James 1:1-12 — Faith Without Perseverance is Dead – Part 1

BIG IDEA:

TRIALS TEST OUR FAITH WITH THE GOAL OF PERSEVERANCE

INTRODUCTION:

James is concerned with the effectiveness of our faith.  As we examine our faith, there are two different possible threads of application:

1. If we fail the tests of faith that James has provided we need to examine ourselves to see if our heart has deceived us with a mere profession of faith without the reality of genuine saving faith.
2. But the major thread since James is writing to professing believers deals with the growth of our faith into maturity.

We will all be challenged by the different areas which James chooses to highlight – we will find ourselves somewhere along the spectrum of faith for each topic.  James wants to motivate believers to press on in their faith to maturity.

Peter Davids: James presents the first statement of his main themes in 1:2–11.

1. The first of the three major concepts which he brings together is that the genuineness of faith will be tested. James argues that this testing is for the benefit of the individual, for it produces the approved character.
2. The second concept is that the “wisdom” needed to discern the test and stand fast under pressure is the gift of God to the person who seeks him with a single heart, i.e. with his total being. “Wisdom” functions for James in an analogous position to that which “Holy Spirit” occupies for Paul.
3. The third concept is that one major situation in which belief is tested is the use of wealth. Faith is the great equalizer, but can the wealthy Christian stand the test? Will he share with his poorer brother? Will he try to compromise when his radical adherence to the faith threatens his economic circumstances?

These issues begin to emerge in this opening paragraph.

George Guthrie: The first and last verses of this introductory movement of the book may be taken as marking the beginning and end of a cohesive unit. Placed in the context of the whole book, we see that the themes of trials, wisdom, and wealth recur over and again and, when understood in light of James’s overall program, make sense in relation to one another.

John MacArthur: James does not distinguish between internal and external trials, doubtless because they typically are indistinguishable. What begins as a purely external problem inevitably develops internal problems and testings. And, of course, it is the internal effect of trials, the way in which we respond to them, that involves our faith. Whether the trial begins as a financial problem or physical illness, as a disappointment, criticism, fear, or persecution, it is our attitude about it and response to it that reflect our spiritual condition. . .

Recognizing that trials are an essential means God uses to perfect Christian character, James gives five keys for persevering through them.

1. A joyful attitude
2. An understanding mind
3. A submissive will
4. A believing heart
5. A humble spirit

Dan McCartney: All of James 1 serves to give an overview of James’s concern with the life of faith, or faithful life. All the concerns that will later be developed in James 2–5 are introduced here: the importance of genuine and unwavering faith, the nature and desirability of wisdom, not just hearing but doing God’s word, the importance of self-control, the problem of self-deception, the dangers of wealth and the corresponding blessing of the poor, and the importance of prayer.

The two overarching concerns of faith and wisdom are presented in the opening paragraph. James is especially interested in the importance and indispensability of genuine faith and unyielding conviction, and this interest runs right through the letter. But it is also clear from this opening that James’s audience is facing problems that are putting that faith to the test, problems that require wisdom. James writes his letter in response to the sufferings, trials, and temptations that threaten the integrity of the community of those who have believed in Jesus as Lord and Christ.

Craig Blomberg: Exegetical Outline

I.  Greetings (1:1)

II.  Statement of Three Key Themes (1:2–11)

A.  Christians Should Respond to Trials by Rejoicing at the Maturity They Can Foster (vv. 2–4).

1. They should count them as grounds for thorough joy (vv. 2–3).
2. They should allow perseverance to lead them to maturity (v. 4).

B.  Christians Should Respond to Trials by Asking God for Wisdom (vv. 5–8).

1. They must ask, sometimes persistently, and they will receive (v. 5a-d).
2. The assured result is that God will give wisdom (v. 5e).
3. The manner of prayer must be with faith that does not doubt that God can give (vv. 6–8).

a.  This is because the doubter is unstable, like turbulent sea waves (v. 6).

b.  This is because the doubter will receive nothing from the Lord (v. 7).

c.  [This is because] the doubter is torn between two allegiances (v. 8).

C.  Christians Should Respond to Trials by Viewing Them As Leveling Experiences That Often Invert the Roles of Rich and Poor (vv. 9–11).

1. Poor Christians must boast in their exalted position (v. 9).
2. Rich Christians must boast in their humble position (vv. 10–11).

(:1)  OPENING SALUTATION

Ralph Martin: In an opening salutation James directs his writing to his compatriots of the messianic faith whom he regards also as one in kinship with ethnic Israel in the international arena. This use of a conventional “greeting” is meant to pave the way for the call which follows, with the link-word of “joy” (chara) producing a word association with greeting (chairein). His authority as God’s servant is placed in a prominent position; he chooses to pass over his natural kinship with his brother Jesus since now Jesus is the exalted Lord, known by faith and crowned with “glory” (2:1).

A.  Author

1. Identification = James

Half-brother of Jesus  — Gal. 2:9, 12; Jude 1; Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18;

(Note how this refutes the Catholic notion of the perpetual virginity of Mary)

So prominent that he could be referred to only by his personal name with no other qualifying remarks.

Tony Miano: We’re going to look at three phases of James’ life. Some of you may be able to relate really well to this. We’re going to look at

• James, the skeptical brother;
• James, the saved sinner; and
• James, the servant Leader.

https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/and-to-think-i-called-him-crazy-tony-miano-sermon-on-people-in-the-gospel-32007

R. Kent Hughes: James was a late bloomer, but he flowered well! James knew Christ as only a few could. For years he had eaten at the same table, shared the same house, played in the same places, and watched the development of his amazing older brother. And when he truly came to know Christ, his boyhood privilege was not wasted, for he became known as James the Just, a man of immense piety. The historian Eusebius records the testimony of Hegesippus that James “used to enter alone into the temple and be found kneeling and praying for forgiveness for the people, so that his knees grew hard like a camel’s because of his constant worship of God, kneeling and asking forgiveness for the people. So from his excessive righteousness he was called the Just.”

2. Life Calling

“bond-servant

                     of God

and of the Lord Jesus Christ

James writes as one who is totally sold out to the will of God; quite a change from his lack of belief in John 7:5.

Expression of humility — striking in the life of a brother!

Commitment to serving Christ.

William Barclay: Yet, at the back of it, this word implies a certain pride.  So far from being a title of dishonor it was the title by which the greatest ones of the Old Testament were known.  Moses was the doulos of God … By taking the title doulos James sets himself in the great succession of those who found their freedom and their peace and their glory in perfect submission to the will of God.  The only greatness to which the Christian can ever aspire is the greatness of being the slave of God.

Craig Blomberg: Commentators have often marveled that James does not refer to himself either as an apostle (cf. Gal 1:19) or as Jesus’ brother, and some have used these omissions as an argument for pseudonymity. Most likely, however, James is implying that his familial relationship to Jesus gives him no extra authority, while his addressees would have already known of his role as chief elder in Jerusalem. Instead, he wants to stress that he is a fellow slave to God in Christ, just like his readers.  Indeed, it seems less likely that a pseudepigrapher would have used so nonauthoritative a descriptor.

David Nystrom: In the Old Testament the term servant is often used of persons who are placed in positions of authority because they combine loyalty to God with humility before him. This is especially true of the “servant songs” of Isaiah 42–53.  In summary, the Old Testament often describes a person or persons selected by God to bear authority as “servants.” This designation indicates a humble willingness to be at God’s disposal and to live according to his principles.

B.  Recipients

1. Identification

“to the twelve tribes“

James, as the initial leader of the church in Jerusalem, bore a special relationship and responsibility to these Jewish believers; note that Jews still have a special status in the program of God — it is still valid to maintain the ethnic distinction between Jew and Gentile despite the areas of identity among true believers.

2. Location

“who are dispersed abroad” — Acts 8:1; 11:19

Try to imagine the unique pressures on these Jewish believers who had every expectation of victory and the kingdom of God on earth and yet found themselves pressured and persecuted on every side.

Curtis Vaughan: “Dispersion” was a technical term used for the Jews who were scattered over the Gentile world outside of Palestine.  (The word occurs in only two other places in the New Testament — John 7:35 and I Peter 1:1).

R. Kent Hughes: When Jewish Christians were first persecuted in Jerusalem after the death of Stephen, they fled first to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1) and then to Jewish communities around the Mediterranean (Acts 11:19, 20). Tragically these Jewish Christians were not taken in by their expatriate Jewish kinsmen, but rather were rejected and persecuted.

Further, refused protection by the Jewish community, these Jewish Christians were exploited by the Gentiles. Homeless and disenfranchised, they were robbed of what possessions they had, hauled into court, and subjected to the Gentile elite. They had less standing than slaves. They became religious, social, and economic pariahs.

C.  Greetings

“Greetings”

Root meaning of the word is “joy”

David Nystrom: The book of James is also a letter, but of somewhat different character. It possesses a homiletical quality and reads much like a tract or a didactic essay. This is true for at least two reasons: (1) The letter begins an exposition of its themes almost immediately, with little or no evidence of personal sentiment; and (2) the audience is essentially undetermined.

I.  (:2-4) TRIALS SHOULD BE VIEWED AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR POSITIVE OUTCOMES

• Trials from without covered here;
• Temptations from within covered in next section

A.  (:2) Opportunity for Greater Joy

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials“

1. Trials are Inevitable (but Unpredictable — Allen) and Unexpected as to When and What
2. Trials are Varied — come in all shapes and sizes

• • as to their severity
  • as to their nature

All of us face different trials, uniquely tailored for us

Robert Gundry: “Various” describes the temptations in that they included displacement from homeland, social ostracism, economic boycott, and the loss of loved ones and friends through martyrdom—all because of persecution.

Alec Motyer: He is nothing if not realistic: life is a tale of various trials. The Greek here is more vivid than the English word various. In classical Greek poikilos means ‘many-coloured, variegated’, and from this basic meaning it came to be used for ‘diversified, complex, intricate’. Matthew (4:24) uses it to describe ‘any and every kind’ of sickness dealt with in the healing ministry of our Lord; Paul (2 Tim. 3:6) uses it of the limitless shapes which human desires take; and Peter (1 Pet. 4:10), of the endless ways in which the grace of God is proved to be sufficient for our needs. As he writes, James throws his main emphasis on poikilos: ‘… when you fall in with trials—no matter what form they may take.’ What a true picture of life!

3. Trials bind us together in the family of God
4. Our Response Should be a Perspective of Joy Rather than Depression

Not just look for a silver lining, but consider it all joy (your perspective towards the experience as a whole)

Curtis Vaughan: Christians can triumph in trials.

Brian Racer: Examples of responding out of the flesh = grumbling, anxiety, stress.  Instead we are commanded to adopt an extraordinary attitude toward trials.  Requires thinking of the outcomes of the trial = what God is trying to accomplish; Requires mental discipline; the pain and the pressure are all part of a larger process.  Not saying that we are to rejoice in just the circumstances alone.

Craig Blomberg: Joy may be defined as a settled contentment in every situation or “an unnatural reaction of deep, steady and unadulterated thankful trust in God.”

Thomas Lea: This does not suggest that we should seek out trials. Nor are we to pretend that enduring trials is pleasant. They cause pain and difficulty. Still, we should look at trials as an occasion for joy because of their potential for producing something good in us. This calls us consciously to develop a positive attitude toward trials, quite contrary to our normal response. Similarly, Hebrews regards trials as the discipline a Father gives to help us share in God’s holiness (Heb. 12:10).

B.  (:3) Opportunity for Greater Endurance

“knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance“

Shows us how genuine is our faith; Produces endurance

Adversity builds toughness; Prosperity makes us soft.

William Barclay: Hupomone is not simply the ability to bear things; it is the ability to turn them to greatness and glory.

Craig Blomberg: This approval produces “endurance” (ὑπομονήν), a key value for James.  The RSV captures the active nature of this patience, calling it “steadfastness,” for this is not a passive virtue but a steady clinging to the truth within any situation. Tamez expresses it as “militant patience,” embracing the idea that James does not advocate a downtrodden passivity, but rather an engaged waiting (cf. NEB, “fortitude”), a concept foreign to our culture in which patience is often considered letting others walk over us. In short, “endurance is faith stretched out.”

Allen: Problems Purify my Faith…

James uses the word “testing” – as in testing gold and silver. You would heat them up very hot until the impurities were burned off. Job said, “But God knows the way that I take, and when he has tested me, I will come out like gold.” Job 23:10 (NCV)

God is not interested in watching our faith get torpedoed. God desires that our faith would be “approved.” A student who is accepted by the admissions office of a college can say, “I am a student.” But until that person takes tests and exams, no one can actually affirm that he is worthy of the name “student.” They only way to determine the validity of a student’s work is to see the performance on exams.

Christians are a lot like tea bags. You don’t know what’s inside of them until you drop them in hot water. Your faith develops when things don’t go as planned. It purifies your faith.

Brian Racer: Importance of finishing strong.  It is said to see believers who failed the test and didn’t finish well; or who ran away from the test and didn’t stay under the pressure and allow it to accomplish God’s purposes in the process of character building.  God doesn’t want us to bail out of the relationship or out of the commitment.  Endurance is needed to squeeze everything out of the trial; but endurance is not an end in itself.  Some trials last a long time; as you get more mature it takes longer to reach your pressure point.  We can take illustrations from the realm of sports to easily see the value in stressful training.  The suicide sprints are not fun in themselves, but they produce greater endurance and an ability to accomplish more as a team.  When the championship result is attained, the training seems very worthwhile!  Athletes learn to visualize that reward ahead of time to help them through the process.

C.  (:4) Opportunity for Greater Maturity

“And let endurance have its perfect result,

that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing“

William Barclay: Perfect in the sense of “fit for the task in the world which he was sent into the world to do, and which God meant him to do.”

Brian Racer: Proven character produces Hope (Rom. 5:1-5).  Author implies that each test has a specific ending point, with the ultimate finish line being the passing out of this life to the next.  We need to keep on Keeping On until we hear God say, “Well done.”

Dale Allison Jr.: 1.3-4 has played a role in debates over the nature of Christian perfection. Wesley identied the ‘perfect work’ of v. 4 with full sanctification. He fretted much over whether it is typically the outcome of a protracted process or—as he eventually came to believe—is more often than not rather an instantaneous work of God.   Some of his followers have occasionally cited the passage to prove that God requires perfection, which must include sinlessness. To this others have responded that 3.2 indicts everyone, including the author, as a sinner, and that 1.2 has to do with the perfection of steadfastness, not a second work of the soul leading to sinlessness.

Craig Blomberg: In light of the full range of NT teaching, this “wholeness” is characterized by the absence of self-centeredness and division, the presence of the fruit of the Spirit, the ability to teach others, deeper insight into God’s will and ways, greater trustworthiness—in short, growing in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Dan McCartney: “Not lacking in anything,” or being fully equipped, perhaps also carries forward the priestly notion of proper investiture and preparation, but may be more closely associated with military imagery, being fully outfitted for battle. Since endurance was the prime virtue of a soldier, this certainly fits. Whatever the particulars of the image in James’s mind, the meaning is clear: the strengthening of endurance through trials is an important aspect of Christian life, and without it the Christian is ill-equipped for service to God, whether that service be viewed in military, athletic, or priestly imagery (all of which are used in the NT at one point or another).

George Guthrie: James 1:2–4 challenges believers undergoing trials to consider their difficulties from the vantage point of the spiritual payoff of the experience. Such trials may be embraced with joy, therefore, not by relishing the trial itself but rather by seeing the greater effect as one learns to endure in such circumstances. Neither is the act of enduring in and of itself the ultimate goal. Instead, the path of endurance leads to a place of well-rounded Christian character, a place where we do not lack the necessary equipment for facing the variety of difficulties we are bound to experience in this life.

II.  (:5-8) TRIALS TEST OUR FAITH AS WE ASK GOD FOR WISDOM

A.  (:5) Ask God for Wisdom

1. Trials Expose our Need for Wisdom

“But if any of you lacks wisdom“

2. Trials Drive us to God for Answers and for the Grace to Endure

“let him ask of God“

3. God Loves to Help Us — this encourages us to ask Him for wisdom

a.  Impartial

                                    “who gives to all men”

b.  Generous

                                    “generously”

c.  Accepting

                                    “without reproach”

d.  Faithful

                                    “and it will be given to him”

Thomas Lea: Four facts about God encourage us to ask for this wisdom. First, God is a giving God. Giving to those who ask from him is natural for God. Second, God gives generously to all. He has no favorite recipients of his gifts, but gives to all classes, races, and types of people. Third, God gave without finding fault. God does not give in such a way as to humiliate us. He does not chastise us for our failures or hold our unworthiness against us. He is always ready to add new blessings to old ones without finding fault in us for our many shortcomings. Finally, God promises to answer those who come seeking wisdom. A request according to his will receives his answer (1 John 5:14–15).

B.  (:6-8) Ask God in Faith Without any Doubting

Ralph Martin: Having stated the clear character of a beneficent and bountiful giver James moves on to stress how appropriate also is the human response in a faith that is wholehearted and loyal. Building on the (mainly) Deuteronomic teaching on Israel’s calling to be devoted to Yahweh with a single heart, he exposes the folly of a person with divided affections, likening that person’s predicament to that of a storm-tossed boat. That same imagery supplies the punch line of the pericope: the double allegiance that people cherish, hoping to serve God and Mammon (Matt 6:24), leaves them in no better shape than a frail vessel on angry seas; they are tossed about in all their ways.

1. What does it mean to Ask in Faith?
2. What does it mean to Doubt?

a.  Analogy — Unstable

“like the surf of the sea

driven and tossed by the wind“

b.  Failure –

“for let not that man expect that he will receive anything

from the Lord“

Dan McCartney: James is telling his hearers that they should in no way fail to commit to God and must wholeheartedly and single-mindedly trust his character and promises.

c.  Description

                                1)  “being a double-minded man”

Douglas Moo: The ‘double-mindedness’ that James criticizes here is the antithesis both of that ‘wholeness’ or ‘perfection’ (teleios) which is the goal of Christian living (v. 4) and of God’s ‘single’, ‘wholehearted’ character (v. 5). This desire for singleness and purity of intention is a leading theme in verses 2–8, and occurs throughout the letter (see esp. 4:4–10, where James again uses the word dipsychos [v. 8]).

2)  “unstable in all his ways“

Chromy: The double-minded man has reservations about being completely yielded to God. You are double-minded when you want your own will and God’s will at the same time. God wants you to trust him completely and allow him to take care of you throughout difficulties.

Craig Blomberg: The last phrase, “in all their ways” (ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ), shows them to be consistently inconsistent throughout their lives.  This verse sheds further light on the original question of who is a doubter and what it means to be double-minded: these are people who are unwilling to let go of the world and truly follow Christ, torn between sin and obedience, reluctant to let go of the pleasures of the world for the sake of discipleship. This description hits close to home in an age of nominal Christians who attend church from time to time, perhaps even regularly, but who refuse to let God interfere with their daily lives and goals.

David Nystrom: Being “unstable” is a quality that marks one’s whole existence, not just spiritual life. It carries the idea of inclining this way and that, but never committing. Paul uses the noun form of this word to mean “disorder” (1 Cor. 14:33; 2 Cor. 12:20), and in Luke Jesus uses it to mean “revolutions” (Luke 21:9). This word is rare in Greek literature before James, but prevalent in Christian literature afterwards, speaking perhaps to the influence of James.

III.  (:9-12)  PERSEVERANCE UNDER TRIAL BRINGS BLESSING FOR ETERNITY

R. Kent Hughes: Webster defines a paradox as “a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.” An example of this is the statement, “giving is receiving.” The Scriptures contain many paradoxes, telling us that the weak are strong, the empty are full, the slave is free, the cursed are blessed, and death brings life—all statements that first strike the ear as contradictory, but become increasingly true to us as we meditate on them. G. K. Chesterton gave this magnificent definition of a paradox: “a paradox is truth standing on its head shouting for attention.” In my mind’s eye I see truths lined up like ridiculous people on their heads, feet waving in the air, calling, “Hey, look at me! Up is down! Down is up! Think about it.” Paradox is a powerful vehicle for truth, because it makes people think.

James, concerned that his pressured readers not succumb to instability, resorted to paradoxes in verses 9, 10 to convey stabilizing wisdom. First: “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation”—the paradox of the rich poor. And second: “. . . and the rich in his humiliation”—the paradox of the poor rich. Together these powerful paradoxes shouted with poignancy and effect to James’ persecuted, scattered brethren, and they do the same for all today who feel out of sync with the prevailing culture, and especially to those suffering for their faith socially and economically.

A.  (:9-11) This Present Life is Transitory

(Dealing with believers in both categories)

Daniel Doriani: The poor are prone to dishonor God by breaking his law, if necessary, to obtain the next meal. But the rich are prone to trust their wealth and power and so to forget God. The rich are also tempted to insult and abuse the poor (James 2:6–7), to live for themselves, and to exploit whomever they can (5:3–6).

In truth, God singles out neither the rich nor the poor for special testing (1:13). The poor must remember they have an exalted position in God’s eyes (1:9). The rich must remember the dangers of materialism. They must believe their life is fleeting, impermanent, and beyond their control, as it is for everyone else (1:10–11).

Douglas Moo: James, then, exhorts both poor and rich Christians to remember that the sole basis for their confidence is their identification with Jesus Christ. Poor believers, insignificant and of no account in the eyes of the world, are to rejoice in their relationship with the Lord who has been exalted to the highest position in the universe. Rich believers, well off and secure in their possessions, with great status in the eyes of the world, are to remember that their only lasting security comes through their relationship with the ‘man of suffering’, ‘despised and rejected by mankind’. Both types of Christians, in other words, must look at their lives from a heavenly, not an earthly, perspective.

1. (:9)  Easier Understood by the Poor — the Test of Poverty

“But let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position“

Craig Blomberg: If scarcity of goods inherently improves one’s spirituality, no biblical text would ever command help for the poor! Far more likely is the view that sees James as referring to our promised exaltation in the life to come. Focusing on our future destiny can, of course, begin to reframe our perspectives on the present as well, as we look beyond our socioeconomic status and begin to see the world through God’s eyes.

2. (:10)  Harder for the Rich to Understand — the Test of Prosperity (Vaughan)

“and let the rich man glory in his humiliation,

because like flowering grass he will pass away“

R.V.G. Tasker: Similarly, the rich brother is to rejoice that in Christ he has been brought down to a level where “the deceitfulness of riches” (Mk. iv. 19) and the anxiety to amass and retain them are no longer primary or even relevant considerations; for in Christ he has learned to make a totally different evaluation of material prosperity.  The new factor in his situation is that he has come to see that real wealth lies in the things that abide because they are eternal, and that it is the unseen things that have this characteristic… In comparison with these unshakable possessions material riches are recognized by him to be what in fact they are, transitory and uncertain.

William Barclay: If life is so uncertain, if man is so vulnerable, if the externals of life are so perishable, then calamity and disaster may come at any moment.  Since that is so, a man is a fool to put all his trust in things –like wealth–which he may lose at any moment.  He is only wise if he puts his trust in things which he cannot lose.

So then, James urges the rich to cease to put their trust in that which their own power can amass.  He urges them to realize and to admit their own essential human helplessness, and humbly to put their trust in God, who alone can give us the things which abide for ever.  He is pleading with men to glory in that new humility which realizes its utter dependence on God.

Peter Davids: The wealthy Christian is instructed to take no pride in possessions or position, but rather to think on his self-abasement in identifying with Christ (i.e. repenting) and Christ’s poor people. This is how most scholars have interpreted the phrase (e.g. Adamson, Cantinat, Mayor, Mussner, Ropes).

3. (:11)  Proven by Nature

“For the sun rises with a scorching wind, and withers the grass;

and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed;

so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away“

George Guthrie: The term rendered “scorching heat” by the NIV could also refer to the sirocco, a seasonal, burning “wind” (NASB) that blows for three or four days in the fall and spring, and this is a common use of the word in the LXX (e.g., Hos 12:2; 13:15; Isa 49:10; Jer 18:17). Yet that wind blows day and night, not being directly related to the rising of the sun (Davids, 78). It is better, therefore, with the NIV, to understand the reference here to the blazing heat of the sun.

B.  (:12) Living for Eternity Makes Trials Bearable

Dan McCartney: It is unusual to group 1:12 with 1:9–11. Most commentators notice the theme of “testing/temptation” in 1:12 (the word πειρασμός, peirasmos, can mean either “testing” or “temptation”) and therefore take that verse as introducing the subject of temptation in 1:13–15.  Further, it is difficult to see 1:12 as somehow connected with the eschatological reversal material of 1:9–11.

Nevertheless, I agree with a few recent commentators (Moo 2000: 71–72; Johnson 1995: 174–76; cf. Penner 1996: 144–47) who think that the break should be between 1:12 and 1:13, with “testing/temptation” as simply the catchword that provides a pivot to the new subject. Note that the testing in 1:12 is a cause for blessedness and is of a different kind than the temptation in 1:13–15, which is a cause of sin. Further, the endurance of testing in 1:12 forms an inclusio, or verbal bracket, with 1:2–3, where endurance and testing are likewise linked positively. The sun with its scorching heat in 1:11 is an image for testing, reflecting the experience of suffering in the desert. Finally, 1:12 has the character of a saying, or proverbial form, one of several in James that evince the wisdom character of this letter. James typically uses these “proverbial sayings” to conclude or encapsulate a matter rather than introduce a new subject (see, e.g., 1:27; 2:13, 26; 3:11–12, 18; 4:17).

1. Enduring Trials Brings Blessing

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial“

Daniel Doriani: As James sees it, God fashions maturity and endurance by means of the trials that befall us. Do we take responsibility and endure, or doubt and blame God? Our response to trials reveals our heart condition. This is the first concern of James’s letter to the Christian Jews under his care.

George Guthrie: The word translated “Blessed” (makarios, GK 3421) calls to mind Jesus’ teachings, especially the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3–11; 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46; Lk 6:20–22; 7:23; 11:27–28; Jn 13:17; 20:29), which hark back to Jewish tradition embodied, for instance, in the Psalms (e.g., Pss 1:1–2:12; 31:1; 39:5; 83:5; 111:1; 143:15). “Blessedness” has to do with well-being in life that flows from the favorable position in which one is rightly related to God (Johnson, 187). Here the blessing is for the person who endures a trial. The absence of the Greek article probably indicates that no specific trial is in view, and the earlier passage, 1:2–4, has noted that trials are “various” (NASB). James, then, is interested in giving his readers encouragement in the face of discouraging and difficult experiences in general.

2. Passing the Test of Faith Brings God’s Approval

“for once he has been approved“

3. The Reward

“the Crown of Life“

the crown which consists of life

Brian Racer: Since multiple trials are referred, which each have an ending point, it would seem as if the reward is realized in this life rather than in eternity, since successful perseverance gains immediate approval.

Thomas Lea: The crown is not a physical object but a spiritual privilege which gives a deeper, fuller life on earth (John 10:10) and an unending, joyous life in the world to come.

John MacArthur: Perseverance attests to God’s approval, for it gives evidence of eternal life (salvation). In other words, perseverance does not result in salvation and eternal life, but is itself the result and evidence of salvation and eternal life.

4. The Requirement

“which the Lord has promised to those who love Him“