Jan. 31, 2024

Dear Friends,

Tonight we will be studying James 1:1-18 (pt. 1)—concise teachings with deeply-grounded meaning for the Christian walk. I hope you can join us. Notes are attached.

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LIVING THE CHRISTLIFE

WAYNE BARRETT

HILLTOP LAKES CHAPEL

JANUARY 31, 2024

James 1:1-18

Pt. 1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of

your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and

complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will

be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the

sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive

anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of

the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower

falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the

crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I

am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But

each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has

conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.a 18 Of

his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his

creatures.

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v 1 – “James…”

The tenor of James is strongly Jewish, as in Hebrews

“twelve tribes”—representing the totality of God’s people, the Church, now dispersed by

persecution

The structure is aphoristic and moves rather quickly from subject to subject, in some contrast to

the epistles of Paul

vv 2-4 – “Count it all joy…”

“consider it to be joy”—not easy counsel, but Biblically consistent

“trials” – peirasmos, temptation, test; it is the word used in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:13) but

also used in Jesus’ appeal to His disciples in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:41)

“when you meet” – more lit. “when you fall upon,” “when you find yourself in”

a Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning

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So the sense here seems to be more trial or test than temptation—although they are related

That there will be trials is taken as a given.

“the testing of your faith produces steadfastness [endurance]”

“testing” – dokimion, also proving

“endurance” in what regard? “endurance” to do what? Why should we want it?

Perseverance

The perseverance of the saints is a major theme of the NT

The Christian life is not just a state or condition, it is also a racecourse to be completed,

something we must see all the way through until its finish; in the NT, first referred to as the

“Way”

And it is a life of love and service to God, which is driven by faith

There are good works for all of us that God has prepared beforehand

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God

prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”—Ephesians 2:10

The testing of our faith “produces perseverance.”

Sanctification

We are being formed personally into the people, for Christ, that we were created to be

This is the work of Christ in us through his Holy Spirit

“…I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from

the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those

who are sanctified by faith in me.”—Acts 26:17-18

“…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having

cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to

himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and

without blemish.”—Ephesians 5:25-27

Perseverance is a part of the character of Christ, and it is necessary to the completion of our

being made into his eternal people. It is a part of our sanctification.

vv 5-8 – “If any of you lacks wisdom…”

More lit. “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from the One giving, God, to all

generously and not finding fault...”

The emphasis is that God is already giving generously and not finding fault

“finding fault” – oneidizó, a strong word, to denounce, insult

“and it will be given him”

The apostle does not say or suggest that wisdom will be given instantly, without any

further process

“But let him ask in faith…”

“nothing doubting” – doubting – diakrinó, to vacillate, go back and forth

Praying with faith is not a spiritualized version of Aladdin and his genie in the magic lamp.

It seems to be, in ways that we do not fully understand or have explained for us, that

opportunities for faith must come from God in the first place. But it is then up to us to

exercise faith—and it is pleasing to God when we do.

“for the one who doubts…”

James seems to be addressing a person who doubts God himself or has doubts in God’s character

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This led to the original fall of mankind

We, ourselves, at the human level are insulted if someone doubts us or our character. We should

not be surprised that God is displeased when he is doubted by the likes of us.

We have many examples in Scripture of fervent prayers being answered. We have no example of

a doubting, half-hearted prayer being answered.

“double-minded “– dipsychos, from dis + psyché, lit. two minds, two souls.

“unstable” – akatastatos, Strong’s says “unsettled, unstable (though these are hardly strong

enough equivalents), almost anarchic.”

“in all his ways” – not just in his prayers

vv 9-11 – “Let the lowly brother…”

Not exactly the American message.

“lowly” – tapeinos, also humble, meek

“boast in” – not “resign himself to,” because He is loved and chosen by God, and he has a great

inheritance in the Lord. This is his exaltation.

more lt. “but the rich in his lowliness [tapeinósis] – the same root word as in v 9

James is rather severe when writing about the rich. He does not define it. It certainly has to do

not only with abundance of possessions but with the esteem (and mindset) that normally

attends those with many possessions.

“because like a flower of the grass he will pass away”

This is what the rich man is to boast in!

He is to embrace knowing that life, and his riches, are short—and in so knowing, live

accordingly

The verbs in the first part of v 11 are in the aorist sense, generally translated as past tense in

English

More lit. “for the sun has risen with its scorching heat and withered the grass, and the flower of it

has fallen, and the beauty of its appearance has perished.

This gives the verse a different, even stronger sense, one of finality—That this analogy speaks to

a judgment that has already occurred

“So also the rich man…”—a sobering observation with a sense of warning. This is certainly

consistent with the teaching of Jesus, e.g. “And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to

you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is

easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the

kingdom of God.”—Matthew 19:23-24