James 4:17

17 The man who has knowledge of how to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James 4:17 Meaning and Commentary

James 4:17

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good
This may regard not only the last particular of referring all things to the will of God, the sovereign disposer of life, and all events, which some might have the knowledge of in theory, though they did not practise according to it; but all the good things the apostle had exhorted to, and the contrary to which he had warned from, in this epistle; and suggests, that a Gnostic, or one that knows the will of God, in the several branches of it, revealed in his word,

and doth it not, to him it is sin:
it is a greater sin; it is an aggravated one; it is criminal in him that is ignorant of what is good, and does that which is evil, nor shall he escape punishment; but it is much more wicked in a man that knows what is right and good, and ought to be done, and does it not, but that which is evil, and his condemnation will be greater; see ( Luke 12:47 Luke 12:48 ) . The omission of a known duty, as well as the commission of a known sin, is criminal.

James 4:17 In-Context

15 But the right thing to say would be, If it is the Lord's pleasure and if we are still living, we will do this and that.
16 But now you go on glorying in your pride: and all such glorying is evil.
17 The man who has knowledge of how to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
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