Jam 1:12-27 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Jas 1:12-27: 1:12-27 James addresses the same three topics as in 1:2-11 , adding a new dimension to each topic. External testing (1:2-4 ) becomes internal temptation (1:11-18 ); the need for wisdom (1:5-8 ) is related to controlling angry speech (1:19-21 ); and poverty/wealth relate to the need to act upon God’s word (1:22-25 ). The section then summarizes these themes (1:26-27 ). 1:12 Those who love him are faithful and obedient (cp. 1:22-25 ; 2:5 ; Deut 7:9 ; 1 Jn 5:2 ).

Summary for Jas 1:12-27: 1:12-27 ^a James addresses the same three topics as in 1:2-11 ^b, adding a new dimension to each topic. External testing (1:2-4 ^c) becomes internal temptation (1:11-18 ^d); the need for wisdom (1:5-8 ^e) is related to controlling angry speech (1:19-21 ^f); and poverty/wealth relate to the need to act upon God’s word (1:22-25 ^g). The section then summarizes these themes (1:26-27 ^h). 1:12 ⁱ Those who love him are faithful and obedient (cp. 1:22-25 ^j; 2:5 ^k; Deut 7:9 ^l; 1 Jn 5:2 ^m).
1:13 ⁿ do not say: James is using diatribe, an ancient Greek rhetorical technique in which an imaginary opponent presents a contrary opinion. In this way he is able to voice the readers’ possible objection and immediately refute it (also in 2:3 ^o, 16 ^p, 18 ^q; 4:13 ^r).

• God is never tempted to do wrong: The alternate translation (see footnote) dulls the parallelism with he never tempts.
1:14 ^s Like hooks for fishing or traps for hunting, desires . . . entice us into sin and drag us away from faithfulness to God.
1:15 ^t When evil desires conceive, they give birth to sinful actions (literally sin, personified as an infant). When the infant sin is allowed to grow to full maturity, it gives birth to death, in opposition to “the crown of [eternal] life” (1:12 ^u).
1:17 ^v God is the Father of lights (see footnote) since he created everything in the heavens (Gen 1:3 ^w, 14-17 ^x). In contrast to the moving lights in the heavens, God never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
1:18 ^y God’s true word is the Good News (1:21-23 ^z; 1 Pet 1:23-25 ^aa).

• give birth: The imagery of a mother giving birth shows the full scope of God’s parental love for his children (cp. Luke 13:34 ^ab; John 1:13 ^ac; 3:3-8 ^ad; 1 Pet 1:23 ^ae).

• his prized possession: Literally a kind of firstfruit (cp. Exod 23:16 ^af; Lev 23:9-14 ^ag; 1 Cor 15:20 ^ah; Col 1:18 ^ai). Christians are examples of the ultimate restoration of all creation (Rom 8:20-22 ^aj).
1:21 ^ak get rid of: Literally put off, like filthy clothing; cp. Eph 4:22 ^al; 1 Pet 2:1 ^am.

• the word God has planted ... has the power to save your souls: James emphasizes that Christians are called to respond to a word that God himself has put within our very beings (in fulfillment of Jer 31:31-34 ^an).

• The soul refers to the whole person (so also in Jas 5:20 ^ao; see Gen 2:7 ^ap; 1 Pet 3:20 ^aq).
Summary for Jas 1:22-23: 1:22-23 ^ar In several places, James appears to be reflecting on Jesus’ teachings. These verses reflect the teaching of Jesus (Matt 7:24 ^as, 26 ^at; Luke 6:46 ^au, 49 ^av). 1:22 ^aw don’t just listen to God’s word: Reading the scriptures was an important part of worship (Luke 4:16-17 ^ax; Acts 13:13-16 ^ay; Col 4:16 ^az; 1 Tim 4:13 ^ba). Since most people could not read and copies were not readily available, they listened to the readings in public worship.
1:24 ^bb forget what you look like: The problem is not the poor quality of an ancient mirror but the inattention of the viewer (cp. Matt 7:24-27 ^bc).
1:25 ^bd law that sets you free: God’s word gives us new birth and salvation (1:18 ^be, 21 ^bf) but demands that we do what it says (1:22-25 ^bg).
Summary for Jas 1:26-27: 1:26-27 ^bh control (literally bridle) your tongue: James uses the graphic image of the bridle in a horse’s mouth to say that people’s ability to control their tongue indicates the condition of their heart and the whole direction of their life (cp. 3:1-13 ^bi).

• Orphans and widows were the most helpless members of ancient society. They were dependent upon the care of others, since the husband and father was the means of economic support and social contact (Exod 22:22-24 ^bj; Deut 10:18 ^bk). Christians are called to take care of the helpless (cp. 1 Tim 5:3-16 ^bl).

• In James, the world stands in opposition to God (cp. Jas 3:15 ^bm; 4:4 ^bn; Rom 12:2 ^bo; 1 Jn 2:15-17 ^bp).

Profile: James, Brother of Jesus
James, one of Jesus’ brothers (Matt 13:55 ^bq; Mark 6:3 ^br; Gal 1:19 ^bs; cp. Jude 1:1 ^bt), became the recognized leader of the church in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus’ resurrection. He is traditionally recognized as the author of the book of James.
Though Jesus’ brothers were initially skeptical of his claims (John 7:2-5 ^bu), they later became believers (Acts 1:14 ^bv). James’s personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor 15:7 ^bw) might have helped convince him. Two of Jesus’ brothers (James and Jude) are known to have played significant roles in the early Christian community. James quickly rose to the position of leader of the church in Jerusalem. At the council in Jerusalem, James was instrumental in getting the Jewish church leaders to accept Gentile believers without requiring that they be circumcised—a decision of major importance for Paul and the early mission to Gentiles (Acts 15:13-21 ^bx). Paul visited James in Jerusalem after his third missionary trip (Acts 21:18 ^by), just as he had done earlier, following his conversion (Gal 1:19 ^bz).
Like most Jewish Christians, James continued to observe the law of Moses. He emphasized the need for believers to observe certain key laws when among Jews (Acts 15:20-21 ^ca; 21:18-25 ^cb). James acknowledged the validity of Paul’s missionary calling and emphasis on salvation by faith alone (Gal 2:6-9 ^cc), but many Jewish Christians did not. These Jewish believers—whom Paul does link with James on one occasion (see Gal 2:12)—demanded that Gentile converts be circumcised and observe the law of Moses in order to join the Christian community.
James’s Jewish background is reflected in his letter, which is full of wise, practical advice for living, much of it in line with the traditional wisdom teaching of Jewish Scripture. One paragraph of his letter (Jas 5:1-6 ^cd) reads very much like the work of the Old Testament prophets (e.g., cp. Amos 5:21-24 ^ce; 6:1-7 ^cf).
James, titled “the Just” by his contemporaries, was apparently put to death for his faith by Jewish priests in Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities 20.9; Eusebius, Church History 2.23.4–18).

Passages for Further Study
Matt 13:55 ^cg; Mark 6:3 ^ch; Acts 12:17 ^ci; 15:13-21 ^cj; 21:18-25 ^ck; 1 Cor 15:7 ^cl; Gal 2:9 ^cm, 12 ^cn; Jas 1:1–5:20 ^co; Jude 1:1 ^cp