must always evaluate themselves by spiritual and not material standards. Maintaining such a perspective in a world that so insistently confronts us with a very different standard of measurement is not easy. But if the church is to be the kind of ‘countercultural’ society that Jesus intended it to be, establishing and propagating such a perspective is essential.”
In v. 12, James blesses those who endure trials with joy. On earth this results in character; in heaven, it results in the “crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” The implication is that those who love God will welcome life’s trials and conquer them with the wisdom that only God can provide in the midst of them (cf. Rev. 2:10).

Food For Thought
One day the “body of our humble state” will be transformed into the “body of [Christ’s] glory” (Phil 3:20-21). We should thus see beyond the futility of how the world evaluates us and be comforted at how God sees us. We not only know God, we are known by Him (Jer. 9:23-24).
            

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James 1:5-8 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
           
In the midst of enduring trials with joy, Christians are building endurance and patience. This ongoing experience that accompanies each trial is the avenue through which God molds His people into perfection (Jas. 1:2-4). But it takes wisdom to understand this, and even Christians are prone to question God’s goodness when bad things happen to them. James therefore tells his audience to simply ask for “wisdom” (Gr. sophia) in the midst of those times when they cannot understand why things happen as they do. The fact that he tells them to ask God to give them wisdom means that they do not inherently have wisdom. But what man lacks, God has. He is the source of all things, and all His people need do is ask Him to give them what only He can give.

God gives wisdom to those who ask “generously and without reproach.” “Generously” (Gr. haplōs) means “in a forthright, open manner.” Without “reproach” means to be without “insult.” So although one might feel unworthy to ask God for something, God regularly puts His people in situations where they have to come to Him for aid, seeking the Source of what they need to get through their trials. When we ask God for wisdom to understand our trials, He does not hesitate to not only grant it to us generously. He also does so without insult. In other words, God does not berate us by saying, “I’ll give you what you want, but you don’t deserve it!” As the NLT puts it, “Ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”
           
Now since God will give wisdom to those who ask for it, then Christians should be regularly asking God for wisdom! It is one thing to pray for this and not feel worthy of God’s blessings, but it is another thing altogether to ask God for wisdom and doubt that He will give it. James sternly warns against this in vv. 6-8. Those who ask anything from God must do so boldly, truly believing that God can give what is asked of Him, specifically wisdom. Those who ask of God but doubt whether He will answer their request are likened to a boat on the waves of the sea. As the boat lacks steadiness, being tossed around with no control, so too is the person who asks of God while doubting His willingness to answer. If James said it the opposite way, he might have said, “Those who believe that God will grant the wisdom they ask for are like the man standing on a rock foundation, on firm footing, knowing for certain that the prayer they offered to God in faith for wisdom will be answered immediately in the midst of their trial.”
           
Those who doubt God are said to be “double-minded” (Gr. dipsuchos)—two-headed. They are hypocritical. With one head they ask of God, but since they doubt whether God will answer them, they also cover their bases by seeking help elsewhere—from the other head. These kinds of people are not believers, for they use God as insurance while seeking their own solutions. James says that these kinds of people ought not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They are “unstable” (Gr. akatastatos) in all they do—lacking any kind of stability or strength (7-8).

Food For Thought
            God’s purpose for us is to glorify and enjoy Him for eternity. To do so, we must learn to trust Him. So, God gives us trials to mature us. He wants us to know that they are given by Him and that we can find joy in the midst of them. Like a weightlifter suffering under the weight of the barbell, whose muscles will grow after the pain, in the midst of our pain God has ordained that we seek Him for wisdom. He guarantees He’ll grant it. We just have to ask!
            

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James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
           
Since the trials of life are God-given and have a divine purpose, it is no wonder James tells Christians to “consider it all joy…when you encounter various trials.” The verb “consider” (Gr. hēgeomai) is a Greek aorist imperative signifying urgency. It means to “have an opinion” of something, as in gathering information and forming a conclusion about a subject, in this case “various trials.” “Trials” (Gr. peirasmos) is the same word translated “temptations” in other contexts. Yet the two are distinct, for although God does test His people (e.g., Job), He never tempts anyone with evil (Jas. 2:13-14). Context always determines whether the word is translated “test; trial” or “temptation.” In James’ context, Christians were undergoing the trial of persecution, and James encouraged them to embrace this with joy. Jesus said as much in His Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11-12).
           
Of course neither James nor Jesus ever told their listeners to go looking for trials or to consider the trial itself as joyful. Certainly Jesus did not consider the cross or the horrors of His beatings leading up to His crucifixion as joyful. Trials, by definition, are difficult and painful. Yet joy can be found in the midst of them. It is our perspective of suffering that we must “consider.” Whereas many have abandoned their faith due to suffering and various trials, Scripture is clear that sufferings are meant for the good of believers. James says to consider the fact that one’s faith, being tested by trials, “produces endurance” (v. 3). Note the present participle, “produces” (Gr. katergazomai), for it speaks of an ongoing work, the result of which is “endurance” (Gr. hupomonē)—also translated perseverance, steadfastness, or patience. Paul loved the term, using it 16 times (e.g., 2 Cor. 6:4; 12:12; 1 Thess. 1:3). John likewise uses it seven times in the Book of Revelation in the context of trials (e.g. 1:9; 2:2; 13:10; 14:12).
           
Yet James is not simply looking to encourage Christians in patient endurance. Important though it is, endurance itself is not the end-all. Endurance is supposed to progress to its “perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Since James affirms elsewhere that no one will ever be truly perfect (3:2), sinless perfection is not what he has in mind. Clearly, he wants Christians to remain faithful throughout their lives. So, the “perfect result” of perseverance, though unstated by James, would reflect the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:6; cf. Rom. 6:22), to include remaining in Christ—loving Him and one another (John 15:1-17; cf. Rom 13:8; 2 Pet 1:6). Obviously this perfection is not one single virtue; rather, when one understands God as sovereignly working through our sufferings, we endure and consider it a joy to be a part of what God is doing in our lives and in the world He created. It seems that God’s desire for His people is not necessarily to understand all that He is doing but to trust Him in all things. So when Christians endure trials, we are attaining their “perfect result.”

James teaches us to value character above comfort—character that comes from trials. He thus stresses that our spiritual maturity trumps our physical growth, for if we value the physical over the spiritual, we will never “count it all joy” when we face trials. Living for the day, not the future, will cause us to shake our fists at God when He puts us through trials. Job said, “But He knows where I am going. And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (23:10, NLT).
 
Food For Thought
The perfection Jesus called us to (Matt 5:48) is that of a maturing character where we love Christ and are complete. That can only come through trials. It does not come through reading books or hearing sermons. It comes through sufferings, the result of which will be our perfection.
            

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James 1:1b-2 …to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…

The nation of Israel began with Abraham and his grandson Jacob, whose name God later changed to Israel, who birthed 12 sons. These became the 12 tribes of Israel. Though one nation under David and Solomon (circa 1000 BC), they split in 930 BC into 10 tribes in the north (Israel) and two tribes in the south (Judah). The northern tribes succumbed to the Assyrians in 722 BC, although members of all 10 tribes migrated south into Judah. Then in 586 BC the Judean kingdom was sacked by the Babylonians. Though all 12 tribes were carried into captivity and only Judah and Levi maintained their genealogies up to AD 70, all 12 tribes will one day came back together under their Messiah (Isa. 11:12-13; Jer. 3:18; 50:19; Ez. 37; Rev. 7:5-8).

James’ primary audience was comprised of members from each tribe of Israel who had come to faith in Jesus Christ. It is clear the Jewish persecution in Jerusalem began right after Stephen’s stoning (circa AD 35, Acts 7:58-8:3) and intensified after James, the son of Zebedee, was killed by Herod Agrippa in AD 44 (Acts 12:1-2). It was at that time that the Apostle Peter was arrested for preaching Christ in Jerusalem (Acts 12:3). As a result, many Jerusalem Jews scattered and were “dispersed abroad,” in and around Palestine. James wrote to them, encouraging these Jewish Christians to “consider to all joy…when you encounter various trials…” (v. 2).

The trials James speaks of concern the persecution Jewish Christians endured after being scattered. Yet James encouraged them that God has a divine purpose for trials and afflictions and has ordained suffering as an avenue through which He molds and shapes His people. Note:
 

• Trials train us, for God disciplines those He loves (Heb. 12:6).
• Trials determine our love for God (Deut. 10:12; cf. 13:3), Abraham being a prime example in his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac (Gen. 22). What he proved was that he loved God more than his own son. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).
• Trials equip us to help others. Jesus told Peter, “Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32, italics mine).
• Trials test the quality of our faith. Those who complain in their trials have weak faith, but the strong trust in God’s sovereign plan in the midst of their suffering (e.g., Moses and Israel in Ex. 16:4; cf. Deut. 13:3-4; Hezekiah in 2 Chron. 32:31; and Job).
• Trials test our resolve to follow Christ, like the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11—all of whom looked past their earthly afflictions to their heavenly hope.
• Trials such as losing one’s job or possessions remind us that God is all we need. Our wealth, advanced degrees, and success tend to puff us up and keep us from trusting God for all things (cf. Moses in Ex. 2:11-25 & Phillip in John 6:5-7). Trials help undo this.
• Trials humble us and remind us that God is in control, not us. Note how God dealt with Paul and his so-called “thorn in his flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7).
• Trials cause us to long for heaven while at the same time savoring the opportunity to serve Christ faithfully in their midst (cf. Phil. 1:23-24; Rom. 8:18-25; 2 Cor. 4:14, 16-18).

Paul, said “I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).
            

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James 1:1a James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…
           
The author of the epistle calls himself “James.” Among Christ’s 12 disciples, the name James appears three times. There is James, the son of Zebedee—brother of John (Matt 10:2; Luke 6:14), James the son of Alphaeus (Matt 10:3; Luke 6:15), and James the father of the other disciple named Judas (Luke 6:16; John 14:22; Acts 1:13). Since it is known that James, the son of Zebedee was martyred under Herod Agrippa in AD 44 (Acts 12:2), and the epistle was written after that, he cannot be the author. The other two men are almost entirely unknown apart from being named in the Gospels. So, by process of elimination, the only other James who could have written the epistle is the half-brother of Jesus named James. His other half-brothers were Jude, Simon, and Joseph (Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3)—the physical offspring of Mary and Joseph.

Now this particular James was not always a follower of Christ (John 7:3-5; cf. Mark 3:21). His eyes were opened to Jesus’ true identity as God in the flesh after Jesus’ resurrection, for Paul wrote, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…He was buried… raised on the third day… appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve... to more than five hundred brethren at one time… then He appeared to James” (1 Cor. 15:3-8, italics mine). Shortly thereafter, James became the leader and pastor of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18). Paul knew him as one of the “pillars” in the church (Gal 2:9), calling him “James, the Lord’s brother” (Gal. 1:19). Later, according to the early Church historian Hegesippus, he became known as “James the Just.”

Like his brother Jude (author of the NT epistle bearing his name), James did not identify himself as Jesus’ brother, referring to himself only as the Lord’s “bond-servant,” or slave (Gr. doulos). This Greek term, one that Paul used for himself (cf. Rom. 1:1; Phil 1:1; Titus 1:1), denotes one who willingly gives himself to his Master who owns him, selflessly and absolutely submitting himself for service (cf. Matt 24:46; Luke 2:29; Acts 4:29; Gal. 1:10; Col. 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:24; Rev. 19:5). In the OT, those whom God called to distinctive service were dubbed “slaves” (doulos) of the Lord—from Abraham to Moses to Joshua to David to the prophets (Josh. 14:7; 24:29; 2 Kgs. 17:23; Ps. 89:4, 20). Clearly both Jude and James saw their primary relationship to Jesus not as brothers with the same mother but as servants—slaves of their Master and Lord.

If James had a boast about his relationship with Jesus, it was as a slave and nothing more. After all, being a slave of Christ transcends a blood relationship with Him. Even Jesus said as much. For when Jesus was told by the crowds that His mother Mary and His brothers and sisters were looking for Him on one particular occasion while He preached, Jesus used the occasion to say that those who actually do the will of God are His mother, brothers, and sisters (cf. Matt 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35), not the woman who gave Him birth or his blood siblings. Thus, neither James nor Jude designated themselves brothers or “servants” of Christ; they saw themselves as “slaves” to their Master who is God in the flesh. All Christians should boast likewise.

Food For Thought
For James to call himself a slave of both God and the Lord Jesus Christ is not that he divided the two. God is the Father, and Jesus is the Son. They are one in their nature and attributes but distinct in their roles and functions. They are as J.P. Lange writes, “wielding one dominion” (John 17:3). James thus believed the OT God is the same as the New Covenant God, and as a faithful slave to Him, Lange says, James’ service was “rendered to God and Jesus Christ with undivided consciousness, obedience and operation.” What a great commentary on what a Christian should be! In a day when Christians look so much like the culture around them, a slave of Christ who submits to God stands out as a true member of the family of God. O to be like that.
            

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Hebrews 13:22-25 But I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. 23 Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. 24 Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. 25 Grace be with you all.
           
Concluding his epistle, the author was clearly not writing for the sake of his own health; he was writing a “word of exhortation” to people he loved—the act of earnestly encouraging a response to God’s inspired word. This “word of exhortation” was thus a sermon preached with pen and paper, admittedly “written to you briefly.” In under 10,000 words, the author was calling his audience “to bear with” the brief words he had written—specifically to put their Christian faith into practice, to turn their single-minded attention to Jesus Christ who is superior to everything and everyone their Jewish minds once held important (i.e., angels, Moses, Joshua, the priesthood, the temple). If the author had developed the themes he wrote about more fully, his epistle would have been much longer. But with the brief sermon he preached with his pen and paper, he impacted the entire world for centuries, even us in the twenty-first century.
           
In his final comments, the author speaks of “our brother Timothy” in v. 23, a familiar name in the NT, especially in Paul’s epistles. That “Timothy has been released” points to Timothy, like his mentor Paul, spending time in prison for preaching the gospel. This reflects back on Hebrews 13:3 where the author urges Christians to pray for those in prison, for at least a few of their brothers in Christ were suffering in chains, Timothy being one of them. Apparently the author intended to visit his audience in the company of Timothy, for he says, “with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you.” So wherever his audience was located, if Timothy came to see them after his release, the author himself would be with him, for they were evidently traveling companions.
           
For students of the NT, this news about Timothy both being in prison and being released from prison is encouraging. After all, at one point in his young life, Timothy became weak in his faith, for in 2 Timothy 1:6–2:12 and 3:12-14, the Apostle Paul encouraged him to endure persecution without fear. After Paul was executed, Timothy obviously remained faithful, to the point of suffering in prison. Most likely, Hebrews was penned just after Paul wrote 2 Timothy, just before his death. It thus seems that Paul’s exhortation to Timothy was just what he needed.
           
In v. 24, the author sends his greetings to those reading his epistle—both their “leaders” (cf. 13:7, 17) and the “saints,” namely all Christians. The mention of “all of your leaders” means that the audience did not have just one senior pastor but a plurality of elders (cf. Acts 20:17-38) leading and serving them. The author in turn sends not only his own greetings but greetings from his own cohorts who were “from Italy.” This indicates either that the author was in Italy when he wrote his letter or that there were some Italian Christians present with him sending the audience their greetings. Either way, greetings (Gr. aspazomai) were clearly important to the early Church.
           
In v. 25, the final words of Hebrews are “grace be with you all.” The author does not say, “Works be with you all,” but “grace,” the antithesis of works. Not mercy but grace. Not love but grace. Perhaps grace includes both love and mercy, God’s unmerited favor upon His people conferred back on them by those to whom His grace was given. God’s grace is upon His people through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Now may His grace be multiplied to all His children over and over, even modern readers of this Spirit-inspired epistle. Likewise, may we as His people give others grace when they may deserve our wrath. Grace upon grace is honoring and glorifying to God, and it is certainly beneficial to us.

Grace be with you!
            

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Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
           
Although this benedictory passage needs little commentary, there are many things for which to take note. First, God is “the God of peace.” God is much maligned today, but perhaps that is because He is so misunderstood. People tend to define God in their own terms to their own detriment. But God, by definition, is that than which nothing greater can be conceived. Hence, He is sovereign (supreme), omniscient (all-knowing), omnibenevolent (all-loving), omnipotent (all-powerful), and holy—to name only a few of His traits. God can thus never be accused of some deficiency, no matter how confused His ways may appear to us. Here in Hebrews 13:20, God is not the God of chaos but of “peace”—that which is harmonious and free from disputes.
           
Note also that it is God “who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord” (v. 20). Aside from the creation of the universe by His word alone, the greatest display of divine power was the resurrection of the Lord Jesus three days after His death. Note here that Jesus is called “the great Shepherd,” not merely the “good Shepherd” (John 10). A shepherd is one who watches over his sheep, loving and protecting them as his own possession. A good shepherd would be one who does this well. But “the great” Shepherd is He who dies for His sheep and rises again for their salvation. Jesus alone did this “through the blood of the eternal covenant,” His own blood to guarantee His everlasting promise of the peace God grants us through His life, death, and resurrection.
           
It is this Lord Jesus, the God of peace in flesh, whom the author prays will “equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight…” So as the author asks for prayer on his own behalf, he prays for his audience the loftiest of prayers: to be equipped for every good thing to do God’s will, God working in us that which pleases Him! A Christian need only to yield to God for Him to work within them and use them so mightily.
           
Christians can work out their own salvation (Phil. 2:12-13)—not work for their salvation, but work it out in the sense of becoming more and more acquainted with God’s grace in their lives. They do so because God is at work in us “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). And since Christ is He who works in and through us, it is Christ “to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20). So, note the eternal nature of Christ and the glory that belongs to Him, not to us for somehow being smart enough to receive His call for salvation. If Christ receives glory forever and ever, “working within us that which is pleasing,” then we receive no glory for accepting Him. He receives all glory for saving us. Absolutely. All. Glory!

Food For Thought
            Note the theology learned from this seemingly mundane passage: God is the God of peace. God raised Christ from the dead, our Great Shepherd—the overseer of our eternal souls. Christ’s covenant with us was ratified in His own blood, a promise for eternity to save and preserve those who trust in Him. Christ equips His people for every good thing, specifically the doing of the things that are His will, things that work to please Him. These things we do that please God are done through Jesus Christ, and it is Jesus Christ—God in flesh—who is to receive glory forever and ever. Just saying “forever and ever” defines our eternal God. Only that than which nothing greater can be conceived can receive eternal glory. The Lord Jesus Christ is that God. Let us therefore never doubt Him and never deny Him. He is the God deserving of all our praise.
            

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Hebrews 13:18-19 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. 19 And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.
           
The anonymous author of Hebrews, though clearly known to his audience, asks for prayer in vv. 18-19. From v. 18 it appears that a false accusation had been leveled against him and his cohorts, for he writes, “We are sure that we have a good conscience…” One who says such things is one who has been accused of a wrongdoing that perhaps he or she alone knows is false but that others might be convinced is true. The writer’s “conscience” (Gr. suneidēsis)—the psychological faculty that distinguishes between right and wrong, that which either afflicts or comforts us depending upon our actions, however, was “good.” In other words, whatever false accusation had been leveled against him, he knew he was innocent. And God knew. After all, both he and his cohorts were “desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things” (v. 18).

As to the conscience, everyone has one—that innate sense of right and wrong. Though unbelievers also have a conscience, theirs is defiled (Titus 1:15), keeping them from repentance. The Christian, however, has a cleansed and purified conscience (Heb. 9:14). This of course does not make them perfect, but under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, they can discern right from wrong without being a slave to their instinctive desire to please themselves.

The Hebrews author apparently believed that prayer on his behalf would mean “that I may be restored to you the sooner” (v. 19). Though he does not specify his circumstances, whatever they were, they had kept him away from the audience to whom he wrote. We can only surmise what this might be, but since the busyness of ministry can keep Christians apart, perhaps he was a traveling preacher, many miles away from those he loved. Such lonely times prompt us to ask for prayer, oftentimes comforting us with the realization that someone is struggling together with us. Of course he might have been ill or even imprisoned. Whatever the case was with this author, he believed in prayer—his brothers in Christ gathering together boldly before the throne of God seeking mercy and grace on his behalf (cf. 4:16). That in itself will comfort anyone!
           
In light of the admonition in Hebrews 13:7 and 13:17 to “remember” and “obey” church leaders, we are also charged to “pray” for such men. Doing so is pleasing to God, for when our leaders serve in the church faithfully, they do so because God’s people pray faithfully for them. If prayer is the avenue through which our sovereign God works, then His people should offer Him that avenue regularly. Although church leaders are human like everyone else—struggling with fleshly tendencies, physical weakness, limitations in giftedness, spiritual blind spots, etc.—their responsibilities in serving Christ’s Church, namely His people, deserve our respect. So respect should not only be seen in our remembrance of them (13:7), our obedience to them (13:17), but also in our prayers for them (13:18-19). And also in our honor of them (1 Thess. 5:12-13).
           
Truly, God’s appointed leaders in Christ’s Church face temptations that others do not. Satan knows that if he can bring down a respected church leader or two, he can bring down others with them, sometimes an entire church. If he can get a pastor to look at pornography, flirt with other women, or steal cash, he can make his evil mark. Yet prayer for our leaders weakens his efforts.

Food For Thought
Do we really need to pray for others when they ask us to pray for them? Does God need to hear from us so that He can act on their behalf? And if we fail to pray for them, will God not act on their behalf? What if they pray for themselves, yet we fail to pray for them? Are their prayers not sufficient for God to act? Notably, James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” The great Apostle Paul himself told the Thessalonians to simply “Pray for us” (1 Thes. 5:25; 2 Thes. 3:1). Perhaps in praying for Paul, they connected themselves with everything God was doing through Paul? If the apostles believed prayer for one another had a fruitful purpose, and that one person praying “can accomplish much” (Jas. 5:16), then multiple people praying for the same thing will bring about more praise for God when He acts on our behalf to answer our prayers. In other words, multiple people praying for something or someone does not add power to one person praying; it adds praise to what God does through our prayers.
            

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Our mailing address is:
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14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433 

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 But we ask of you, brothers, that you know those who labor among you, and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and that you regard them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another (Legacy Standard Bible).
       
Paul traveled extensively preaching the cross of Christ, planting churches (cf. Acts 13-28), and installing leaders—the elders and deacons who care for both the spiritual and physical needs of the church. Although the pool from which to select church leaders would have only included new believers since Christianity was new, Paul’s procedure was to allow those with spiritual ability to rise up within the churches through service and wisdom and allow the church members to recognize them as leaders. If they had the character credentials to serve in the official offices of either elder or deacon in the church (cf. 1 Tim. 3:1-8; Titus 1:5-9), they became its leaders.
       
Paul lists three qualities in v. 12 of qualified church leaders. First, they “labor” (Gr. kopiaō) in the church, a term that means “hard toil; struggle.” This would entail not only their work of study to teach the Scriptures but also prayer for church members, shouldering their burdens and aiding in their physical needs. Second, they “lead” (Gr. proistēmi) in the sense of guiding and caring for God’s people within the church. Paul uses this term elsewhere for looking after one’s own household (1 Tim. 3:4-5, 12), promoting good works (Titus 3:8, 14), and for the elders in the church who were to be paid for their exceptional leadership abilities through preaching and teaching (cf. 1 Tim. 5:17). Third, they “admonish” (Gr. noutheteō), a term that carries both the idea of positive instruction and negative confrontation for unruly behavior.
       
Notably, Paul “asks” Christians in the Thessalonian church to, first, “know” (Gr. oida) their leaders. English versions translate oida differently in this context: appreciate (NASB), respect (ESV), acknowledge (NET), honor (NLT). Thus, to simply “know” one’s leaders in the church is not the end-all but perhaps “acknowledging” them is—respecting their God-given authority. No one is to associate themselves with a church where they cannot honor and appreciate its leaders.
       
Second, Paul asks that church members “regard” (Gr. hēgeomai) their leaders “highly in love.” To “regard” is to “esteem; value.” But to esteem someone “highly”—literally beyond all measure—“in love” means that church leaders are to be held “in the highest regard” (NIV), with unreserved support, and in a spirit of unconditional “love” (Gr. agape). Tall order!
           
Now the latter half of v. 13, “Live in peace with one another,” is taken out of context, the point is missed. Yes, living in peace with all of God’s people is commanded (cf. Heb. 13:1), but this context concerns church members and leaders who are to “live in peace with one another.” It is not always easy to submit to church leaders, especially when there is disagreement over menial matters. It is the work and selfless service of church leaders that is to garner the respect and love from those whom they serve. Their leadership is not one of authoritarian rule but of service, the ministry of caring, leading, teaching, and correcting God’s people. After all, their labor of love towards Christ’s sheep is not something they undertake for their own advantage or prestige but for the glory of God and the good of His people. If church members and leaders can be faithful to their tasks and respect one another, they will by default “live in peace with each other” (v. 13).

Food For Thought
It can take effort for church leaders and church members to appreciate each another. Since pastors typically do all the talking, teaching, and leading in the church, folks can at times disagree with them and even get tired of their leadership. Conversely, pastors can grow weary of church members. Hearing regular complaints without much encouragement can discourage anyone. Hence, it can take effort to appreciate each other. But God “asks” that we do just that.
            

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14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433 

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Church leaders have the God-given task of caring for Christ’s Church on earth—serving His people, preaching His word. They are to preach Scripture, reprove, rebuke, and exhort—in season and out of season—with patience and careful instruction (2 Tim. 4:2). In so doing, they “shepherd the flock of God… exercising oversight not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to [their] charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2-3).

Whereas Hebrews 13:7 reminds us to “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you… considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith,” Hebrews 13:17 commands us to “Obey your leaders and submit to them.” To “remember” (Gr. mnēmoneuō) is a command to recall those who taught God’s word to us and to imitate their faith. But to “obey” (Gr. peithō) means “to follow,” having been persuaded of some course of action by our leaders. Though Christians are also taught to obey their governmental leaders (Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13-14), the context here concerns church leaders (i.e., pastors, elders, deacons), for God has founded three institutions through which He rules from heaven and of which His people are to submit: family, government, and church. In obedience to God, we thus submit to our leaders.
           
The reason for obeying and submitting to God’s chosen leaders in the church in v. 17, insofar as they are godly men following Christ, is that “they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” To “keep watch” (Gr. agrupneō) literally means “sleepless” in the sense of staying awake in order to protect something vulnerable. What is vulnerable here are sheep, though not literal sheep but God’s-people-in-Christ sheep. As under-shepherds of the Good Shepherd (Christ), elders-pastors-deacons (i.e., leaders) are tirelessly praying for church members, caring for them, and doing everything within their limited powers to protect them from outside influences that might corrupt and even ruin their very lives. One example of this was Epaphras whom Paul told the church in Colossae was “always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12).
           
One day, God will summon His appointed under-shepherds (pastors, elders, deacons) to “give an account” for the spiritual maturity of those He placed under their care in the churches. Those leaders who prayed diligently for the sheep in their care, who taught them God’s word and counseled them to apply and obey, and who modeled true love for Christ may or may not have produced a mature church. But having been faithful to their task, they will have nothing to fear from God. But those who coddled church members, who failed to teach Scripture in its entirety, who did not labor in prayer, and who did not model love for Christ will have much to fear.
           
As to church leaders, Jesus said, “He who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (John 13:20). Paul wrote, “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls” (2 Cor. 12:15). Likewise, John could say, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 4). Preaching God’s word therefore and loving His people are the essential tasks for church leaders. Now the task of church members is to “Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

So it is the duty of the Church to help their leaders rule with joy and pleasure. Failure in this by church members only brings “grief” (Gr. stenazō), literally a “groaning” that pastors know all too well. Moreover, failing to bring joy to church leaders displeases God, behavior that is “unprofitable” (Gr. alusitelēs)—a term that means “of no benefit or gain.”

Food For Thought
Speaking from experience, joyous and fulfilled pastors serve in churches where its members demand Scriptural preaching from their shepherd. They don’t demand perfection since pastors are not perfect, but they do insist on their pastors be living above reproach. There may of course be times when Christians ought not submit to its leaders, dark times when church leaders are not in fellowship with Christ—living for their own self-satisfaction, not the glory of God. If so, their sin must be evident and brought to light in public view (cf. 1 Tim. 5:19-20), not private meetings where the church is left in the dark. But insofar as our leaders are godly, let us strive to submit to them and honor their God-given authority, their oversight of our very souls. If they are genuine, they are faithfully following Christ. In such cases, we can therefore safely follow them.
            

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Copyright © 2024 Harvest Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Harvest Bible Church
14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433 

Romans 12:10-13 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Christians offering themselves to God as living sacrifices (12:1) both love and hate—having a genuine love for all things good while hating all things evil (12:9). In v. 13, the believer’s genuine love for all things good is now directed towards “one another,” or “brotherly love” (Gr. philadelphia; cf. Heb. 13:1). Intensifying this, Paul adds that believers are to be “devoted” (Gr. philostorgos) to one another—a term used for affection between a husband and wife, a mother to child, a father to son. In short, those who love God will love God’s people (1 John 5:1).

Elsewhere, Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). For Christians, loving their brothers in Christ is not optional, for “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).
When unbelievers encounter a Christian, they are to note the disparity. According to the Bible, one is a child of God, the other a child of the devil. John writes, “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother… But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? …Let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him” (1 John 3:10, 17-19).
           
One of the ways that the saints of God can be noticed for their love of one another is in how they “give preference to one another in honor” (v. 10). The word for “honor” (Gr. timē) means “to go before,” as in going ahead of another to show them the way. In this context it concerns passing another in order to set an example for them. If every Christian sought to do this, each would be attempting to “outdo one another in showing honor” (ESV) simply because each believer would have other believers in mind while striving to love them. This kind of honor is not flattery, per se, but genuine appreciation and admiration for a child of God in Christ.
           
God’s people are likewise not be “lagging behind in diligence” (v. 11; cf. Eccles. 9:10). Sloth is not a Christian trait; being “fervent in spirit” is—passionate zeal for “serving the Lord.” This word for “serve” (Gr. douleuō) is different than the one Paul used in 12:1 (latreia), stressing respectful worship, and it is different than the one he used in 12:7 (diakonia), which pertains to a Christian’s practical service. In 12:11, the term refers to a “bond-slave” whose very existence is for service unto his master. Yet contrary to a slave who must serve his master, Christians have a zeal for serving God, driven by the “mercies of God” (12:9). They are Spirit-filled believers driven by passion to love God and His people, hating evil. The sometimes cold or lukewarm attitude found in some professing Christians is therefore a contradiction in terms.
           
Verse 12 adds to the ongoing actions of true Christians, revealing them as “rejoicing in hope.” In NT Greek, “hope” is not a wish or desire, it’s a guarantee! And Christians “rejoice” (Gr. chairo) in their guarantee of eternal life with Christ. They are “persevering in tribulation”— persistent in the midst of trials, refusing to compromise the truth. In the midst of it all, they are “devoted to prayer”—literally attached to it, persistent in it. Prayer is not something they do from time to time, it’s a discipline that defines them. Likewise, in v. 13 Christians are “contributing” (Gr. koinōneō) to the “needs of the saints,” specifically sharing food and money with believers in need. In short, they are “practicing hospitality”—welcoming guests and strangers in Christ.

Food For Thought
            Note that the verbs in Romans 12:10-13 are all present, ongoing participles. This points to a way of life for Christians, not one-time acts that assuage a guilty conscience. Because of our appreciation for the mercies of God, we as His people—saved by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ—long to serve God with our very lives (cf. 12:1). Our prayer list therefore might be something like this: “Lord, may we love what you love and hate what you hate. Cause us to be devoted to one another in brotherly affection, honoring one another far above ourselves. May we never lag behind in our diligence as we serve you faithfully, for we pray that you would make us fervent in our service to you. May we rejoice in our hope daily, persevere in our trials, and make prayer to you a lifestyle, not a time slot that begins and ends. Alert us to the needs of your people, and convict us to show hospitality when it is needed.” There it is! Praying the words of Scripture. God cannot say no to those requests; He ordained them!
            

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Copyright © 2024 Harvest Bible Church, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Harvest Bible Church
14954 Mueschke Road
Cypress, TX 77433