Rejoicing In Our Lord through Our Response to Trials

The problems began when Chippie's owner decided to clean Chippie's cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She'd barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in.

The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie -- still alive, but stunned.

Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.

Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.

A few days after the trauma, the reporter who'd initially written about the event contacted Chippie's owner to see how the bird was recovering. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn't sing much anymore -- he just sits and stares."

It's hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . That's enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.

(Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, Word Publishing, 1991, p. 11.)

Contemporary Problem

None of us are strangers to difficult and trying times. They show up in our lives small, medium, and large. They show up when we least expect it. They sometimes show up because of our own actions. Regardless of the cause, we all have and will continue to face trials and difficulty in life. Trials and difficulty are not isolated to those who are Christians. All people face trials. All people go through tough times in life. The difference comes with how one goes through the trial. The Christian ought to be looking to God where the unsaved finds all manner of avenues to help traverse the trial. They turn to : isolation, food binges, drugs, alcohol, music, partying, dependence on friends and family for answers and comfort, your own proud intelligence, law enforcement, church, pastor, psychologist, work, tv and movies, etc. For the unsaved going through trials exposes the spiritual emptiness. For the Christian, trials as we will see this evening expose our spiritual growth. The unfortunate truth is that all too often the Christian responds more like the unsaved toward trials then they do as God prescribes in His Word!

Ultimately, society does not know how to respond to difficulties in life. Too often the difficulties we turn to God in, are the large issues. Also, maybe it has been months and you have been going to all the wrongs places to “survive” through a trial that you considered small but since you never approached it biblically, it has now grown into a large trial that you have no idea what to do with. Your sources have been exhausted and the only one left you have not tried is God.

It is here where often certain questions arise in our minds. “Why does God allow the righteous to suffer? “Implicit in what James discuss is a conviction that the suffering of believers is always under the providential control of God who wants only the best for his people.” (Moo, 53). The comfort you are searching for does come from God and His wonderful Word. James helps us to understand and see how you and I can handle trials biblically. He gives to us a way of reprieve. The exciting part is that dealing with trials God’s way actually benefits us! How exciting is that!! We get something at the end of a trial!

Before we jump into our text to understand how we can rejoice in our Lord in response to trials, I want to share some context.

Context

James the brother of Christ wrote this epistle around A.D. 45. He would eventually be martyred in A.D. 62. It addressed a specific situation and problem. He was writing to exhort and rebuke the jewish Christians about how they were practicing their Christian life. He knew they knew the basic doctrines and chose to discuss the issues more than the basic teaching. It was written to Jewish Christians that had been scattered due to persecution and economic struggles. The overall concern or theme of James is spiritual wholeness in every area of life. James desired to see the Jewish diaspora live Christlike even when everything around them was in shambles and to some probably did not even make sense. It is with this we now come to our text, James 1:1-8 (Read the Text).

Big Idea: Joy in trials results from focusing on God’s maturing work in us.

So, are you responding with joy?

James provides for us in these first 8 verses why we go through trials, what we need to ask God for as we go through the trials, and the consequence of not responding properly.

I. We can rejoice as we go through trials to mature spiritually, 1-4

We all go through trials and suffering. Ultimately, our spiritual maturity and rejoicing in God glorifies God. Both Peter and Paul discuss this in their letters.

As do Paul Rom. 5:2–4 (Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us) and Peter 1 Pet. 1:5–7 (Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;) in similar passages; James reminds his readers that God brings difficulties into believers’ lives for a purpose, and that this purpose can be accomplished only if they respond in the right way to their problems.

The Letter of James A. Enduring Trials Brings Spiritual Maturity (1:2–4)

Why does God allow the righteous to suffer? is, indeed, one of the most perplexing and difficult questions that God’s people can ask. James gives no complete answer. But implicit in what James says is a conviction that the suffering of believers is always under the providential control of a God who wants only the best for his people.

What kind of attitude are you going through trials with?

A. Joy is the proper response to trials.

What is joy?

An inward peace and sufficiency that is not affected by outward circumstances. - Macarthur

Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives. - Mel Walker, Christianity.com

Joy and happiness are two different truths. Happiness can be manipulated. Happiness does come from joy but not always. When I was in our basement for 10 days with Covid, I would say that happiness did not describe much of the time. However, God used that time to again show me that joy can be had in all situations. Joy is not affected by circumstances. The bible is full of texts that illustrate joy being expressed. Joy is a state of being. Joy looks beyond the circumstance to the person and work of Christ in your life. Joy looks at God seeking to see you grow and through his Spirit to help you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This joy mentioned in verse 2 coupled with the word all speaks to the intensity and completeness of the joy. James is not using this term to say that in all circumstances you cannot be saddened. He is stating that in all circumstances you have an occasion for living in a state of joy of finding an inward peace and a state of delight knowing that the trials and difficulties in your life exist to help you grow in knowing God closer and serving God with more ferver. This joy is deep and abiding. It is a joy that eventually will manifest in an outward fashion.

Again, it is a high degree of joy in the sense of ‘full, utter, sheer joy’; this refers more to intensity (complete and total) rather than exclusivity (nothing but joy). During trials there will be other emotions but how intense is your joy? How is it in relation to the other repsonses? James’ point is that trials should be an occasion for genuine rejoicing.

Do you respond with joy?

What is a trial?

These trials are external trials of affliction, in contrast with internal temptations to sin.

Trial – peirasmos/peirao; peirasmos refers to trials here in this verse as the surrounding text makes this clear. Later in verse 13-15, James uses it to refer to temptations to sin.

Περιπίπτω/Falling into – experience or encounter; implies an unplanned or undesired event occurs; The tense of this verb indicates that these are individual experiences and not one long ongoing, never ending trial.

Divers – simply means various or diverse; all kinds of

The Letter of James A. Enduring Trials Brings Spiritual Maturity (1:2–4)

By stressing that the trials were “of many kinds,” James deliberately casts his net widely, including the many kinds of suffering that Christians undergo in this fallen world: sickness, loneliness, bereavement, disappointment.

B. Trials produces spiritual maturity, 3-4

The Letter of James A. Enduring Trials Brings Spiritual Maturity (1:2–4)

Why can believers react to trials with so strange and unexpected a response as joy? Because we know that God uses trials to perfect our faith and make us stronger Christians.

Produce Endurance or Steadfastness - God uses trials to perfect our faith and make us stronger Christians; the endurance/steadfastness speaks to remaining under the trial or difficulty and not trying to escape it. Often we pray for deliverance from the trial when we should understand that God has providentially allowed or brought this trial into your life. The “suffering” exists in your life to build spiritual maturity. When we pray and desire to be out of the trial before it is over, we most likely may be struggling with genuine joy and a weak view of God.

God allows and brings trials into our lives so that we become more like Him. If you seek to get out early you may miss what God desires for you to learn. Are you focused selfishly on the discomfort in your life or are you focused on the work God seeks to do in your life? The benefits of testing come to those who persevere, who stand steadfast within the trial. We must let endurance work. We must take joy in knowing that God is working in us and through us to accomplish His sovereign plan. God desires to see you perfected in your relationship with Him.

illustration of weightlifting and exercise on a person’s muscles.

Romans 5:3-4 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Trials area testing of the believers faith. Christians must remain faithful throughout the duration of the trial and use the lessons learned to live those lessons continually after the trial ends. One commentator put it this way:

The Letter of James A. Enduring Trials Brings Spiritual Maturity (1:2–4)

The difficulties of life are intended by God to refine our faith: heating it in the crucible of suffering so that impurities might be refined away and so that it might become pure and valuable before the Lord. The “testing of faith” here, then, is not intended to determine whether a person has faith or not; it is intended to purify faith that already exists.

“Testing is intended to produce when believers respond with confidence in God and determination to endure, a wholeness of Christian character that lacks nothing in the [array] of virtues that define godly character.” - Moo

Nothing short of complete moral integrity will ultimately satisfy God who is himself holy and righteous, completely set apart from sin. – Moo, 56.

II. We can rejoice as God provides wisdom to help mature us in trials.

A. What are we to do? Ask for wisdom!

It is vital we pray, in faith, for wisdom rather than self-reliance and doubting God’s power and presence when going through trials.

God does not leave us to our own devices when it comes to spiritual maturity. James has explained the spiritual maturing that takes place in trials and difficulty. Within spiritual maturity comes knowing that we cannot grow and respond properly in trials when living in our own earthly wisdom. We need heavenly wisdom. We need God’s wisdom. James begins by using a conditional statement to explain that wisdom from God is attainable.

James simply states that if you are lacking wisdom, go to God in prayer and ask him for wisdom. God will freely and generously give you wisdom to respond in joy, to respond in submission, to respond with endurance.

James gives one caveat, you must ask in faith, believing in God. This faith is not saving faith but faith that God does what he says. It is a faith undivided.

We can rejoice in trials because God uses them for the goal of maturing us spiritually and ultimately, eschatologically, perfection. We can rejoice that wisdom has been offered to us we just have to ask. According to Proverbs 8:35 (For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD), finding wisdom is finding life and receiving favor from the Lord.

Wisdom defined: right use of knowledge; Wisdom carries within its definition a description: It is seen in Proverbs 3:5-7 and 3:17. Acknowledging God’s way, fearing God, turning from sin/evil, and is pleasant and peaceful. This is wisdom. Wisdom is vitally important for our lives as we traverse through the trials and difficulties of life.

Warren Wiersbe said this “We need wisdom so we will not waste the opportunities God is giving us to mature. Wisdom helps us understand how to use these circumstances for our good and God’s glory.” (Wiersbe, BEC, 340).

Wisdom is the means by which the godly can both discern and carry out the will of God.” (Proverbs 2:10-16 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words). Source of Wisdom – God alone! (Job 28:12-23)

B. Who are we to ask? God our Heavenly Father!

i. “Trials should enhance our prayer life, as we turn to the Lord for guidance, strength, and patience.” MNTC, 36.

ii. The only true source of wisdom – God alone. Romans 11:33.

iii. Character of the Giver (God the Father) of wisdom –

· Generous – Matthew 7:7-11(Turn Here); carries the idea of giving with a single-mindedness and unconditionally

· What is meant by saying that God gives ἁπλῶς ‘generously’?[i]

a. This means that he gives without hesitation or mental reservation; e has the single motive of helping the one who asks [TNTC] and has no ulterior motive and no desire to get something in return.

· Without Reproach – the word reproach means to “severely reprimand; Christ when he looks at us and hears us asking for wisdom he gives us wisdom without reprimanding or finding fault.

C. How are we to ask? In faith!

i. The word ask is an imperative. James is stating that we are commanded to ask God for wisdom.

ii. It is mandatory for the Christian to ask in faith.

iii. “If a believer who is being tested is not driven to the Lord and does not develop a deeper prayer life, the Lord is likely to keep the test active and even intensify it until His child comes to the throne of grace—until he makes ‘his ear attentive to wisdom,’ and inclines his ‘heart ot understanding’. (Prov 2:2). MNTC

iv. Proverbs 2:3-5 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.

v. “Wisdom is not something that the Lord will impress on an unwilling heart and mind.” MNTC

vii. Faith is an active quality. It should draw us to prayer to God when going through trials.

viii. It follows that as God gives with singleness of mind we must ask in faith with single-mindedness.

D. Results of asking – Psalm 81:10 God promises to fill our words with wisdom

i. God gives to us freely and without hesitation when we ask in the proper way.!

ii. God has no hesitation reluctance or reservation. God gives His wisdom in generous abundance.

III. We cannot rejoice amid trials when we rely on human reasoning, 6-8

a. Trust God – single-minded; faith driven;

NOT

b. Trust Man – Double-minded man; doubter; convenient to trust when things make sense

c. Our requesting must be “done in genuine trust in God’s character, purpose, and promises.”

d. What is the object of this faith and what should not be doubted?[v]

i. It is a certainty that the request will be granted; It is a belief that God will heed his prayer and either grant it or, in his greater wisdom, deny it [NIC][vi].

ii. It is his Christian faith in God [Hb, ICC, Lg, Lns, NBC, NIGTC, TNTC, Tsk]: let him ask with a firm faith in God and Christ.[vii]

iii. “The doubter does not posses an anchor for His soul (Heb 6:19 ) does not pray to God with a consistency and sincereity of purpose.” Moo, PNTC, 61.

e. In what way is the doubter like the wind-driven waves? - The point of comparison is instability, unfixed direction [TNTC, Tsk]. The unsettled behavior, going first in one direction and then in another, is like a person inclining towards believing that God will grant his prayer and then inclining towards the opposite alternative and never able to settle on either [NIC].

i. “Christians simply doubt that God will give them what they need, and rationalize their doubt in countless ways. MNTC

· They believe they are undeserving…true but irrelevant. MNTC

· They think their needs are not worthy of God’s attention…true but irrelevant. MNTC

· Others dispute with God, wondering why calamity was allowed to come into their lives in the first place or why he does not provide a way out for them (this is false; God does give a way 1 Cor 10:13) MNTC

· “A request that does not take God at His Word, that doubts either His ability or His trustworthiness, is presumptuous and worthless and is an affront.” Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for rhe that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is sa rewarder of them that tdiligently seek him.)

ii. “Tragically, that immaturity (tossed around) leads to even greater danger of being “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, of craftiness in deceitful sheming” (Eph 4:14).

iii. James is most likely referring to a basic division in the believer that brings about wavering and inconsistency of attitude toward God.” Moo PNTC, 60.

iv. Example: Abraham—Abraham Paul says “did not waver through unbelief.”(Rom 4:20). Paul knew Abraham doubted God at times but His life was not characterized by it in area on a consistent daily basis. Anraham displayed a consistency of having an attitude of faith in God.” Moo, 60.

· The meaning of this is not to say that if you have any degree of doubt when praying and talking to God that God will not answer your prayer. For because of our finite and state of weakness this side of eternity it is most inevitable that we will have times of doubt.

· Is it the norm or the exception? Really evaluate your life and see if there are areas that you tend to doubt rather than trust and have faith!

f. Let not that man think he will receive anything of the Lord –

i. ‘That person’ refers to one who doubts (1:6)

ii. Let not that person who doubts suppose that he will receive anything from God. The ‘man’ in 1:8 is in apposition to ‘that person’ and describes the character of such a man.

iii. Alternate way to read it: let not that person suppose that he will receive anything, being a double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways [NASB].[viii]

iv. “anything” means “anything”

v. God is not going to give us wisdom or anything when we are consistently living sinful and doubting Him.

g. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways –

i. What is meant by a δίψυχος‘double-minded’ person?

· It means a person who holds two conflicting opinions [Bg, TNTC], who is divided between faith and the world [Blm, ICC, Lg]. His mind is distracted by lusts and temptations [NIC]. He does not have total allegiance to God [NIGTC]. The impulse or tendency towards good is in conflict with the tendency towards evil [HNTC, Tsk]. Belief and unbelief battle in his soul [ix]

· You cannot serve to gods. You cannot live both for the world and for God at the same time. James 4:4 tells us that if you are a friend of the world you are an enemy of God. The opposite is then true: to be a friend of God is to be the enemy of the world. At times we as Christians allow ourselves to fall into the trap of being enamored with the world’s lifestyle thus living at odds with God.

ii. What is meant by ἀκατάστατος‘unstable’? –

He is unreliable in all of his dealings [EGT, Hb]. He is uncertain in making decision and in what he does [AB]. He cannot act decisively or reliably [HNTC] and is indecisive in business and social life [EBC

Conclusion

We can rejoice as we go through trials knowing that God is maturing us. When we are in the middle of a trial God wants us to ask him for wisdom in traveling through the trial. In this we can rejoice we are not alone. Unfortunately, often we become unstable and waver in our faith in some measure and find ourselves doubting God. We begin to ask accusational questions to God. We begin to act siritually irrational. We make decisions that go against the desire of God. We are beaten about by all the different thoughts on how to get through difficulty but never really listening to what God has to say to us.

Living and going through trials not believing God will create an instability in your life. Life will feel like it is good one moment and horrible the next. As Christians living in doubt and by our own earthly wisdom will only open the door in of our heart and mind to temptation and as James discusses later, temptation when given into leads to sin and sin ultimately leads to death.

We can live everyday with joy in our life. The question is…How are you going to respond to trials? Will you choose to rejoice in the Lord and focus on God’s progressive maturing of your life to be more like him. He promised you would go through trials. We do not need ot be surprised. Ask God for wisdom, act on that wisdom, and rejoice in the trials and difficulties of your life.

[i] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of James, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 19. TNTC Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. Bg Bengel, John Albert. Gnomon of the New Testament, Vol. 5. 7th ed. Translated by William Fletcher. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1877. NIC Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976. TNTC Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. Tsk Tasker, R. V. G. The General Epistle of James. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956. My Huther, Joh. Ed. Critical and Exegetical Handbook to the General Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude. Translated from the 3d. German edition by P. J. Gloag, D. B. Croom, and C. H. Irwin. Meyer’s Commentary on the New Testament. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1887. Lns Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Epistle of James. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1966. ICC Ropes, James Hardy. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle of St. James. The International Critical Commentary, edited by Alfred Plummer and Francis Brown. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1916. NIC Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976. TNTC Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. Tsk Tasker, R. V. G. The General Epistle of James. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956. Hb Hiebert, D. Edmond. The Epistle of James. Chicago: Moody, 1979. Hb Hiebert, D. Edmond. The Epistle of James. Chicago: Moody, 1979. Hb Hiebert, D. Edmond. The Epistle of James. Chicago: Moody, 1979. Blm Bloomfield, S. T. The Greek Testament, with English Notes. London: Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1839. Herm Dibelius, Martin. James.11th ed., 1967. Hermeneia—A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible, edited by Helmut Koester. Translated by Michael A. Williams. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1976. [ii] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of James, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 20. cch. 1. 2. & 4. 1, 5, 7, &c. So ch. 3. 5. & 23. 4 in the Heb. †Heb. givest thy voice. See Ps. 46. 6. dSo ch. 3. 14. eJob 3. 21. So Matt. 13. 44. kver. 5. fSee Job 32. 8. [iii] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Pr 2:3–6. rSo ch. 31. 17. Comp. 1 Cor. 10. 13. †Heb. end and expectation. sDan. 9. 3. So ch. 33. 3. sDan. 9. 3. So ch. 33. 3. t2 Chr. 15. 2. Hos. 3. 5. Comp. Lev. 26. 39, 40. Deut. 30. 1. vDeut. 4. 29. Ps. 32. 6. & 78. 34. Isai. 55. 6. ch. 10. 18. uch. 24. 7. vDeut. 4. 29. Ps. 32. 6. & 78. 34. Isai. 55. 6. ch. 10. 18. wSee ch. 30. 3. xch. 23. 3. & 32. 37. See Ps. 107. 3. yver. 18. See ch. 8. 3. [iv] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Je 29:11–14. [v] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of James, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 20. NIC Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976. [vi] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of James, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 20. Hb Hiebert, D. Edmond. The Epistle of James. Chicago: Moody, 1979. ICC Ropes, James Hardy. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle of St. James. The International Critical Commentary, edited by Alfred Plummer and Francis Brown. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1916. Lg Lange, J. P., and J. J. Van Oosterzee. The Epistle General of James. In vol. 12, Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. Translated and edited from the 2d revised German edition, n.d. by J. Isidor Mombert, with editor’s additions indicated by the abbreviation Lg(M). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1960. Lns Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Epistle of James. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1966. NBC Ward, Ronald A. James. In The New Bible Commentary, Revised. Edited by D. Guthrie and J. A. Motyer. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970. NIGTC Davids, Peter H. The Epistle of James. The New International Greek Testament Commentary, edited by I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982. TNTC Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. Tsk Tasker, R. V. G. The General Epistle of James. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956. [vii] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of James, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 21. xComp. ver. 17. wver. 18. So Ps. 110. 4. See Prov. 19. 21. ySo Tit. 1. 2. mSee ch. 3. 6. zch. 12. 1, 2. aComp. Acts 27. 29, 30. bSee Lev. 16. 15. cMatt. 27. 51. See ch. 9. 3. dch. 9. 24. See ch. 4. 14. eSee ch. 3. 1. fSee ch. 5. 6. TNTC Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. Tsk Tasker, R. V. G. The General Epistle of James. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956. NIC Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976. rch. 7. 25. sSee ver. 26. tRom. 3. 11. ch. 12. 17 in the Gk. [viii] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of James, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 23. Bg Bengel, John Albert. Gnomon of the New Testament, Vol. 5. 7th ed. Translated by William Fletcher. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1877. TNTC Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, edited by Leon Morris. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. Blm Bloomfield, S. T. The Greek Testament, with English Notes. London: Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1839. ICC Ropes, James Hardy. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle of St. James. The International Critical Commentary, edited by Alfred Plummer and Francis Brown. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1916. Lg Lange, J. P., and J. J. Van Oosterzee. The Epistle General of James. In vol. 12, Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. Translated and edited from the 2d revised German edition, n.d. by J. Isidor Mombert, with editor’s additions indicated by the abbreviation Lg(M). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1960. NIC Adamson, James B. The Epistle of James. The New International Commentary on the New Testament, edited by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976. NIGTC Davids, Peter H. The Epistle of James. The New International Greek Testament Commentary, edited by I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982. HNTC Laws, Sophie. A Commentary on the Epistle of James. Harper’s New Testament Commentaries, edited by Henry Chadwick. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1980. Tsk Tasker, R. V. G. The General Epistle of James. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956. [ix] J. Harold Greenlee, An Exegetical Summary of James, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 24. EGT Oesterley, W. E. The General Epistle of James. In vol. 4, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll. Reprinted from a previous edition, n.d. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980. Hb Hiebert, D. Edmond. The Epistle of James. Chicago: Moody, 1979. AB Reicke, Bo. The Epistles of James, Peter, and Jude. The Anchor Bible, edited by W. Albright and D. Freedman. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1964. HNTC Laws, Sophie. A Commentary on the Epistle of James. Harper’s New Testament Commentaries, edited by Henry Chadwick. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1980. EBC Burdick, Donald W. James. In vol. 12, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981.

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