Chapter One
jamesAUTHOR
James, the brother of Jesus.
AUDIENCE
Early Jewish Christians scattered because
of persecution and all followers of Jesus.
DATE
About A.D. 49.
SETTING
James encouraged the former members of
the Jerusalem church, now scattered to various
places because of persecution.
VERSE TO REMEMBER
"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead." (2:17)
THEME TO CONSIDER
Faith without action isn't real faith at all.
james 1:1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you
know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you
may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must
believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the
wind. 7 Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord; 8 they are double-minded
and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should
take pride in their humiliation-since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with
scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the
rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive
the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor
does he tempt anyone; 14 but each of you is tempted when you are dragged away by your own evil desire
and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives
birth to death.
16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose
to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow
to become angry, 20 because our anger does not produce the
righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all
moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly
accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says. 23 Those who listen to the word but
do not do what it says are like people who look at their
faces in a mirror 24 and, after looking at themselves, go
away and immediately forget what they look like. 25 But
those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom
and continue in it-not forgetting what they have
heard but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do
not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that
God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
2 Suppose someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor person
in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the one wearing fine clothes and
say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the one who is poor, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by
my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and
become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen
those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith
and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are
exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you
into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the
noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love
your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9 But if you
show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles
at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he
who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You
shall not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do
commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the
law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy
will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy
triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if people claim
to have faith but have no deeds? Can such faith save them?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily
food. 16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm
and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by
itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there
is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father
Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that
his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And
the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"
and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that people are justified by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she
gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is
dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Taming the Tongue
3 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that
we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Those who are never at
fault in what they say are perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered
by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body,
but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also
is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course
of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures
are being tamed and have been tamed by human beings,
8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of
deadlypoi son.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with
it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's
likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.
My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh
water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My
brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine
bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them
show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility
that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy
and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it
or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down
from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For
where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find
disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all
pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of
mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers
who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
Submit Yourselves to God
4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't
they come from your desires that battle within you?
2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and
fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask
with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?
Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture
says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us
more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed."
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and
he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves
before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or
judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but
sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.
But you-who are you to judge your neighbor?
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry
on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your
life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is
the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such
boasting is evil. 17 So then, if you know the good you ought to do and don't do it, you sin.
Warning to Rich Oppressors
5 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your
wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion
will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look!
The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of
the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.
You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered
the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land
to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and
stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,
or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke
in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard
of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion
and mercy.
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All
you need to say is a simple "Yes" or "No." Otherwise you will be condemned.
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is
anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with
oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make them well; the Lord will raise them
up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for
each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not
rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth
produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring them
back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the way of error will save them from death and
cover over a multitude of sins.
conversations
conflict at work <<>> 1:19
1 >> How would your workplace be altered if
you were quick to listen and slow to spak?
2 >> How can you be humble at work without
inviting (or enabling) others to take
advantage of you?
3 >> Hhave unresoolved anger and bitterness hindered
your work relationships? If so, how?
a tissue: adoption
1:27 You probably resemble
your earthly parents in
some way-your father's
nose, your mother's mannerisms.
Do you also
resemble your heavenly
Father? If you're going to be
like your heavenly Dad,
you'll show love and compassion
for the oppressed in
your world. One way of
doing that is by adopting an
orphaned or needy child
and showing that child the
kind of love God has shown
you. God gave you an identity,
a family and a home
when he adopted you as his
child. Perhaps God would
also have you open your
heart and home to a child in
need of love and care.
myth#99
"I CAN NEVER TELL
SOMEONE THAT I
STRUGGLE WITH ."
I don't know how this happened exactly, but I seem to have developed this
reputation for true dependability. That's why I'm on two different committees
at church. I teach Sunday school and am one of the youth leaders.
Continues.
