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A lone, gnarled olive tree standing on a rocky, windswept Judean hillside at dawn, its roots gripping the bare stone.

The Book of

James 1

The brother of Jesus writes to believers far from home: real faith holds firm in trials, and it does what it hears.

27 verses≈ 4 min1 personBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1Tested faithJoy in trials; hear and doChapter 1
  2. 2Living faithNo favorites; faith that works
  3. 3Wise wordsTaming the tongue; wisdom from above
  4. 4Humble heartsDraw near to God, not the world
  5. 5Patient hopeWait for the Lord; pray in faith

A Greeting from James

From JamesTo the twelve tribes scattered abroad

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.

James 1:1

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Families carrying bundles and leading a laden donkey out through a stone city gate onto roads into the hills.
JudeaSamariaPhoeniciaCyprusJerusalemAntioch (Syria)

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

The Dispersion

James, probably writing from Jerusalem, addresses “the twelve tribes of the Dispersion.” He names no cities, so we don’t know exactly where the letter went. After Stephen’s death, believers were scattered through Judea and Samaria, and some went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (the line on the map). Jewish communities also lived much farther afield, in cities such as Alexandria and Rome.

Rejoicing in Trials

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

What trials can do

developsTrials“trials of many kinds”Testing“the testing of yourfaith”Perseveranceit keeps going understrainIts finishedwork“Allow perseverance tofinish”Mature andcomplete“not lacking anything”

Whiteboard

James isn’t asking anyone to enjoy pain. He is pointing to where a trial leads in God’s hands. Testing grows staying power, and staying power, given time, grows a faith that is “mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Reflect

Pure joy?

James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds.” Think of one hard thing you are facing now. You don’t have to pretend it feels good. What might God be growing in you through it? Write it down, and ask Him to finish His work.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

James

Good and Perfect Gifts

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Where temptation leads

gives birthfull-grownOwn desire“his own evil desires”Lured, enticed“lured away andenticed”Desireconceives“after desire hasconceived”Sin“it gives birth tosin”Death“when it isfull-grown”

Whiteboard

James traces temptation like a life cycle. It starts inside, not with God. A desire baits the hook, we take it, and what grows from it is sin, then death. The best place to stop it is at the start.

Question

Quick question

James warns his readers not to blame God when they are tempted.

According to James, where does temptation come from?

Shafts of morning sunlight breaking through clouds onto a field of ripening barley at dawn.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Hearing and Doing

quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger

James 1:19

for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22

For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Pray

Hear and do

Ask God to make you “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” Then ask Him for one way to be a doer of the word this week, perhaps someone lonely or in “distress” you could care for. Thank Him that “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”

You’ve experienced

James 1

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A verse to carry with you

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22

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