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Commentary on The Letter of Saint James

1:1 James: A Greek form of the Hebrew name "Jacob". He is probably James of Jerusalem, known as "the Lord's brother" (Gal 1:19). See introduction: Author. servant: Or "slave". This title is used for other apostolic writers, such as Peter (2 Pet 1:1) and Paul (Rom 1:1), just as it was for earlier biblical figures, such as Jacob (Ezek 28:25), Moses, (Mal 4:4), Joshua (Josh 24:29), David (2 Sam 7:8), and the Prophets (Jer 7:25; Ezek 38:17). Jesus Christ: Mentioned by name only here and in 2:1. the twelve tribes: Descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob (Gen 35:22-26) who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah (Jas 2:1). These Israelites may have been residents of Jerusalem who were dispersed throughout Palestine and neighboring territories because of persecutions in the city. For this and other interpretations, see introduction: Destination. • The opening address recalls the Greek version of Is 49:1-6, where Jacob is the servant of the Lord who calls out to the tribes of Israel in their dispersion with a message of salvation. Back to text.

1:2-27 Chapter 1 is an overview of the themes developed in the rest of the letter. These include encouragement during trial (1:2-4; 5:7-11), the need for wisdom (1:5; 3:13-18), the necessity of faith (1:5-8; 5:13-18), the treatment of the rich and poor (1:9-11; 2:1-7; 4:13-5:6), the call to put faith into action (1:22-25; 2:14-26), and the need for a controlled tongue (1:26; 3:1-12). Back to text.

1:2 my brethren: Nineteen times James addresses his readers as spiritual brothers (1:9, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, etc.). This high concentration of kinship language shows that James viewed himself and his readers as a family of spiritual siblings gathered around God as their Father (1:17) (CCC 1, 1655). various trials: A reminder that every hardship and suffering in life can be a cause to rejoice (Mt 5:11-12; Rom 5:3). These trials are part of God's plan to strengthen our faith, prove our fidelity, and bring us closer to perfection (1 Pet 1:6-7). Similarities between the Greek text of Jas 1:3-4 and 2:21-22 hint at how this process was played out in the life of Abraham when his own faith reached perfection in the difficult ordeal of sacrificing Isaac. Back to text.

1:5 wisdom: Not human insight or ingenuity, but a heavenly gift that gives us a right understanding of life in relation to God (3:13-18). It is given generously to those, like Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-12), who ask for it with sincere faith (Jas 1:6-8) (CCC 2633). Back to text.

1:8 double-minded: Literally, "having two souls". Such a person holds back from a complete trust in God because inside he wavers between conviction and doubt (Sir 1:28). This makes prayer less fervent and answers to prayer less certain (CCC 2734). Back to text.

1:9-10 The prospect of "eschatological reversal" is in view. The poor and humble of the Lord look forward to exaltation, while the rich and prosperous of the world face future humiliation unless God is embraced as their true wealth (Lk 1:52-53; 6:20-26). Back to text.

1:10 the rich: Material wealth is destined to wither away like the beauty of a wild flower. The same is true of the wealthy person whose heart is attached to his belongings (5:16; Prov 11:28). • Isaiah used this imagery to contrast the eternal word of God with the temporal life of man, who is destined to wilt and die like grass (Is 40:6-8). This allusion to Isaiah explains why James goes on to say that God's "word" brings us unending life and blessedness (Jas 1:18, 21; 1 Jn 2:17). Back to text.

1:12 the crown of life: The Greek is appositional ("the crown which is life"). It refers to the eternal life that awaits the saints who have patiently and faithfully endured the trials of life (2 Tim 4:8; Rev 2:10). those who love him: A biblical description of those who keep God's commandments (Deut 5:10; 7:9; Jn 14:15). James will later stress that salvation and life are for those who not only believe in the Lord, but who love and obey him through faithful deeds (Jas 2:14-26). Back to text.

1:13 God . . . tempts no one: God tests us by putting us in situations that invite us to trust him (Gen 22:1). However, he never tempts us to turn away from him as Satan does (Mt 4:1). James is adamant that God is neither the author nor the promoter of evil, nor can he himself be tempted or overpowered by it. Sin is our own doing; it is conceived when we desire evil and is born when we act upon those desires (Jas 1:14-15) (CCC 2846-47). Back to text.

1:17 the Father of lights: I.e., the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars (Gen 1:14-19). Unlike these heavenly luminaries, which are constantly changing in brightness and position due to eclipses, lunar cycles, and the alternation of days, God is eternally unchanged and is ever consistent in blessing those who love him (Jas 1:12) (CCC 212). Back to text.

1:18 word of truth: The gospel of new life in Christ (Eph 1:13; 1 Pet 1:23-25). first fruits: James compares believers of the first generation (1:1) to the first sheaf of spring wheat that was cut from the field and offered to God in the Temple (Lev 23:9-11). This first portion was meant to thank the Lord for his gifts and to seek his blessing for an abundant harvest. Paul uses this image for Israelite believers (Rom 11:16). Back to text.

1:19-25 Two kinds of hearing are distinguished: in conversation, listening is more important than speaking (Sir 5:1112), but in responding to the gospel, obeying is more important than merely listening (Lk 11:28; Rom 2:13). Back to text.

1:20 the anger of man: In biblical wisdom literature, anger is vented, not by the wise, but by the foolish (Prov 29:11; Eccles 7:9). Meekness is the virtue of gentleness and inner strength that restrains it (Jas 3:13; Mt 11:29). Back to text.

1:21 implanted word: The gospel is compared to a seed that is planted in the soul, where it can sprout and bear fruit for salvation. This may be an allusion to Jesus' parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-9, 23). Back to text.

1:23 a mirror: One who merely hears the gospel is like one who merely glances at his reflection and soon forgets what he has seen (1:24). One who hears and obeys the gospel is like one who gazes into the law of Christ and sees there the path to blessing and life that he desires to follow (1:25). Back to text.

1:26 bridle his tongue: A warning treated in detail in 3:112. Back to text.

1:27 Religion: The Greek term is thrēskeia, which generally denotes religious acts of worship. For James, proper service to God is not reducible to a set of beliefs or liturgical rites; it includes prudent speech (1:26) as well as practical service to others. visit orphans and widows: Pure religion reaches out to the needy and takes practical steps to provide for their welfare. Charity of this sort was expected of Israel (Deut 14:29) and is exemplified most perfectly by Yahweh (Ps 68:5) (CCC 2208). • Religion involves two kinds of acts. Some are directed immediately to God, such as sacrifice, adoration, etc. Others are directed to honoring God by means of the virtues he commands. Thus, visiting the fatherless and widows is an act of religion, as is the effort to keep oneself unstained by the world (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, 81, 1). Back to text.

2:1-7 James cautions believers not to favor the rich and discriminate against the poor. Though the world despises and oppresses the poor, God honors and blesses them with abundant faith (2:5; 1 Cor 1:26-31). These verses are followed by a warning that partiality and prejudice against the less fortunate violate the Levitical law of charity (Jas 2:8-13). Back to text.

Word Study

Assembly (Jas 2:2)

Synagōgē (Gk.): can refer to a "gathering" of people or to a building used as a "synagogue". The word is used 56 times in the NT; it is also commonly found in the Greek OT, where it often refers to the assembled "congregation" of Israel (Num 16:3; Josh 22:16; Ps 74:2). Though the word is never wholly disconnected from gatherings of people, by NT times the term can also refer to the physical structure where religious gatherings took place. Synagogues in this sense were built both in Israel (Lk 7:5) and in the Diaspora (Acts 13:14; 17:17). These were houses of Jewish worship and instruction in the Scriptures (Mt 6:5; Lk 4:16; Acts 15:21), as well as places of judicial deliberation and discipline (Mt 10:17; 23:34; Lk 12:11). The use of the word in Jas 2:2 is ambiguous. It may to refer to a synagogue building as the place where early believers assembled, either as a church community or as a Jewish Christian presence alongside non-believing Jews (Acts 9:2). Or, too, it may refer to a congregation of people gathered for worship and prayer but without direct reference to the physical location as such. In any case, language traditional to Judaism is here employed with reference to Christian believers.

2:5 heirs of the kingdom: Echoes the beatitude spoken by Jesus in Lk 6:20. The point is not that poverty itself is a blessing, but that those with little in the world are better prepared to rely on God for their needs. It is the attitude of a child who trusts in his heavenly Father (Jas 1:17) that secures our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven (Mt 18:1-4) (CCC 2546-47). Back to text.

2:7 that honorable name: Presumably the name is "Christ", on account of which believers are called "Christians" (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet 4:16). Back to text.

2:8 the royal law: The law of Christ's kingdom (2:5), which incorporates the Mosaic laws of charity (2:8; Mt 22:34-40) and the commandments of the Decalogue (2:11; Mt 19:16-19) into the gospel teaching of Jesus (Mt 5-7; CCC 1972). You shall love your neighbor: A citation from Lev 19:18. • The precept of love is the summation of every commandment in the Torah dealing with our neighbor (Rom 13 :8-10). Beyond the quotation here, there are several allusions to Lev 19 throughout the Letter of James. This is clearest in the warnings against partiality (2:9; Lev 19:15), slander (4:11; Lev 19:16), withholding wages (5:4; Lev 19:13), and oath swearing (5:12; Lev 19:12). Back to text.

2:10 fails in one point: To trespass even a single commandment makes one a transgressor of the royal law of Christ and a sinner in the eyes of the Lawgiver. The challenge is to follow the laws of charity comprehensively, not selectively, realizing that God will judge both our speech and our actions by this standard (2:12) (CCC 578, 2069). Back to text.

2:11 Do not commit adultery . . . kill: Two of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:13-14). Back to text.

2:13 mercy triumphs: Our conduct in this life sets the terms for our judgment in the next. Thus, the extent to which we have shown mercy to others is the extent to which we will receive mercy from the Lord (Mt 5:7; 6:14-15; 18:21-35). The following verses show that mercy is more than an attitude—it is expressed concretely through works of mercy and charity (Jas 2:14-16; Sir 16:14; Mt 25:34-40) (CCC 2447). Back to text.

2:14 Can his faith save him?: The form of the question in Greek implies a negative answer. It makes explicit what James teaches implicitly throughout the rest of the chapter: that our willingness to put faith into action has a direct bearing on whether or not we will be saved in the end (CCC 162). Back to text.

2:18 some one will say: James makes use of a teaching style called "diatribe", where an imaginary conversation partner poses questions and raises objections that the author answers for his audience (2:20; 4:13-16). It cannot be assumed, given the use of this literary device, that James is debating an actual opponent who was harassing his readers. See also note on Rom 2:1-3:20. You have . . . I have: The issue is whether faith and works represent two different but equal ways to be justified before God. James denies the proposition and insists that faith that is not expressed in works is dead faith, not saving faith (2:26). If one has faith but no good works, he is no better off than the demons, who believe yet face the certainty of condemnation rather than justification (2:19). • Just as faith apart from works is dead, so works apart from faith are dead. If we have right doctrine but fail in right living, our doctrine is useless. So too, if we are careful about life but careless about doctrine, that will not benefit us either (St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis 2, 14). Back to text.

2:19 God is one: The monotheistic faith of Israel (Deut 6:4). The demons are proof that it is possible to have merely intellectual faith without works of charity (Mk 3:11) (CCC 181416). Back to text.

2:21 justified: The doctrine of justification includes an initial action, whereby God makes the believer righteous by an infusion of grace, and an ongoing process, whereby the believer grows in righteousness by exercising his faith through good works. The latter sense is highlighted here (CCC 198795). See word study: Justified at Rom 2. offered his son: A reference to the sacrifice of Isaac in Gen 22:1-19. • Abraham had long believed in the Lord (Gen 15:6) before his faith was tested by the command to burn Isaac on the altar (Gen 22:12). This was not the first test he had faced as God's servant (1 Mac 2:52), nor was it the first time he had put his faith into action (Heb 11:8-9). It was rather the high point of Abraham's spiritual journey and the climactic ordeal that tested his trust in Yahweh like never before (Heb 11:17-19). Having passed the test in heroic fashion, his faith was at last "completed" (Jas 2:22). See note on Jas 1:2. Back to text.

2:23 Abraham believed God: A quotation from Gen 15:6. • This is the one explicit text in Genesis that refers to Abraham's faith, though his belief and trust in God are evident throughout. Here he believes in the promise of a son, despite his old age and the barrenness of his elderly wife (Gen 16:1; 18:11). Reading the passage in light of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, James concludes that belief and behavior go together. So faith in God is inseparable from faithfulness to God, even in the most trying circumstances of life. friend of God: The background of this title is probably found in 2 Chron 20:7 and Is 41:8. Back to text.

2:24 faith alone: Faith by itself is "dead" (2:17), "barren" (2:20), and has no power to "save" anyone (2:14). In the NT, the expression "faith alone" occurs only in James, where it is rejected as false teaching. Paul often stresses the importance of "justification by faith", but he nowhere speaks of justification by faith alone (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:15-16). Back to text.

2:25 Rahab: The heroine of Josh 2:1-21. • Rahab of Jericho I offered hospitality and protection to Israelite scouts spying out the land of Canaan. Her assistance, coupled with a confession of faith in Yahweh (Josh 2:11), was rewarded as she and her family were rescued from the violent destruction of the city (Heb 11:31). Back to text.

3:1-12 An appeal for prudent and wholesome speech (1:19). Several illustrations are marshaled to demonstrate how an unbridled tongue can cause considerable damage in the world (Prov 16:27; Sir 28:17-26). Examples of misusing the tongue include blasphemy (Jas 2:7), cursing (3:9), slander (4:11), boasting (4:16), grumbling (5:9), and illicit oath swearing (5:12) (CCC 2148, 2479-81). • James shows how great an evil is man's tongue, so great that it cannot be tamed, even though men have tamed wild animals. He spoke, not with the intention that we should tolerate this evil, but in order that we might ask God for the grace to tame our tongues (St. Augustine, On Nature and Grace 15). Back to text.

3:1 teachers: Christian educators bear great responsibility for their teaching and influence. Since their mission involves extensive speaking, they are at greater risk than most for making "mistakes" in what they say (3:2). The prospect of a stricter judgment should restrain them from uttering careless words (Mt 12:33-37) and teaching what they themselves do not understand (Sir 5:11-13). Back to text.

3:6 unrighteous world: The tongue is a microcosm of the fallen world, where sin and hurt prevail. It is extraordinarily difficult to bring under control. cycle of nature: Every stage of life, from youth to old age. hell: Literally, "Gehenna". See word study: Hell at Mk 9:43. Back to text.

3:9 we bless . . . we curse: Using the tongue in worship is contradicted by abusing the tongue in conversation. Despite our praise, the Father is not truly honored when our neighbor is dishonored and discouraged by harmful words. Back to text.

3:13-18 These verses continue to address the teachers mentioned in 3:1. The teacher who claims to be wise but is controlled by "jealousy and selfish ambition" (3:14) is really a fool whose wisdom stems from the world (3:15). True wisdom transforms the mind and heart of the teacher and is manifest through a pure and peaceable life (3:17). It is a divine gift that comes down from the Father above (1:17). See note on Jas 1:5. Back to text.

4:1-2 Wars among men are a symptom of the spiritual war within man, whose incessant drive for power and possessions spreads envy and violence throughout the world. The root problem is that our members too easily yield to the inclinations of our fallen nature (1 Pet 2:11). See note on Rom 7:23. Back to text.

4:3 You . . . do not receive: Prayers go unanswered when we seek what will gratify our cravings instead of the help we need to better ourselves. Corrupt motives impede our petitions in the same way that doubt does (1:5-8) (CCC 2737). Back to text.

4:4 Unfaithful creatures!: Literally, "Adulteresses!" • The Prophets used this epithet for the idolaters of Israel, whose infidelity to the covenant was considered spiritual adultery against Yahweh (Jer 3:6-10; 31:32; Hos 3:1). James charges some of his own readers with idolatry because their love for created things has overpowered their love for the Creator (see 1 Jn 2:15). Their friendship with the world stands in stark contrast to righteous Abraham, who became a "friend of God" because he was willing to surrender even his most beloved possession (Isaac) to please the Lord (Jas 2:21-23). Back to text.