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::to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,''
::to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,''
:::greeting.''<ref>{{bibleverse|James|1:1|KJV}} [[King James Version|KJV]]</ref>
:::greeting.''<ref>{{bibleverse|James|1:1|KJV}} [[King James Version|KJV]]</ref>
*"James": identified by early church leaders (Eusebius, Origen, etc.) to be [[James, brother of Jesus|James, the half-brother of Jesus]] ({{bibleverse|Mark|6:3|KJV}}), who was a distinguished leader of the first-century church in [[Jerusalem]] ({{bibleverse|Acts|12:17}}; 15:13; 21:18).{{sfn|Hart|2014|p=1947}}
*"Servant": is 'a title of authority'(cf. {{Bibleverse|Nehemiah|9:14|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Psalm|89:3|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Romans|1:1|KJV}}; [[Philippians 1:1]]).{{sfn|Bauckham|2003|p=1483}} Bauckham suggests that James does not state his family relationship to Jesus because he does not see it as a basis for authority (cf. Mark 3:33-35).{{sfn|Bauckham|2003|p=1483}}
*"Servant": is 'a title of authority'(cf. {{Bibleverse|Nehemiah|9:14|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Psalm|89:3|KJV}}; {{bibleverse|Romans|1:1|KJV}}; [[Philippians 1:1]]).{{sfn|Bauckham|2003|p=}} Bauckham suggests that James does not state his family relationship to Jesus because he does not see it as a basis for authority (cf. Mark 3:33-35).{{sfn|Bauckham|2003|p=}}


==Joy in Temptations (1:2–18)==
==Joy in Temptations (1:2–18)==

Revision as of 18:06, 9 July 2019

This redirect is about a book chapter of the Bible. For James I, see James I (disambiguation).
James 1
Epistle of James 1:15-18 on the verso side of Papyrus 23, from ca. AD 250.
BookEpistle of James
CategoryGeneral epistles
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part20

James 1 is the first chapter of the Epistle of James in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The author identifies himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" and the epistle is traditionally attributed to James the brother of Jesus, written in Jerusalem between 48–61 CE although there are charges that it is a pseudographical work written after 61 CE.[1][2][3] This chapter contains the letter prescript, an exposition about the joy in temptations, related to three connected actions: hearing, speaking, doing.[4]

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek.[5] This chapter is divided into 27 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing this chapter are:

Prescript (1:1)

Acts 28:30-31 (end) and the Epistle of James 1:1-18 in Codex Alexandrinus (folio 76r) from 5th century

Verse 1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,
greeting.[7]

Joy in Temptations (1:2–18)

Verse 4

New King James Version

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. [10]

Verse 5

New King James Version

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.[11]

Verse 12

New King James Version

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.[12]

Verse 13

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.[13]
  • "Tempted" used here by the author in another sense than he did before. Previously he speaks of temptations, in relation to joy and boasting, enduring patiently as exercising grace, in which God was concerned, but here the temptations are the issue of shame and death, to be watched against.[14]
  • "Tempted of God,": God is holy, and without iniquity, he does not delight in sin, but hates and abhors it; nor can he commit it, it being contrary to his nature, and the perfections of it; whereas no one can tempt another to sin, unless he is sinful himself, and delights in sin, and in those that commit it, nor without committing it himself; and yet sinful men are apt to charge God with their sins, and temptations to them, in imitation of their first parent, Adam, when fallen, ( Genesis 3:12 ) who, to excuse himself, lays the blame upon the woman, and ultimately upon God, who gave her to him; and suggests, that if it had not been for the woman, he should not have eaten of the forbidden fruit, nor should he have had any temptation to it, had not God given him the woman to be with him, and therefore it was his fault; and in this sad manner do his sons and daughters reason, who, when, through affliction, they murmur against God, distrust his providence, or forsake his ways, say, if he had not laid his hand upon them, or suffered such afflictions to befall them, they had not been guilty of such sin: he himself is the occasion of them; but let no man talk at this wicked rate,[14]
  • for God cannot be tempted with evil;

or "evils", He was tempted by the Israelites at Massah and Meribah, from which those places had their names, who by their murmuring, distrust and unbelief, proved and tried his patience and his power; and so he may be, and has been tempted by others in a like way; he may be tempted by evil men, and with evil things, but he cannot be tempted "to evil", as the Ethiopic version renders it; he is proof against all such temptations: he cannot be tempted by anything in himself, who is pure and holy, or by any creature or thing without him, to do any sinful action:[14]

  • neither tempteth he any man;

that is, to sin; he tempted Abraham, to try his faith, love, and obedience to him; he tempted the Israelites in the wilderness, to try them and humble them, and prove what was in their hearts; and he tempted Job, and tried his faith and patience; and so he tempts and tries all his righteous ones, by afflictions, more or less: but he never tempts or solicits them to sin; temptations to sin come from another quarter, as follows.[14]

Hearing, Speaking, Doing (1:19-27)

Verse 27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.[15]

Latter Day Saint usage

Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. —Joseph Smith–History 1:12–13[16]

James 1:5 has particular importance in the Latter Day Saint tradition. The reading of it by the young Joseph Smith is often cited as the precipitating event for the First Vision, and thus of the Restoration.[17][18][19]

David O. McKay, ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said that in "this scripture lies the secret of Joseph Smith's emergence from obscurity to world-wide renown."[20] Russell M. Nelson, the 17th and current president of the Church, has cited it stating that "Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions."[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ Riesner 2007, p. 1256.
  2. ^ Davids, Peter H (1982). I Howard Marshall and W Ward Gasque (ed.). New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James (Repr. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN 0802823882.
  3. ^ Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans (ed.). Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN 0781442281.
  4. ^ Riesner 2007, p. 1257.
  5. ^ 20. James: Introduction, Outline, and Argument. Bible.org
  6. ^ a b c Riesner 2007, p. 1255.
  7. ^ James 1:1 KJV
  8. ^ Hart 2014, p. 1947.
  9. ^ a b Bauckham 2003, p. 1484.
  10. ^ James 1:4
  11. ^ James 1:5
  12. ^ James 1:12
  13. ^ James 1:13 NKJV
  14. ^ a b c d John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible - James 1:13
  15. ^ James 1:27 NKJV
  16. ^ "Joseph Smith—History 1". The Pearl of Great Price. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  17. ^ Flint, B. C. "The Book of Mormon (From What about the Book of Mormon?)". Church of Christ (Temple Lot). Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  18. ^ "James 1:5–6". Liahona. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. January 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  19. ^ "Community of Christ Lessons— Children" (PDF). Community of Christ. 3 December 2017. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  20. ^ MacKay, Thomas W. (1992). "James, Epistle of". In Ludlow, Daniel H. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 715–716. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  21. ^ Nelson, Russell M. (April 2018). "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives". Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 24 June 2019.

Bibliography

  • Bauckham, Richard (2003). Dunn, James D. G.; Rogerson, John William (eds.). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (illustrated ed.). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 9780802837110.
  • Riesner, Rainer (2007). "76. James". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1255–1263. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
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