My brothers, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. Truth to Learn Do not show favoritism based on outward appearances. Behind the Words The word translated “Lord” is kurios, which comes from the noun kuros, meaning “might or power.” The word...
James 1:27 – Unselfish Light
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to watch over orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Truth to Learn The true outward expression of a Christian life is to care for the needs of others and not be...
James 1:26 – Tongue Control
If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Truth to Learn Controlling what we say and how we say it is a clear indication of the degree to which we are submitted to...
James 1:25 – Blessed Performance
But he who having looked closely into the perfect law of liberty and having continued looking closely, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Truth to Learn God will look favorably on the performance of those...
James 1:24 – Absentminded Professor
for he studied himself, has gone away, and immediately forgot what kind of person he was. Truth to Learn Hearing or reading God’s Word will have no effect on our lives unless we put it into practice. Behind the Words In the previous verse we looked at the word for...
James 1:23 – Studious Reflection
Because, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man studying his natural face in a mirror; Truth to Learn We can learn a lot about God and about ourselves by looking intently into the Word of God. Behind the Words The...
James 1:22 – Perfect Practice
But become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Truth to Learn No one ever coined the phrase, “listening makes perfect.” That’s because it is only through practice that we improve on anything that we do. Behind the Words The word translated “become” is a form of...
James 1:21 – Discard Filth
Therefore having laid aside all filthiness and abundance of wickedness, receive in meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Truth to Learn We need to rid ourselves of our sinful thoughts and actions and let the Word of God grow in our hearts. Behind the Words...
James 1:20 – Bad Example
Truth to Learn We should not be easily angered because it does not show the world the type of godly example that we should be. Behind the Words In the previous verse we looked at the Greek word orgē, which refers to “violent passions.” It is most likely derived from...
James 1:19 – Ears Open, Mouth Closed, Without Anger
Know this, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; Truth to Learn Your hearing will do you much more good in your walk with God than your mouth will. Behind the Words There is a variant reading in the first part...