Why Work? (James 2:14-26)

(Biblical text and some word studies from www.nextbible.org)

James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness," and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

This passage is merely one of the most controversial in Scripture. It's the passage that led Martin Luther to reject the canonicity of James, and a passage that critics of the Bible point to when claiming the Bible contradicts itself. A close study, however, will show that James' teaching on justification is not contradictory to Paul's; rather, they are two sides of the same coin.

James begins by noting that faith, without works, is useless or "dead". If faith is not accompanied by practicial demonstrations of love - what Gal. 5:6 calls "faith working through love", then it is dead. James' question, "Can this kind of faith save him", references the faith just described, a faith without works. In the Greek construction it is a rhetorical negative question that expects a negative answer: No, that faith cannot save.

Verse 16 depicts a pat, spiritual answer to a real, practical need: "Be warm and filled". It was a blessing, to be sure, a verbal proclamation of something they wanted to see happen. A modern equivalent might be, "I'll pray for you - stay warm", as we walk away with a jacket on leaving someone outside Wal-Mart waiting on a ride. Saving faith goes beyond, meeting the tangible physical needs of the other person. James isn't imploring a social gospel here that ignores spiritual needs - we'll see that he gives plenty of attention to that area. But he does stress the need to balance eternal hope with temporal help.

Verses 18-21 have a significant cross reference in Roms 3:28, as well as all of Galatians 3 and Romans 4. In Romans 3:28, Paul introduces his extensive teaching on justification by faith with this statement: "For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law". Thus, we know that Paul's use of "works" in the section following with amplifies this theme refers to "works of the law". Paul contrasts genuine faith with works of the law. James, however, has already established that the "works" he refers to as accompanying saving faith are practical works of righteousness. James has just affirmed how easily the law can be transgressed, so we know that he agrees with Paul on the inefficacy of the law. We must make this distinction to really see that James and Paul agree: Legalistic works - rituals, etc. - never save! James further observes that doctrine alone is insufficient. Even fallen angels know that there is one God.

Instead of legalistic works or mental assent to doctrine, James provides the example of faith that was demonstrated in practical works - practical obedience to God. Abraham's faith was demonstrated at the sacrificial altar. He observes that through this Abraham's faith was "perfected" - a root meaning completed, or "carried to the end". This is a key word - James doesn't say that through this Abraham's faith was established ... he says completed or as it is sometimes translated, matured. Faith and works were partners in a maturing faith in Abraham. It was a "work of faith" (1 Thess. 1:3).

Paul and James quote the same passage from Gen. 15:6: "Then he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." Abraham's later work of faith showed the fulfillment of this imputed righteousness - it simply worked! While Paul focuses on the faith alone that led to the establishment of Abraham's faith and his "justification" before the Lord, James emphasizes the maturing of that faith, the confirmation that we can see in his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, the works that were essential to prove that Abraham's faith was real. James concludes his teaching with the example of Rahab and the notation that faith cannot be separated from works any more than body can be separated from spirit.

Application
What we do matters - a lot! In fact, what we do says more about what we believe than a doctrinal statement. But the "works" we are called to are not ritual works of law, but practical acts of love. These demonstrate the reality of our faith.

Partiality - or love? (James 2:1-13)

(Biblical text and some language studies from www.nextbible.org)

James 2:1-13 My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to? But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.

Prejudice ... in our society we generally recognize the ugliness of this world. There were a lot of positive things about life in the US 60 years ago, but one good change is that we no longer idealize the prejudice that led us to accept "separate but equal" as a valid societal option. An understanding of James' practical Christianity could have saved us a lot of wrongdoings and, in fact, informed many Christians' responses to join the civil rights movement and fight to overturn the injustice.



As with many Scriptural admonitions, though, James doesn't stop at what negative things to avoid. Even well-meaning secular teachers who have an understanding of God's natural law (Rom. 2:14) come up with wisdom that addresses the negative. Confucius, for example, said "Don't do to another what you don't want him to do to you." True and good ... as far as it goes. But that's something we can do in our flesh. Jesus taught the full truth - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In other words, be intentionally looking out for treating others in a positive sense, as you would have them treat you. Don't just avoid a negative behavior ... enact a positive one.



In this passage, the NASB comes closest to the literal translation when it admonishes us: "do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." Ouch! It's easier to avoid prejudice than to avoid personal favoritism. After all, it's only natural to prefer some people over others - right? But as we will see, that is exactly James' point.



The phrase translated by the NASB "personal favoritism" and by the NET "prejudice" appears in the KJV as "respect of persons." A.T. Robertson notes that the Greek idiom from which this word is derived means "to lift up the face on a person; be favorable and partial". The same word group is used in Scripture in a limited fashion:

• Jesus was perceived as not being "partial to anyone" (Luke 20:21)


• God does not distinguish between people groups for salvation, favoring one over another (Acts 10:34)


• God does not show partiality (favoritism) between Jew and Greek (Rom. 2:11)


• God does not show partiality between someone like Paul and leaders of "high reputation" (Gal. 2:6)


• God does not show partiality between master and slave (Eph. 6:9)


• God does not show partiality when giving consequences for wrongdoing (Col. 3:25)


• We are not to show partiality - "personal favoritism" (James 2:1)

Ultimately, personal favoritism is the subtle prejudice of preferring one group or type of person over another. James teaches that this is incompatible with faith.



In keeping with his usual pattern, James gives a general principle ("avoid personal favoritism") then follows up with an example. Our look at God's example in Scripture confirms that James' example of rich vs. poor is not the only area in which we must guard against playing favorites. However, this was the example James chose and as we will see, it is one that they certainly related to.



The example of fine clothing - literally "clean" - vs. dirty reflected the clothing status distinctions of rich vs. poor in the Roman world. In James' example, if they provided special seating to someone dressed nicer - and thus obviously rich - they were commiting the broader since of partiality. James actually says that this makes them "judges with evil motives."



James' word choice in v. 4, "made distinctions", is a different word than that of verses 1 and 9, "show partiality" or "show favoritism", but it is similar in meaning. It means "partial" and is from a root meaning "judge between". Scripture contains positive, negative, and neutral uses of this word.



Positive uses include the areas of salvation, edification, and truth. Specifically:

• Salvation was the same path for both Jew and Gentile, without distinction (Acts 15:9)


• Believers are to "judge" or "make distinctions" between brothers instead of going to court (1 Cor. 6:5)


• Believers are to "judge" or "make distinctions" of their own bodies before Communion (1 Cor. 11:39, 31)


• Believers are to "judge" or "make distinctions" about prophetic utterances (1 Cor. 14:29)

Negatively, the word is used of unbelief, superiority, and prejudice. For example:

• Doubting in prayer (Matt. 21:21; Mark 11:23)


• Misgivings about a course of action (Acts 1:20; 11:12)


• Taking issue with another believer (Acts 11:2)


• Wavering or doubting about an ethical decision (Rom. 14:23)


• Maintaining a superior attitude (1 Cor. 4:7)


• Doubting in seeking wisdom (James 1:5)

The word is also used neutrally of natural things such as discerning weather patterns (Matt. 16:3).



The bottom line of this is that good 'distinctions' are thosebased on truth with edify the body of Christ; bad distinctions are those based in unbelief, superiority, and prejudice. This is the balance Jesus struck in his teaching of John 7:24: "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." In this passage, James' warning is against the former - judging by appearance.



As a guard against favoritism, in verses 5-8 James lays out God's special care of the poor and the present persecution by the rich. Here we see a glimpse into why James chose to use rich/poor as the example in his teaching against showing favoritism. The rich were dragging them into court, oppressing them, and blaspheming Jesus' name. James wonders why would they want to honor them, but dishonor the poor?



God's choice of the poor parallels the upside-down election of 1 Cor 1:26-29: God chooses the weak so He will be glorified Himself, so that no man will boast before God. (The same word is used for "choose" in both James 5:8 and 1 Cor. 1:26.) "The poor" in verse 5 is singular - meaning "the poor person". James is not teaching that all poor people will be saved; instead, he is affirming that God does choose poor people to honor, and believers should not dishonor them.



Verse 5 also reminds us that the kingdom is for those who love God. Not merely those who have a profession, but those who love Him. This is a reminder that at its root, salvation is the creating of a heart in love with God. Jesus taught this in Matt. 5:3 and 25:34 - those who get the kingdom are poor in spirit, and those who get the kingdom are those who showed demonstrable acts of love for God by loving others. Again, James' very practical teaching has its roots in our Lord's words when He walked this earth.



The bottom line is summed up in verse 8: The opposite of favoritism in love. Our focus, as always in the Christian life, is not on the negatives but on the positive: love, the "royal law", should guide us. Gal. 5:14 goes so far as to say that love fulfills the whole law! When love is our guide, there is no room for either prejudice or favoritism.



James concludes this section by noting explicitly that partiality/favoritism is sin. He has finished his example, and comes full circle back to his main point. As we might expect since he is speaking to a Jewish Christian audience, he makes his point in the context of the Law with which they are intimately familiar. This brings the sin of partiality in the framework of being a violation against God, and reminds us to focus on mercy, which triumphs over judgment.



Application

This is really a massive text, when we think of all the implications of not showing partiality ... which is ultimately God's example to us. Mere focus on not being prejudiced - the "diversity" of today's modern world - is a counterfeit of what Christ calls us to - a lack of partiality. Instead of favoritism, practice its opposite: love.



As usual, this is a much higher standard, and one that affords more questions than answers. When does patriotism become favoritism? How do I not show favoritism when I am naturally drawn to some people more than others? How do I live out mercy when our world seems to need justice? These hard questions won't be answered by a quick Bible study.



Pauls' doctrines can be examined and codified into a creed; James' practical theology is in many ways more challenging than the free will/sovereignty debate! It can only be lived out in intimate relationship to Him.

Plain and Simple: Live it out

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he will be blessed in what he does. If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:19-27)

These verses expound upon the kind of person Christians are to be since we've been brought forth as "first fruits" (v. 18). Summing up this first section of his letter, James doesn't hold his flock to a lower standard because of their trials. Instead, he takes pains to remind them that authentic faith should affect their actions. This section reflects James' overall theme that faith without works is useless.

James first addresses how authentic faith affects our reactions. Remember, he has been speaking of trials in this first section. Many times, we justify poor reactions because of our suffering. But in times of trial, as in other times, our reaction should be one of listening and patience ("slow to anger"). James' reminder to be 'slow to speak' reflects the wisdom of Solomon in Prov. 10:19: "When words abound, transgression is inevitable, but the one who restrains his words is wise." Our anger never accomplishes God's righteousness. And interestingly, being quick to listen and slow to speak makes it easier to not be angry -- simply put, we get all the facts first, and that defuses the anger that sometimes comes when we react rather than respond to the circumstances we face.

James also reminds his readers that even as Christians we have much to "put away". However, as we put things away, we don't leave a void -- instead, the Word is to become implanted in our hearts. This word is received in humility, but we prove it's been received by our actions. If we faily to act, we deceive ourselves. James parallels looking at the law to looking into a mirror - when we look into God's word we must abide in what we see!

James is highly concerned with the authenticity of our faith. While he teaches sound doctrine, he is dissatisfied with doctrine that doesn't impact life on a practical level - "where the rubber meets the road". This passage affords three such "tests" of authenticity. It is important to note that these are not requirements for salvation, but are demonstrations that one's perceived salvation is authentic and not a self-delusion.

James' first "test" is that authentic faith should help us bridle the tongue. In other words, authentic faith affects how we relate to others verbally. "Bridle" means to hold in check, to restrain - much as the bridle on a horse allows the rider to control the horse, faith allows us to control our tongue. This doesn't mean perfection - just that true faith provides the ability to have control over the tongue. James will pick this topic up again in chapter 3.

Next, James observes that authentic faith impacts the weak. Caring for "widows and orphans" is a Scriptural principle that falls under this broader category of protecting the weak; in other places in Scripture this is amplified to include resident aliens (immigrants) who chose to settle in Israel, and even workers who are exploited (for example, Mal. 3:5 equates mistreatment of these 4 classes with divination and adultery). Although Christians may differ on the "how" of James' admonition, Bibilical teaching throughout the entire Word of God does not allow us to ignore the weak.

Finally, James notes that authentic faith is not stained by the world. Again, James and Paul are incredibly consistent here: Paul admonished the Romans not to be conformed to the world. Being in the world affords us the opportunity to impact the weak; not being of the world means that we won't be stained by doing so, or shaped into the mold of the world. Withdrawal from the world is not an option for a biblical Christian, but neither is conformity to the world system.

As usual, James is plain and simple. The bottom line: Don't be conformed by the world - maintain pure, simple devotion to Christ, motivated by love, and live out what you learn.

Upside Down Thinking During Trials

Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position. But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away. Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:9-18)

As we previously established, James is writing as a pastor to a scattered flock of persecuted Jewish believers in Jesus Christ. Significantly, James is probably the earliest (or one of the earlier) New Testament texts ... so these believers lacked even rudimentary Christian teachings to carry with them into Gentile lands. What they did carry, however, was a strong background in the "Old" Testament and a fully Jewish worldview.

In this worldview, Deuteronomy 28-31 played a key role; blessings followed obedience to God, and curses followed disobedience. Prosperity, therefore, was expected to follow those in whom God was pleased. Suffering was considered a sign of God's judgment. Jesus' disciples expressed the Jewish worldview perfectly in their question to Jesus in John 9:1-2: Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?”

James knew his flock was suffering, and he also knew what they were thinking. So he sent them a letter filled with some "upside down" thinking to help them better understand their trials. After telling them to rejoice for the growth the trials were facilitating, and reminding them of the wisdom God offers, he interjects what at first appears to our linear Western minds to be a new topic, but in James' eastern circular presentation serves to expand upon the original idea of trials. Specifically, James "evens the playing field" for both rich and poor believers. Rather than feeling they are on the wrong end of judgment, each has something to glory in: those of "humble" circumstances have a "high position"; while those well-off should glory in the transitory nature of their riches. Neither is condemned here for undergoing trials; instead, each is exhorted to view their earthly financial circumstances through a broader, eternal perspective. Both have the opportunity to see their trials turned into a crown of life.

James then explicitly addresses the human tendency to blame God for temptations that we give into. Again, this is closely related to the original subject, trials, because every trial affords either an opportunity for growth or the chance to yield to temptation. James reminds believers that God doesn't tempt man. Sin instead comes about when man is tempted by desires - the picture painted by "lured and enticed" signifies an entrapping and indeed, the original Greek references a fish drawn out of the safety of its retreat. After yielding, it conceives and gives birth to sin, whose progeny is death. James is brutally straightforward here. We may parse Paul and come down on different sides of the interpretive coin, but here James is not so nuanced. Enticement - lust - sin - death. We might not like it, but we get it - without any further cross-referencing or word studies necessary.

James then cuts to the heart of how we can avoid temptation during trial - or any other time. "Don't be led astray - God gives good gifts" is the heart of his message. Ultimately, sin is the result of desiring something more than God, of thinking that what temptation offers is better than what God offers. James lifts up the promise of God's good and perfect gifts. Against the lure of temptation, God has something better - always. Whatever the trial they were facing, they could know that what He offers is wonderful. And He doesn't change. James here is reminisicent of Hebrews 13:5: Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” In other words: Be content with what you have, because what you have - is HIM!

James concludes this portion of his exhortation with a reminder: God gave birth to us through the message of truth so we can be firstfruits of all His creation. Interestingly, the phrase "gave birth" is the same as in verse 15, where desire "gives birth" to sin. Because God gave birth to us as His firstfruits, we no longer have to give birth to sin. Instead, He works within us to produce the fruits that reflect our Father. Here is the reminder that indeed, faith is at the heart of James' message.

Wisdom in Trials

But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8)

We often look at this passage as wisdom in life - and indeed that is a Biblically consistent interpretation. This is the New Testament equivalent of Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

James covers the same points as Solomon: Faith, consistency, acknowledging God. We do well to look to God for wisdom in all areas of life.

But a look at the context of James 1:5-8 affords a special blessing, because we see that he broaches the subject of wisdom in the context of trials. As we considered previously, James presents trials as inevitable, and calls us to joy in them as God works them in our lives to complete us. The "But" of James 1:5 connects the two thoughts: James is essentially saying, "Trials are going to come - hang in there, have joy, let God work out in you what He intends. But if you need wisdom ...".

In times of trial, wisdom is often at a premium. So James lets us know that it's okay to ask for wisdom during those times. In fact, God will give it to us generously and without reprimand.

What exactly is "wisdom"? James himself defines it for us later in this letter. James 3:17-18 lays out the elements of godly wisdom, contrasted from the demonic "wisdom" of the earlier verses:

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace.

During times of trial (as other times) we can expect God's course of action for us to include these characteristics-purity, peace, gentleness, accommodation of others, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, authenticity. We can also know that the fruit produced will consist of righteousness, and the soil is peace.

Faith characterizes our receipt of this wisdom. Ronald Dunn, in his classic work Don't Just Stand There, Pray Something, recalls learning this through the experience of his son's illness. While he prayed desperately for wisdom, he never experienced a flash of brilliance or a burning bush. Instead, he made the decision that seemed right to him after prayer, and upon reflection saw that at every point he had made the correct choice. That's when he realized that this passage doesn't say, "and he will feel wise". It says, "and it will be given to him." We have to believe that God has answered our prayer for wisdom!

Faith is a major theme in James, as is authenticity. In many ways this passage is the first example of the works that James expects to accompany a believer. James doesn't want his flock to be easily tossed, to be double-minded, or to be unstable. He contrasts doubt with the faith that God has granted prayers. This foundation of faith will be crucial as we progress in our study, for only in faith can a believer fulfill the works that God intends for him or her to pursue.

In this context we can see that even the seemingly "harsh" words for those who do pursue wisdom without faith, with instability, with wavering - that they should not expect to receive an answer - is still within the overall context of maturing their faith, making them complete. God challenges them to truly believe that He will give them wisdom in their trial - and the result, as James 3 states, will be righteousness.

The book of James consistently moves believers toward authenticity in their faith. The way we pursue wisdom needed during trials is just one example of the maturity God desires to bring into each believer's life.

Consider it Joy: James 1:1-4

(Biblical text and some background information from www.nextbible.org)

From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings!

My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

James doesn't waste any time with his dispersed audience. He immediately addresses the situation they find themselves in: trials. James' audience was the "12 tribes" in the Dispersion - the Jewish Christian community spread throughout the region. Jews were scattered throughout the Roman empire prior to the time of Christ, but two specific persecutions led to a diaspora of Jewish Christians from Jerusalem: the persecution of the church by Saul (approx. 34 AD, Act 7-8), and Herod’s persecution (approx. 44 AD, Acts 12). Whichever context led to the need for James to reach his flock by letter, the fact is that they were being persecuted before they left Jerusalem.

As James makes clear in both chapter 2 and chapter 5, their oppression was not merely because of their faith. To "fall into" trials literally means to be encompassed by them, surrounded. These people were poor, and rich landowners took advantage of the poor regardless of religious status. In Palestine before the fall of the temple in AD 70, most of the population were peasants with small land plots. Some family members worked the land, but most brothers were either traders or laborers. Wealthy landowners took advantage of the situation, robbing people of their lands, discriminating in hiring labor, and at times suppressing the church. This was a time in church history where most persecution was by Jews, as the church was still considered a sect of Judaism by the Jewish leadership. So, these Jewish Christians had the additional trial of their so-called brothers of the flesh persecuting them for their faith. A further trial was the prophesied worldwide famine (Acts 11:27-30) which happened around the time of Agrippa's persecution. Thus, the "trials" James addresses cover a broad range of challenging circumstances.

James' writing style typically involves a summary statement, followed by explanations, examples, and other supporting details. This passage is no different. James outlines to his audience the broad command: "Consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials". Obedience to James' admonition does not rely upon mere emotion or mindset. The word James uses for "consider" carries a connotation of judging, or making a determination, as a ruler would do. James is essentially teaching his scattered, persecuted, impoverished, hungry flock: "Weigh the evidence, and make a decision to view this as nothing but joy." James calls his readers to involve their will in the process. The difference this makes is significant: Rather than following our feelings, or trying to convince ourselves and others that it's really going to be okay, we can look at all the evidence and choose the side of joy.

Joy, of course, is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), so this decision will have to be a Spirit-empowered one. Yet James does not leave us without a tangible motivation as well. The very trials we are choosing to count as joy, James tells us, are the things that lead to our endurance, our perserverance. Endurance, Strong's lexicon tells us, is "characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings." Essentially, James is telling us that if we choose to consider THIS trial as joy, we will be strengthened and the next one will be less likely to sway us. Since the trials are presenting as coming "when" rather than "if", we can know that they will happen. We can be equipped for them by weighing our options and coming down on the side of joy.

Furthermore, James observes, perserverance isn't the end of the road for believers. We don't merely muddle through trials. As we learn to perservere in them, we are "perfected" or made mature ... lacking nothing or as this translation states, "not deficient in anything." Not lacking, not deficient ... calls to mind the literal translation of Ps. 23:1: "The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing." Mankind tends by nature to focus on what we don't have ... but by the Spirit-empowered decision to consider a trial as JOY we can instead grow in perserverance and eventually feel that we lack nothing.

One Powerful Message

If you were a church leader and had an opportunity to write a letter to your scattered flock undergoing persecution, what would you deem important to communicate? Would your purpose be logical, philosophical arguments for significant doctrinal truths - or would you be more intent on focusing on the practical application of the elements of the Christian faith?

That's somewhat the situation faced by James - not the apostle, most likely, but the brother of Jesus. James became a follower of Jesus after the resurrection and went on to be a leader in the Jerusalem church. These Jewish Christians were scattered following the stoning of Stephen (Acts. 8:1-4; 11:19) and endured persecution in other locales as well. At a very early date - likely in the mid-40s, even before the Jerusalem Council - James wrote a "circular letter" that was passed along the Jewish Christian networking lines. It is preserved in our Bibles as the book of James, possibly the earliest written text of the New Testament, and one that is not without controversy. Viewed in the context of its writing, however, many of the questions raised about James can be answered.

James' main purpose is to encourage scattered Christians to live out their faith in practical ways. In fact, the theme of the book could be simply, "A Working Faith." James is not concerned as much with orthodoxy - though he is fully orthodox in his theology - as with orthopraxy, or right living. His famous section in 2:17-26 includes a challenge that would have hit at the heart of his Jewish audience: "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." (v. 19). In the straightforward way of a man with no time to lose, he observes that the basic Jewish confession, the Shema, the heart of theology for Jews which was still recited by Jewish Christians, was incomplete by itself. Even the demons believe in one God, he writes ... but he goes on to challenge that confession apart from works of faith.

It was this section of the book, which goes on to extol the necessity of works for justification, that led Martin Luther (among others) to reject this book as non-canonical. However, a thorough study of the book will show that James is not inconsistent with the fundamental theology of the New Testament and its emphasis on justification by faith; he simply has a different emphasis or priority in his theology. Again, the fact that he is writing to a scattered audience undergoing persecution is critical to understanding his theology. James is teaching them as a pastor, trying to cover as much ground as possible in one letter, knowing that their need for teaching is probably urgent (remember, there likely were no other New Testament scriptures at this point). His pleading with them comes through as we read and re-read his letter. He repeatedly calls them "brethren", and carries a pleading, corrective tone along with exhortation and encouragement.

James is an epistle of wisdom. While it has an internal structure, its form is not obvious like Paul's doctrinal/practical divisions in his epistles. Instead, James blends the doctrinal with the practical. One possible way of viewing the internal structure is around the theme of faith: Faith and trials, faith and works, faith and prayer.

In the epistle, James touches on the themes of faith, perseverance, favoritism, works, the law of liberty, the tongue, sinful attitudes, wisdom, relationship with believers, judgment, and prayer. Some of his key points include:

• The testing of faith is a joy because it produces endurance.
• Become a doer of the word, not merely a hearer. Endure to do!
• Faith without works is dead - the works perfect or complete the faith.
• A truly mature person will bridle the tongue and practice wisdom from above.
• A mature person will maintain an attitude of humble submission to God.
• Believers should be patient during suffering - praying in faith.
  

That James does not contradict Paul's teaching on justification by faith will bear out over future lessons. However, one verse will show that while James is emphasizing the work of faith, he has a complete grasp of the Godward aspect of salvation:

In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. (James 1:18)

Here James is very specific - God brought us forth by His will, by the word of truth, for a specific purpose: that we would be "first fruits" among His creatures. This is the basic teaching of Jesus - we are to be fruitful. We are chosen to bear fruit for God's glory, Jesus said, and here James wholeheartedly concurs. James' epistle focuses on what that fruit looks like in real life.