James

Part One: Introduction to James

The Author

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" (1:1). Several men named James appear in the New Testament: James the son of Zebedee, the brother of John, who was martyred by Herod around AD 44 (Acts 12:2), too early to have written this letter; James the son of Alphaeus, another of the twelve; and James the brother of the Lord. The early church identified the author as the last of these, James the Lord's brother (half-brother), the son of Joseph and Mary (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3).

James did not believe in Jesus during His ministry: "For neither did his brethren believe in him" (John 7:5). But the risen Christ appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:7), and James became a believer. He was with the disciples praying before Pentecost (Acts 1:14) and became the leading elder of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:18). Paul called him one of the "pillars" of the church (Galatians 1:19; 2:9). He was known as "James the Just" for his righteousness. Early tradition says he prayed so much that his knees became hard like a camel's. The Jewish historian Josephus records that around AD 62 the high priest Ananus had him stoned to death.

It is a mark of his humility that the Lord's own brother does not call himself "the brother of the Lord," but simply "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." He calls the One he once doubted "the Lord of glory" (2:1). His brother Jude, the author of the letter of Jude, likewise calls himself "the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James" (Jude 1).

The Recipients and Date

James wrote "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad" (1:1), Jewish Christians living outside Palestine, perhaps including those scattered by the persecution after Stephen's death (Acts 8:1; 11:19). He calls their meeting an "assembly" (2:2), using the Greek word for synagogue. The letter shows no awareness of the controversy over Gentiles and the law that led to the Jerusalem council (Acts 15, about AD 49), and many believe it was written around AD 45-49, making it possibly the earliest book of the New Testament. In any case, it was written before James's death in AD 62.

Character and Style

James is the most practical book in the New Testament. Its 108 verses contain about 54 commands. It resembles the book of Proverbs in its short, pointed sayings and vivid illustrations drawn from nature and daily life: waves of the sea, the withering flower, a mirror, a horse's bit, a ship's rudder, a forest fire, a spring of water, the farmer waiting for rain, a vapour. James also echoes the teaching of his brother Jesus, especially the Sermon on the Mount, more than any other New Testament letter (see Part Three).

Purpose and Theme

James wrote to believers under trial and pressure, many of them poor and oppressed by the rich, whose faith was in danger of becoming mere words. His theme is that genuine, living faith shows itself in a changed life. He gives a series of tests by which faith can be recognised: how we respond to trials, what we do with God's Word, how we treat the poor, whether our faith produces works, how we use our tongues, what kind of wisdom we show, whether we love the world, how we plan, how we use wealth, and how we pray.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

James 2:17

James and Paul

Martin Luther, struggling to understand James 2 in the light of Paul's teaching on justification by faith, once called James "an epistle of straw" in comparison with the books that most clearly proclaim Christ. But James and Paul do not contradict each other; they address different errors and use the word "justify" with different emphases.

Both quote Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3; James 2:23). Paul says that Abraham was declared righteous by faith before he did any works. James says that, years later, Abraham's obedience in offering Isaac demonstrated that his faith was real, "and the scripture was fulfilled." Paul himself teaches that faith works by love (Galatians 5:6) and that believers are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:10). As the Reformers put it, "faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone."

Tests of Living Faith

Outline of James

Part Two: Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis

Chapter 1 — Trials, Temptation and the Word

1:2-12 — Joy in Trials

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:2-4

"Temptations" here means trials, the various hardships believers "fall into." James does not say trials are pleasant, but that believers should "count" (consider) them occasions for joy, because of what they produce. Testing develops "patience" (endurance), and endurance, allowed to do its full work, produces maturity: "perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (Romans 5:3-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7).

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

James 1:5-6

In trials we need wisdom to understand and respond rightly. God gives it generously and without scolding us for asking. But we must ask in faith, not doubting. The doubter is like a wave tossed by the wind; "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (1:8).

Trials bring perspective on wealth. The poor believer should rejoice in his exalted position in Christ; the rich believer should rejoice in being humbled, for riches fade like the flower of the grass under the scorching sun (1:9-11; Isaiah 40:6-8).

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

James 1:12

Those who endure, proving their love for God, will receive "the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).

1:13-18 — The Source of Temptation

The same Greek word means both "trial" (testing designed to strengthen) and "temptation" (enticement to sin). God sends trials, but He never tempts anyone to sin:

Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:13-15

The source of temptation is within: our own evil desires. James describes the process in two pictures: a fish drawn out from cover and lured by bait ("drawn away... and enticed"), and a birth: desire conceives, gives birth to sin, and sin, fully grown, brings death. We cannot blame God, as Adam tried to (Genesis 3:12).

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:17

Far from tempting us, God is the source of every good thing. He is the "Father of lights," the Creator of the sun, moon and stars. Unlike heavenly bodies, which change and cast shifting shadows, God never changes. His greatest gift is new birth: "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (1:18; 1 Peter 1:23).

1:19-27 — Hearing and Doing the Word

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

James 1:19-20

Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger: this is wise advice for all relationships, and especially for receiving God's Word. Human anger does not produce the righteous life God desires. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness [overflowing wickedness], and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (1:21). God's Word, planted in the heart, saves and continues to deliver.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

James 1:22-24

Hearing without doing is self-deception. The Word is like a mirror; it shows us what we are. But a person who glances at the mirror and walks away unchanged gains nothing.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

James 1:25

The one who gazes intently into God's Word, "the perfect law of liberty" (it frees rather than enslaves), and keeps on obeying it, is blessed in his doing.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 1:26-27

"Religion" here means outward religious practice. True religion is shown in a controlled tongue, practical compassion for the helpless, and personal purity from the world's corruption.

Chapter 2 — Love Without Partiality; Faith That Works

2:1-13 — No Respect of Persons

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

James 2:1

James gives an example: a rich man with gold rings and fine clothes enters the assembly and is given a good seat, while a poor man in shabby clothes is told to stand or sit on the floor (2:2-3). Such partiality makes believers judges with evil motives (2:4).

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

James 2:5

God honours the poor, yet they dishonoured them; and it was the rich who oppressed them, dragged them into court and blasphemed Christ's name (2:6-7). If they fulfil "the royal law," "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," they do well (2:8; Leviticus 19:18). But favouritism is sin; it breaks that law (2:9).

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

James 2:10

The law is a unity, the expression of one Lawgiver's will. To break one command is to become a lawbreaker; the same God who forbade adultery forbade murder (2:11). This shows that no one can be justified by keeping the law (Galatians 3:10). "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment" (2:12-13; Matthew 5:7).

2:14-26 — Faith Without Works Is Dead

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:14

Notice the word "say": James is testing a claim to faith. The question means, "Can that kind of faith (faith that produces no works) save him?" The expected answer is no.

Illustration 1: Empty words (2:15-17). If a brother or sister is cold and hungry, and someone says, "Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled," but gives them nothing, what good is it? "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (2:17).

Illustration 2: Demonic faith (2:18-20). "Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works" (2:18). Faith is invisible; works make it visible.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:19-20

Believing correct doctrine, even the great confession of Israel, "The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4), is not saving faith. The demons have perfect orthodoxy; they even tremble; but they are not saved. Saving faith is not mere agreement with facts, but trust that commits the whole person to God.

Illustration 3: Abraham (2:21-24). "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" (2:21; Genesis 22). Abraham had been declared righteous by faith decades earlier (Genesis 15:6). When he offered Isaac, his faith was demonstrated and brought to maturity: "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God" (2:22-23; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8).

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

James 2:24

James means that a person is shown to be righteous, vindicated as a true believer, by his works, not by a bare profession of faith that produces nothing. Paul teaches how a sinner is declared righteous before God (by faith, apart from works); James teaches how a believer's righteousness is shown (by works that flow from faith).

Illustration 4: Rahab (2:25). Rahab the harlot showed her faith by hiding the spies and sending them out another way (Joshua 2; Hebrews 11:31). From the patriarch to the prostitute, genuine faith acts.

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:26

Chapter 3 — The Tongue and True Wisdom

3:1-12 — Taming the Tongue

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

James 3:1-2

"Masters" means teachers. Teachers will face stricter judgment, because they handle God's Word and influence others with their words. Everyone stumbles in many ways, and controlling the tongue is the ultimate test of maturity.

James uses vivid pictures:

• A bit and a rudder (3:3-4): a small bit turns a large horse; a tiny rudder steers a great ship. The tongue, though small, directs the whole life.
• A fire (3:5-6): "Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity... it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." A spark can destroy a forest; one careless word can destroy reputations, friendships and churches. Its fire is lit from hell itself.
• A wild beast and poison (3:7-8): humans have tamed every kind of animal, "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Only God can control it.
• A spring and a tree (3:9-12): "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." A spring does not give both fresh and bitter water; a fig tree does not bear olives. Inconsistent speech reveals a problem in the heart (Matthew 12:34).

3:13-18 — Two Kinds of Wisdom

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

James 3:13

True wisdom shows itself in a good life and humble deeds. False wisdom is marked by "bitter envying and strife in your hearts"; it "descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" (3:14-16).

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

James 3:17-18

Godly wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, open to reason, full of mercy and good deeds, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers sow seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Chapter 4 — Worldliness, Humility and Presumption

4:1-10 — Friendship with the World

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

James 4:1-3

Conflicts among believers come from selfish desires warring within. They do not have because they do not ask God, or they ask with selfish motives, to spend on their own pleasures.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

James 4:4

God's people are like a wife; loving the world, its values and pleasures in rebellion against God, is spiritual adultery (1 John 2:15-17). "The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy" (4:5) is difficult; it probably means that God jealously longs for the full devotion of the spirit He made to dwell in us.

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 4:6-8

God's demand is great, but His grace is greater. He opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5). Ten commands follow in quick succession: submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, cleanse your hands (actions), purify your hearts (motives), be afflicted, mourn, weep, turn laughter to mourning (genuine repentance over sin, 4:9), and:

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

James 4:10

4:11-12 — Don't Slander or Judge

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren" (4:11). Slandering and condemning a brother sets oneself up as judge over God's law, which commands love. "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?" (4:12).

4:13-17 — "If the Lord Will"

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

James 4:13-15

James does not condemn planning, but planning that leaves God out. Life is as brief and uncertain as morning mist (Psalm 39:5; Proverbs 27:1). Believers should plan with humble dependence: "If the Lord will." Boasting in one's own plans is evil (4:16).

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4:17

Sin is not only doing wrong but failing to do the good we know we should do: the sin of omission.

Chapter 5 — Wealth, Patience and Prayer

5:1-6 — Warning to Rich Oppressors

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

James 5:1-3

Like an Old Testament prophet, James pronounces judgment on wealthy unbelievers who oppressed the poor. Their hoarded wealth would rot and testify against them. They had cheated their workers: "the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth" (5:4; Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14-15). "The Lord of sabaoth" (the Lord of hosts) hears the cry of the oppressed. They lived in luxury, fattening themselves "as in a day of slaughter," and condemned and killed the righteous, who did not resist them (5:5-6).

5:7-12 — Patience Until the Lord Comes

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

James 5:7-8

The suffering believer's hope is the Lord's return, when wrongs will be righted. Like a farmer waiting for the autumn rains (to soften the ground for planting) and the spring rains (to ripen the crop) (Deuteronomy 11:14; Joel 2:23), believers must wait patiently and strengthen their hearts. "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door" (5:9).

Examples of endurance: the prophets, who suffered while speaking in the Lord's name (5:10), and Job:

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

James 5:11

Job did not understand his suffering, but he endured, and saw the Lord's purpose in the end, when God restored him double (Job 42:10-17). God is full of compassion and mercy.

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

James 5:12

Echoing Jesus (Matthew 5:34-37), James forbids the casual use of oaths to make one's words seem more reliable. A believer's simple word should be completely trustworthy. (Most Christians understand this as forbidding careless and deceptive swearing in ordinary speech, not solemn oaths required in a court of law; God Himself swore by Himself, Hebrews 6:13-17.)

5:13-18 — The Prayer of Faith

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

James 5:13

Every circumstance should lead to God: trouble to prayer, joy to praise.

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

James 5:14-15

The sick believer should call for the church's elders to pray over him. The anointing with oil may have been medicinal (oil was used as medicine, Luke 10:34) or symbolic, setting the person apart to God's care (Mark 6:13). The emphasis is on prayer "in the name of the Lord." It is "the prayer of faith," not the oil, that saves (heals) the sick, and it is "the Lord" who raises him up. Prayer is offered according to God's will (1 John 5:14). If the sickness is connected with sin, as it sometimes is (1 Corinthians 11:30), confession brings forgiveness. This passage is not about last rites for the dying, but prayer for the healing of the sick.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16

Believers should confess their sins to those they have wronged and to trusted fellow believers, and pray for one another. (This is mutual confession among believers, not confession to a priest; confession for forgiveness is made directly to God, 1 John 1:9.) The earnest prayer of a righteous person is powerful.

Elijah is the example: "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain" (5:17-18; 1 Kings 17-18; Luke 4:25). He was an ordinary man with an extraordinary God.

5:19-20 — Restoring the Wanderer

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20

The letter ends abruptly, with a call to restore those who wander from the truth. Turning a sinner back saves a soul from death (whether the premature physical death that can come as God's discipline, or spiritual death for one whose profession proves false) and covers a multitude of sins, as love covers sins through forgiveness and restoration (Proverbs 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8).

Part Three: Christ in James

Christ Named in James

Although James mentions Jesus by name only twice (1:1; 2:1), Christ is present throughout:

The half-brother who once did not believe in Jesus (John 7:5) now calls Him "the Lord of glory," a title of deity (Psalm 24:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:8).

James and the Sermon on the Mount

James's letter is saturated with the teaching of his brother Jesus:

Part Four: Prophecies Fulfilled and Future

Part Five: Key Passages in Depth

James 1:2-8 — Joy, Endurance and Wisdom in Trials

Trials test and strengthen faith, producing endurance and maturity. In them, believers may ask God for wisdom, which He gives generously to those who ask in faith.

James 1:13-17 — The Source of Temptation and the Source of Good

God never tempts anyone to sin; temptation comes from our own desires, which lead to sin and death. Every good gift comes from the unchanging Father of lights.

James 1:22-27 — Doers of the Word

Hearing God's Word without obeying it is self-deception. True religion shows itself in a controlled tongue, care for the helpless, and purity from the world.

James 2:1-13 — No Favouritism

Showing partiality to the rich and despising the poor contradicts faith in the Lord of glory and breaks the royal law of love.

James 2:14-26 — Faith That Works

A faith that produces no works is dead, no better than the demons' belief. Genuine faith, like Abraham's and Rahab's, shows itself in action. We are declared righteous by faith alone, but true faith is never alone.

James 3:1-12 — The Tongue

The tongue is small but powerful, like a bit, a rudder or a spark; it can defile the whole person and is set on fire by hell. Only God can tame it. Blessing and cursing should never come from the same mouth.

James 3:13-18 — Wisdom from Above

Earthly wisdom produces envy, selfish ambition and disorder; heavenly wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful and sincere.

James 4:4-10 — Humble Yourselves

Friendship with the world is enmity with God. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, and He will lift you up.

James 4:13-17 — "If the Lord Will"

Life is a vapour. Plan humbly, depending on God's will. Knowing the right thing and not doing it is sin.

James 5:7-11 — Patience Until He Comes

Like the farmer and like Job, believers must wait patiently for the Lord's coming, trusting His compassion and mercy.

James 5:13-18 — The Power of Prayer

Pray in trouble, praise in joy, call for the elders in sickness, confess faults to one another, and pray for one another. The fervent prayer of a righteous person, like Elijah, accomplishes much.

James 5:19-20 — Restoring the Wanderer

Turning a straying believer back from error saves a soul and covers a multitude of sins.

Part Six: The Major Teachings of James

1. The Purpose of Trials

Trials test faith and produce endurance and maturity (1:2-4, 12).

2. Wisdom from God

God gives wisdom generously to those who ask in faith (1:5; 3:17).

3. The Nature of Temptation

Temptation comes from our own desires, not from God (1:13-15).

4. The Goodness and Unchangeableness of God

Every good gift comes from the Father of lights, who never changes (1:17).

5. Regeneration Through the Word

God begets us by the word of truth (1:18, 21).

6. Obedience to the Word

True hearers are doers (1:22-25).

7. True Religion

Compassion for the needy and personal purity (1:27).

8. Impartial Love

Favouritism violates the royal law of love (2:1-13).

9. Living Faith

Genuine faith produces works; faith without works is dead (2:14-26).

10. The Power of Speech

The tongue must be controlled (1:19, 26; 3:1-12).

11. Humility and Submission

God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (4:6-10).

12. The Danger of Worldliness

Friendship with the world is enmity with God (4:4).

13. Dependence on God's Will

"If the Lord will" (4:15).

14. Sins of Omission

Failing to do known good is sin (4:17).

15. Justice for the Oppressed

God hears the cry of the defrauded and will judge oppressors (5:1-6).

16. The Coming of the Lord

The hope that sustains patient endurance (5:7-9).

17. Prayer

For the afflicted, the sick, the sinning and one another (5:13-18).

18. Restoration

Believers should restore those who wander (5:19-20).

Part Seven: Connections — How James Links to the Rest of the Bible

James and the Old Testament

James and the New Testament

Themes That Run from James Through Scripture

Part Eight: Practical Lessons

• Count trials as joy, because of what they produce (1:2-3).
• Let endurance finish its work in you (1:4).
• Ask God for wisdom in faith (1:5-6).
• Don't be double-minded (1:8).
• Keep riches in perspective (1:9-11).
• Never blame God for temptation (1:13).
• Stop sin at the point of desire (1:14-15).
• Thank God for every good gift (1:17).
• Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger (1:19).
• Receive the Word with meekness (1:21).
• Do what the Word says (1:22).
• Look into the mirror of the Word, and act on what you see (1:23-25).
• Bridle your tongue (1:26).
• Care for orphans and widows (1:27).
• Keep yourself unspotted from the world (1:27).
• Show no favouritism (2:1-4).
• Love your neighbour as yourself (2:8).
• Show mercy (2:13).
• Prove your faith by meeting real needs (2:15-16).
• Don't confuse right doctrine with saving faith (2:19).
• Obey God like Abraham, and act in faith like Rahab (2:21-25).
• Be careful about wanting to be a teacher (3:1).
• Guard your words; a small spark can burn a forest (3:5-6).
• Don't bless God and curse people with the same mouth (3:9-10).
• Show wisdom by a good life and humble deeds (3:13).
• Reject envy and selfish ambition (3:14-16).
• Seek the wisdom that is pure and peaceable (3:17).
• Be a peacemaker (3:18).
• Ask God with right motives (4:3).
• Don't be a friend of the world (4:4).
• Submit to God and resist the devil (4:7).
• Draw near to God (4:8).
• Humble yourself before the Lord (4:10).
• Don't slander or judge your brother (4:11).
• Plan with "If the Lord will" (4:15).
• Do the good you know you should do (4:17).
• Pay workers fairly (5:4).
• Wait patiently for the Lord's coming (5:7-8).
• Don't grumble against one another (5:9).
• Let your yes be yes and your no be no (5:12).
• Pray in trouble and sing in joy (5:13).
• Call for the elders when sick (5:14).
• Confess your faults and pray for one another (5:16).
• Pray fervently, like Elijah (5:17).
• Seek to restore those who wander (5:19-20).

Part Nine: Key Verses to Memorize

Conclusion

James, the half-brother of Jesus who once did not believe but became a pillar of the Jerusalem church, wrote to scattered Jewish believers whose faith was being tested by trials and threatened by empty profession. In short, vivid sayings echoing his brother's Sermon on the Mount, he showed what living faith looks like. It counts trials as joy because they produce endurance, and asks God for wisdom. It refuses to blame God for temptation, receiving every good gift from the unchanging Father of lights. It does not merely hear the Word but does it, caring for orphans and widows and keeping itself unspotted from the world. It shows no favouritism to the rich. It proves itself by works, for faith without works is dead, as dead as a body without a spirit; Abraham and Rahab showed their faith by what they did. It bridles the tongue, that small fire set on fire of hell. It displays the wisdom from above: pure, peaceable, gentle and merciful. It refuses friendship with the world, humbles itself before God, resists the devil and draws near to God. It plans with "If the Lord will," remembering that life is a vapour. It waits patiently for the coming of the Lord, like the farmer for the rain and like Job for the end of the Lord. And it prays: in affliction, in sickness and for one another, knowing that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22