1 JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

THE PRAYER OF FAITH
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

ENDURING TESTS
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

BE DOERS OF THE WORD
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

1Iames a seruant of God, and of the Lord Iesus Christ, to the twelue Tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2My brethren, count it all ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations,

3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience,

4But let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect, and entier, wanting nothing.

5If any of you lacke wisedome, let him aske of God, that giueth to all men liberally, and vpbraideth not: and it shalbe giuen him.

6But let him aske in faith, nothing wauering: for he that wauereth is like a waue of the sea, driuen with the wind, and tossed.

7For let not that man thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the Lord.

8A double minded man is vnstable in all his wayes.

9Let the brother of low degree, reioyce in that he is exalted:

10But the rich, in that hee is made low: because as the floure of the grasse he shall passe away.

11For the Sunne is no sooner risen with a burning heate, but it withereth the grasse; and the flowre thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his wayes.

12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when hee is tried, hee shall receiue the crowne of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him.

13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with euill, neither tempteth he any man.

14But euery man is tempted, when hee is drawen away of his owne lust, and entised.

15Then when lust hath conceiued, it bringeth forth sinne: and sinne, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16Doe not erre, my beloued brethren.

17Euery good gift, and euery perfect gift is from aboue, & commeth downe from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenesse, neither shadow of turning.

18Of his owne will begate hee vs, with the word of Trueth, that wee should bee a kinde of first fruites of his creatures.

19Wherefore my beloued brethren, let euery man bee swift to heare, slow to speake, slow to wrath.

20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God.

21Wherefore lay apart all filthinesse, and superfluitie of naughtinesse, & receiue with meeknesse the engrafted word, which is able to saue your soules.

22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers onely, receiuing your owne selues.

23For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like vnto a man beholding his naturall face in a glasse:

24For hee beholdeth himselfe, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what maner of man he was.

25But who so looketh into the perfect Law of libertie, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetfull hearer, but a doer of the worke, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26If any man among you seeme to be religious, & bridleth not his tongue, but deceiueth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine.

27Pure religion and vndefiled before God and the Facher, is this, to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their affliction, and to keepe himselfe vnspotted from the world.

I == Deut 32:26 ; John 7:35 ; Acts 2:5 ; 8:1 ; 12:17 ; 15:13 ; 26:7

II == Matt 5:12 ; Heb 10:34

III == Rom 5:3

V -- Prov 2:3 ; Jer 29:12

VI == Mark 11:24

X == Job 14:2 ; Ps 90:5-6 ; 103:15 ; Isa 40:6

XII == Job 5:17 ; Prov 3:11-12 ; Heb 12:5 ; Rev 2:10 ; 3:19

XV == jOB 15:35 ; pS 7:14 ; ROM 6:21 , 23

XVII == Mal 3:6 ; John 3:27

XVIII Jer 2:3 ; JOhn 1:13 ; 3:3 ; 1st Peter 1:23 ; Rev 14:4

XIX == Prov 10:19 ; 17:27 ; Eccl 5:1-2

XXI Rom 1:16 ; 1st Cor 15:2 ; Heb 2:3

XXII Luke 6:46 ; 11:28

XXV == John 13:17

XXVI == Ps 34:13 ; 39:1 ; 1st Peter 3:10

XXVII == Isa 1:16-17 ; 58:6-7 ; Matt 25:36

1 James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greetings. 2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. 6 But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways. 9 The brother in lowly circumstances should take pride in his high standing, 10 and the rich one in his lowliness, for he will pass away "like the flower of the field." 11 For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass, its flower droops, and the beauty of its appearance vanishes. So will the rich person fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him. 13 No one experiencing temptation should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: 17 all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 18 He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, 20 for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. 22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. 24 He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

The writer is James, called James the Just. (The apostle James, the brother of John, was killed in the early days of the church, Acts 12:1,2.) He was unsaved till after the resurrection, but became overseer of the Jerusalem church where he supported Paul at the Jerusalem council. He prayed so much he was called “Old Camel Knees”.  Alarmed by the progress of the gospel, Anunus, son of Annas, formerly high priest, had  James pushed from a pinnacle of or near the temple because he would not renounce his faith. He was then stoned by the Pharisees, and still able to get to his knees, his brains were beaten out with a club. Probably 44 - 50 AD.  He was buried near the temple in the place where he was martyred. A venerated monument was erected there, but was later destroyed by the Romans. The wisest Jews considered him a man of God and disapproved of the murder. They made complaint to king Agrippa and Albinus, the Roman governor, and Anunus was removed from priesthood. Josephus affirms that the war which the Romans made against the Jews, and following calamities, were imputed to the death of this just man.
Someone gave this outline of Living Faith in the book of James:
Perfection of Faith--through trials, Chap. 1
Proof of Faith--through works, Chap. 2
Practical evidence of Faith--through wisdom, Chap. 3
through attitudes, Chap. 4
Power of Faith--through perseverance, Chap. 5

v 1. Mary and Joseph had children among whom were James (and Joses, Jude and Simon), Mt. 1:25; 12:46,47; 13:55; Mk. 3:31,32: Lk 8:19,20. Though a half brother of Jesus, he calls himself a servant, and in 2:1 calls Christ the Lord of Glory. He is writing to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Mediterranean world because of persecution.

v 2. We won’t have external happiness, but with our trust in the Lord, we can have inner joy in things which others might consider calamities. These believers were disowned by their families and some martyred.

v 3,4. Sufferings produce endurance and patience which result in the development and completion of our character.

v 5. We are not to pray that our testings be removed, but that we may have the wisdom to best apply them. God will answer this kind of prayer abundantly and without rebuking us for our lack of wisdom.

v 6-8. The granting of the prayer for wisdom is conditioned on faith. Wavering between wanting God’s will or our own will is like the surging waves of the sea along a shore. God will not answer the man of two minds who is uncertain if he wants to submit to his own desires or God’s will. We might go so far as to say he knows what God wants, but lives his life contrary to that. He may be generous in his church, but a shyster in business transactions. 

v 9-11. A believer of humble circumstances can rejoice that he has been elevated to an heir of God. The rich can rejoice that he has been shown his spiritual poverty and is too an heir of God, because in the light of eternity, riches are just as temporary as the withering grass.

v 12. “When he is tried” would be at the Judgment Seat of Christ. After testing comes reward, not eternal life, which the believer already has, but the crown of life, for enduring testings faithfully.  This is sometimes called the martyr’s crown. We can have fulness of life right now, reign in life as in Rom. 5:17 and be more than conquerors as in Rom. 8:37, but the crown of life is awarded in eternity.

v 13. Since Adam blamed God for giving him Eve and her offer of fruit, people have blamed God, but He is not tempted nor tempts others to do evil.

v 14,15. Rather, we are enticed by our own evil desire (lust), which leads to sin. Lust is conceived when the image of it is in our mind. Satan tempts us at our weakest moment. The wages of sin is spiritual death to the unbeliever, unconfessed sin in a believer leads to spiritual poverty and  sometimes physical death.

v 16-18. Don’t be deceived about the source of temptation which is within ourselves. God is not variable as the sunsets, eclipses etc. of the lights He has created, but He is always the same. His perfect and greatest gift to us is eternal life. As a result we are sort of a firstfruits, as in the Old Testament, a pledge of future harvest. Believers of the Church Age are resurrected first, the pledge of a redeemed race which will follow.

v 19. “Wherefore” Because we are born of God, we have a family reputation to uphold, and should be ready to listen to God’s Word, but exercise self control in expressing wrath and ill will, no hasty speech. 

v 20,21. Anger does not promote righteousness, so we should rid ourselves of wickedness. Instead, humbly welcome the Word which has the power to save souls. Here this has nothing to do with going to heaven. The Word engrafted in a believer by the Holy Spirit will be incorporated in our lives as much as a grafted shoot on a plant. This is the second of three tenses of salvation, being saved from the dominion of sin. Cp. Lk. 9:23-26 and Heb. 7:25, save our value, the value of our souls. 

v 22-24. Don’t merely listen to the Word, but obey it, or we will be as someone who looks in a mirror, but does nothing about his appearance.

v 25. If we obey the commands we see in the mirror of God’s Word, the truth will set us free (Jn. 8:31,32), and we will have liberty and be blessed in what we do.

v 26. If we “talk the talk but don’t walk the walk”, our religion is deceptive and worthless.

v 27. True  religion acceptable to God will express itself externally in helping meet the needs of others and keeping ourselves uncontaminated by the world.