New Testament Commentary - James 1

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
              CHAPTER 1

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God -- Resist temptation -- Be ye doers of the word -- How to recognize pure religion.

 1 JAMES, a aservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are bscattered abroad, greeting.
 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into adivers btemptations;
 3 Knowing this, that the atrying of your faith worketh bpatience.
 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be aperfect and entire, wanting nothing.
 5 aIf any of you lack bwisdom, let him ask of Goda, that cgiveth to all men liberally, and dupbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
 6 But let him aask in bfaith, 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 adouble minded man is unstable in all his ways.
 5a If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God Joseph Smith took this and applied it to himself personally. Yet in fact it is of general application to all men and it done in accord to James' directions, it stands as a sourch of personal revelation to each person from God. We all have that promise of a personal link and relationship to God and each may recieve from God according to our various needs, even to the receipt of personal revelation as it applies and is need by each and every one of us. And this is very applicable in considering such as Moroni's challenge to find out for one's self the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon in Moroni chapter 10.
 9 Let the brother of alow degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the agrass 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 agrace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the brich man fade away in his ways.
 12 aBlessed is the man that bendureth temptation: for when he is ctried, he shall receive the dcrown 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 atempted with bevil, neither tempteth he any man:
 14 But every man is atempted, when he is drawn away of his own blust, and enticed.
 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth asin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
 17 Every agood bgift and every perfect cgift is from above, and dcometh down from the Father of elights, with whom is no fvariableness, 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.
 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to aspeak, bslow to cwrath:
 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
 21 Wherefore lay apart all afilthiness and bsuperfluity of naughtiness, and receive with cmeekness the dengrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
 22 But be ye adoers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
 23 For if any be a ahearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a bglass:
 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 alaw of bliberty, 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 atongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is bvain.
 27 Pure areligion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To bvisit the cfatherless and dwidows in their eaffliction, and to keep himself funspotted from gthe hworld.