James 1:2-4 - Facing Trials

2 My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way,
3 for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.
4 Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (GNB)

Faith Built Through Trials

Vs. 2 – “My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way,”

“My friends, consider yourselves fortunate”, (or from the NASB, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,”). I like the GNB translation better – fortunate vs joy. But I am willing to admit that I may be wrong on this one. There too many statements in the NT regarding this. Most of these verses relate to persecutions (trials) because of commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord, not just trouble because we are alive in a world damaged by sin (Mt 5:10-12, Acts 5:21, Rm 8:17-18, 1 Pt 1:6-8, 4:1, 13-16).

I think that James is talking not only about the kind of trouble we face day to day – sickness, accidents, crime, ‘acts of God’, but about living our lives so that people notice that we are His. The margin note in my NASB indicates that ‘trials’ could also be temptations. This makes a lot of sense in the perseverance and endurance thought-line. Endurance, not in the sense of making you a tougher believer, but better able to live the Christian life, a purer and holier life. The pictures that ‘encounter various trials’ (or, 'fall into trials') bring to mind is this ‘encounter’, may be an accident, not by choice. Or the ‘come your way’ is the result of your own actions. Both are possible, but probably not at the same time.

Vs 3 – “for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.”

"the result is the ability to endure." - Does suffering in this world, sickness, accidents, crime, ‘acts of God’, etc., test our faith? Of course it does. Does being persecuted for Christ test our faith? Most probably. To me the difference is that one seems to be unexplainable – being struck by illness, losing a child, other tragedies. (The old, “Why me? Why now?”) The other, persecution, should be obvious – you live for Christ, therefore, people hate you. Christ said this would happen (Jn 18:18, Lk 6:22).

How does testing produce endurance? Does it automatically produce endurance? See: “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” (1 Pet 4:1) We can make sense in this way. Our faith grows when we are reduced to utter dependence on God; when we turn to him rather than shaking our fist at Him or blaming Him. God has not promised relief, or avoidance from trouble and trials. He has promised solace, care, love, and growth. These are not automatic, but come to us as we live each moment depending on Him. We grow most when we depend on Him when in trouble. We can grow when we depend on Him in abundance. I don’t know which is harder, living in dependence on God in abundance, or dependence on Him under trial. Abundance tends to dull our sense of need for dependence on the Lord. Trouble seems to drive us to, “Why are you picking on me, Lord?”, or “What did I do to deserve this?”, and becoming embittered.

If the reference of ‘trials’ is about resisting temptations then the ‘endurance’ part follows the ‘keep yourself pure’ train of thought. See Ps 119:9; 1 Pt 2:11; Col 1:10, 2:18; 1 Thess 2:12, 4:7, etc.) See the comments in verse 2 above.

***

Vs. 4 – “Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” - The acquired endurance will work on you, to help you grow and mature. Heb. 5:12-14 applies here. You need to grow in your faith, to go from baby steps to adult – go from not knowing the difference between right and wrong, to being able to recognize evil.

Don't think the 'perfect' refers to 'without defect', but more about bringing to completion.

Perhaps maturity is a good synonym. What is the growth process shown here? Going through testing can develop perseverance, which develops maturity. This assumes you don’t throw up your hands in defeat, become a blubbering sad-sack or embittered, blaming God or others for all your problems.

James is not writing about perfection, but becoming 'mature, complete', a spiritual maturity. Perfection only comes when Christ returns and we are taken up to be with Him forever. James is urging us to not surrender to trouble. James is trying help us look at trials from God's point of view. The trial is not a JOY, but the resulting stamina promotes joy. A person's genuine mature faith will prove itself in times of trouble.

God intends trials to drive believers to greater dependence on Him. None of us is excused from trials. What makes it hard to be joyful in the midst of difficulty? It might be that we tend to focus on “Why is this happening to me?!” As we mature in our faith, several spiritual truths begin to emerge. This is not an easy-going philosophy. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to see the deeper reasons.

We can contemplate the Beatitude in Matt 5:10,11 - “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you...” But this is hard! Then we need to remember God will supply all our needs. (Phil 4:19) Surrender yourselves is the key. It is voluntary! We are not forced in any way. We can reject the trial, and learn nothing. Or we can submit to the Lord as His bond-slave. (See: Rom 6:19)

***

James 1:1 - Hello, It’s Me, James.

1 - From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: Greetings to all God's people scattered over the whole world. (GNB - See Note 1)

***

Vs. 1 – "James" - Letters written in our time, almost always come with the following format: Hello. Subject. Goodbye from me. Letters in 60 AD combined the hello and the goodby-from-me at the first. This is sort of like  a business letter, with the letterhead, office address and such. We still don’t usually put our name on the letter until the end. The letter is ‘from James’ (no last name - “Last name” is a fairly modern phenomenon). There are several James that could be the likely author - see the discussion on the “Intro to James” page.

‘A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,’ – James is proudly claiming to be a slave. Other translations (see Note 2, below) use the word ‘bond-slave’, which is the nuts and bolts of the words ‘servant’ seen here. See the following definition: a bond-slave is “metaphysically, one who gives himself up to another's will, those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men”. In simpler terms: a slave.

The term ‘bond-slave’ comes from the OT. Normally, a person became a slave to another in order to pay off a debt. This situation was not a permanent position for Jews. After the debt was paid, the ‘slave’ was freed. If the debt could not be paid off, the Israelite would be set free in a Jubilee year (see Lev 25).

However, the slave could voluntarily become permanently bonded to the master. See: “It shall come about if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you; then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.” (Deut. 15:16-17)

James is stating the simple truth that when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we do so voluntarily. We are not forced to believe Him or love Him. But when we do, we are completely and permanently His.

James bonds himself to God, and to Jesus. The significance of this: Jesus is not “less” than God. Not that I see that as a possibility, but there are others who question that Jesus indeed may be God Himself. In God’s theology, the trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three-in-one. Jesus claimed ‘one-ship’ with the Father. Denying that Jesus is Lord places the declarer in jeopardy.

“Greetings to all God's people scattered over the whole world.” - So the letter is going out to Christians, wherever they may be in the empire. It probably was meant for Jewish Christian believers because other translations say, “to the twelve tribes”. This may place this letter about 48-50 AD. Also, the emperor Claudius ejected Jews from Rome about this period. Jewish Christians would have been kicked out along with non-Christian Jews. They moved to far-flung places in the Roman kingdom to escape persecution. It is significant that it was not just devout Jews that were displaced.

About 51 AD Paul and Barnabas made the presentation to the elders (leaders) in Jerusalem. James (who wrote this letter) says that Gentiles do not need to become Jewish before becoming Christian.

This is important because Christianity now becomes its own entity, not just another Jewish sect. (See Acts 15:1-30.) Just as there is various denominations in the Christian churches, there were factions of the Jewish faith (e.g., Pharisees vs Sadducees.) If the trend had continued, if James and the leaders of the Jerusalem church would have come to a different decision, the members of the church would have first had to convert to Judaism. But God announced in Isaiah that Gentiles would come to Him, on their own (Isa 49:10-11, 56:7b). Until Paul and Barnabas got confirmation from the other apostles, Gentile Christians were kind of an afterthought. Note: Paul and Barnabas made the defense of the Gentiles about 57 AD. (Acts 15:12,13) - James, and the other elders, understood that the Gospel was for all, not just some. Forgiveness was purchased for all men (people).

***

A more poetic statement of Jam 1:1 is found in 1 Pet 2:9-10: “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” (NASB-1995)(see Note 2, below)

***
Note 1: GNB = Good News Bible - Today’s English Version; American Bible Society; 1992. The ‘Good News for Modern Man’ was the Bible I had when I committed my life to Jesus Christ at Explo ‘72. And I started reading it. The books that affected me most were Colossians and James. At one point (later) I had most of Colossians memorized, and some of James. Unfortunately, I no longer have them completely committed to memory - old age has diminished my ability to memorize or to quickly call up that which I still retain. However, I still love to read Colossians and James in the GNB translation, even though it may not be the most accurate. When I come to a verse that is made more clear by a different translation, I will refer to it.
Note 2: For example, New American Standard Bible (NASB-1995), or Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB-2010), are a couple of the other versions I have used.

James - Introduction

Who wrote it:

Probably James, the half-brother of Jesus.
There were only three James in the N.T. writings.

• James, brother of John, son of Zebedee, one of the first called by Jesus Mt 4:21). This James was martyred very early in the life of the church, about 44 B.C., killed by Herod. (about 10-11 years after Pentecost) (Acts 12:2)
• James, son of Alpheus - one of the original twelve disciples; one time called ‘James the Less’, (Mk 15:40). James, called the Less (either younger, or physically diminutive, or not as ‘important’ as James, John’s brother.) Note: this James probably may have been Jesus' cousin, (Sister of Jesus’s mother Mary). There are no known writings from James the Less. Note: James the son of Alpheas may have become a leader in the Jerusalem church.
• James, Jesus’ half-brother, was a late comer to faith in the Messiah. He obviously grew in stature in the church rapidly. (<Acts 1:13,14) He originally is hostile about Jesus being the Messiah. (John 7:5) He also rose to prominence and leadership in the Jerusalem church. Paul notes the post-resurrection appearance to Jesus' brother. (1 Cor 15:7) 

So, most scholars believe, or assign the authorship to James, the half-brother of Jesus.

When was it written:

In the middle of the first century, between 44 and 62 A.D. If Jesus’ brother wrote it, then it most likely was written before 62 AD. This was probably one of the first letters written to the churches, some think perhaps the first letter (preceding Paul’s letters), maybe as early as 45 AD. That means it may have been written right after James, son of Zebedee, was murdered by Herod

To whom was it written:

Christians, especially those scattered from Israel proper, including the churches started by Paul, Barnabas, and other evangelists. I don’t think the ‘scattered’ reference has anything to do with the Jewish Diaspora caused by the Roman persecution. Note: Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans about 72-77 AD. From the time of the Assyrians plundering the Northern Kingdom (~ 750 BC), and the Babylonians the Southern kingdom (~500 BC) the Jews had experienced 'Diaspora', but nothing as wrenching as the Romans. They did not return to any great extent until 1948 AD, after WWII.

The letter may have been written to encourage Jewish Christians since the early church was mostly converted Jews. Paul and Barnabas were the first real attempt to reach out to Gentiles. Until Paul & Barnabas got confirmation from the other apostles, Gentiles were kind of an afterthought. Note: Paul and Barnabas made the defense of the Gentiles about 57 AD. (Acts 15:12,13)

Some call James’ letter a ‘general epistle’ because it was not written to any single church or group of churches.

The main message:

Ain’t no such thing as a passive faith.

Theme verses:

James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not only hearers of it, blinding yourselves with false ideas.
James 2:26 – For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
James 4:17 – So then, the person who does not do the good he knows he should do is guilty of sin.

The following idea needs to be fleshed out, to prove or disprove the premise: This letter is seen by many as a NT equivalent of ‘Proverbs’. Unlike most of the epistles which have a ‘theology’ section and a ‘application’ section, James seems to assume the reader is a believer and so there is no explicit gospel message.

***

OUTLINE

Chapter 1

1:1 – Greeting
1:2-4 – Trials
1:5-8 – Ask for Wisdom
1:9-11 – Rich and Poor
1:12-16 – Temptations and Sin
1:17-18 – Good from Heaven
1:19-20 – Anger
1:21-25 – (True Religion) Be Doers of the Word
1:26-27 – Pure Religion

Chapter 2

2:1-8 – Avoid Favoritism, Partiality
2:9-14 - Breaking the Law/
2:14-20 – Faith in Action (with Works)
2:21-26 - Works Prove Faith

Chapter 3

3:1-12 – Self-Control - Danger of the tongue
3:13-18 – Wisdom (Jealousy destroys peace)

Chapter 4

4:1-5 – Sources of quarrels
4:6-10 – Draw near to God (Resist the Devil)
4:11-12 – Judging
4:13-17 – Planning the future

Chapter 5

5:1-6 – Rich vs. Poor
5:7-8 - Poor vs. Rich
5:9-11 – Be patient
5:12 - No Oaths
5:13-15 - Pray for the sick
5:16-18 – Pray for one another

***

Examples of Faith Operating as per James

Faith in Testings - James 1:1
     Principles Involved
Faith at Work - Jam 1:19
     Practices for the present
Faith and the Future - Jam 4:13
     Prizes in the Future
Faith and Our Prayers and Actions - 5:13
     Constructive Conclusion

*** ***

Note 1: GNB = Good News Bible - Today’s English Version; American Bible Society; 1992. When I committed buy life to Jesus Christ at Explo ‘72, the ‘Good News for Modern Man’ was the Bible I had. And I started reading it. The books that affected me most were Colossians and James. At one point I had most of Colossians memorized, and some of James. Unfortunately, I no longer have them completely committed - old age has diminished my ability to memorize or to quickly call up that which I still retain. However, I still love to read Colossians and James in the GNB translation, even though it may not be the most accurate. When I come to a verse that is made more clear by a different translation, I will refer to it.

***

Note 2: Oswald Chambers; “My Utmost for His Highest”; Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd.; 1992.

***

Eph 6:21-24 - Closing Thoughts

21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

Peace, Love, and Faith to All

The letter closes with the next four verses. Paul usually adds final notes to people in the churches to whom he is writing, and mentioning the workers with him, lauding them to the recipients. He does not do that here. (See Note 1.)

Paul has made a case for seeing Christians from all over the world, both Jews and Gentiles, to come together into one body - the church - through the work of one person - Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. No one said this would be easy (thank you Bill Schonley, I borrowed your phrase). Jesus told us we would be in a spiritual battle. Paul just finished urging us to buckle up, armor up, get ready to face the enemy. We will overcome through Christ, because He overcame by the power of God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Vs. 21 - “But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. “

“Tychicus...will make everything known to you.” - Paul is sending a faithful co-worker, who seems to be Paul’s letter delivery man. He is mentioned four times in Paul’s letters. Each time he is being sent to a city. He is bringing this letter to Ephesus, plus any other news not included in the letter.

Vs. 22 - “I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. “

“for this very purpose” - Paul trusts Tychicus to give the churches the straight scoop on the goings-on in the ministry, the evangelism to which he has been called. Included will information that will calm their worries about him. The churches know that Paul is in a Roman prison, and are rightly concerned.

Vs. 23 - “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.“

“Peace... love... faith” - Peace with God, and the peace of God (See: Phi 4:7-9). The God of love, who loves us and died for us even though we are sinners. (Rom 5:8) And with faith we believe and are saved. See: “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we preach), because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.” (Rom 10:8-10)

Vs. 24 - “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love”.

“Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ” - Grace and mercy are the reasons we have salvation through Jesus.

“Incorruptible love” - We love because Jesus first loved us. Our love for Jesus, for God, is in response to His love. Observing the world around us does not give a clear picture of His love. We have a fairly good idea of His power and grandeur - the majesty of the universe alone is awe inspiring. His love is revealed through Jesus Christ. We understand love because we can love our wives, children, and friends. We can begin to understand the depth and expanse of God’s love for us, because we know how hard it is to love people who do not love us. God demonstrates He loves us, in that even though we are enemies He has sacrificed for us to draw us to Him.

We are not bribed to love Him. He offers. We can choose to respond to Him in love. We are not forced to love Him. How wonderful! How marvelous!

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!” (Psa 8:3-9)

***

Note 1: See the closing verses in Paul’s letters: There are about 27 verses in Romans; 14 in 1 Cor; 5 in 2 Cor; 7 in Gal; 4 in Phi; 11 in Col; 2 in 1 Thes; 3 in 2 Thes; 2 in 1 Tim; 12 in 2 Tim; 5 in Tit; and 3 in Philemon.

End of Chapter
Published: 4Nov24
***