The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 646
11:3 b Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:6; (John 1:3); 2 Pet. 3:5
11:3 3 Or ages, Gr. aiones, aeons
11:4 c Gen. 4:3–5; Matt. 23:35; 1 John 3:12
11:4 d Gen. 4:8–10; Heb. 12:24
11:5 e Gen. 5:21–24
11:7 f Gen. 6:13–22
11:7 g 1 Pet. 3:20
11:7 h Rom. 3:22
11:8 i Gen. 12:1–4; Acts 7:2–4
11:9 j Gen. 12:8; 13:3, 18; 18:1, 9
11:9 k Heb. 6:17
11:10 l (Heb. 12:22; 13:14)
11:10 m (Rev. 21:10)
11:11 n Gen. 17:19; 18:11–14; 21:1, 2
11:11 o Luke 1:36
11:11 p Heb. 10:23
11:11 4 NU omits she bore a child
11:12 q Rom. 4:19
11:12 r Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 32:12
11:13 s Heb. 11:39
11:13 t Gen. 12:7
11:13 u John 8:56; Heb. 11:27
11:13 v Gen. 23:4; 47:9; 1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 39:12; Eph. 2:19; 1 Pet. 1:17; 2:11
11:13 5 NU, M omit were assured of them
11:14 w Heb. 13:14
11:15 x Gen. 11:31
11:16 y Gen. 26:24; 28:13; Ex. 3:6, 15; 4:5
11:16 z (John 14:2); Heb. 11:10; (Rev. 21:2)
11:17 a Gen. 22:1–14; James 2:21
11:18 b Gen. 21:12; Rom. 9:7
11:18 6 to
11:19 c Rom. 4:17
11:20 d Gen. 27:26–40
11:21 e Gen. 48:1, 5, 16, 20
11:22 f Gen. 50:24, 25; Ex. 13:19
11:23 g Ex. 2:1–3
11:23 h Ex. 1:16, 22
11:24 i Ex. 2:11–15
11:25 7 temporary
11:26 j Heb. 13:13
11:26 k Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17
11:26 8 reviling because of
11:26 9 NU, M of
11:27 l Ex. 10:28
11:28 m Ex. 12:21
11:29 n Ex. 14:22–29; Jude 5
11:30 o Josh. 6:20
11:31 p Josh. 2:9; 6:23; James 2:25
11:31 q Josh. 2:1
11:31 10 were disobedient
11:32 r Judg. 6:11; 7:1–25
11:32 s Judg. 4:6–24
11:32 t Judg. 13:24—16:31
11:32 u Judg. 11:1–29; 12:1–7
11:32 v 1 Sam. 16; 17
11:32 w 1 Sam. 7:9–14
11:33 x Judg. 14:6; 1 Sam. 17:34; Dan. 6:22
11:34 y Dan. 3:23–28
11:35 z 1 Kin. 17:22; 2 Kin. 4:35–37
11:35 a Acts 22:25
11:36 b Gen. 39:20; 1 Kin. 22:27; 2 Chr. 18:26; Jer. 20:2; 37:15
11:37 c 1 Kin. 21:13; 2 Chr. 24:21; Acts 7:58
11:37 d 2 Kin. 1:8; Matt. 3:4
11:37 e 1 Kin. 19:13, 19; 2 Kin. 2:8, 13; Zech. 13:4
11:37 11 NU omits were tempted
11:38 f 1 Kin. 18:4, 13; 19:9
11:39 g Heb. 11:2, 13
11:40 h Heb. 5:9
Hebrews 12
12:1 a Col. 3:8
12:1 b 1 Cor. 9:24; Gal. 2:2; Heb. 10:39
12:1 c Rom. 12:12; Heb. 10:36
12:2 d Luke 24:26
12:2 e Ps. 69:7, 19; Phil. 2:8; (Heb. 2:9)
12:2 f Ps. 110:1
12:2 1 originator
12:2 2 perfecter
12:3 g Matt. 10:24
12:3 h Gal. 6:9; Heb. 12:5
12:4 i (1 Cor. 10:13)
12:5 j Job 5:17; Prov. 3:11, 12
12:5 3 discipline
12:6 k Ps. 94:12; Rev. 3:19
12:7 l Deut. 8:5; 2 Sam. 7:14
12:7 m Prov. 13:24; 19:18; 23:13
12:7 4 NU, M It is for discipline that you endure; God
12:8 n 1 Pet. 5:9
12:9 o (Job 12:10)
12:10 p Lev. 11:44
12:11 q Is. 32:17; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 3:17, 18
12:11 5 discipline
12:12 r Is. 35:3
12:14 s Ps. 34:14
12:14 t Matt. 5:8; (Heb. 9:28)
12:15 u 2 Cor. 6:1; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 4:1
12:15 v Deut. 29:18
12:16 w (1 Cor. 6:13–18)
12:16 x Gen. 25:33
12:16 6 godless
12:17 y Gen. 27:30–40
12:18 z Ex. 19:12, 16; 20:18; Deut. 4:11; 5:22
12:18 7 NU to that which
12:18 8 NU gloom
12:19 a Ex. 20:18–26; Deut. 5:25; 18:16
12:20 b Ex. 19:12, 13
12:20 9 NU, M omit the rest of v. 20.
12:21 c Deut. 9:19
12:23 d (James 1:18)
12:23 e Luke 10:20
12:23 f Gen. 18:25; Ps. 50:6; 94:2
12:23 g (Phil. 3:12)
12:23 10 festal gathering
12:24 h 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6; 9:15
12:24 i Ex. 24:8
12:24 j Gen. 4:10; Heb. 11:4
12:25 k Heb. 2:2, 3
12:26 l Hag. 2:6
12:26 11 NU will shake
12:27 m (Is. 34:4; 54:10; 65:17; Rom. 8:19, 21); 1 Cor. 7:31; Heb. 1:10
12:28 n Heb. 13:15, 21
12:28 12 M omits may
12:29 o Ex. 24:17
Hebrews 13
13:1 a Rom. 12:10
13:2 b Matt. 25:35; Rom. 12:13
13:2 c Gen. 18:1–22; 19:1
13:3 d Matt. 25:36; Heb. 10:34
13:4 e Prov. 5:18, 19
13:4 f 1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:19, 21; 1 Thess. 4:6
13:5 g Gen. 28:15; Deut. 31:6, 8; Josh. 1:5
13:6 h Ps. 27:1; 118:6
13:7 1 lead
13:8 i (John 8:58); 2 Cor. 1:19; Heb. 1:12
13:9 2 NU, M away
13:12 3 set apart
13:13 j 1 Pet. 4:14
13:15 k Eph. 5:20
13:15 l Lev. 7:12
13:15 m Is. 57:19; Hos. 14:2
13:15 4 Lit. confessing
13:16 n Rom. 12:13
13:16 o 2 Cor. 9:12; Phil. 4:18
13:17 p Phil. 2:29
13:17 q Is. 62:6; Ezek. 3:17; Acts 20:28
13:17 5 lead
13:18 r Eph. 6:19
13:18 s Acts 23:1
13:20 t Rom. 5:1, 2, 10; 15:33
13:20 u Ps. 16:10, 11; Hos. 6:2; Rom. 4:24
13:20 v Ps. 23:1; Is. 40:11; 63:11; John 10:11; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4
13:20 w Zech. 9:11; Heb. 10:29
13:21 x Phil. 2:13
13:21 6 perfect
13:21 7 NU, M us
13:24 8 lead
Introduction to James
Title
James, like all of the general epistles except Hebrews, is named after its author (v. 1).
Author and Date
Of the 4 men named James in the NT, only two are candidates for authorship of this epistle. No one has seriously considered James the Less, the son of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3; Acts 1:13), or James the father of Judas, not Iscariot (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). Some have suggested James the son of Zebedee and brother of John (Matt. 4:21), but he was martyred too early to have written it (Acts 12:2). That leaves only James, the oldest half-brother of Christ (Mark 6:3) and brother of Jude (Matt. 13:55), who also wrote the epistle that bears his name (Jude 1). James had at first rejected Jesus as Messiah (John 7:5), but later believed (1 Cor. 15:7). He became the key leader in the Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 2:12), being called one of the “pillars” of that church, along with Peter and John (Gal. 2:9). Also known as James the Just because of his devotion to righteousness, he was martyred ca. A.D. 62, according to the first century Jewish historian Josephus. Comparing James’ vocabulary in the letter he wrote which is recorded in Acts 15 with that in the epistle of James further corroborates his authorship.
James: 1:1
“greetings”
Acts 15: 15:23
James: 1:16, 19; 2:5
“beloved”
Acts 15: 15:25
James: 1:21; 5:20
“your souls”
Acts 15: 15:24, 26
James: 1:27
“visit”
Acts 15: 15:14
James: 2:10
“
keep”
Acts 15: 15:24
James: 5:19, 20
“turn”
Acts 15: 15:19
James wrote with the authority of one who had personally seen the resurrected Christ (1 Cor. 15:7), who was recognized as an associate of the apostles (Gal. 1:19), and who was the leader of the Jerusalem church.
James most likely wrote this epistle to believers scattered (1:1) as a result of the unrest recorded in Acts 12 (ca. A.D. 44). There is no mention of the Council of Jerusalem described in Acts 15 (ca. A.D. 49), which would be expected if that Council had already taken place. Therefore, James can be reliably dated ca. A.D. 44–49, making it the earliest written book of the NT canon.
Background and Setting
The recipients of this book were Jewish believers who had been dispersed (1:1), possibly as a result of Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7, A.D. 31–34), but more likely due to the persecution under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12, ca. A.D. 44). The author refers to his audience as “brethren” 15 times (1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19), which was a common epithet among the first century Jews. Not surprisingly, then, James is Jewish in its content. For example, the Gr. word translated “assembly” (2:2) is the word for “synagogue.” Further, James contains more than 40 allusions to the OT (and more than 20 to the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5–7).
Historical and Theological Themes
James, with its devotion to direct, pungent statements on wise living, is reminiscent of the book of Proverbs. It has a practical emphasis, stressing not theoretical knowledge, but godly behavior. James wrote with a passionate desire for his readers to be uncompromisingly obedient to the Word of God. He used at least 30 references to nature (e.g., “wave of the sea” [1:6]; “reptile” [3:7]; and “heaven gave rain” [5:18]), as befits one who spent a great deal of time outdoors. He complements Paul’s emphasis on justification by faith with his own emphasis on spiritual fruitfulness demonstrating true faith.
Interpretive Challenges
At least two significant texts challenge the interpreter: 1) In 2:14–26, what is the relationship between faith and works? Does James’ emphasis on works contradict Paul’s focus on faith? 2) In 5:13–18, do the promises of healing refer to the spiritual or physical realm? These difficult texts are treated in the notes.
Outline
There are a number of ways to outline the book to grasp the arrangement of its content. One way is to arrange it around a series of tests by which the genuineness of a person’s faith may be measured.
Introduction (1:1)
I. The Test of Perseverance in Suffering (1:2-12)
II. The Test of Blame in Temptation (1:13-18)
III. The Test of Response to the Word (1:19-27)
IV. The Test of Impartial Love (2:1-13)
V. The Test of Righteous Works (2:14-26)
VI. The Test of the Tongue (3:1-12)
VII. The Test of Humble Wisdom (3:13-18)
VIII. The Test of Worldly Indulgence (4:1-12)
IX. The Test of Dependence (4:13-17)
X. The Test of Patient Endurance (5:1-11)
XI. The Test of Truthfulness (5:12)
XII. The Test of Prayerfulness (5:13-18)
XIII. The Test of True Faith (5:19, 20)
The Epistle of
JAMES
James 1
Greeting to the Twelve Tribes
1James, aa bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings.
Profiting from Trials
2My brethren, bcount it all joy cwhen you fall into various trials,
3dknowing that the testing of your faith produces 1patience.
4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be 2perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5eIf any of you lacks wisdom, flet him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and git will be given to him.
6hBut let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8he is ia double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The Perspective of Rich and Poor
9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
10but the rich in his humiliation, because jas a flower of the field he will pass away.
11For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Loving God Under Trials
12kBlessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive lthe crown of life mwhich the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15Then, nwhen desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, obrings forth death.
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17pEvery good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, qwith whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18rOf His own will He brought us forth by the sword of truth, tthat we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Qualities Needed in Trials
193So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, uslow to speak, vslow to wrath;
20for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Doers—Not Hearers Only
21Therefore wlay aside all filthiness and 4overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, xwhich is able to save your souls.
22But ybe doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23For zif anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25But ahe who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, bthis one will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone 5among you thinks he is religious, and cdoes not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.
27dPure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: eto visit orphans and widows in their trouble, fand to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
James 2
Beware of Personal Favoritism
1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, athe Lord of glory, with bpartiality.
2For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in 1fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in 2filthy clothes,
3and you 3pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”
4have you not 4shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my beloved brethren: cHas God not chosen the poor of this world to be drich in faith and heirs of the kingdom ewhich He promised to those who love Him?
6But fyou have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you gand drag you into the courts?
7Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are hcalled?
8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, i“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
9but if you 5show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as jtransgressors.
10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet kstumble in one point, lhe is guilty of all.
11For He who said, m“Do not comm
it adultery,” also said, n“Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by othe law of liberty.
13For pjudgment is without mercy to the one who has shown qno rmercy. sMercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
(cf. Gen. 22; Josh. 2)
14tWhat does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15uIf a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16and vone of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” wShow me your faith without 6your works, xand I will show you my faith by 7my works.
19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is 8dead?
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works ywhen he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22Do you see zthat faith was working together with his works, and by aworks faith was made 9perfect?
23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, b“Abraham believed God, and it was 10accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called cthe friend of God.
24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25Likewise, dwas not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 3
The Untamable Tongue
1My brethren, alet not many of you become teachers, bknowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
2For cwe all stumble in many things. dIf anyone does not stumble in word, ehe is a 1perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
32Indeed, fwe put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.
4Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.
5Even so gthe tongue is a little member and hboasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!
6And ithe tongue is a fire, a world of 3iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it jdefiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of 4nature; and it is set on fire by 5hell.