It is strange how life works out sometimes. Sometimes people, who show the greatest potential, fizzle out and nothing ever really comes of them. And other times people who never really seem to have it all together, end up beating the odds, and actually make something of themselves. For instance, there is a true story of these two guys. Both guys came from a history of drug addiction and problems with the law. They ended up crossing paths in a Christian drug and alcohol program where they made decisions to follow Christ. Both of them pressed into the program. They both heard the same teachings day in and day out and by the grace of God graduated the program as best friends. As they parted ways, one guy went on to pursue dreams that God laid upon his heart and the other guy walked away from the program only to gradually fall away from the Lord. The contrast between these two guys is similar to the two men James compares in 1:22-25. “James says, do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says 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 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” (NIV).
“The Reflective Christian”
I have come to the conclusion that life can be narrowed down to two outcomes, either you will live life as a reflection of God or as a shadow of this world.
The fact is that just listening to God’s word without application is deception, but applying God’s word after listening, results in the blessings of God following you through life.
At the foundation of my passage is a comparison in which James says the man who just hears the word is like the person who looks and sees a reflection of himself, but the man who hears the word and practices what he has heard is like the person who looks and sees the perfect law that brings liberty. Both men take a different direction when they hear the word. This leads them to different results. The bottom line is that you are either a passive Christian or a pro-active Christian in your response to God’s word.
(1) Passive Christians deceive themselves!
The passive Christian hears the word and that is it. They barely respond or even react. The people who James was writing to would actually go and listen to the public reading of scripture and be content with just that. James is emphasizing the fact that hearing and knowing is not enough, but what really matters is to practice what you hear and know. Trying to do it any other way will bring deception upon yourself and to those around you. If you cannot hear and apply God’s word, how can the people in your sphere of influence do the same?
At a first glance, when you see this passage you would immediately think that the man who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like was careless in his self-examination. But in the Greek text, to look does not mean to look carelessly, but to understand and consider attentively. Clearly, the way that the man looked at the mirror was enough for him to process the word. Since he had time to process the word, this man then chose to be passive in his response. In this mans passivity, he becomes a reflection of himself and not of God. This not only can hinder his walk, but also has the possibility to do the same to others.
To counter passivity, one must be pro-active in their response to God’s word.
(2) Pro-Active Christians bring blessings upon themselves!
A proactive Christian is known to be a true hearer of the word. To be considered a true hearer, one must both hear and practice the word on a continual basis. James compares this person to a man who looks and sees God’s perfect law. He sees the ideal character that can result by practicing it daily.
Doers of the word are not discouraged by the depth of God’s commands, but welcomes them because they know that God would not command them to do anything that was beyond their control.
Ultimately, a doer of God’s word, not just listens attentively, but also practices consistently. And it is in their consistence that they will be blessed in whatever they do.
In Conclusion, remember the two guys in my introduction. The guy who left the drug program and gradually fell back into drugs. He is my best friend, Nick. And the other guy, the one who went to follow the dreams that God laid on his heart, by the grace of God, that is me. Two weeks ago, I picked Nick up from the Reading bus station after he just was released from doing 13 months in jail. Nick said to me, if it was not for what God is doing in your life, I probably would not believe in God at all.
I would not be here today, if I did not respond to God’s word continually in my life. Every time you hear God’s word, it calls for a response. Your response will either be one of disobedience, which unlocks deception or obedience, which is the key to God’s blessing. The next time you hear God’s word, you should base your response, solely, on what God can do in your life. Being a reflective Christian benefits not just you, but others around you as well. When people see you, they are either going to see what God can do in a person’s life or what a person did not allow God to do? Therefore, it is imperative that you listen to God’s word with a pro-active mindset, not a passive ear.
*****BELOW IS MY MANUSCRIPT******
INVESTIGATION
I. Literary Features of the Passage and Book
Genre
What is the literary form of book and passage? (Narrative, Parable, Poetry, History, Epistle (Letter), etc.) Describe the significance in regards to proper interpretation.
Richardson says that the book of James is under the category of a New Testament epistle. He also says, “it has been received and interpreted, both inside and outside the church as a general or catholic epistle” (Richardson 29). Richardson goes on to say that the book of James has close thematic links to the Synoptic Gospels, especially Mathew. “The wisdom of James is a New Testament embodiment of his exhortation to the early church in epistolary form” (Richardson 29).
Some of the internal evidence scholars use to classify the book of James, as an epistle is that James is direct in his speech and dialogue as one can see in 1:1, in which he says, “James, as servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations. Greetings.” Since the greeting of James lacks a personal tone one can label it as an epistle because it is not written to build upon any previous relationships, but has the connotation of a general audience. One of the main characteristics of an epistle is that it addresses a larger audience, which James does just that by addressing the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.
Another scholar classifies James in the category of wisdom literature. He says it serves as the Proverbs of the New Testament or as someone once stated, “a book of popular slogans” (Harrison 6). Due to the heavy use of proverbial sayings through out the book, this has caused the book to be called “paraenesis, which is a type of literature defined as a miscellaneous collection of teachings from various sources without any internal coherence among its various themes” (Harrison 6). Even though the book covers a large range of topics, the Christian themes still shine through. Since, James over emphasized the ethical issues of Christianity, rather than the doctrinal issues, and plus he lacks references that pertain to Christ’s death or resurrection, the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit, Harrison states that a believer would come directly to this book “for a fully balanced diet of theology” (Harrison 6). But what James does accomplish is that he emphasizes the practicality to the Christian faith, which is essential for spiritual development. Noting that James uses over 50 imperatives in 108 verses, leads to a book founded on Christian behavior.
Classifying James as an epistle helps me to understand, what kind of relationships James had previously built with his audience. Understanding the relationship aspect helps me hear what kind of tone James used to address his audience, which shows me how to interpret the text so that I can communicate it in its most original context as possible. Richardson adds that the epistle of James, from the beginning to the end is a profoundly Christian document that is rooted in the depth of Jesus’ own teaching and important Old Testament passages. This statement assures me that the book of James lines up with the rest of the Bible’s theology, which helps me build a foundation for the different aspects of my sermon structure.
Understanding James as having wisdom literature characteristics shows me James motives behind his writing due to the fact that he stressed Christian conduct, which I believe today’s church lacks to some degree. James was emphasizing the importance of having the right behavior no matter what kind of circumstances one finds’ themselves tangled in so this book can be very effective when addressing specific situations that Christian wisdom is needed to either encourage or help someone out.
Key features of Book (Be detailed)
q Key features of the book. (What is book noted for?) :
One of the most prominent features of the book of James is its pastoral exhortation. The fact is that James has the greatest ratio of verses to imperative commands in the New Testament. “His purpose is clearly not so much to inform, but to command, exhort, and encourage” (Moo 36). Moo says that James delivers his command in a pastoral manner. He makes references to the audience as “my brothers” or “my beloved brothers” a total of fifteen times giving the book a pastoral tone.
Another thing that the book of James is noted for is that it was not sent to meet the needs of any specific moment or problem in a particular church setting, but aimed to edify any Christian who would get their hands on this work (Jobes 28).
The book of James is considered the most consistently ethical document in the New Testament. The letter contains “various warnings, precepts, and words of encouragement,” but they are not based on theological principles in any way comparable to Paul who draws conclusions from the precepts of Christ’s death and resurrection (Laws 27). Laws state that only in James 1:21-22 is there a reference to the gospel that carried an imperative command due to the results of its power to save (27). Another scholar states that the “ethics of the Epistle of James are, from the point of view of conceptual pattern, the simplest in the New Testament: no theological impulse overtly provides them with backing and the writer embraces a simple belief in practical charity, humble endurance and control of the tongue as the keys to moral life” (Laws 28).
Laws’ also states that it is “argued that James cannot be associated with any specific area of early Christianity as reflected in other documents of the NT” (32). This letter can then be labeled as another kind of Christian community in which contributes to an appreciation of the different styles of early Christianity. It is said that it is easier to define something on what it is not, than what it is. The Christianity in James is not an “enthusiastic or charismatic Christianity unless one interprets 4:5 as a reference to the presence and activity of the spirit, which the author says is very much unlikely (Laws 33). The community values teachers and warns against the over readiness to assume this valued role. The tone of Christianity in James is not “a matter of participation in a charismatic movement, of initiation into esoteric knowledge, or of sacramental participation in the mystery of salvation” (Laws 33). But the Christianity that James depicts in his book is “a way of life before God, a moral code, which is the definition of true religion” (33).
There are five major sections the book of James is noted for: faith and actions, wisdom and prayer, rich and poor, the control of the tongue, and the steadfastness in the midst of trails.
The first major section is “faith and actions,” which stresses the fact that faith without showing your good deeds is a dead faith. “For James, faith is a practical thing demonstrated in acts of radical obedience and mercy (2:22:25), endurance (5:11), and prayer (5:17-18)” (Loh & Hatton 2-3). The second major section is “wisdom and prayer,” which stresses the fact that wisdom is described as an underlining theme throughout the book. The bottom line is that it is not speculative wisdom, but wisdom for practical living” (Loh & Hatton 3). The third main section is “rich and poor,” which emphasizes the heartless attitudes of Christians who were wealthy toward Christians who were poor. The bottom line is that God has chosen the poor in order to lift them up when the rich were warned against future judgment (Loh & Hatton 3). The fourth main section is “the control of the tongue,” which talks about the use and abuse of the tongue towards others. James stresses the fact that Christians are to control there tongues so that it is not used as an instrument of destruction to God and others. The fifth major section is called “the steadfastness in the midst of trails,” which teaches his listeners to be encouraged through trails by relying on steadfast wisdom (Loh & Hatton 4).
q Date and location (note any significance of dating):
Brosend states that the book of James can be dated around 62 A.D. because of a variety of reasons. He states four reasons for the authenticity of his date, which are “James lacks any of the classic signs of late, pseudonymous authorship. James reflects the social realities and outlooks appropriate to a sect in the early stages of life. The shape of Jesus’ sayings in James is similar to that of Q, so the arguments for placing Q within early Palestinian Christianity should also apply to James. The best way to account for the similarity and difference between the language of James and Paul is to view them both as first generations Jewish Christians deeply affected by Greco-Roman mortal traditions yet functionally defined by an allegiance to the symbols and story of Torah” (Brosend 5-6).
Harrison writes that the faith / works passage is the most significant internal evidence to use to date this work. He makes the point that James 2 is very difficult to interpret and understand if it was authored after the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. He says that such an important meeting would have changed the tone of the letter and even probably would have called James to make a direct reference to the council meeting in the letter itself (Harrison 5). Using that background information the author says that the book can be dated some time before that meeting, which was in A.D. 50, so the book can be dated some where between A.D. 46 and A.D. 49 (Harrison 5). Harrison then goes on to say that since James did not distinguish between Judaism and Christianity in his letter due to the fact that they were considered one religion in the world’s eyes at that time, this can support an earlier dating of the book. He then says if the early dating is correct James can be considered as the first book of the New Testament that was completed, which then accounts for the reason that there are no direct quotes from Jesus’ teachings in the gospel accounts. It is said that James heard Jesus teachings first hand during the oral period of gospel exposure, which would have given him enough exposure to Jesus’ teachings so that when the book of James is side by side with the sermon on the mount there are many parallels to account for (Harrison 6).
Moo states that he has concluded that the place of writing for the book of James is based on the authorship and dating so James was in Jerusalem at the time when He penned this work. James readers were probably located in the regions that were just outside of Palestine. This area was along the coastline, which is north in Syria and possibly Southern Asia Minor (Moo 35). This conclusion is mostly based on the reference to earlier and latter rains in 5:7, which it is, said that only along the Mediterranean Sea do the rains come in this pattern (Moo 35). Also, the social conditions in the Near East were considered very similar to the conditions in the book of James. This included merchants who chased profits; the references to the wealthy verse the poor and the problems with the landlords who promoted unfair working conditions. Plus, there were issues among religious leaders who ascribed to heated debates, which is addressed in 3:13-4:3. The bottom line is that the social conditions of the first-century Palestine and Syria correspond to the issues that are addressed in the book of James.
q To whom was book written (Attended Audience(s):
The book of James was written to the twelve tribes scattered abroad (1:1), in which Harrison states that this can be seen as either racially or spiritually. Moo comments that the meaning of the twelve tribes in the dispersion has roots in the Old Testament in which many Jews were exiled to Assyria and Babylon. The twelve tribes of Israel no longer existed physically. So this term took on the connotation of “the regathered and spiritually renewed Israel that would be brought into being in the last days (31). Heibert states that the twelve tribes of the dispersion can be interpreted as all the Jews who were living outside of Palestine because the dispersion was a term designated to mean Jews who lived outside of Palestine (36). Also, Heibert states that the audience was both Christian and non-Christian Jews due to the books comprehensive Jewish designation (37). Harrison believes that the book has the possibility to being addressed to the Christian community, no matter their racial profile. But the reference James makes to the scattered tribes, which in the Greek means the “diaspora” can be stretched to refer to the Christian community, but it is more likely a word that was used in reference to Jews who “through forceful deportation or voluntary immigration, found themselves in a foreign land” (Harrison 4). The use of the word “diaspora” does not have enough weight to say this book was only addressed to Jews. Harrison states that there is still the question of were the twelve tribes Christian or not? He states that due to the frequent use of the word “brethren” to address the audience it can be concluded that “brethren” has a Christian connotation and also the use of “faith of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2:1) can be seen as another key Christina term. Plus, the “worthy name” in which the audience was called has a Christian ring to it (2:7). Taking all of Harrison’s comments about the audience into consideration, he would lean towards the audience as being Christian (Harrison 4-5).
q Key verse of book:
Because of the genre of James in which it is classified under the category of wisdom literature it was pretty difficult to choose one verse as its main verse. But after extensive researching I have narrowed it down to one verse and that would be verse 2:17, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.“ One commentator stated that the book of James can be divided into four main sections: faith’s test (1:2-27), faith’s nature (2:1-3:12), faith’s wisdom (3:15-5:18), and faith’s application (4:11-20) (www.word.crusade.org). Using this outline of James as a guide verse 2:17 puts the book in perspective and also acts as the glue that holds all four divisions together. Since the book of James has an underlining theme of action, this verse would cover all most every scripture because out of the five chapters in James their are 108 verses with 54 imperative commands (www.word.crusade.org). All in which can be summarized as works, not works that gain salvation but works that are a result of salvation. So just as James has said, faith without works is dead so is the body without the spirit. James shows the importance that not having one will nuilfy the other, faith and works are team and necessary for faith in Christ as the body and the spirit are team.
q Other:
The language that is found in the book of James is considered Koine Greek in which James is known as one who uses Greek fluently and accurately even though he did have a particular style to his writing it is concluded that Greek was his first tongue (Ropes 24). James’ vocabulary consists of around 570 words and only 73 are found coming out of other New Testament writers. Six words are not found in either the Greek Old Testament or the New Testament (Ropes 25).
Scholars wrestle with the notion of authorship for this book. Modern Protestant scholars deny James the apostle authored the work. Then later scholars attribute this work to James the Lord’s brother or another unknown James. The reason James the apostle is rejected as the author because the book does no resemble other New Testament writings. Few support James the son of Zebedee since the writer was not a Christians but a Jew.
One commentator states that the author of the book of James was no doudt a Jew because of his skill in reading the Greek Old Testament in the Septuagint version. Plus, his main ideas are Jewish in origin and has a primitive Christian mind. The concept of religion to him is the idea of a noble spiritual law (Jobes 49).
Martin Luther stated, “We should throw the Epistle of James out of this school (University of Wittenberg). It contains not a syllable about Christ” (Harrison 6).
II. Essential History of the Passage & Book - Perspective- be detailed
q What is the history that surrounds the book and passage?
The historical background of this book can be classified into two categories. The first category is “the religious idea which underline the writers practical religious exhortations, and secondly, the general character and situation of the Christians, as known to the writer and implied in the book” (Jobes 28). Beginning with the first category, Jobes states that the writer’s religious preference is that of later Judaism, but it is recorded that he does not express any relevance to Jewish Christianity. If he did this it would distinguish him from early Christians, even if they were of Jewish or Gentile by nature. Also, it is noted that he does not show any Jewish pride or loyalty to the Jews, never makes any references to temple duties or sacrifices, no references to the Pharisaic ideas or values of purification or the Sabbath or any dietary regulations (Jobes 28-29). James also did not point any controversial characteristics of the Jewish Christians compared to Gentile Christians. Jobes concludes, “that the writer was not a partisan (member) Jewish Christian” (29).
Scholars say the book of James is filled with more Jewish language, then Christian lingo. To name a few Jewish references, “he believes in one God, the creator and father of men (2:19; 3:9) and of the universe (1:17), who is holy (1:13), from whom only good gifts come to men, and who is the source of all good (1:5, 17), and in whose hands are all our ways (4:15). A judgment is coming upon all men (2:12; 4:12; 5:5,9), and it is our duty strictly to observe God’s Law (1:21-25; 2:8-12; 4:11), of which knowledge has been given to us and by which we shall be judged (2:12)” (Jobes 29). The tone of James portrays him as one who has a deep concern for “human personal responsibility, the importance of man’s will, and of his power by God’s help to put forth moral effect and succeed in the achievement of character” (Jobes 30). Plus, when James teaches on works there are no references to the role of pharisaic acts, but on the other hand, there is no clear indication of him counting them out.
In addition to this Jewish tone to the book of James, he also mentions a few references to the Christian faith. James calls himself “a worshiper of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1); he says the faith that he shares with the audience is “in our Lord Jesus Christ of glory” (2:1). Plus, James expressed hope in the coming of the Lord, which is used as another term for Christ (5:7-8) on top of other references James makes calling Jesus, “the Lawgiver and Judge” (4:12), and also he calls him, “the Judge” (5:9). There are other references, but compared to the Jewish jargon found throughout the book it is a smaller number in comparison. Jobes comments on these Christian references stating that even though they are out numbered, they are all foundational points of the Christian faith (32).
The second category that the history of this book is classified under is the general character and situation of the Christians. James geared this book to meet the needs and tendencies of a general audience. Since 1:1 does not give us a specific audience it is said that James wrote to address general Christian conditions that were universal through out the regions his letter was received in. The Christians that James wrote to were probably from poor and humble circumstances, farmers (5:4), those who traveled and traded (4:13). Jobes says that these Christians in the circumstances that he mentions were subjected to troubles that could rattle there faith to some degree, but are not yet exposed to any persecution. James states in his book that the majority of the rich was mostly hostile to Christians and also oppressed the poor by the court systems and by a number of other ways (2:6; 5:4). One fact is that nothing indicates that their oppression was a matter of religious persecution (Jobes 40).
Because of the fact that James mentions rain in his book, this can be implied that the conditions were those from Palestine (5:7). This verse reveals “anxious hope” for rain, which was a norm for the Palestinian culture. Jobes says the reference to the rain account from the Old Testament has every appearance as not being a literary illusion, but a reference to a daily situation in the hearer’s context. It is noted that the Palestinian Jewish Christians began a religious body that was later established and open to outsiders. They were large enough to be called a community (not necessarily) in which they set up elders, but had no reference to bishops or deacons (5:14). Plus, they were known to have teachers, which was a class that the writer identified with (3:1). Except, for the reference of the rich, there are no other references to country and its neighbors in relation to the Jewish Christians (Jobes 42). No indication of wars or any kind of disturbance in the public setting, no reference made to the Jewish war and the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. It can be concluded that there was a sense of peace, agriculture was produced as normal, Christian churches grew, which was threw the winning of converts from the lower classes in society. There are no illusions to missionary work of any kind. The problem that has occurred with the rich is out of reach of the Christian influence (2:5-7). Jobes states, “Nor does any acute crisis in the relations of Christians and non-Christians appear to exist; one would infer that the Christians, although very possibly disliked, were tolerated and free to maintain their own activity and inner life, with their own officials and constituency, under the instruction of their own teachers” (43). Plus, the relationships between Christians and non-Christian neighbors who worship the same God and father show to be peaceful. James makes no references to the conditions of Jerusalem in his letter (Jobes 43).
Adamson states that “there is no definite evidence of the epistle of James or even its name till 180; and the Western Church, with sole exception of Hilary of Poitiers (366), shows no knowledge of it until Jerome’s (383), after which on Augustine’s insistence it was admitted into the Roman canon” (39). The first person to refer to James as scripture and to name the author as James was Origen (185-254) from Alexandria.
The history behind my passage is different than any other passage because you cannot pinpoint exact historical information to the book of James. But I have uncovered some information that supports my passage.
q What cultural issues and/or customs help you better understand the passage?
The main cultural issue that must be understood when reading the book of James is his extensive use of Jewish references through out the book. Moo states, “The letter is thoroughly imbued with the spirit and imagery of the Old Testament and Judaism—so thoroughly that it must reflect the readers background . . .” (30). James uses the Greek word, moichalides, which means adulteresses. One would only know the meaning of this word if they were skilled in Old Testament because this word refers to the Lord’s covenants with his people in a marriage relationship. Plus, James alludes a few times to the law without any explanation to describe what it is and its function. Also, James refers to the synagogue (2:2) and the word, doctrine in which can be interpreted as a monotheistic reference to Judaism (2:19) (Moo 30).
My passage contains the word, law, which has a Jewish connotation to it.
The word, law, in the Greek text is without the article so it is said to have a “qualitative force; the object being examined or looked into has the authoritative nature of the law” (Hiebert 136). Also, since the Word is called the law, James is said to be referring “to that authoritative body of truth that is the foundation of the Christian faith” (Hiebert 136). This would be pretty significant to Jewish converts because they would be able to identify with the word. James also says the law is perfect, which means that the law is final and complete. The law is the embodiment of “the full and effective revelation of God in Christ Jesus” (Hiebert 136). In the context of the passage the perfect law is compared to the mirror, “unlike the imperfect metal mirror in the previous illustration, this law is able to give the beholder a true and undistorted revelation of himself” (Hiebert 136).
Context of the Passage- be detailed
q Describe the context (What has happened, is happening, and will happen):
Since the book of James is unlike any other New Testament book, there is not necessarily a traditional context like other books. In my research, I have read at least 10 commentaries and not one has any specific contextual information for my passage. One commentator stated that because of the heavy use of proverbial sayings through out the book, this has caused the book to be called “paraenesis, which is a type of literature defined as a miscellaneous collection of teachings from various sources without any internal coherence among its various themes” (Harrison 6). Also, another scholar pointed out that James “proceeds to give a threefold admonition or warning, using three key words whose themes are further developed: to hear in verses 1:22-25, to speak in verses 1:26-27, and to anger in verses 1: 20-21” (Hatton & Loh 41). Since admonition is considered proverbial and that these teachings are considered very common in Wisdom Literature, some have concluded that James actually used proverbial sayings to address Christian issues (Hatton & Loh 41). Taking what I just said into consideration I will try my best to answer the contextual questions the manuscript asks.
To answer the question of what has happened I will begin with the actual context of the book in which this work was birth from. Beginning with 1:1, there is no specific audience in which James addresses, so he writes about general Christian conditions that were universal through out the regions his letter was sent to. The Christians that James wrote to were probably from poor and humble circumstances, farmers (5:4), those who traveled and traded (4:13). Jobes says that the Christians in the circumstances that he mentions were subjected to troubles that could rattle there faith to some degree, but are not yet exposed to any persecution. James states in his book that the majority of the rich was mostly hostile to Christians and also oppressed the poor by the court systems and by a number of other ways (2:6; 5:4). One fact is that nothing indicates that their oppression was a matter of religious persecution (Jobes 40). It is important to understand that the church was not necessarily under strict and brutal persecution. Yes, they did experience trails, and even maybe small does of persecution, but nothing major. We know this because James does not make any references to a religious persecution. So it was out of these circumstances that James wrote his universal or even it is called a general letter.
To answer the question of what is happening in my passage, I would say that there is a lack of hearers who are also doers. Either taking the route that the book of James is filled with proverbial statements or that it was written to specific context. Something motivated James to stress the importance of acting on what one hears from the word. Actually this is considered a major theme through out James. All the teachings in the book of James can be sent through the funnel of hearing and doing. Also, James is stressing the fact that those who are hearing God’s word have the responsibility to respond to it because if some who hears the word and does not react in obedience, they are deceiving themselves. Those people who deceive themselves are compared to the person that looks in the mirror, but as soon as they look away, they forget what they look like. But those who hear and do God’s word are compared to the person that looks into the perfect law, continually, and does what it says.
To answer the question what will happen. Those people who hear God’s word and do not put it into practice will deceive themselves. One scholar said what it means to deceive yourself by saying it is, “a process of self-deception by means of fallacious reasoning” (Hiebert 133). Those who take part in just listening will be led astray from the path of truth (Hiebert 133). But those who hear God’s word and put it into practice will be like the man who looks intently into the perfect law on a continual basis, “not forgetting what he has heard but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). Ultimately, one who is obedient to God’s word will become a doer of God’s word. A doer of God’s word not just listens attentively, but practices consistently and it is in their consistence that they will be blessed in whatever they do.
q What is the motivation for your passage? What was the author seeking to communicate?
The motivation of my passage is based on James command to be doers of God’s word. Even though James commands believers to be doers of the word, he is not trying to falsely persuade people to obedience. James is giving hearers time to perform a self-evaluation on themselves in comparison to God’s commandments before one actually practices what he has heard. In essence, James is saying to look and listen thoroughly to the word and then make a decision, not make a decision then look and listen to the word.
James calls believers to respond to the word. He gives them two options, either they are just hearers of the word in which they would be deceiving themselves or they are doers of the word in which they will be rewarded by blessing. James wants believers to build an active obedience in their faith. Active obedience requires a believer to respond to God’s word on a continual basis. This kind of response will bring blessing to the life of the doer.
James was communicating a practical foundational principle for recipients who heard God’s word. He was stressing the importance of becoming a faithful steward to the hearing of God’s word. Hearing without doing is a form of self-deception, which in essence is disobedience. But those who hear God’s word and put it into practice are considered the obedient listeners. All who hear God’s word have the same opportunity to respond. They can either respond with obedience or disobedience. Disobedience follows a hearer of the word who stops at the hearing part, for some reason or another they stop there and see no reason to respond, but this James says is called deception. Hearers have the power to deceive themselves, but doers take God’s word to another level in their life and let God’s word produce action in their lives. They hear God’s word, and step out in obedience. The reason why one is obedient and disobedient is explained through the illustration James uses in verses 1:23-25. He compares a man who looks in the mirror and after he leaves, he forgets what he looks like to the man who looks into the perfect law, and on a continual basis is obedient, not a one-time deal, and this then brings blessing to his or her life. By interpreting this illustration, the author is trying to communicate the pros and cons of listening to the word. Both men looked, but both men did not see the same thing and this caused them to come away from their time of observation with different results. In this illustration, looking is being compared to listening. One man looked, but he did not see, and the other man looked and he saw. If you are just a hearer of the word, you are compared to the man that looks at himself, only to forget what he looks like. His perception is perverted compared to the other man who looks and sees the perfect law that gives freedom. The author wants his readers to see that it is an ongoing act, if not you will then forget what you heard, and forgetting leads to deception but doing leads to remembering and in doing what God’s word says, this brings blessing to the life of the doer.
q What is the location of your passage in regards to context? Is your text in the beginning, middle or the end of an idea, discussion, etc.?
My passage is located in chapter one. Chapter one is broken into two parts (three including the introduction). Verses 1:1 is the introduction, 1:2-18 is labeled as “trails and temptations,” and 1:19-27 is called “listening and doing.” My passage is in the middle of this section. The “listening and doing” section is broken up into three parts or paragraphs. Each paragraph has a different thought about the big idea of the section. The break down of the three sections: 1:19-21, 1:22-25 (my passage), and 1:26-27. My passage is in the middle of a list of things one is commanded to do as a committed follower of the Lord. Even though there is a theme in my section of hearing and doing, each part utilizes a different approach to supporting that theme. My passage is the foundation, not for the theme, because in order for a believer to do any religious act, he must first hear the word of God and then do it. The doing part is the concept that drives the other passages in my section. The other passages describe what a believer is to do. For instance, the passage after mine basically teaches to about considering one’s self religious and this is marked by action words such as keeping a tight reign on one’s tongue, to look after orphans and widows, and to keep one’s self from being pullulated by the world (James 1:26-27). Those three phrases fulfill what a believer is suppose to do to be considered a doer of the word not just a hearer (James 1:22).
q How does the context help you properly interpret the passage?
Locating the context of James is a little different then other Biblical books, for instance, the gospel of Matthew, before the passage where Jesus walks on water, there is the account of the feeding of the 5,000, so the reader can see what was going on around each passage. In James, there is no contextual information like that, but there are surrounding verses that relate to my passage. The verses before my passage (1:19-21) introduce a how to on listening. James says, “be quick to listen, slow to speak” (1:19). Although the rest of this passage talks about anger and how God feels about it, it still adds to the theme of doing. My passage teaches to be doers of the word, so a practical example right in the text would be to be slow to anger, so that you bring about the righteous life that God desires. Then the verses following my passage (1:26-26) also have practical application for a doer of God’s word. Here James is commanding us to keep a reign on one’s tongue, by not doing this it will bring self-deception, which is the same result one is given in my passage for just hearing the word with out doing what it says. In chapter two, James begins to teach on favoritism and what it looks like and what believers should do. In essence, this passage is another action passage and can be also seen through the eyes of my passage because again one must be both a hearer of the word and also a doer and in chapter two James is giving us instructions that need to be obeyed. Actually, my passage could be seen through the eyes of this whole book since this book is basically a series of commands, commands that are important to the Christian faith. What good is it if anybody reads this book and all the nice commands and does not put them to practice. That is exactly the question my passage answers. The book itself helps to put my passage in context because my passage serves as a springboard that the rest of the book is applied from.
q Detailed verse-by-verse context: (Breakdown your passage) (Example Romans 12:2 needs Verse 1 for proper interpretation).
“James 1: 22-25”
Verse 1:22: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (RSV).
This verse begins with the word “but,” which is a particle (major marker) and James seems to have the habit of using particles to introduce imperative command verbs and also to function as a transitional word between thoughts in order to lower his tone so that it cannot be interpreted as adversative or hostile (Hatton & Loh 47). The imperative that follows the “but” particle is “ginesthe,” means to become or to be. It is in the present tense form and has the meaning of not just to come to the point of being, but a continual process and it even could mean to “make sure that you continue to be” (Hatton & Loh 47). The phrase “doers of the word” can be interpreted as a Hebrew idiom in which can literally take on the meaning of “a word maker,” which was either someone who was a writer or orator. But this phrase can be interpreted as “those who put the word into practice (compare TEV), who obey the message (Gspd), who live by the word (Knox), and who act on the message (Hatton & Loh 47). Then James warns the hearers not to be hearers only. The hearing refers to the “public reading of scriptures, but in the present context it obviously refers to hearing the gospel message” (Hatton & Loh 48). James emphasizes the fact that hearing and knowing is not enough, but what really matters is to practice what you hear and know. To do it any other way will bring deception upon yourself. The word deceive literally means to “reason beside the point and therefore to misjudge, to deceive by false reasoning or to fool yourself” (Hatton & Loh 48).
Verse 1:23: “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror” (NIV).
Adamson states the obvious, which is that there are two main contrasts in verses 1:23-25. The first contrast is “between a hasty, forgetful glance and an attractive, sustained study.” The next comparison was “between the picture, glimpsed in a mirror of a mortal, physical face, and the picture, contained in the divine law, of the ideal pattern of each immortal soul for the time being inhabiting the mortal flesh, and while still striving to approach that immortal ideal” (Adamson 82-83).
In this verse, James refers to the man who is just a hearer of the word, which refers to the man who looks at himself in the mirror. Just being a hearer is compared to “a man who observes his natural face in a mirror” and does not act upon it (Hatton & Loh 49). The word to observe in the Greek literally means “to put the mind down upon, it also means to consider attentively and is often used in the general sense of to take note of, to look at, and to observe” (Hatton & Loh 49). The phrase “his natural face” has a variety of meanings, “the face he was born with, the face of his existence, the innocent face of a newborn baby, the face that nature gave him, or he looks at himself” (Hatton & Loh 49). “The face he was born with” is the most common use by commentators. During the writing of this book, mirrors were not made of glass, but of polished metal in which they would use copper or bronze. Also, the reflection was not as clear as modern mirrors (Hatton & Loh 50).
Verse 1:24: “and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” (NIV).
In verse 24, James explains the comparison between the man who is not a doer of the word and the act of him looking at himself in the mirror only to forget what he saw. The word, look, is the same word that is in verse 23, which basically means to take a good look. It is not considered a momentary or a quick glance, but a look that takes time to do a careful self-examination (Hatton & Loh 50). The Greek verb to go away when parsed is found in the perfect tense, which can be interpreted as someone who does not just go away, but stays away as well. “The point that the author tries to make is that the impression a person gets from the mirror is temporary and momentary” (Hatton & Loh 50). To just hear the word is like the person who leaves the mirror and no sooner forgets himself.
Verse 1:25: 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” (NIV).
Verse 25 illustrates the picture of a true hearer of the word. To be considered a true hearer one must both hear and practice the word. This person is someone who looks into the perfect law and perseveres. In this verse, the word, look, is in the verbal form of the participle. This literally means “to stooping down sideways to look or bending over to look carefully” (Hatton & Loh 51). This word is also used in John 20:5 & 11 in which Jesus’ disciples were looking intensely into the tomb to if he was there or not. Also, it is better understood by interpreting it as “read intently” or “study carefully” (Hatton & Loh 51). James reference to the “perfect law” has baffled scholars because they cannot find a basis to agree upon. One view that is dominant is that it refers to Jewish origin. Since James was a Jew, when he used the word law, it would be natural for it to refer to the Law of Moses or the Old Testament commandments. In the Hebrew, the law means teaching or instruction in which is considered to be perfect. Jesus also says something similar in the Sermon on the Mount, where He says that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. The “word” is compared to the “perfect law” in which James commands us to practice. “The perfect law is to be taken as the perfect Christian way of life, equivalent to the gospel message” (Hatton & Loh 51). Also, the perfect law is compared with the law of liberty. If this is not study closely, one can think that they contradict themselves, but read in context one can see that they compliment each other. Since the word law has a negative connotation like the law is binding, controlling and something that is imposed on by an outsides source, and something that is definitely contradicting to freedom. Although the idea of the law is not totally negative through out the Bible. The concept of liberty is said to be a result of the law, not the law itself.
The person is said to be different who looks at the perfect law for two reasons: First it is because he is labeled as somebody who perseveres. The word in the Greek to persevere when parsed is a present participle verb, which means that it has the force of continual action. So one can say that it means “to keep on paying attention to it, makes a habit of so doing, continues to do this, and to never stop looking at” (Hatton & Loh 52). The second way this person is different is because he is classified as being “no hear that forgets but a doer that acts,” which literally means “becoming not a hearer of forgetfulness but a doer of work” (Hatton & Loh 52).
Finally, the one who practices will be blessed. The one who is blessed refers to the one who both hears and practices the word. The word blessed means to be happy like it is used in 1:12. In this context, it can be rendered “that man will be happy.” The word happy refers to something a person attains, not something they receive. The blessing should be recognized as a future act or promise. God will bless the person who puts the law into practice for being a doer of the word, not just a hearer (Hatton & Loh 52-53).
Words and Features of the Passage- be details
q What is the important and unique syntax of the language? (Are the verbs passive or active, etc)?
In James 1:22, it says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” There is a reason that not begins the sentence in the NIV and in other translations it does not. In this exhortation, it has two sides, one side is positive and that is to “be” and the other side is negative and that is the use of the word, not. The reason different translators go back and forth in deciding what comes first is the matter of authority. “However, in some languages, it may be more appropriate, and indeed more forceful, to begin with the negative, such as TNT, TEV, GECL, and others have done” (Hatton and Loh 48).
The Greek word, “ginesthe,” means to become or to be. It is in the present tense form and has the meaning of not just to come to the point of being, but a continual process and it even could mean to “make sure that you continue to be” (Hatton & Loh 47). Another commentator says that it means, “to keep on striving to be doers of the word” (Adamson 82). Also, the word is an imperative command verb, which means that James is not just inviting the hearers to become doers of the word, but he is absolutely commanding them to do so. It is also classified as a deponent verb, which means that it is to be translated as being in the active voice. After reading other verses in the Bible that use the same word, to become, it has taken on the connotation, to be completed or finished (Matthew 6:10) and to come to pass (Matthew 7:28). To become is a continual process, a process that will come to pass as one actively becomes obedient to the word.
q Important words and word studies? (How were those words used at that time and how should they be understood today?)
In my passage, the English phrase in the NIV states “a man who looks at his face in a mirror,” this literally means in the Greek, “the face that nature gave him, ”seen in a mirror,” which was used by the author to make a comparison with “the ideal face or character that a man sees set forth in the law” (Jobes 176). The idea of this comparison is that one can forget the physical face that nature gave him and will have no lasting benefit from seeing it, so the mere hearing of the public reading of the scriptures will have no profit from the ideal character one perceives from keeping the law (Jobes 176). Hiebert also states that no matter what meaning one gives to this phrase the figure deals with the outward or physical appearance of the man. The illustration implies a parallel spiritual truth (Hiebert 134).
Just as Hiebert stated that this phrase has an external connotation to the man’s physical appearance. Other Biblical authors such as Paul would use the external appearance to refer to the sinful nature of man. Here James is stating that the man who looked at himself saw who he was unlike the man who looked at the perfect law, saw who he can be if he lived according to its standards.
The word in the Greek for mirror is “esoptro.” Jobes states the ancients as well as the modern Japanese, had mirrors that were not your typical glass mirror that one uses regularly today, but made of silver, copper, or tin with a polished finish (Jobes 176).
Today when somebody hears the word, mirror, they would first think of a glass object that one looks into see what they look like. The mirror in the ancient days was not glass and it gave off a poor reflection of the person’s image. The image was distorted, so distorted that it could have been easy to forget what you look like.
The Greek word, parakusas, means to look and is used in verse 1:25 as a verb. The context there is that the man is looking into the perfect law. The word literally draws the picture of a man who is “bending over the mirror on the table in order to examine more minutely what is revealed therein” (Hiebert 135-136). Also, next to this word in the Greek text is the word, eis, which makes the word not just mean to look, but to look deeply, to penetrate the object one is looking at (Hiebert 136). Hiebert says that this verb may denote a cursory look, but because of the following participle verb, to continue, they both are under the control of the same article. So both verbs are in a compound form with the preposition, para, which means beside or even, alongside. This suggests proximity. Hiebert then concludes, “He (the man) bent over the mirror, and, gripped by what he saw, he continued looking and obeying its precepts,” in which “this figure marks his crucial difference to the first man” (136). Another commentator comments on this word and says that it can mean that this man bent over to see something better (Kistemaker 63).
This word should be understood today as a deep examination of something. The person who is looking will do whatever it takes to see the whole thing they are looking at. It is not a careless look, but a careful look at something that is important to the person who is looking. This type of observation is contingent on the object the person is looking at. This man was looking at the perfect law; the law captured his attention because he knew that it could make him the man God intended him to be.
“The Jews loved and delighted in the law, but they failed to keep it because of their human imperfections. The “perfect law of freedom” is “perfect” because Christ completed it. It is liberating because those who are free in Christ observe it.”
Doctrinal/Theological Truths of Passage- be detailed in discovering the truths, principles, lessons, teaching, Fallen Condition Focus (FCF pgs 40-44 Chapell), and redemptive context of the passage.
q What are the primary theological truths that emerge from the passage? (What does the passage teach about God?) (Theology)
One of the primary theological truths that emerge from James 1:22-25 are significant to the whole of scripture and the foundation of the Christian faith. In my passage, James commands believers to become doers of the word of God. Becoming a doer of the word of God can only be possible, if one not only listens to the word, but also follows the hearing of the word by practicing the word in their daily lives. There is a process to becoming a doer of the word. The first part is that one must listen to the word. Both, the person who accepts the word and the person who rejects the word must first listen and hear the word of God. It is impossible to reject something if you have not been exposed to it. Now there is an art to listening that must be addressed. Not properly giving the word a chance when listening to it will nullify the word in one’s life because instead of reacting to the word as a doer of the word does, they will be acting on their disobedience to the word, which will bring deception to their life. But the person who hears the word and reacts to the word in obedience does this because of the way they view of the word. Both view the word differently, at a first glance when some sees this passage they would immediately think that the man who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like was careless in his observation of himself. But in the Greek text the word, to look, does not mean to look hastily or carelessly, but “to perceive, remark, observe, understand; to consider attentively, fix one’s eyes or mind upon” (www.blueletterbible.com). Clearly, the way that the man looked at the mirror was enough for him to process the word, but James says he deceived himself by not acting on the word. In the Greek, to deceive one’s self literally means that self-deception is a process that is caused by the means of fallacious reasoning (Hiebert 133). In the process of becoming a doer of the word, all hearers come to a crossroad where they have to make the decision to either take the exit for obedience or the detour for disobedience. The choice they make hear will have a lasting effect on their life. The consequences of choosing disobedience will lead to living a life from the perspective of deception, but the person who chooses to be obedient to the word will complete the process of the doer and will live life from the perspective of God’s blessing.
q How does the theology contained in your passage relate to the truth found elsewhere in Scripture?
The theology of my passage is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans in 2:13. Paul also makes mention of the process of becoming a doer of the word. Here Paul states that it is not those who hear the law (word), but those who obey the law that will be declared righteous. Paul understands as does James that in order to do what the word (law) says one must hear first, and then make a decision to either obey or disobey the word (law). Both authors state that they will be reward for their obedience. James says the doer of the word will be blessed and Paul says the doer of the law will be declared righteous.
Also, Jesus speaks volumes on this subject in the Sermon on the Mount. From verses 7:24 to 7:27 in the book of Matthew, Jesus teaches on the wise and foolish builders. In this passage, we see a similar contrast that James uses to compare hearers and doers of the word. Jesus compares two types of people; one type of people hears His words and puts them into practice. He then says these people have built their house on a foundation of rock. The other type of people hears his words and chooses not to put them into practice. He then says they have built their house on sand. This is very similar to James analogy of the person who just hears the word and does not act on it; he says somebody who does that is like a man who looks into the mirror only to forget what he looks like. Then James says, but the one who does what the word says is like the man who looks intently into the perfect law and instead of forgetting what the law says, he practices it continually. Jesus then states that the person who puts His word into practice is the one who will stand when the storms come because like the house that was built on a rock will not be broken by a storm, so will the person who is obedient to His word. But Jesus goes on to say, the person who does not listen to Him is like the house that is built on sand, when the storms of life come, like the house which will be washed away so will the person because they were not obedient to His words. Both the man who sees the law in James and the man who builds his house on the rock will be rewarded for their efforts by the blessing of standing firm for the truth of God’s word.
In my passage, James is calling us to have an active faith. James is calling believers to respond to God’s word with action. In order to become a doer of the word, one must “do” something. In the book of 1 John 3:18, John teaches a very similar concept in his letter about being an active person of faith. John says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth” (3:18). In this passage, John is also calling for his audience to respond pro-actively to their faith by loving people with action, not word. God is calling all believers to respond to his word, not just to benefit themselves, but for the benefit of others, as well.
q What does the passage reveal concerning how we should, as believers or non-believers, live? (Doctrine)
This passage reveals the how to on the way believers should react in response to God’s word. All those who hear the word have to make a choice, either they can accept it or reject it. This choice will be based on their perception of the word. This passage is not just calling people to put God’s word into practice, but also calling them to examine the word (perfect law of freedom). How the man perceived the law was the deciding factor for the decision that he has to make to either accept the word or reject the word of God in his life.
This passage reveals to us that believers should be open to obedience of God’s word or else they will be just hearers of the word, which is a device that the enemy can use to deceive someone from being a doer of God’s word. In essence, my passage contrasts two concepts: disobedience and obedience. Living life from the perspective of disobedience brings deception to all areas of a believer’s life. It is not just perception that can be deceiving it is the basis for one’s perception that can mislead people into making irrational choices. Both men heard the word, and had a chance to digest it, but both men did not have the same results. The one, who heard the word and did not put it into practice, deceived himself and was compared to the man who looked into the mirror and after he walked away, forgot what he looked like. This man’s perception about himself was compared to his disobedience to the word. The man did evaluate himself in the mirror but it was what his evaluation was not based on that caused him to forget what he saw and not to do what he heard. James says he deceived himself, he lead himself astray by a compromised line of reasoning that ultimately got the best of him because when it was time to respond to the word was not capable of doing so in a positive way, but made the choice not to be obedient. Actually, this person already made the choice not to be obedient when he decided that he is going to stop at the hearing part of the process in becoming a doer of the word. He cut himself short of the blessings of God. His perception was not like the other man who looked in the mirror. This is the man that all believers want to model. This man based his perception on the perfect law that gives freedom. His perception was grounded on the outcome of a man who follows God’s laws in obedience. This is what he saw when he looked into the law, he saw a finished product, the ideal man or character one can achieve if they obey the law. This man knew that it took more than just hearing the word. He took it to the next level; he not just listened to the word, but put it into practice continually. This is the standard that believers are to set in there lives because God wants us to live life from the perception of what he can do in our life if we practice his word, not a perception of what we can do if we do not practice the law, which in itself is a lie.
INSIGHTS LEARNED
q What are the most helpful insights gained through studying the passage?
The first helpful insight that I gained from studying this passage was the contrast between the man who looked in the mirror and the other man who looked in the law. The man who looked in the mirror forgot what he looked like as soon as he walked away from it. Reading this passage in English lessens the meaning because it was not like he looked carelessly or hastily, but in the Greek, the word, look, means that he actually examined himself, he observed himself carefully, and still forgot what he looked like. This man was compared with the person that heard the word but did not act on it and in turn deceived himself. Then the other man, who looked, saw the perfect law that brings freedom. When he saw the law, he thought of the ideal character one can achieve by doing what the law commanded of him. Both men were looking at something, but the man who was compared to just hearing the law saw himself and the man who practices the word saw the perfect law. Both people who hear the word have the opportunity and responsibility to respond, but that is not the case here, one man acts on the word and the other does not. Acting on the word brings blessing, but not acting brings deception.
Both men hear the word and know that they should respond, but the one man does not respond, he is content with just listening when he should be focused on the life changing power of the word. The other man knows he should change and responds to the word by doing what he heard. He did not forget what he has heard and has put it into practice on a continual basis.
q What are the most important truths to relate on the passage in preaching?
One truth that should be related is the benefit or consequence that accompany one’s response to the word. Both of the men heard the word, so they both had an equal opportunity to respond, but one man is content in just hearing the word without doing it. The man who just hears the word, James says deceives himself. He knows he needs to respond, but does not want to and in doing so he has deceived himself. The other man heard the word, just as the first man, but he chooses to act on what he has heard, because it is more than just knowing the word, he understands that one must do what he heard. Practicing the word continually, not forgetting what you have heard by doing it will bring you blessing in whatever you decide to do.
Also, this passage shows that each man is looking at something totally different. The first man who is compared as a hearer only looks at a mirror and what does he see, but himself. His failure to practice the law for whatever reason causes him to be compared to a man who looks at himself in the mirror. This guy looks at the external. He heard the same word as the next man who takes hearing to the next level, but it looks like he is content with just hearing the word. He probably knows that he needs to respond to the word, but there is something that is holding him back from receiving God’s blessing in whatever he chooses to do. Not doing what the word says will bring deception to a person who stops at hearing the word. He is deceives himself and is compared to a man who must be deceiving himself to some degree when he looks into the mirror, but what does he do but forget what he looks like. The mirror must represent some type of device that brings deception or his mindset must be deceiving him. The act of him looking is not a careless approach to looking, but a careful study of himself. He carefully studied himself and still forgot what he looked like after he stepped away from it. He was able to hear and not apply and see and not remember. But the one who does what the word says is compared to the man who is looking. The catch is that when he looks, he sees “the perfect law that brings liberty.” Both men look carefully, but this man sees the perfect law in which is represented by the ideal character a person who follows the law can achieve. He was looking inward. This man was able to hear and apply and see and continue doing what he heard. There is a contrast in their perception that should be addressed. One man looked to himself, and the other man looked out of himself to God’s law. They both examined what they chose to look at, but one man was blessed for it and the other was deceived. The man who was compared to one who only heard God’s word looked in the mirror at who he was and the other man looked at the law and saw whom he can be.
ORGANIZATION
Write out a Clear Purpose Statement (one, crystal clear and concise sentence that states the theme of the text):
DOMINATING THEME: “What’s The Big Idea
Just listening to God’s word without application is deception, but applying God’s word after listening, results in God’s blessings following you through life.
q How did you arrive at this conclusion?
I have concluded with this statement because dissecting my passage, James is making a comparison. He is comparing a hearer only to a hearer that is motivated to become a doer of God’s word. James then uses the analogy of the two men who are looking. One man is looking at himself and the other is looking at the law. There is either positive benefits or negative consequences for each man’s response to hearing the word of God. The man who hears only deceives himself, and he has to live life from this perceptive. Then there is the man who hears and responds with action to God’s word and because of his continual efforts to become a doer of God’s word he is blessed in whatever he does.
INTEGRATING THOUGHTS: (outline of 2 to 4 points, sub points if needed)
1. Passive Christians deceive themselves!
a. Listening to God’s word without doing what it says is a form of deception.
b. Just listening to God’s word without practicing it is compared to a man who makes a conscience effort to look at himself in the mirror and immediately after he leaves the mirror, he forgets what he looks like.
c. This man is concerned about the external. He looks at himself. Also, he uses a mirror to do so. In those days, mirrors were not like today’s mirrors. They were made with different metals that were polished. These types of mirrors were not capable of giving a perfect reflection, but what it did give was a distorted picture of one’s self, maybe so distorted that you could not literally remember what you looked like no matter how hard one examined themselves in it.
2. Pro-Active Christians bring blessings upon themselves!
a. Listening to God’s word followed by application completes the process of becoming a doer of the word of God.
b. Both listening and practicing the word of God in one’s life is compared to a man who looks intently into the perfect law.
c. This man’s perception is not on himself, but on God’s commands.
d. He is looking at the internal.
e. When this man looks, he sees the ideal character one should portray by following the law.
f. This man does what he hears on a continual basis not forgetting what he had heard, but doing it.
g. Completing the process of becoming a doer will result in the benefit of being blessed in whatever you choose to do in life.
MOTIVATING THRUST: Call to action
We as believers of Jesus Christ are called to become people who respond to the word of God by consciously listening and effectively practicing what it requires us to do so that we are blessed and not deceived in all we do in life.
The heart of this passage is the imperative command that is found in the beginning of verse 1:22, which is to become doers of the word. James is not inviting us to become doers of the word, whenever we get a chance, but absolutely commanding us to become doers of God’s word, now. To become a doer of the word, according to James, a hearer must complete a two-step process that will result in a reward for there efforts. A doer must not only hear the word of God, but must practice what they hear on a continual basis in their lives. Completing the process that James calls us to do will follow with a life that is blessed in whatever one does.
PART 2 ( 3-4 pages minimum) Use these notes as the guide for preaching
FINALIZATION The Finishing Touches
Write out substance of message (clarifies and organize thoughts)
§ Introduction - write out clearly (Tell them what you are going to tell them). Basically memorize for eye contact. (See Chapell Index)
It is strange how life works out sometimes. Sometimes people, who show the greatest potential, fizzle out and nothing ever really comes of them. And other times people who never really seem to have it all together, end up beating the odds, and actually make something of themselves. For instance, there is a true story of these two guys. Both guys came from a history of drug addiction and problems with the law. They ended up crossing paths in a Christian drug and alcohol program where they made decisions to follow Christ. Both of them pressed into the program. They both heard the same teachings day in and day out and by the grace of God graduated the program as best friends. As they parted ways, one guy went on to pursue dreams that God laid upon his heart and the other guy walked away from the program after 12 months of extensive Biblical training only to gradually fall away from the Lord.
The contrast between these two guys is similar to the two men James compares in 1:22-25. “James says, do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says 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 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” (NIV).
§ Exposition (Tell them) Explanations, Illustrations, Applications, Transitions (See Chapell Index)
“The Reflective Christian”
I have come to the conclusion that life can be narrowed down to two outcomes, either you will live life as a reflection of God or as a shadow of this world.
The fact is that just listening to God’s word without application is deception, but applying God’s word after listening, results in the blessings of God following you through life.
At the foundation of my passage is a comparison in which James says the man who just hears the word is like the person who looks and all he sees is a reflection of himself, but the man who hears the word and practices what he has heard is like the person who looks and sees the perfect law that brings liberty. Both men take a different direction when they hear the word. This leads them to different results. The bottom line is that you are either a passive Christian or a pro-active Christian in your response to God’s word.
(1) Passive Christians deceive themselves!
The passive Christian hears the word and that is it. They barely respond or even react. The people who James was writing to would actually go and listen to the public reading of scripture and be content with just that. James is emphasizing the fact that hearing and knowing is not enough, but what really matters is to practice what you hear and know. Trying to do it any other way will bring deception upon yourself and to those around you. If you cannot hear and apply God’s word, how can the people in your sphere of influence do the same?
At a first glance when you see this passage you would immediately think that the man who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like was careless in his self-examination. But in the Greek text, to look does not mean to look carelessly, but to understand and to consider attentively. Clearly, the way that the man looked at the mirror was enough for him to process the word. Since he had time to process the word, this man then choose to be passive in his response. In this mans passivity, he becomes a reflection of himself and not of God, which not only hinders his walk, but has the possibly in doing the same to others. To counter passivity, one must be pro-active in their response to God’s word.
(2) Pro-Active Christians bring blessings upon themselves!
A proactive Christian is known to be a true hearer of the word. To be considered a true hearer, one must both hear and practice the word on a continual basis. James compares this person to a man who looks and sees God’s perfect law. He sees the ideal character that can result by practicing it daily.
Doers of the word are not discouraged by the depth of God’s commands, but welcomes them because they know that God would not command them to do anything that was beyond their control. Ultimately, a doer of God’s word, not just listens attentively, but also practices consistently and it is in their consistence that they will be blessed in whatever they do.
§ Conclusion (Remind them what you have told them and bring them to a decision) Clarification, Exhortation, Invitation. (See Chapell Index)
In Conclusion, remember the two guys in my introduction. The guy who left the drug program and gradually fell back into drugs. He is my best friend, Nick. And the other guy, the one who went to follow the dreams that God laid on his heart, by the grace of God, that is me. Two weeks ago, I picked Nick up from the Reading bus station after he just was released from doing 13 months in jail. Nick said, Jess if it was not for what God is doing in your life, I probably would not believe in God at all.
I would not be here today, if I did not respond to God’s word continually in my life. Every time you hear God’s word, it calls for a response. Your response will either be one of disobedience, which unlocks deception or obedience, which is the key to God’s blessing. The next time you hear God’s word, you should base your response, solely, on what God can do in your life. Being a reflective Christian benefits not just you, but others around you as well. When people see you, they are either going to see what God can do in a person’s life or what a person did not allow God to do? Therefore, it is imperative that you listen to God’s word with a pro-active mindset, not a passive ear.
Works Cited
Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976.
blueletterbible.com
Brosend, William F. James & Jude. New Work: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Hatton, Howard A. & I-Jin Loh. A Handbook On The Letter From James. New York: UBS Handbook Series, 1997.
Hiebert, D. Edmond. The Epistle of James: Tests of a Living Faith. Chicago: Moody Press, 1979.
Kistemaker, Simon J. New Testament Commentary: James. Michigan: Baker Book House, 1986.
Laws, Sophie. Harper’s New Testament Commentaries: The Epistle of James. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1980.
Moo, Douglas J. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: James. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing House, 1985.
Picirilli, Harrison. The Randall House Bible Commentary: James, 1,2 Peter and Jude. Nashville: Randall House Publications, 1992.
Richardson, Kurt A. The New American Commentary: James. USA: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.
Ropes, James H. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle of St. James. Scotland: T & T Clark LTD, 1978.
word.crusade.org
