by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE EFFECTIVE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN CAN RESTORE THE WEAK PERSECUTED BELIEVER AND LOVING INTERVENTION CAN RESCUE SINNING UNBELIEVERS INTRODUCTION: John MacArthur: [I am following his view of this passage rather than the majority position that focuses on...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAITH THAT PATIENTLY PERSEVERES AVOIDS THREE DANGERS BY THE PROPER FEAR OF GOD INTRODUCTION: Craig Blomberg: Many commentators end the body of the letter at 5:6, but this appears a singularly inappropriate place for so major a break. Vv. 1–6, after all,...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DON’T USURP THE ROLE OF GOD AS JUDGE OR MASTER PLANNER INTRODUCTION: A lot of times Christians try to play God without even realizing the folly of what they are doing. Craig Blomberg: Despite formal parallels with 5:1–6, the present section really is...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: HUMBLY DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: So here the two ways are set with particular clarity and urgency before his readers: earthly wisdom or heavenly wisdom, self-interest or the law of love, self-exaltation or...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ROOT AND FRUIT OF GODLY WISDOM VALIDATES OUR FAITH AND PROMOTES PEACE – TWO CONTRASTING TYPES OF WISDOM INTRODUCTION: George Guthrie: We now come to a focal passage for the whole of James. As noted in our treatment of James 1:5–8, true wisdom, the wisdom...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE TAMING OF THE TONGUE IS NO SMALL MATTER — BUT IT WILL PREVENT BIG-TIME TROUBLE INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: James’s thought in the present section has three layers. The first (3:1–2) is a proverb concerning teachers, which serves to introduce the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OBEDIENT DEEDS (GOOD WORKS) = THE TEST ( OR EVIDENCE) OF GENUINE FAITH INTRODUCTION: Dale Allison: James appeals to Abraham to teach that justification is by works and not by faith alone. Romans and Galatians, by contrast, appeal to Abraham to teach that...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DO NOT HOLD YOUR FAITH IN OUR GLORIOUS LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH AN ATTITUDE OF PERSONAL FAVORITISM INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: The first chapter of James is in some ways an extended multilayered introduction to the entire letter. With this completed, James...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PRACTICAL EVIDENCES OF OBEDIENCE NEGATIVE: CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE POSITIVE: SOCIAL CONCERN AND MORAL PURITY INTRODUCTION: Alec Motyer: The three Christian characteristics of verses 26–27 are thus not an arbitrary choice. They say to us “Like Father, like...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PROVE YOURSELVES DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NOT MERELY HEARERS INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: His central purpose is to issue a call for the observance of a faith that practices, rather than a mere formal profession of faith. In this James echoes the thought of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD BLESSES US FROM START TO FINISH INTRODUCTION: Rather than God being the source of tempting us to evil, He must be recognized as the giver of every good gift and the one who has sovereignly granted us spiritual life. Craig Blomberg:...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: TEMPTATIONS CANNOT BE BLAMED ON GOD INTRODUCTION: James switches his focus from Trials sourced in our external circumstances to Temptations arising from sin within. These two can easily be related since our response to external Trials can unleash inner...
by Paul Apple | Apr 17, 2020 | Bible-NT
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: If we fail the tests of faith that James has provided...
