What can we learn from James 2?
Introduction. James encouraged the Saints to reach out to the downtrodden and taught that true followers of Jesus Christ are not to give preference to the rich over the poor. James also taught about the relationship between faith and works.
What does the Bible say about James 2?
Bible Gateway James 2 :: NIV. My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
What does James say about faith without works?
James 2. God has chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith—Salvation is gained by keeping the whole law—Faith without works is dead. 1 My brethren, ahave not the faith of our bLord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
What is the meaning of James 2 17?
Being Alone When faith stands alone without works, it has no effect. “Faith exists when absolute confidence in that which we cannot see combines with action that is in absolute conformity to the will of our Heavenly Father.
What is the main point of James Chapter 2?
James 2 continues the theme of maturity presented at the beginning of the book. When James opens his letter, he challenges his readers to view trials as opportunities to grow rather than obstacles to lament. He asserts that every trial we overcome helps us mature as Christians.
Can we be saved by faith alone?
God's Word says that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace Alone. Faith Alone. Grace alone means that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work of Christ.
What is the spiritual meaning of James?
In fact, the name James means the same exact thing as Jacob—“supplanter” or substitute—and comes from the original Hebrew word for Jacob. Because of its connection to Jacob, James is a Biblical name (two of Jesus' apostles were named James).
Can faith alone save you KJV?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
What does James teach about faith and works?
(JAMES 1:2 -11; 2:14- 26) That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Teaching about faith and works, James said it does not profit a man if he said he has faith but lacks works because his faith can never save him.
What is the main message of the book of James?
Framing his letter within an overall theme of patient perseverance during trials and temptations, James writes in order to encourage his readers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. He condemns various sins, including pride, hypocrisy, favouritism, and slander.
What does the Bible say about prayer without action?
Bible teaches us that prayer without action is just noise.
Do not just listen to the word do what it says?
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22) | by Benn Matthew | Medium.
What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?
Start reading James (MacArthur Bible Studies) on your Kindle in under a minute .
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Why was James the Just martyred?
Also known as James the Just because of his devotion to righteousness, he was martyred ca. A.D. 62, according to the first century Jewish historian Josephus. Comparing James’ vocabulary in the letter he wrote which is recorded in Acts 15 with that in the epistle of James further corroborates his authorship.
Who is James the less?
No one has seriously considered James the Less, the son of Alphaeus ( Matt. 10:3; Acts 1:13 ), or James the father of Judas, not Iscariot ( Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13 ). Some have suggested James the son of Zebedee and brother of John ( Matt. 4:21 ), but he was martyred too early to have written it ( Acts 12:2 ). That leaves only James, the oldest ...
What does James 5:19 mean?
5:19, 20 “turn” 15:19. James wrote with the authority of one who had personally seen the resurrected Christ ( 1 Cor. 15:7 ), who was recognized as an associate of the apostles ( Gal. 1:19 ), and who was the leader of the Jerusalem church.
What is the verb form of James 2:1?
In this verse James used the verb form of the same Greek word he used in James 2:1, namely, prosopolepteo. The type of preferential treatment James dealt with in this pericope ( James 2:1-13) violates the royal law because it treats some as inferior and others as sources of special favor (cf. Acts 10:34 ).
What is the form of James' question in the Greek text?
The form of James’ question in the Greek text expects a positive answer: "You have, haven’t you?" The usher made two errors. First, he showed favoritism because of what the rich man might do for the church if he received preferential treatment. He should have treated everyone graciously, as God does. This reflects a double-minded attitude in the usher, thinking like the world in this case while thinking as God thinks in other respects ( James 1:8 ).
What does "justified" mean in the Bible?
This verse at first seems to contradict other verses that say God declared Abraham righteous when Abraham believed God’s promise ( Genesis 15:1-6; Romans 4:1-5 ). The solution to the problem lies in the meaning of "justified." This word always means to declare someone righteous in the sight of the law , not to make someone righteous in his or her conduct (cf. Exodus 23:7; Deuteronomy 25:1; 1 Kings 8:32 ). The failure to define justification biblically is what has led some Reformed interpreters to conclude that everyone who is truly justified will inevitably behave righteously.
What does James mean by "royal"?
Leviticus 19:18 ). The "royal" (Gr. basilikos) law is royal in that it is the law of the King who heads the kingdom (Gr. basilikon) that believers will inherit ( James 2:5 ). [Note: Motyer, pp. 96-97.] It is also royal in that it is primary; it governs all other laws dealing with human relationships ( Matthew 22:39; cf. Leviticus 19:18 ). Moreover it is "conduct of a high order that is worthy of a king." [Note: Hodges, The Epistle . . ., p. 53.] The phrase "royal law" reflects the Latin lex regia, which was known throughout the Roman Empire. [Note: Blue, p. 825.]
How was Abraham's faith perfected?
Abraham’s faith was "perfected" by his works in the sense that his works made his faith stronger. This is another way of expressing the same idea that James stated in James 1:2-4. Maturity comes as we persevere in the will of God when we encounter trials. When God spared Isaac’s life, Abraham’s faith doubtless became much stronger than it had been.
What does assembly mean in the Bible?
"Assembly" is literally "synagogue." In the early history of the church Jewish believers met in Jewish synagogues until their unbelieving Jewish brethren forced them out. This reference suggests that James probably wrote this epistle early in the history of the church.
Does God judge us with partiality?
God will not judge us with partiality. He will punish the unmerciful unmercifully. We need to understand this statement in the light of other revelations concerning how God will judge believers. We are in no danger of losing our salvation or even experiencing God’s wrath. However, we will suffer a loss of reward if we sin by practicing unmerciful favoritism ( 2 Corinthians 5:10; cf. Matthew 5:7; Matthew 6:15; Matthew 7:1; Matthew 18:23-25 ).
How honorably does James speak of Jesus Christ?
How honorably James speaks of Jesus Christ; he calls him the Lord of glory; for he is the brightness of his Father’s glory, and the express image of his person. 3. Christ’s being the Lord of glory should teach us not to respect Christians for any thing so much as their relation and conformity to Christ.
What chapter does Matthew Henry write in the Bible?
Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete) /. James /. James 2. James 1. James 3. Chapter 2 In this chapter the apostle condemns a sinful regarding of the rich, and despising the poor, which he imputes to partiality and injustice, and shows it to be an acting contrary to God, who has chosen the poor, ...
What does Mt 11:5 mean?
Mt. 11:5 , The poor are evangelized .’’. God designed to recommend his holy religion to men’s esteem and affection, not by the external advantages of gaiety and pomp, but by its intrinsic worth and excellency; and therefore chose the poor of this world.
What does Maimonides say about the poor?
Manton) "That is was expressly provided by the Jews’ constitutions that, when a poor man and a rich plead together, the rich shall not be bidden to sit down and the poor stand, or sit in a worse place, but both sit or both stand alike.’’.
What is the major issue in James 2:14-26?
James 2:14-26 speaks to the major issue that spawned the Reformation, the reformers teaching that man is justified by faith alone whereas the established church taught man is justified by faith plus works. Here are some key observations in James 2:14-26.
Why is James 2:14-26 important?
This question makes James 2:14-26 one of the most vitally important sections of Scripture because the truth James explains deals directly with a person's eternal destiny. The most frightening deception in this life is to think that " I possess saving faith " when it fact in God's eyes it is not genuine saving faith.
What does the word "testing" mean in James 1:3?
It is essential, therefore, that its genuineness be tested. “ The testing of your faith ” ( James 1:3) marks the basic thrust of the message. The Greek noun peirasmos (word study) has a double meaning, “testing” and “temptation.”.
What is the purpose of James?
His purpose is practical rather than doctrinal. The purpose of James is to goad his readers to recognize and accept their need for a living, active faith and to challenge them to test their own faith by the basic criterion that “faith without works is useless” ( James 2:20 ).
What does James say about works?
James insists that " works are not an 'added extra' to faith, but are an essential expression of it ."'. In this passage James is echoing the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.
What is the theme of verse 14?
The rhetorical questions of verse 14 state the theme of this third test of faith. James insists that a living faith will authenticate itself in the production of works. There is no antagonism between faith and works. They are not totally distinct concepts but rather two inseparable elements in salvation.
How many times does James mention salvation?
Only once does James mention salvation per se. Although James does use justified ( dikaioo) 3 times, note that there are no other uses of dikaioo in this epistle (used in James 2:21, 24, 25) in contrast to Paul's writings in which he uses dikaioo 27 times.
Why was James written?
And that is also why James was written. These epistles have as a primary objective the purpose of causing self-examination – self-examination. James wants to present to us the character of living faith as opposed to dead faith, the character of saving faith as opposed to non-saving faith.
What does James say about God and Christ?
They must, if they had the same and equal right of property to James, been in themselves one and the same , and therefore does James cry out in the simplicity of his language the profound truth that God and Christ are one. He believed in only one God. James 2:19, “Thou believest there is one God, thou doest well.”.
How many times did James refer to Jesus as Lord?
Jesus was His human name; Christ, the indication of His messiahship; and Lord refers to His sovereign deity. And by the way, he refers to Jesus as Lord fourteen times in this epistle, fourteen times. So we see James in his humility and in the sense of servitude that he bore to God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Author and Date
Background and Setting
- The recipients of this book were Jewish believers who had been dispersed (1:1), possibly as a result of Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7, A.D. 31–34), but more likely due to the persecution under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12, ca. A.D. 44). The author refers to his audience as “brethren” 15 times (1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19), which was a common epithet among th…
Historical and Theological Themes
- James, with its devotion to direct, pungent statements on wise living, is reminiscent of the book of Proverbs. It has a practical emphasis, stressing not theoretical knowledge, but godly behavior. James wrote with a passionate desire for his readers to be uncompromisingly obedient to the Word of God. He used at least 30 references to nature (e.g., “wave of the sea” [1:6]; “reptile” [3:7]…
Interpretive Challenges
- At least two significant texts challenge the interpreter: 1) In 2:14–26, what is the relationship between faith and works? Does James’ emphasis on works contradict Paul’s focus on faith? 2) In 5:13–18, do the promises of healing refer to the spiritual or physical realm?
Outline
- There are a number of ways to outline the book to grasp the arrangement of its content. One way is to arrange it around a series of tests by which the genuineness of a person’s faith may be measured. 1. Introduction (1:1) 1. The Test of Perseverance in Suffering (1:2–12) 2. The Test of Blame in Temptation (1:13–18) 3. The Test of Response to the Wo...