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Practically Speaking: James 9

Published November 20, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: arrogance, business travel, General Epistles, James, New Testament, self-sufficiency

Some observations on how we treat each other

James 4:11-17

As we begin reading this group of verses, two things come to mind. First, the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

And second, something James said earlier in this letter:

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (2:2-4)

What makes this section curious is not necessarily the subject matter, although it seems that believers judging other believers for no apparent reason was all-too common in the early church, and that is something very curious to me. What is extremely curious is how James address his readers. Not a handful of verses previously, he called them “double minded” and “adulterous” people. Now he comes back to refer to them as “brothers” or “brothers and sisters.” I don’t want to read too much into this, but to me, it is a very comforting thought to know that even when believers behave badly, even to the point of slandering one another, they are still members of God’s family.

Even though it seems like James is launching into a series of unrelated series of topics, it should be noted that verses 11 and 12 are, in fact, very closely related to the preceding passage. In Psalm 101:5, David actually links slander to a lack of humility:

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

The connection is really very simple. Slander comes from a person who thinks they are superior to others. When a Christian begins to drift away from God, they begin to draw away from other believers and begin to be unduly critical of them. Such was the case of James’ friends.

1. The evil of evil speaking, verses 11, 12

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. (Verse 11)

This prohibition might better be translated like this:

Do not speak against one another.

The Greek word, katalaleite does mean “to slander,” but it is a more encompassing word. To slander some one generally means to lie about them or make false or misleading statements about them to others. But katalaleite properly refers to any form of “ugly speech” against somebody else. In fact, it refers to more than just the unkind words but also to the way they are spoken.

The grammatical construction of this sentence indicates an ongoing activity. James is not only prohibiting a nasty habit, but he is telling to stop doing it. And the reason James gives for stopping this despicable practice is that the one who speaks against his brother will soon find himself in trouble with God. “The law” to which James refers is “the royal law,” mentioned earlier in the letter. A/F. Harper’s comments on this verse are extremely helpful at this juncture:

When I violate God’s law of love, I set myself up a judge and say in effect, God’s law is not a good law. Thus the real evil of speaking evil speaking rests in a sinful pride that refuses to accept and obey the law of God.

The one who slanders a brother literally puts asides the Word and wishes of God and places himself on the same level as God. Debelius:

Slander is not a transgression of merely one commandment, but a transgression against the authority of the law in general, and therefore against God.

When viewed like this, we can see the seriousness of this sin. It is not merely against a brother or sister, but against the God of the universe. Of course, James is not condemning legitimate human judgment, for elsewhere in Scripture believers are encouraged to exercise godly judgment of one another.

But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. (1 Corinthians 11:31)

Ultimately, as verse 12 says, God is the only Lawgiver who has the ability to administer His law righteously; God shares that position with no human being. James goes so far as to describe God as:

one who is able to save and destroy

That’s a powerful statement of the sovereignty of God, that finds two parallels:

There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal. (Deuteronomy 32:39)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

As believers and members of one great Body, we are all guilty of our sins, though we stand forgiven by our heavenly Father. Still, we are the accused, and therefore rather than standing in judgment of each other, setting ourselves up as their judge, we should encourage, comfort, and love our family in the Lord. Simply put, you and I are in no position lord it over another in the position of their judge because we ourselves are in need of the grace and mercy of Jesus. It would do us well focus our attention of Jesus, and direct others to do the same.

2. Recognize the presence of God, verses 13-17

In this section, James returns to the “arrogant rich,” first to condemn their arrogance and to show their evil end. However, it is not a new discussion; it relates to the previous verses in that it illustrates the danger of an unchristian attitude toward material gain (verse 2) and to what James has been saying in regards to pride and humility (verse 6-7, 10).

(A) Setting the scene

The Jews of the Diaspora, the Dispersion, eventually came to settle in various Roman cities, and once there, they began to settle in and become very successful merchants and traders. Some of these prosperous Jews converted to Christianity, like Lydia, for example. Perhaps it was people like her that James had in mind: Christians who had become comfortable and successful and had either forgotten or failed to see what the true meaning of the Gospel was in relation to life and business. James advises: Realize the reality of God in every area of life.

(B) Ignoring God, verses 13-15

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.” 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. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

“Now listen” is serious call to pay attention to what follows and the word “say,” legontes, is in the present tense, which indicated the situation James describes is an ongoing one. Traveling for business in the first century was very common, and Jews especially were known to have traveled extensively. Here is a prime example of people who do their planning and engage in their day-to-day work without thinking about God. By ignoring God, they show as much arrogance as the person who slanders his brother. It has been said that failing to come to God regularly in prayer is one of the most common offenses in the Church.

James is not condemning the practice of doing business, but he condemning the attitude of people who live as though God does not exist. To such people–people who carry on their business without regard for God–money is more important than serving the Lord. People like this are just like the “rich young fool” Jesus taught about in Luke 12:16-21, who failed to realize that he could not add even a minute to his life. The lesson: we are all dependent on God. Calvin notes:

But James roused the stupidity of those who disregard God’s providence, and claimed for themselves a whole year, though they had not a single moment in their own power.

Verse 14 is a not-so-subtle wake-up call, which Moffatt translates:

You who know nothing about tomorrow…

Even though the Bible is not a medical textbook, it does offer some profound medical truths! A tiny clot of blood in the brain may cause an instant and unexpected death. No wonder the Psalmist wrote:

My days are like the evening shadow;
I wither away like grass. (Psalm 102:11)

In the KJV, that verse is even more graphic:

My days are like a shadow that declineth…

People who make no room for God in their day-to-day lives leave themselves wide open to be knocked about by unforeseen circumstances. James shows the foolishness of living like this: they plan way in advance to do something as though they themselves are in control of the future. Proving his point, James points to the transitory nature of life, comparing it to mist that vanishes in the morning warmth. There is nothing wrong with making plans, as long as God is in the plan. That’s the main point of the next verse:

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Today, the notion of “the Lord’s will” has become almost hackneyed. Christians use that phrase as a kind of formula in their prayers in hopes of having them answered. In it’s overuse. “in the Lord’s will” seems to have lost its significance. Yet it is the most important thing a believer can defer to.

Interestingly enough, this phrase does not appear at all in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament era, Paul used it constantly as if to teach people about its proper use.

When he left Ephesus, Paul said to the Jews, “I will come back if it is the Lord’s will” (Acts 18:21)
He told the Corinthians, “I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing” (1 Corinthians 4:19)
He promised the believers in Corinth to spend some time with them “if the Lord permist” (1 Corinthians 16:7)

But in many other instances, neither Paul nor the other apostles used it. But they lived according to it. In other words, believers do not need to use the words “God willing” as a Christians talisman, in a mechanical fashion. Instead, our entire lives should be lived in the knowledge that we are God’s children and that we are safe and secure in Him and that He holds sway over them, to our benefit. Mayor’s comments are valuable:

The boaster forgets that life depends on the will of God. The right feeling is, both my life and my actions are determined by Him.

(C) From neglect to opposition, verse 16

So, how far can one go in neglecting God before they cross the line into outright opposition? The merchants to whom James is addressing, apparently had taken business risks and made a profit. Success breeds success, and sometimes along with prosperity comes pride and an unhealthy sense of self-sufficiency. J.B. Phillips’ translation provides a helpful insight:

As it is, you get a certain pride in yourself in planning your future with such confidence. That sort of pride is all wrong.

The Greek is powerful and literally means:

You are boasting in your arrogant pretensions.

One word in that long Greek phrase is alazoneiais, and refers to one taking pride in their knowledge or cleverness, but implies that those qualities are not really possessed by the person. Sinful boasting, then, is rooted in unreality.

There is a good boasting. Paul teaches that one can boast only in the weakness, for Paul had come to realize that in his weakness the power of Christ becomes evident (see 2 Corinthians 11:30; 12:5, 9). Hahn rightly observed:

A Christian may boast of himself only in so far as his life is lived in dependence on God and in responsibility to Him.

(D) Sins of omission, verse 17

James ends this part of his letter with a proverbial saying that may have been popular in James’ day. It’s a very stern warning the sin of neglect.

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Once again, James’ words seem to echo the words of his brother:

That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. (Luke 12:47)

Verse 17 is a verse that may be applied to many situations, especially to most of his letter! Ropes suggests that James is saying something along the lines of: “You have all been warned!” Burdick writes:

It is like saying, “Now that I have pointed the matter out to you, you have no excuse.” Knowing what should be done obligates a person to do it.

Verse 17 really is what Erdman calls a principle of wide scope and great importance. It is not only wrong to commit an action that we know to be contrary to the will of God, or about which we are uncertain, it is equally wrong to fail to do what we know to be God’s will.

James does not write this to make life hard for his readers or for us. Doing God’s will fills the believer with joy and satisfaction. Who else besides a Christian who is living according to the statutes of the Word may say regards of the circumstances:

“If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

(c) 2008 WitzEnd

Practically Speaking: James 8

Published November 20, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: General Epistles, James, New Testament, obey, quarrel, resist

Resisting and Fleeing, James 4:1-10

How can war be ended forever? In a world filled with anger and despair, how eagerly mankind looks for the answer to that question. We elect politicians who promise to end war and injustice. But who would have guessed that the most important and yet overlooked book ever written provided the answer 2 millennia ago. In the King James Version we read this:

From whence come wars and fightings among you? (James 4:1)

The opening of chapter 4 is in contrast to the end of chapter 3:

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (3:18)

Moffatt in his translation uses this striking transition:

But how speak of peace among you? (4:1)

In verses 1-10, James examines in some detail this worldly attitude that causes so much trouble. He first identifies the source of conflicts (4:1-3); then he reproves spiritual unfaithfulness (4:4-6); and lastly, he pleads for submission to God (4:7-10) (Donald Burdick).

1. The source of conflicts, verses 1-3

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Here is a profound truth: “Wars without come from wars within.” This is the truth James wants to drive home to his readers, and to us. It seems as though James is addressing a problem that existed in the circle of believers to whom he is writing. Even though he calls them “my brothers” repeatedly throughout his letter, his readers were not living in a climate of peace necessary for the growth of righteousness (3:18). The progression of James’ argument is obvious and masterful:

If bitter envy and selfish ambition have taken root in a believer (3:14, 16);
If their world view is dominated and shaped by worldly and unspiritual wisdom (3:15);
If they have so alienated themselves from God;
Then they promote “disorder and every evil practice” (3:16).

When all that happens, fights and quarrels become the norm. The two words, “fights” and “quarrels” are from the Greek polemoi and machai, and are words usually reserved for warfare.

What a stark contrast we have in James’ letter to our perception of the early Church, which is shaped by Acts 4:32–

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.

That picture of harmony was all but gone within a decade, to be replaced by a church full of fights, quarrels, and bickering. James uses two very strong words as a figurative sense because he asks a deeply penetrating question, phrased in such a way that his readers could hardly disagree. In other words, to their shame, James’ readers knew they were in the wrong.

Their conflicts were caused by their “desires,” from the Greek hednon, from which we get “hedonism.” This gives us a glimpse into their psyche. Believers, scattered to the four corners of the earth were still concerned with their “sensual comforts.” So concerned, in fact, that his readers were stepping all over each other to get them. They were certainly not showing Christian charity!

Verse 2 is another powerful verse in which James speaks metaphorically of believers who would go so far to “kill” to get what they want. Of course, it is unlikely James has in mind his readers physically murdering each other to get what the other has. The phrase “you want something” is a weak translation of the Greek which is much more forceful. The sense is that of strong, never ending lusting or coveting, which led to hatred. In Matthew 5:21-22 and 1 John 3:15 hatred is equated to murder:

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. (1 John 3:15)

These Christians, and remember they really are Christians, suffered inner tensions and outward conflicts (Harper) because they refused to pray. In their quest for get the things they wanted, they had wandered so far from God that they did not even take time to talk to Him. It’s no wonder that they God appeared to not answer their prayers, how could God answer when He hadn’t been asked? As Kistmaker astutely remarked:

Failure to ask God in prayer results in failure to receive.

John Wesley comments,

And no marvel; for a man full of evil desire, of envy or hatred, cannot pray.

But even when these people actually went through the pretense of prayer, James says in verse 3 it was all for nothing for they were praying with the wrong motives. Self centered prayers that ignore the will of God go unanswered. Prayers that lack faith are actually sinful, according to Romans 14:23,

But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Hebrews 11:6 is even more pointed:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

How can God possibly answer a prayer prayed selfishly and without faith? He cannot. God does not listen to people who are pursuing selfish pleasure. Greed is idolatry and that is an abomination in God’s sight. God does not listen to prayers that come from hearts full of selfish motives. Covetousness and selfishness are insults to God.

2. Spiritual unfaithfulness, verses 4-6

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

Straddling the fence can be a dangerous thing to do. Driving down the middle of the road is also dangerous, as every driver knows, for we have been taught to say on their own side of the road. A Christian was not made for straddling, either. A Christian cannot be a friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time. A Christian cannot pursue their own selfish ambitions and remain loyal to God. To look at and desire the things of this world is to one’s back on God.

How bad is it to behave like that? The NIV has inserted the pronoun “you” at the beginning of verse 4, but in the original the verse begins with one single word: Adulteresses. In the Greek it is in the feminine. The reason is not readily apparent, so a word of explanation is in order.

In the Old Testament, God’s people were considered to be His bride, Jeremiah 31:32. In the New Testament they are the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23-32). Therefore, anytime God’s people wander away from Him, it like “spiritual unfaithfulness.” So, James used a blunt word to describe the nature of his readers: adulteresses.

The phrase “don’t you know” indicates that his readers knew very well the truth but were ignoring it. James refers to “friendship with the world.” The word “world” here (kosmos) is referring to all that humans think and do that ignores God and is contrary to His will. For James, there can be no compromise. What does it mean to be a “friend” of the world? Burdick’s comments are enlightening:

It is to adopt the world’s set of values and want what the world wants instead of choosing according to divine standards. The person who deliberately chooses to be a friend of the world by that choice becomes an enemy of God.

The apostle John sternly warned his readers:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)

John Knox once said, A man with God on his side is always in the majority. But the person who meets God as His enemy stands alone, for the world cannot help him.

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31)

Verse 5 is a curiosity and its interpretation has always been difficult due to a number of factors.

Translation. There are numerous ways to translate this verse and its meaning can actually change from translation to translation. For example, take something as simple as a punctuation mark. We take them for granted, but in the Greek manuscripts, there are none! So is James making a statement or asking a question? The other translation issue surrounds the word “spirit.” Does it refer to the spirit of man, or to the Holy Spirit?

Unknown quotation. James makes reference to a Scripture that no scholar has been able to find.

Consider how the translators of the NIV and the TNIV have wrestled with the verse:

NIV: Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

TNIV: Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

So the NIV connects verse 5 with the preceding discussion on selfish ambition. But the TNIV assumes that James is now finished with his reproof of his readers worldly conduct and has begun a kind of appeal for repentance. This thought is found in the footnotes of the NIV, yet it is in the main body in the TNIV. Given the context, it is likely that the TNIV is the correct way to understand what James is trying to say. By favoring the world over God, believers may backslide and lose God. But this is something that does not happen easily or quickly. God is a jealous God who will tolerate no rivals. When we became born again, we were given a new spirit and God yearns over this new life in us. He uses every effort to convict us of wrongs when we sin and grow careless in our walk.

The first sentence in verse 6 really belongs to verse 5 and further buttresses the TNIV rendering. God yearns over our often divided hearts and is hurt by our friendship with the world. He desperately longs for His Holy Spirit to be given total control over our lives, which is something only we can do. To help us to do that, God gives us special help: He gives more grace to those who would humbly receive it. In the Greek it is “a greater grace,” and Knowling comments on this:

The best meaning appears to be that the Spirit of God bestows upon those who submit to the Divine will, and surrender themselves to it entirely, richer supplies of grace to effect that complete surrender to the yearnings of the Divine love, and to count all things as loss in response to it.

But, as long as in our human pride we think we can use our own earthly wisdom, we will never be the beneficiaries of God’s “greater grace.” The words of Julia Johnston’s hymn are precious:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin!

3. Submission to God, verses 7-10

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

There is nothing more welcome to the traveler than helpful signs along the road that give direction. These highway signs are short, descriptive and pointed. James is about to give his readers some “signs” that will help them–and us–as we travel life’s highway to the destination appoint us.

Submission. God is eager to help us, but He will not force His help on anybody. The word is really “obey” and is the same word by Luke when he wrote about 12 year old Jesus who was “obedient to” His parents in Luke 2:51. While obedience is implied, it is not a blind-kind of obedience, but rather the willing surrender of one’s will, which in turn leads to obedience.
Resist the devil. Many Christians struggle with this. They know they should not sin so they try to resist the devil but fail and time and again fall into the devil’s traps. This happens because they fail to practice submission! You cannot fight the devil unless you are submitting to God simultaneously. And you cannot submit to God without resisting the devil. The promise is clear: if we resist the devil, he will flee.
Come near to God. Ross comments: Draw nigh unto God, as those who long to come into the closest possible relation to Him, in contrast to those who are His enemies and who keep at a distance from Him. God will then draw night unto you, to visit you with His salvation. The call to wash hands is a command to make ones conduct pure, and to purify the heart implies purity of the inner man. Hands and hearts stained by sin need cleansing; hearts tainted with love for the world need to be purified, and God has grace to do all that.
Grieve, mourn, wail. These constitute a call to repentance. The Greek for “grieve” is talaiporseate and is a strong word meaning “to be miserable.” James advises his readers to repent in misery. “Mourn” is pentheo and depicts a grief so intense it cannot be hidden or covered up. Lastly, “wail,” klausate, is similar to “mourn” in that it is an outward show of emotion, but it is in stark contrast the giddy laughter these people were looking for in their pursuit of worldly pleasures. Some Christians have taken this verse a little too literally and teach that Christians are in general supposed to be miserable, sad people. Of course this is not what James is teaching. James is advising people who have been guilty of frivolity and telling them to get serious and repent.
Humble yourselves. As if to give emphasis to what James said in verse 6, he admonishes his readers to be humble. God helps those who are so.

So often do we as believers stray from the Lord and go our own way, we can take comfort from James’ teaching. There is hope; we may sin and we may behave badly, but it we wash our hands and purify our hearts, God will take us back.

Practically Speaking: James 7

Published November 20, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: evil speech, General Epistles, James, New Testament, the tongue

Previously, James discussed the absolute folly of thinking one could be religious while the tongue is uncontrolled:

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (1:19)

In this section of his letter, he picks us this theme and enlarges upon it. This is a natural progression, for in the last chapter, James exposed the absurdity of a “faith” that expresses itself only in words and not in deeds. Those most tempted to behave like that; practice a dead and lifeless faith, are teachers. Lenski in his comments on this passage helps us to put it into proper perspective:

We should think of the early churches in which any member might speak out in the meetings. 1 Corinthians 14:26-34 is instructive: any brother might contribute some word; yet Paul lays down restrictions: it must be for the purpose of edifying only, must occur in due order, two or three only are to s peak, and the women must keep silent. James has the same ideas.

1. Responsibility of teachers, 3:1,2a

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

Moffatt in his translation of verse one gives us a clear sense of what James’ point is:

My brothers, do not crowd in to be teachers; remember, we teachers will be judged with special strictness.

At first glance, it seems as though James is introducing a new topic that has little to do with with verse 2. However, when we stop and consider what James is saying in these two verses, we realize that teachers teach verbally, and their failures relate to what the words they speak. Therefore, teaching and the use of the tongue go hand in hand.

Since he has mentioned the the tongue twice already (1:19, 26), this is obviously a subject of importance and concern to James, the pastor. More than any other writer in the New Testament, James warns against the dangers of an unruly tongue. In this chapter, verse 1-12, James discusses taming the tongue and in the following chapter, 4:11-12, James warns his readers not to slander one another, and finally, in one last reference, in chapter 5:12, James tells his readers to speak the truth. This idea of proper speech was a favorite topic of James’ famous brother, Jesus, who once said this:

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. (Matthew 12:36)

It should be pointed out that in no way does James mean to suggest that believes should never do what they can do to help another in their Christian walk. James’ admonitions are intended to remind us of our responsibilities rather than deter us from our duties (Harper). In point of fact, the New Testament encourages believers to become teachers of the Good News. Consider again the words of Jesus in this regard:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

And the writer to the Hebrews actually rebukes his readers for not being good teachers:

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! (Hebrews 5:12)

The warning is not so much against teaching but against those who want to teach for the prestige of it. There are some Christians who are attracted to the idea of standing behind the pulpit, leading others, and counseling others, without realizing the terrible responsibility that comes with that position. The one who teaches is assumed by those listening to have greater knowledge, and such added light demands added living. If a teacher fails, their judgment will be much more strict because they have less excuse for failure.

James, in the first part of verse 2, reminds his readers that everybody, even the smartest and most diligent of teachers makes mistakes. Again, Moffat’s insightful translation is helpful:

Let no more of you take this upon you that God thrusts out; seeing it is so hard not to offend in speaking much.

3. Some examples, 3:3-8

Words are important, and the words a person uses can tell us a lot about that person. Charles Wesley’s triumphant hymn tells of the power the tongue:

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

And Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” mentions the prince of darkness whose:

Rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word can fell him.

The amazing power of one word. It can change course of history. One of the greatest examples of this is what Jesus said on the Cross. The very last thing He uttered was “It is finished.” But in the Greek, it is only one word.

James is going to illustrate the powerful influence of the tongue in using to graphic and practical examples.

A bit, verse 3. The connection between this verse and the preceding one is obvious. The so-called perfect man is one who never speaks an ill word and is able to keep his whole body in check. The bit in the mouth of a horse does just that. That is how powerful the tiny tongue can be. If a man, by using a small bit can control a large animal, then he should certainly be able to control his own tongue.
A rudder, verse 4. This second example is even more powerful when we remember with what awe the Jews of James’ day regarded the sea. They had a real love-hate relationship with the sea. They feared it because it was so dangerous; yet many Jews made their living on the sea. Even though Israel borders Mediterranean Sea, the Jews were never a sea faring people. These large ships, says James, are steered against the powerful force of the waves by a tiny piece of wood called a rudder. It is not the waves or the strong winds that determine the course of the ship, it’s the pilot, and he controls the ship with the rudder. So if a man can direct the course of large ship against the force of the wind and the waves, then he should be able to control his tongue!

Before giving some more examples, James pauses to apply the two examples he just gave. Just as bits and rudders are small things, the tongue is a small thing. Yet, just like the tongue, the bit and the rudder have a powerful influence. The tongue, says James, “makes great boasts.” J.B. Philips’ translation is interesting:

The human tongue is physically small, but what tremendous effects it can boast of!

New Testament scholar Curtis Vaughn encapsulates verse five:

It can sway men to violence, or it can move them to the noblest actions. It can instruct the ignorant, encourage the dejected, comfort the sorrowing, and soothe the dying. Or, it can crush the human spirit, destroy reputations, spread distrust and hate, and bring nations to the brink of war.

With verse six, James resumes his list of examples:

A fire, verse 6. The inflammatory tongue (Burdick) is responsible a multitude of sins. Eason comments:

That world of unrighteousness , the tongue, is set among our members.

James compares the tongue to an out of control wildfire that destroys everything in comes near. But James also has in mind the idea of a spark: something so small yet can cause a great forest fire. Bengal makes a fascinating observation:

As the little world of man is an image of the universe, so the tongue is an image of the little world of man.

All the sins that destroy man are to be found in the tongue. Again, Burdick observes:

There are few sins people commit in which the tongue is not involved.

Because the tongue is so powerfully influential, and so inclined to evil, the tongue corrupts one’s whole being. Not only that, it can corrupt others, as Lenski has noted:

You and I do not exist merely as separate entities. Each of us is not a house that is set off by itself…James thinks of us as houses that are set together in a great city. A fire that is kindled in any one house will spread and become a a great conflagration.

And finally, the Living Bible paraphrases this verse in striking fashion:

And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness and poisons every part of the body. And the tongue is set of fire by hell itself, and turn our whole lives into a blazing flame of destruction and disaster.

The phrase “the whole body” has a dual meaning here in verses 2 and 6. It refers to the Church, the whole body of believers, and it also refers to the individual person. The consequences of careless and hurtful words are such that they can hurt the one speaking and can reach out and affect the lives of others.

Man, the ruler of God’s creation, verses 7 and 8. James concludes his discussion on taming the tongue with one last illustration. Man is the ruler of all God’s creation and has been given power over all that flies, swims, and crawls.

Man has been able to subdue all kinds of animals for his pleasure. Yet despite this, man has been unable to get control over his tongue. He cannot control his own tongue nor can he control others. This is not to say that God cannot control the speech of a man, for we know God can. In the Bible the priest Zachariah was silenced by God, for example. The Holy Spirit in the lives of believers is able to change the way they speak, if He is allowed to. But no man on his own can tame his own tongue because its motivation to evil comes from powerful impulses not of his own choosing; the tongue is set on fire by Hell.

In regards to the destructive nature of the tongue, James makes no exceptions: No man can tame the tongue. This brief and emphatic conclusion hearkens back to what James said at the beginning of chapter 3:

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. (verse 2)

More than any other Biblical writer, James paints a starkly bleak picture of man’s tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison, like a snake that is never still and whose fangs are full of deadly venom. Our tongues are unstable, elusive, and restless. James paints an ugly of what sin has done to man.

Washington Irving, a 19th century American writer wrote:

A sharp tongue is the only edged too that grows keener with constant use.

Every culture has recognized the dangerous power of words:

There’s many a slip twixt cup and lip. (German proverb)
A lengthy tongue and early death. (Persian saying)
Lose lips sink ships. (American saying)

Finally, some advice from the smartest man who ever lived:

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. (Proverbs 10:9)

He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. (13:3)

(c) 2008 witzEnd

Practicing the Word, Part Six

Published November 13, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: General Epistles, James, New Testament

Faith and Action, 2:14-26

We come now to the famous portion of James which led to Martin Luther’s depreciation of James’ whole letter, which he described as “a right strawy” epistle. One of Luther’s problems with James is the seeming contradictions between James and Paul in the area of justification by faith alone (Romans 4 and Galatians 3). Both writers use Abraham as their example to prove their apparently opposite views. Compare especially James 2:21 with Romans 4,

Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (James 2:21)

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-3)

But is there a contradiction between the teachings of these two men? As we study what Paul wrote and what James wrote it is clear that they are using similar terms but with different meanings. “Faith” as Paul used the word is saving faith, that is, a person’s relationship with Christ as a result of what Christ did for them. For James, “faith” refers to something much more shallow: a belief in something or someone. So when Paul writes of “works” he means “works of the law” performed by a person in order to secure or maintain their salvation. But James, when he speaks of “works” refers to the natural outcome of our salvation. Paul might call these kinds of works “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22). So upon closer examination there really are not contradictions between James and Paul. In fact, a much simper way to look at these two views of faith is this:

Paul writes about faith as seen from God’s perspective;
James writes about faith as seen from man’s perspective.

God sees the redeemed heart; no works are necessary to demonstrate one’s salvation to God. Man cannot see another’s heart, so that same faith needs to be demonstrated so man can see another’s salvation. This reminds us of what Jesus said in John 3:21,

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

1. When faith is not faith, 2:14-17

A. A worthless profession, verse 14

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if people claim to have faith but have no deeds? Can such faith save them?

Like any good preacher, James poses two questions which he knows will be answered in the negative. Just as before, James prefaces his rebuke by identifying himself with his readers, using “brothers and sisters.” These questions must be read carefully or James’ carefully crafted illustration will be lost. These two questions:

“If people have faith but have no deeds?”
“Can such a faith save them?”

actually show that faith not accompanied by good deeds is of no saving value. The questions are predicated on the case of a person who “claims” to have saving faith, but James does not say they actually do, in fact the implication is that they have a “profession” of faith but not a “possession” of faith. Reading this verse in the Greek, James’ meaning is clearer: This faith cannot save him, can it? In other words, saying you have faith but not demonstrating you have it is a good indication you don’t really have this saving faith. Faith without the accompanying deeds cannot save anybody; it takes the kind of faith that proves itself in deeds to save someone.

B. A parable, verses 15-17

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

To illustrate the absurdity of claiming to have salvation but without the corresponding good deeds, James tells an absurd parable. In the Greek, this impoverished brother or sister (note they are believers) is actually naked (Greek gymnoi) This parable is very similar to an argument advanced by John:

If any one of you has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in you? (1 John 3:17)

The inappropriate response to this destitute individual is shocking: “Go and put some clothes on and get something to eat.” The phrase, “What good is it?” shows James’ impatience with kind of behavior. Clark’s comments on this verse are interesting:

Your saying to them, while you give them nothing, will just profit them as much as your professed faith, without works which are the genuine fruits of true faith, will profit you in the day when God comes to sit in judgment on your soul.

Verse 17 drives the point home: if there is no action behind a profession of faith, then that faith is dead. Of note here is that James does not deny the this individual has faith, just that it is the wrong kind of faith. What kind of faith is James referring to? A good example of this “dead faith” is seen in Acts 26, in the case of King Agrippa. Paul had been explaining salvation to the King and said this:

“The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” (Acts 26:27-27)

Agrippa had, what we might call, “intellectual faith,” but it was dead. Because of his religious background, Agrippa knew the Old Testament teachings, but he didn’t allow those teachings to influence how he lived, therefore, to him, they were dead.

2. An objection answered, 2:18-19

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. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

At this juncture, James introduces the views of an imaginary opponent who wants to separate faith and works, suggesting that a person may have one without the other. James does not argue the priority of works over faith; he merely states matter-of-factly that there can be no valid Christian faith apart from works of righteousness. Some commentators (Bowman) think that James has in mind Christians and Jews. The Jew claims works and the Christian claims faith. It is probably best understood that James is merely making another illustration here. Using two hypothetical people again, James says that faith must be demonstrated by good deeds.

Faith is an attitude of the inner man, and it can only be seen as it influences the actions of the one who possesses it. Mere profession of faith proves nothing as to its reality; only action can demonstrate faith’s genuineness. (Burdick)

With verse 19 James confronts the idea that believing a creedal statement is faith enough. The creedal statement he refers to is Deuteronomy 6:4,

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

Pious Jews loved to claim this creed as evidence of their faith. James says that even the demons believe this, so it is evidence of nothing. Like King Agrippa, simply believing a doctrine or a creed amounts to nothing in terms of salvation. We might say that merely going to church doesn’t make anybody a Christian. Believing in God and Christian doctrines must be accompanied by a corresponding changed life, marked by acts of righteousness.

John Wesley makes these observations on those with intellectual faith:

This proves only that you have the same faith as devils…they…tremble at the dreadful expectation of eternal torments. So far is that faith from either justifying or saving them that have it.

3. Evidence from history, 2:20-26

James turns from parables and illustrations to concrete proofs from Israel’s own history; evidence from their very own Scriptures, that what he has been writing is true. Clearly, by verse 20 James is losing patience, saying, “You foolish man.” Gone is the softer “brothers and sisters!” The Greek says, “O vain man.” Of this man, Trench says he is one “in whom higher wisdom has found no entrance, but who is puffed up with a vain conceit of his own insight.”

A. The example of Abraham, verses 21-24

Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 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. You see that people are justified by what they do and not by faith alone.

At the outset, it sounds like James is saying that Abraham was justified by works in contradiction to Paul, who wrote that:

So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Galatians 3:6)

Both James and Paul quote from Genesis 15:6 in support of their different arguments:

James in support of Abraham’s actions;
Paul in support of Abraham’s faith.

We reconcile this tension between action and faith like this: Paul refers to Abraham’s faith at the time God promised to give him a child. The story is recounted in Genesis 15:1-6 and because Abraham believed God and accepted God’s promise on faith, without any proof whatsoever, he was commended by God. In God’s estimation, that kind of amazing faith made Abraham a righteous man. On the other hand, James refers to Abraham’s faith in Genesis 22:1-19, where Abraham was on the verge of offering up his promised son to God as a sacrifice. He obeyed God, doing exactly what God had told him to do, even though it didn’t make any sense to him. The faith that was in Abraham in Genesis 15 expressed itself in Genesis 22 by his actions of obedience. Tasker put it this way:

James is here speaking not of the original imputation of righteousness to Abraham in virtue of his faith, but of the infallible proof that the faith which resulted in that imputation was real faith. It expressed itself in such total obedience to God that thirty years later Abraham was ready, in submission to the divine will, to offer Isaac, his son. The term justified in this verse means, in effect, shown to be justified.

So Abraham was declared by God to be justified, then thirty years later Abraham demonstrated that he was, in fact, justified because of his actions.

In verse 24, James offers his summary of Abraham saying, in effect, that a person is justified by faith “but not by faith alone.” It is by faith and by what the person does. If we just read that verse by itself, we don’t get the whole picture. It gives the impression that, in some measure, our salvation depends on our actions. But when we take what James has taught with what Paul taught, especially in Ephesians 2:8-9, we see that faith and actions work hand-in-hand; that deeds complete faith. Good deeds are the outworking of a person’s inner faith.

Remember, James is writing to people who had a superficial faith; they professed their faith but apparently their behavior didn’t back up their confession. Paul wrote to combat false teachers who taught a form of legalism that said good works was all a person needed. Two writers, two different audiences, two different reasons, yet with one goal: to get Christians to live like they are supposed to live. Consider the power of this statement:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

No, James didn’t write that, although it sounds very much like something we would expect him to write. Paul wrote it.

B. The example of Rahab, 2:25

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?

The second example James cites for good works is Rahab. She is commended by James, as well as by the author to the Hebrews for the outworking of her faith in assisting the spies in the capture of Jericho (Joshua 2:1-21). Why choose as his examples such extreme opposites: Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation and Rahab, a prostitute? James’ principle is a universal one, that applies to all believers; there are no exceptions to the rule that “faith without works is dead.”

In Hebrews 11:17-19, 31, we are told that Rahab’s action in hiding the spies was “by faith.” James agrees with that, and expands on it saying that she was justified by her works in the sense that what she did proved that she had faith. Moffatt wrote:

She believed in God, and evidenced her faith by the trouble she took in receiving the scouts and assisting them to escape, at the risk of her own life. No mere belief this!

Conclusion

James’ conclusion to this matter is masterful. Weymouth translates verse 26 like this:

Just as a human body without a spirit is lifeless, so also faith is lifeless without obedience.

So serious is the subject of “good deeds” that James revisits it later on, briefly, in the fourth chapter, where we read this:

So then, if you know the good you ought to do and don’t do it, you sin.

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Posts Tagged 'General Epistles'

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(c) 2008 WitzEnd

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Practicing the Word, Part Six

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