INTRODUCTION:

(Deuteronomy 4:2 [KJV])
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

(Proverbs 30:5, 6 [KJV])
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

(Isaiah 28:10 [KJV])
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

(Isaiah 28:13 [KJV])
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

(2 Peter 1:20 [KJV])
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

All of the studies found here, whether book studies or topical studies, are done with research with mainly two things: The KING JAMES BIBLE and a plain old, 1828 Webster's Dictionary. Why? Outside of actually studying secular and Jewish history recorded in the Word of God and in any ancient records from many, which records support it, plus archaeology, one needs nothing more. You do not need foreign, dead languages that no one speaks, nor lexicons, nor concordances, nor commentaries, because they differ not only with one another and with the KING JAMES BIBLE, they create division, confusion, debate, and unbelief, apostasy, and a falling away from God Himself. We do not need them. That Word of God, written and preserved for us in our own language, is supposed to be enough, like the Old Testament was for the Jews, and as the New Testament was for the early Christians in Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, etc.

There are studies within as tangents on words, subjects found within the two testaments, as to broaden the scope of the study, to learn more, deeper truths. This is not an intellectual site with PhDs, theologians, and no worldly wisdom.. Check everything out, everything. Not just here, but with everything you read and see and hear. Be Bereans:

(Acts 17:11 [KJV])
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

(1 Thessalonians 2:13 [KJV])
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Always research for yourself, use all of the context, and never privately interpret!

Introduction/Start of study

JAMES CHAPTER 1: YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN?

APX. prior to A.D. 63

This chapter is about the following things: JUSTIFICATION BEFORE MEN, THROUGH PERSECUTION, PATIENCE, FAITH, WISDOM, HUMILITY, GOD'S GENEROSITY, WORLDLINESS, STEADFASTNESS; ALL THAT, NOW THAT YOU ARE SAVED-THE CHRISTIAN LAW, persecution, patience, temptations, wisdom, walking, our temporary riches, God's Generosity to us, a command to do the work of the LORD, watch your tongue, know and discern between true and false religion. Paul, the other apostles and Luke spoke of believing because of the evidence, the eyewitness accounts; James talks about believing faith, faith in spite of any and all consequences, even up to the point of death. It has been said, and that even taught here, is that the way we behave towards other people, in and out of the church body, indicates, even reveals clearly before all what we really, truly believe about God! The apostle Paul speaks clearly about faith leading TO salvation; James speaks about the kind of faith that proves that you ARE in fact saved. Not a feeling, a sense, it is action, what we do, how we walk. Your works, if your faith is a true, saving faith, will bear witness of that saving faith. Thus, there is no contradiction with Paul's writings or, in fact, the entire rest of Scripture.

(Matthew 7:16-20 [AKJV/PCE])
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

The Bible clearly teaches, cover to cover, that we are not saved by works, nor can we maintain, restore that salvation by works. We are saved by faith, a faith that is demonstrated, characterized, recognizable by our works which are to represent the Saviour, by a change in us, our attitude, our speech, our working now for the LORD, not to be characterized by idleness, indifference, carelessness, and no change in ourselves at all.

JAMES

THE BOOK OF JAMES, AKA TRANSLATED FROM MANY LANGUAGES

James was the half brother of our LORD, a son of Mary and Joseph, along with Jude, who wrote the epistle by that name, and was a writer who agreed with the apostle Paul in many ways; merely taking a different angle, a different approach, a different direction on our faith, our walk. It is not a contrast; just a different way of looking at our faith. James presided over the council of Jerusalem, and is widely misunderstood, his verses being taken out of context to make it seem as though we need to work to be or stay saved. His whole book is about what to do, how to carry ourselves before men, to be justified of men, before men, not God. Not to be justified before God, but what to do now that we are, to be seen of men as a testimony, witness, justification, so as to not have to always here those biting words, "You call yourself a CHRISTIAN?".

It is about what to do after and because we are justified before God through the Blood of the Lamb, the LORD Jesus Christ. Looking at the same thing, two different ways, same conclusion, just more practical, how we carry ourselves. Paul explains what to do with the evidence, showing how we need to get saved and and how we get saved. He is about believing to the saving of our souls, to be justified before God. James is about having faith despite our consequences, to demonstrate, show to men that we are saved, by our witness, our testimony of how we handle ourselves through trials, testings, persecutions which they were indeed experiencing, up to martyrdom. James himself was martyred by being stoned to death, according to Eusebius, for decl;aring Jesus Christ and was praying for God to forgive them. We are to represent God to the world, showing who He is, and our behavior and speech is what we have to accomplish this. It is the visible thing for all to see. Paul (how to get saved) is doctrine; James is practical application (now that you are saved). Paul is nuts and bolts on how to get saved, while James is nuts and bolts on how to live, now that we are saved.

It is chastisement of those who are idle, wealthy and not helping, all talk and no work for the LORD, all talk and no action, all talk and no testimony, no eyewitness to an unbeliever as well as the brethren.James got saved after the resurrection when the LORD appeared to him, and was at the council at Jerusalem, arguing against works salvation, saying that the Gentiles did not need to keep the law, that the Gentiles were saved by faith as they the Jews were. James was listed first in Galatians 2, meaning a preeminence, and Paul even says the disciples came from James, nearly synonymous with "from Jerusalem".

The entire book is about the mature Christian.

THE MATURE CHRISTIAN:

It would be from reading his epistle that he more about trying to prevent people thinking that, since they were justified before God, they could now do whatever they wanted, being secure, forgetting that the world was watching them more carefully, and that they needed to watch their own witness, testimony before men, because they had been known as Christians, thereby bringing scorn upon the Church, the LORD, themselves.

(Acts 15:13-21 [KJV])
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men [and] brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

(Galatians 2:9-12 [AKJV/PCE])
And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

(1 Corinthians 9:5 [AKJV/PCE])
Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

James and Jude were literal brethren, who later learned, became apostles (John 7:5 [AKJV/PCE])
For neither did his brethren believe in him.

If they were called brethren, then did not believed as spiritual brethren, then they were literal, blood brethren (1 Corinthians 15:7 [KJV])
After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

(Galatians 1:19 [AKJV/PCE])
But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

(Matthew 13:55 [AKJV/PCE])
Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

Three Kinds of Faith in James:

  1. Dead Faith-meaningless, unsaving (James 2:26)
  2. Demonic faith-also meaningless, dangerous (James 2:19)
  3. Living Faith-true faith, with Jesus as the object of faith, acted upon (James 2:22)
 (James 1:1 [KJV])
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

(Acts 8:1 [KJV])
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

(Matthew 10:23 [KJV])
But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

(Acts 14:4-7 [KJV])
But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use [them] despitefully, and to stone them, They were ware of [it], and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: And there they preached the gospel.

(Acts 26:7 [AKJV/PCE])
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

(James 1:2 [KJV])
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

(James 1:3-4 [KJV])
Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

(James 1:5 [KJV])
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

UPBRA'ID, v.t.
  1. To charge with something wrong or disgraceful; to reproach; to cast in the teeth; followed by with or for, before the thing imputed; as, to upbraid a man for his folly or his intemperance.
    Yet do not upbraid us with our distress.
    He upbraided them with their unbelief. Mat 16. [The use of to and of, after upbraid, as to upbraid a man of his gain by iniquity, to upbraid to a man his evil practices, has been long discontinued.]
  2. To reproach; to chide.
    God who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not. James 1.
  3. To reprove with severity.
    Then he began to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done - Mat 11.
  4. To bring reproach on.
    How much doth thy kindness upbraid my wickedness!
  5. To treat with contempt. Obs.
(James 1:6 [KJV])
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

(James 1:7 [KJV])
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

(Hebrews 11:6 [KJV])
But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

(1 Corinthians 15:58 [KJV])
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

(James 1:8 [KJV])
A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.

(James 1:9 [KJV])
Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

(Matthew 19:30 [KJV])
But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first.

(Matthew 20:16 [KJV])
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

(1 Peter 5:5-6 [KJV])
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

(James 1:10 [KJV])
But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

(Isaiah 40:7-8 [KJV])
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people [is] grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

(1 Peter 1:24 [KJV])
For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

(James 1:11 [KJV])
For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

(James 1:12 [KJV])
Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

(Revelation 2:8-11 [KJV])
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and [I know] the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but [are] the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

(James 4:7 [KJV])
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

(1 Peter 5:8-9 [KJV])
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

(James 1:13-14 [KJV])
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

(James 1:15-16 [KJV])
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.

(Hebrews 10:26-27 [KJV])
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

(1 Corinthians 3:16-17 [KJV])
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.

(James 1:17 [KJV])
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

(Luke 11:11-13 [KJV])
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

(James 1:18 [KJV])
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

(Romans 10:17 [KJV])
So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

(James 1:19 [KJV])
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

(James 1:20 [KJV])
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

(James 1:21 [KJV])
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

SUPERFLU'ITY, n. [L. superfluitas; super and fluo, to flow.]
  1. Superabundance; a greater quantity than is wanted; as a superfluity of water or provisions.
  2. Something that is beyond what is wanted; something rendered unnecessary by its abundance. Among the superfluities of life we seldom number the abundance of money.
NAUGHTINESS, n. Nautiness.
  1. . Badness; wickedness; evil principle or purpose.
    I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart. 1 Sam 17.
  2. Slight wickedness of children; perverseness; mischievousness. , a. Nauty.
  1. Wicked; corrupt.
    A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. Prov 6.
  2. Bad; worthless.
    The other basket had very naughty figs. Jer 24.
  3. Mischievous; perverse; froward; as a naughty child. It is now seldom used except in the latter sense, as applied to children.

(ENGRAFTED)

INGR`AFT, v.t. [in and graff. The original word is ingraff or graff, but it is corrupted beyond recovery.]
  1. To insert a cion of one tree or plant into another for propagation; as, to ingraft the cion of an apple-tree on a pear-tree, as its stock; to ingraft a peach on a plum.
  2. To propagate by incision.
  3. To plant or introduce something foreign into that which is native, for the purpose of propagation.
    This fellow would ingraft a foreign name upon our stock.
  4. To set or fix deep and firm.
    Ingrafted love he bears to Caesar.

(James 1:22 [KJV])
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

(Matthew 5:11 [KJV])
Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

(Matthew 10:39 [KJV])
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

(Mark 10:29-30 [KJV])
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

(Mark 13:9 [KJV])
But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

(Luke 9:24 [KJV])
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

(James 1:23-24 [KJV])
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

(1 Samuel 16:7 [KJV])
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

(Luke 18:18-27 [KJV])
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none [is] good, save one, [that is], God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard [it] said, Who then can be saved?
And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

(1 Samuel 15:22 [KJV])
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.

(Proverbs 21:3 [KJV])
To do justice and judgment [is] more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

(James 1:25 [KJV])
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

(James 1:26 [KJV])
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion [is] vain.

BRI'DLE, n.
  1. The instrument with which a horse is governed and restrained by a rider; consisting of a head-stall, a bit, and reins, with other appendages, according to its particular form and uses.
  2. A restraint; a curb; a check.
  3. A short piece of cable well served, attached to a swivel on a chain, laid in a harbor, and the upper end drawn into a ship and secured to the bits. The use is to enable a ship, when moored, to veer with the wind and tide. Bowline bridles are short legs or pieces of rope, running through iron thimbles,by which the bowline attaches to different places on the leech or edge of a large sail
BRI'DLE, v.t. To put on a bridle; as, to bridle a horse.
  1. To restrain, guide or govern; to check, curb or control; as, to bridle the passions;
    "to bridle a muse."
    Bridle the excursions of youth.
BRI'DLE, v.i. To hold up the head, and draw in the chin.

(James 1:27 [KJV])
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.

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James chapter 2