The Epsitle of James: a Commentary | Page 8

enemy-occupied territory, as Christ's
ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). If we realise this and its
serious implications, we shall take seriously the
command 'Be holy because I am holy' (! Pet 1:16).
The Christian will grow increasingly separate from the
world, 'holy to the Lord' (Zec 14:20)
In this section more than anywhere else, 'James' has
the style of wisdom literature, is short epithets
reminiscent of the style of Proverbs. And he begins
this section by contrasting two kinds of wisdom. Then
follows a whole series of warnings; things which the
mature Christian will be avoiding anyway. James
would ask us: 'Do you avoid those things?'
3:13-18 Earthly and heavenly wisdom
Just as true faith should be evidenced by good deeds,
so anyone who claims to be wise should be able to
point to a consistent lifestyle. For the God who gives
wisdom will give 'victory for the upright; He is a shield
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to the blameless.' (Proverbs 2:6-7; italics added) and
wisdom '(saves) from the ways to the wicked man
(v12). And combined with good deeds will be humility.
Some claim to have wisdom, but this lie is shown up
by the envy and selfishness in their lives. For there
are two kinds of wisdom. There is worldly wisdom, but
worldly wisdom is not to be confused with spiritual
wisdom, for is is satanic and leads to all manner of
evil (cp Romans 1:18-32). Spiritual wisdom can only
come from heaven and results in true righteousness.
v13. 'who is wise among you?..'let him show it by (his)
good life'- cp 1 Pet 2:12 'live such good lives among
that pagan that they may glorify God.'
v14. 'bitter envy' zelos pikros- jealousy which is sharp
and cutting
'deny' pseudo kata- 'deceitful against'. Bitterness is
poison to the soul (cp Heb 12:15); it is against God's
truth, leading to all kinds of evil.
v15 'unspiritual' psupsikos- belonging to the soul- the
'natural man'
v17 'the wisdom which comes down from heaven', ie
spiritual wisdom, comes only from the Holy Spirit (2
Cor 2:6-15) and so leads to the fruit of the Spirit ( so
cp Gal 5:22-23)
'pure' (agnos), the same root as agios (holy)
v18. 'harvest of righteousness' 'Harvest' is karpos,
more correctly 'fruit'
'peacemakers'- cp Rom 14:19 ('let us make every
effort to do that which leads to peace'), so Matt 5:9.
For the association of 'peace' and 'harvest' see also
Heb 12:11 (which also has karpos for 'harvest')
HEBREWS 12:7-17 has much the same message. In
Hebrews both 'peace' and 'harvest of righteousness' are
the product of 'discipline' The message of vv7-10 is that as
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true sons of God we should welcome discipline; if we have
no godly discipline in our lives, the questions arises: 'Are
we not bastards?' (v8). The word for 'discipline' (paideia) is
the training of children. The wise person will not 'despise'
the Lord's discipline' (Prov 3:11)
So, discipline should not make us anxious (v12). It should
encourage us to remove obstacles to holy living (vv 13-14)
The biggest obstacles to God's grace (and part of his grace
is discipline) are bitterness and sexual immorality (vv 15-
16): in a moment of weakness we may 'sell' our inheritance
and there will be no going back. (These verses do not
speak of loss of salvation; it is the person who, having
heard the message of God's grace, rejects it, will be a
'bitter root' to harass many, or he may be self-indulgent).
This is the way of worldly wisdom
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Chapter Four
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they
come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want
something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you
cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do
not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask,
you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives,
that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship
with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses
to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or
do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he
caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us
more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."
7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come
near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail.
Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you
up.
11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who
speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against
the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not
keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one
Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and
destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?
13Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go
to this or that city, spend a year there, carry