Study the Bible with Me | Kim Howard
James' First Letter to the Church
James 1:1, “1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”
James is named as the author of this letter. There were a number of men named James in the New Testament, but the most likely candidate is James the brother of Jesus, (Mark 6:3; Acts 1:14; 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 2:9, 12).
James is identified as the brother of Jesus Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; Galatians 1:19. Though there is no evidence he was a follower of Christ during Jesus’ earthly ministry (John 7:3-5), a post-resurrection appearance convinced James that Jesus is indeed the Christ (Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:7). James later led the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9), exercising great influence there (Mark 6:3; Acts 1:14; 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 2:9, 12). Although James was Jesus’ half-brother, he never refers to himself as such, instead he calls himself a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The use of “servant” indicates James’ humility and total surrender to his Lord.
James greets the church in his letter to “all twelve tribes scattered abroad”. Because of this salutation, biblical scholars believe that James is likely to be the earliest written of all of the New Testament books. At that time, the church would have been primarily Jewish converts from the region of Judea and surrounding areas.
(But one should not assume that James was speaking to just the Jewish Christians, his letter can be applied to all Christians, whether they be Jew or Gentile. In Paul’s epistles he goes into great detail that in Christ there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile) Galatians 3:28, Romans 10:12
James asserts from the very first chapter that God’s desire for us is to trust Him more, and more deeply, as we learn more of Him. This is so important to God, that He calls on us to find joy, even in hard times, because hardship helps us trust God more. Those who really trust God will ask for wisdom, will be excited about their status in eternity, will recognize Him as the source of all good in their lives and will work to act on what they find in His Word. A person’s actions are a good indicator of what kind of “faith” they really have.
Trials makes patience
James 1:2, “2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers (many) temptations;”
Personal Translation: Brothers and sisters, consider it all joy when you are faced with all kinds of temptations.
Temptation means “putting to proof”. The natural human response to temptation is not to rejoice. Therefore, I must make a conscious commitment to face them with joy. Every trial becomes a test of faith designed to strengthen. If I fail the test by wrongly responding, that test can become a temptation.
My man of God once told me, “Until you pass the test, you’ll keep repeating the lesson.” Unlearned lessons tend to repeat themselves, but once the lesson is learned and applied, you’re able to move forward.
Joy is not the absence of trials, joy is knowing God!
James 1:3-4, “3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4But, let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Personal Translation: Know that when your faith is tested it will produce patience, and let patience finish its work so that you will become mature and complete, lacking nothing.
People always say, “don’t pray for patience”, because all kinds of trials will come your way! But patience is good, because trials produce patience, and patience is the ability to persevere through increasing levels of testing and suffering. Patience indicates that further work must be done for the purpose of making a Christian mature and complete, lacking nothing.
Faith can change the way we see or perceive a problem. Patience isn’t passive—its faith holding steady under pressure.
James 1:5-8, “5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and up-braideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Personal Translation: If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God. He gives generously to everyone without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must ask in faith without doubting. For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. A double-minded person is unstable in everything they do.
James acknowledges that Christians will face situations—especially trials—where they don’t know what to do. God does not expect His people to rely on their own understanding. Instead, He invites them to ask Him for wisdom. This wisdom is not merely information or knowledge, but spiritual understanding—the ability to see trials from God’s perspective and respond rightly.
God gives wisdom freely. He does not scold, shame, or withhold because of past failures. He is generous and willing to guide anyone who asks sincerely. God is faithful to give wisdom to those who honestly seek Him.
James now explains the condition—not that faith earns wisdom, but that trust is required. To doubt here does not mean having questions; it means being divided in loyalty—asking God while still relying on self or the world.
A person who doubts is unstable—pushed and pulled by circumstances, emotions, and fear. Without settled trust in God, they lack spiritual direction. James is clear: a divided heart cannot expect clear guidance. God does not withhold out of cruelty, but because faith is necessary to receive what He gives.
Double-minded means having two minds—one trying to trust God while the other clings to self-will or worldly wisdom. In other words, this person is trying to serve both God and worldly desires, which leads to spiritual instability. This instability affects every area of life, not just prayer. This person is unstable in all their ways, and can expect to receive nothing from the Lord.
James is teaching Christians how to face trials: not with self-reliance or wavering faith, but with humble trust in a faithful God. Trust à receive.
James 1:9-11, “9Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10But the rich, in that he is made low; because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11For 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 shall the rich man fade away in his ways.”
Personal Translation: Christians who are poor should rejoice because God lifts them up. But those who are rich should rejoice when they are brought low, because they will fade away like a flower in the field. The sun rises with scorching heat, it dries up the grass, the flower falls, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich person will fade away while going about his pursuits.
In these verses, James offered two illustrations of people facing trials: the poor and the rich. In relation to eternity, neither has anything to boast about, they are equals before God.
This picture from nature illustrates how divinely brought death and judgement can quickly end the wealthy person’s dependence on material possessions. It is best not to put your trust in earthly possessions that pass away. Our earthly body is not made for eternity, it is like the grass, here today and gone tomorrow.
James is teaching us to adopt a non-materialistic view. Wealth is meaningless in the face of certain death. Rather, we must focus on God’s view of exaltation and lowliness. Both can be true of all—the lowly (poor) need to be encouraged that they are exalted before God, whereas the exalted (the rich) need to hear a message of humiliation.
Trials make all Christians equally dependent on God and bring them to the same level with one another by keeping them from becoming preoccupied with earthly things. Poor Christians and wealthy ones can rejoice that God is no respecter of persons and that they both have the privilege of being identified with Jesus.
James 1:12-16, “12Blessed 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. 13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16Do not err, my beloved brethren.”
Personal Translation: Blessed is the one who endures temptation, because after they have been tested, they will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. When someone is tempted, they must not say, ‘God is tempting me,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and neither does He tempt anyone. Each person is tempted when they are drawn away and enticed by their own lust and desires. When lust is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death. Do not err, my beloved brothers and sisters.
James teaches that there is a blessing for those who remain faithful and steadfast when tested. Temptation here includes trials, pressure, and enticements to sin. Enduring does not mean never struggling—it means not giving in. “Blessed” reflects the understanding of a person who walks in the paths set by the Lord and views their present struggles in light of the crown of life that awaits them. Not only does enduring temptation lead to the crown of life, but each temptation we overcome also strengthens us. When we adopt this mindset, our current troubles are seen as temporary and fleeting.
James is very clear: God is never the source of temptation. God does not lure people into sin. God is perfectly holy. Evil has no pull on Him, and He does not use sin to test His people. Temptation begins inside the human heart. It is driven by unchecked desires. The problem is not external circumstances alone—it is what those circumstances awaken within us.
James uses the imagery of birth. When sinful desire is allowed to grow, it eventually results in a sinful action. Sin leads to destruction—spiritual separation, broken relationships, guilt, and ultimately eternal death if unrepented. James is showing the progression: desire → sin → death.
James gives a loving warning: Do not err. Don’t make an error in judgement. Don’t misunderstand the source of temptation or underestimate the danger of unchecked desire. Do not let lust or carnal desires lead you to sin and death. It is not God, nor anyone else, that can lead you into temptation. If you are led there, you are led there by your own lust.
James 1:17, “17Every 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.”
Personal Translation: Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights, who does not change or shift like a shadow.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. This means anything truly good, pure, helpful, or life-giving in our lives ultimately comes from God. He is the source of all goodness—whether it’s wisdom, strength, blessings, opportunities, or even daily provision.
James has been discussing trials, and even these are good and perfect gifts. Everything that we have is a gift from God. After salvation and adoption, every gift from God is a bonus.
Every situation, no matter how difficult, is a gift designed to bring us good in both this life and the next. Those who do not understand this will run the risk of seeing God as one who changes. But this is a deception. The Father of the heavenly lights does not change. He has been good and perfect from the past. He is good and perfect today. He will be good and perfect tomorrow, along with everything that He does, and everything that He gives.
This means God never changes. He is not unpredictable, moody, or inconsistent. Unlike shadows that shift as the sun moves, God remains steady, faithful, and constant.
Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not;”
Hebrews 13:8-9, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace;”
God does not change (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 40:8, 28; Psalm 102:25-27; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 1:10-12).
This is meant to be a great encouragement and will lead to a growing faith that can handle the trials of life. God is not the source of temptation or evil (which James just explained in the earlier verses). Instead, we can trust Him fully because He only gives what is good, and He does not change His character or His love for us.
God is good all the time, and all the time He is good!
James 1:18, “18Of His own will begat he us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
Personal Translation: By His own choice, He gave us new life through the Word of Truth, so that we would become a kind of firstfruits among His creation.
Of His own will God offers salvation by the Word of Truth. Word of Truth refers to the gospel, by which new birth comes (Colossians 1:5). Firstfruits refers to the best that the harvest produces. Being called “firstfruits” sounds strange to our ears, but to the original readers of James’ epistle, the Jewish believers, it was quite meaningful. James’ audience was familiar with the Feast of Firstfruits (see Leviticus 23:9–14).
In the Bible, firstfruits were the first and best part of the harvest, dedicated to God. By calling believers “firstfruits” James is saying, “we represent what God intends for all creation to become —restored, redeemed, renewed.”
The first-century new-born believers were the firstfruits of a spiritual harvest, they were the first to be saved and be part of the New Testament church (Acts 2:38-47). Of course, in calling these early believers the “firstfruits,” James implies that there would many, many more to come! Indeed, through the centuries, the gospel has circled the globe, and people have continued to be saved by regeneration, by new birth.
The harvest continues to grow!
Hearers and Doers of the Word
James 1:19-20, “19Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. 20For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
Personal Translation: So then, my dear brothers and sisters, everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. For human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
This is a key verse because it expresses three topics that James teaches in his letters to the church: hearing (1:19-27), speaking (3:1-12), and wrath (4:1-12).
James cautions us to listen carefully before speaking. Be quick to hear and slow to speak. When we talk continually, we cannot hear God or others. We are being called to restrain our speech. This means we have to shut our mouths before we can engage our ears and open our hearts; if not, we cannot hear God, understand His way, or apply His precepts. Usually if we listen carefully to what someone is saying, before we speak, we will not get angry (Proverbs 15:1). A person’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God.
Trials require silence and patience because talk—inflames anger—anger inflames talk. We can study to be quiet, meaning we can practice to be quiet (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Scripture tells us that silence can help us avoid sinning (Proverbs 10:19), gain respect (Proverbs 11:12), and is deemed wise and intelligent (Proverbs 17:28). In other words, you may be blessed by holding your tongue.
Ultimately, refraining from speaking in certain situations means we are practicing self-control.
James 1:21, “21Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
Personal Translation: Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the overflow of wickedness, and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which has the power to save your souls.
We are to put away anything foul or dirty that can pollute or defile our moral character with God, and not be guilty of disobedience or misbehavior. The engrafted word refers to the gospel that has become an essential part of one that has been reborn. It means God’s Word planted within you—the gospel and the teachings of Scripture that take root in your heart like a seed.
Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11).
Put away anything that is spiritually dirty, sinful, or corrupt. “Superfluity of naughtiness” means an abundance or overflow of evil in the heart—attitudes, habits, or behaviors that do not honor God. Remove anything that pollutes your heart or hinders your walk with God.
“Receive with meekness” means to:
- Humbly welcome it,
- Submit to it,
- Let it shape you,
- Let it correct you,
- Let it grow in you.
A humble heart is fertile soil for God’s Word to grow.
God’s Word is powerful. It brings salvation, spiritual transformation, and eternal life. James is not saying salvation comes from works, but from God’s Word believed and obeyed, which produces a genuine, living faith.
True worship leads to putting gospel exhortations into action, and will save our souls. We are to humbly accept the word God has planted in our heart, to keep from sinning.
The engrafted Word of God can eradicate sin from our lives.
James 1:22-25, “22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23For 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: 24for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the 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.”
Personal Translation: But be doers of the Word, not just hearers, or you are only deceiving yourselves. For if someone hears the Word but doesn’t do what it says, he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what he has heard but doing it - this person will be blessed in what he does.
James is saying that listening to God’s Word is not enough—you must live it. If you hear the truth but don’t practice it, you are fooling yourself into thinking you are spiritually mature when you are not. Hearing without doing produces self-deception, not growth.
Just having knowledge about the Bible—even memorizing it to the point of having a ready quote for every situation—means nothing if you don’t do what it says. That is simply a religious exercise that brings no real value.
James gives a picture to help us understand: “…he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass…” This means looking into a mirror. The mirror represents God’s Word—it shows us the truth about ourselves. This person looks in the mirror, sees what needs fixing, but when he walks away, he immediately forgets what he saw. In other words, he did nothing with what God showed him. The Word reveals sin, wrong attitudes, or needed changes, but if we don’t act on it, we quickly forget and remain unchanged.
Maybe he forgot what God’s Word said about his sins because it just wasn’t all that important compared to other priorities in his life. I think James is not describing a man with a poor memory, but rather a man with poor priorities. He doesn’t remember what he saw in the mirror because he doesn’t regard it as very important.
God must be first in our life—His Word a priority.
God’s Word must find its way into our heart to be of any eternal value. A Christian must consider what the Scriptures truly say and apply it with complete honesty to his or her life. God’s Word is a mirror that shows us the truth about ourselves. When you read and study God’s Word, let it change you.
Obedience to God’s Word brings true freedom and blessings to all that you do.
James 1:26-27, “26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27Pure 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.”
Personal Translation: If anyone thinks they are religious but does not control their tongue, they deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
What is religion? The Greek word threskeia, according to Strong’s Concordance, means “a ceremonial observance related to worship”. It implies an external display. External worship is good, but it means nothing to God if it doesn't come from the heart.
James closes this chapter by showing what true religion actually looks like in everyday life. James is speaking to people who appear outwardly devoted—those who attend worship, know Scripture, and practice religious habits.
To “bridle” the tongue means to control what you say. This includes gossip, harsh words, prideful speech, complaining, lying, and careless talk. Words reveal the heart. A person who cannot control their speech is fooling themselves. No matter how religious they appear, their faith has no real substance. Outward religion without inner transformation is empty. James is not saying religious practices are bad—he is saying they are worthless if they don’t produce a changed life.
Then James defines pure religion undefiled before God. In biblical times, orphans and widows were among the most vulnerable people. James is teaching that true faith shows compassion, care, and practical love toward those in need.
A defiled religion is one that is stained with sinful values, attitudes, and behaviors of this world. If your religion does not change how you speak, love, and live it is not a pure religion that God desires. It’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship.
Summary
In this chapter James teaches that trials are not pointless—they are tools God uses to produce endurance, maturity, and spiritual growth. Christians are encouraged to ask God for wisdom with faith, trusting His unchanging goodness. James makes it clear that temptation does not come from God but from unchecked human desires, which lead to sin and death. True faith is shown not merely by hearing God’s Word but by obeying it. Genuine religion is marked by controlled speech, compassion for the week and poor, and a life kept unspotted from worldly corruption.
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