James 1:1-27

 The General Epistle of James has 5 chapters: this page looks at chapter 1, verses 1-27.

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A work-in-progress last updated 2022-05-21

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  GREETING GREETING TO THE TWELVE TRIBES SALUTATION —
1 James, as servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, greeting. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

 I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello?  
  I. TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS TRIALS MAKE PATIENCE FAITH AND WISDOM FAITH UNDER PRESSURE
      A. FACING TRIALS & TEMPTATIONS      
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, My bretheren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. X
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. X
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 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. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.  
  ↓ [EXCEPT] ↓ ↓ [EXCEPT] ↓ ↓ [EXCEPT] ↓ ↓ [OMIGOSH] ↓
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 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. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. X
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. X
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. — —  
  — — POVERTY AND RICHES    
9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, When down-and-outers get a break, cheer!

[omigosh … not even close  🙄 ]

 X
10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer!  
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. 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. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away. Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” at the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing. X
  — — TRIAL AND TEMPTATION  
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 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. Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.  
      B. GOD AS A GIVER OF GOOD GIFTS NOT AS A TEMPTER — — —
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 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: No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way.   
14 but, each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have not one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust.   
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.  
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Do not be deceived, my beloved. So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course.  
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from variableness, neither shadow of turning. Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.   
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. He brought us to life using the Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.  
  LISTENING AND DOING HEARERS AND DOERS OF THE WORD HEARING AND DOING THE WORD ACT ON WHAT YOU HEAR
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: You must understand this, my beloved: “let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.  
20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger.  
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.  
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. But ye be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!   
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror 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; For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror,   
           
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.  
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. 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. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatter-brain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.  
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is in vain. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air.   
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 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. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.  

A very cool thesaurus is viewable here

Thanks to Twitter user @MarcusTriton for this referencing verses 19 & 20 of this chapter. ❤️

I would never ask Sean and/or Cate to testify in court; however, they may want to when we get to the divorce trial. For others reading this who are a little older, know that there has already been precedent set: Teens can sue the CAS . (Crimes in progress? See Instagram deirdre_pfi.rocks  &/or DM for evidence/details.)