Translations: Chinese GB Big5

JAMES 1:1-11 (web)

Christian Faith Endures Trials

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Faith Endures Trials with Patience

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Let endurance have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Faith Prays in Trials with Conviction

But 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.

But let him ask in faith, without any doubting,
for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed.

For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Faith Endures Trials with Humility

But let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position;

and the rich, in that he is made humble,
because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away.

For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass,
and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes.
So also will the rich man fade away in his pursuits.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Faith Endures Trials with Patience. vs 2-4

Rom 5:3-4

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"

Mt 6:13

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

The word "temptation" here is the same word in the greek as "trials" in verse 2.
If we should consider it pure joy to face trials, why should we ask God to not lead us into them?
What types of trials have you gone through that have tested your faith?
How did you benefit from such trials or
how might your life or your thinking be different if you hadn't gone through such trials?
How would you distinguish one who is mature in his faith from one who is immature?
Is it the trials themselves or the proper reaction to them that develop maturity?

Lu 8:13 "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away."

What character qualities have you been growing in as a result of persevering through trials?

Faith Prays in Trials with Conviction. vs 5-8

Examples of asking God for wisdom:

1Kings 3:9

"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?"

Eph1:17

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better"

Col 1:9

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"

If you're praying for wisdom, how do you know whether you have obtained it?
When it says "he must believe and not doubt", does it mean that we are not to doubt that God will give us exactly what we are asking for, or that God has heard us and we put our faith in Him to answer as He desires?

Mt 9:28

"And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord."

Mr 11:24

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

If we believe that we will receive the specific thing we asked for, is our own faith the basis of our belief, or is God the basis of our belief?
From this section does the type of faith that says, "Let me try this out and see what happens" qualify as Christian faith?

Rom 4:20-22

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness."

Faith Endures Trials with Humility. vs 9-11

Why are humble circumstances considered a "high postion"?
Or why is being a rich christian considered a "low position"?
Which position would you prefer?
What does it mean for the rich man to take pride in his low position?

2Co 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Is your interpretation consistent with

"This is what the LORD says: 'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD." Jer 9:23,24

In what ways can a person be rich?
What are the disadvantages to being rich?

Comments

James Intro

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

The twelve tribes refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. Or in context he's most likely referring to Hebrew Christians who have been scattered among the nations due to the persecution against Christians in Judea. Peter, James and John had been leaders in the church of Jerusalem and while Paul focussed on the Gentiles, these had focussed on the Jews. We notice also Peter starts off 1st Peter with "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia" 1Peter 1:1 But of course although the main constituents to which this is written are Jewish Christian, yet because we are all one body, James is also applicable to Gentile believers, just as Paul's letter, say to the Corinthians, applies not only to the Corinthian Christians, but to all Christians, even to this day.

Trials invoke Maturity

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Likewise Paul writes, "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Rom 5:3-5

There are many different kinds of trials in life. Whether its suffering persecution for our faith, or the grief of dealing with rebellious brethren, or grieving over our own sin, or it may be the suffering associated with exercising self-control, or even just the natural physical suffering that comes from life, as we respond to whatever kind of suffering we face in meekness with faith in Christ, we mature as Christians.

In his parable of the sower Jesus describes the good soil in this way, "the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." Luke 8:15 Producing a good crop is partly a function of one's persevering. And with perseverance comes maturity. In contast are those among the thorns. "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature." Luke 8:14 Worst still are those on the rocks. "Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away." Luke 8:13 What kind of a Christian are you?

2Th 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Got Wisdom?

James 1:5 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.

What kind of things do you ask for in prayer? The prayers we find in the New Testament are atypical of what dominates the prayers of Christians today. (See The Prayer Series) And one night "God appeared to Solomon and said to him, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'" 2Chr 1:7 Of the many things Solomon could have asked he asked for wisdom. "Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?" 2Chr 1:10 What would you have asked for?

And notice Paul's prayers:

Eph 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Col 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

If you lack wisdom in any area of life, ask for it. "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." Pr 4:7 "Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you" Pr 24:14 "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul." Pr 2:10 And what is "Wisdom" but understanding the right application of knowledge.

I Doubt It

James 1:6-8 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

In fact Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done." Mt 21:21 What these are referring to is asking with the confidence born of a good conscience concerning God's will. For example it might be that a person may ask for wisdom with regards to a circumstance in their life, but in fact had already made up their mind, and only "pray for wisdom" so that they could claim they prayed for wisdom. Christian faith should be a confident faith, but not a persumptuous faith. And you cannot create your own reality by simply believing confidently enough. Rather if you are confident concerning God's will, then you can ask confidently and act confidently on your faith.

A double-minded person has an impure heart. James later writes, "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." Jas 4:8 Those who don't walk confidently in the Christian faith, the half-hearted Christians, shouldn't expect answers to their prayers as they are not involved in God's ministry. But walk as Jesus walked, in a good conscience and sincere faith, cooperating with God and He will cooperate with you.

The High Position of the Humble

James 1:9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.

That is, as James will later say, "Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith" James 2:5b Such is the case for all brethren living in humble circumstances. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." Luke 6:20 Those circumstances may involve material poverty, poor health, low social status for some reason. Or generally a circumstance in which one is subject to prejudice. Humiliation, when reacted to properly, can invoke the most essential of all virtues - namely, humility. And most characteristic of those God honors are the humble. Jesus lived in humble circumstances. He chose ordinary men living in humble circumstances as his apostles. The Lord says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Is 66:2

As for taking pride in his high position, one is reminded of Paul boasting of his suffering humiliation for Christ, giving a whole list of circumstances he endured in 2Cor 11:23-28, concluding, "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." 2Cor 11:30 and "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2Cor 12:9,10

The Low Position of the Rich

James 1:10,11 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

"What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." 1Cor 7:29-31 "For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." 1Peter 1:24,25 Therefore, says the Lord, "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight" Jer 9:23,24

JAMES 1:1-11 RAP

1:2 A Christian should be joyful if he finds
He faces many trials of different kinds.
3 Endure through trials, they'll make you new.
Endurance itself will become a part of you.
4 And if, in fact, you do endure
You'll find that you become more mature
5 And if you don't know what to do.
Just ask God, He'll answer you.
6 But ask believing without doubt.
For surely God can figure it out.
He who doubts is like a wave of the sea
Blown and tossed by the wind he must be.
7 Don't think he will receive from the Lord.
8 Double-minded, unstable, full of discord.
9 The humble brother ought to take pride
10 For in a high position he does abide.
11 The rich should also take pride, you know,
Because his position is really low.
Like a wild flower that passes away
So he will fade from the scene and his riches decay.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources

Nov 02,2011