James

In 1:26-27 James indicated that a true response to God's Word involved both outward activity and inward control. Ministry to orphans and widows was the outward activity. Separation from the world was evidence of inner control.

In 2:1-4 James rebuked his readers for demonstrating favoritism to the rich who attended their services while ignoring the poor. The display of partiality for the rich was contrary to their own interests, for the rich were actually their oppressors. Such partiality was also contrary to God's law. James reminded his audience that they would be judged for their inconsistency.

James warned that a faith that merely spoke kind words to the poor without offering them help was not a saving faith. Just as Abraham and Rahab demonstrated their obedience to God by works, James urged his friends to show their faith by works. James explained that a faith that merely affirmed correct belief without producing a changed life was lifeless.

James insisted that Christians show their obedience to God by controlling their tongues and all of their desires. He explained that the tongue had great power for both good and evil. He also pointed out the stubbornness and inconsistency of the tongue. He urged his readers to demonstrate heavenly wisdom rather than earthly wisdom. Earthly wisdom produced envy and selfish ambition. Heavenly wisdom produced peacemakers who were merciful and considerate of one another.

James saw an epidemic of worldly living among his readers. In 4:1-10 he warned against worldliness and showed its effects on the prayer life of his recipients. In 4:11-12 and in verses 13-17 he showed, respectively, that worldliness produced a critical spirit and a godless self-confidence.

In describing the effect of worldliness on the prayer life, James showed that his friends resorted to scheming, quarreling, and striving in order to obtain their wishes. They failed to receive what they truly needed because they did not ask. Whenever they did ask, they failed to receive because their request was tinged with self-will. James's description of God in 4:5 demonstrated that God tolerated no rivals and wanted complete commitment from His followers. God could make heavy demands on His followers, but He could also provide the grace to meet those demands. In 4:7-10 James uttered in rapid-fire fashion ten imperative appeals to submit to God and avoid worldliness.

One evidence of worldliness James cited was the presence of a critical spirit. He saw that Christians were defaming one another in the same way that the ungodly defamed Christians. James warned that those who belittled fellow Christians had set themselves up as judges and had assumed a position that rightly belonged only to God.

Probably the arrogance James denounced in 4:13-17 came from self-confident Jewish businessmen who planned their lives without reference to God's will. James warned his readers that life resembled a transitory vapor and that all of life must be planned with reference to God's will. The sin James described in this paragraph is an example of a sin of omission.

James leveled harsh warnings against wealthy landowners who valued the dishonest accumulation of material goods above the demonstration of justice. He accused the rich of the sins of dishonesty, wanton living, and injustice. He implied that God had heard the cries of the oppressed and would punish the unjust treatment meted out by the rich.

James used three illustrations to encourage a lifestyle of persistent devotion in serving the Lord. First, he spotlighted the farmer who planted and then waited for rains in order to produce a crop. Second, he mentioned the Old Testament prophets who spoke boldly for God despite suffering. Third, he commended Job, who faced tragedy, family misunderstanding, and physical suffering in obeying the Lord.

In times of distress Christians could easily use God's name in a careless, irreverent way. James warned against invoking God's name to guarantee truth and instead called for truthfulness so consistent that no oath was needed.

James urged believers to use prayer in all the seasons of life. In times of affliction Christians are to pray to God for help and strength. In times of blessing believers are to praise God instead of congratulating themselves (5:13b). In instances of critical sickness the sick person was to summon the leaders of the church for prayer. Prayer for the sick could result in either physical healing or spiritual blessing. In times of sin and struggle mutual intercession could promote spiritual victory. Elijah prayed with such force that God withheld rain from the earth for three and a half years and gave it again at his request.

James operated with a realism about the spiritual life. He insisted that those who continue in sin show their lostness despite their profession of faith. He promised that the believer who won back a wanderer would save the sinner from eternal death and win blessings for himself.

Theological Significance. James reminds us in a forthright way that faith involves doing. It is not enough to be hearers of the word; we must be doers as well. We cannot just say we are believers; we must show it in our lives. This must be evident in the way we control our tongues and the way we relate to others. The rich must share with the poor. The Christian community must live out its faith by demonstrating love and a working faith to those inside and outside the body of Christ.

Davids, Peter. Commentary on James. Good News Commentary. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1985.

Moo, Douglas J. James. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.

Motyer, Alec. The Message of James. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1985.

Vaughan, Curtis. James: A Study Guide. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1969.