James 1:1-18 - Truth in Layers and Abounding with Hidden Insight

I wish I had the time to cover the entire book of James. Since I don't have the strength to do this in one sitting, I will see if I can share a few bits from just the first few verses. The entire book covers so many hidden truths, but the one I like the most is how to ask for Wisdom and receive what you ask for. Be careful what you ask for.

James 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings

---The first universal truth is that all of Israel is scattered among every nation. Yes, they have a homeland, but all nations comprise seed from the original 12 tribes. Many of the readers here on ATS will be unaware of their Jewish heritage. More than this, many are grafted into this family from faith.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

---Pure joy comes from suffering. Produced by trials, our hearts are refined by fire. The fruit of this suffering is wisdom. Joy is the result of becoming Sophia, or Wisdom. The love of Wisdom is Philosophy, but the joy of wisdom is knowing who imparts this wisdom. James sets out to show you how Wisdom is gained. Suffering is the key. When life masters us, our joy is taken away. Failure leads to success in every case. Once success is found on the farthest side of failure, we have mastered what masters us. Perseverance finishes the work to reach the end.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

---Yes, you should ask God. He will give you what you ask for without finding fault with you at the end of His process. It will be given to you, but be careful of God's process. Wisdom comes at a cost as you will find.

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

---And here, he gets to the point of why we must be determined that God can lead us to the end of our request. When asking for wisdom, God brings trials to our life. Being double-minded is duplicity. If I seek God's wisdom for my own reward, then what am I really after? Reward. If I seek it to avoid some perceived judgment of God, then why am I seeking wisdom? To avoid judgement. What did James promise at the end of Wisdom's work? Joy, not reward. Joy is a complete and full heart. It is filled. If you are asking for wisdom, be prepared to sail the high seas with confidence.

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

---Has he switched gears here? No, he is still speaking of those seeing wisdom. Why are the humble and lowly of the Earth in a high position compared with the lowliness of the rich? Suffering. The lowly are developing wisdom. Wisdom is a flower continually blooming, while knowledge passes away. Riches blind those possessing them as a false security and hope. The key to this comes from 1 Corinthians 13: Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. What is the highest wisdom that can be attained by suffering for others? Love. What takes away our love? False hope. Riches are a false idol, while the lowly have joy from lowliness. Wisdom never fades, but lasts an eternity. Ask for wisdom, but do not doubt God in his desire to show you how to live forever. Love is the result if you make it to the end with joy in your heart.

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

---The crown is a renewed mind.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

---Life comes from hitting the mark. Missing the mark is sin(chet). See this thread for more on the mark to hit: The Mark of the Plowman. The Ox pulls the Cart

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

---What is the Word of Truth?

Aleph Mem Tav





See the linked thread above for more on this word Truth (Emet). Taking away the Strength (Aleph) makes the word Death, or Met. The Ox pulls your cart. Ask for wisdom and the cart will travel down a road of trials. Careful what you ask for, but realize what kind of crop comes from God's field--Joy.

what would you make of these?

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more Philippians 3

Jesus asked them,Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? Matthew22

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2Corinthians

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead 5

a reply to: AlephBet
I did the book of James and it took fourteen threads, so no, it is not the kind of work that you can cover all in one go.

What I saw in this first half-chapter was a focus on "Faith", the trust in receiving from God.
So Faith must be preserved.
Wisdom (= "understanding what God wants") is something that is received from God, so must be looked for by Faith.
And the rich come into the picture because they are the people who don't think they need to receive from God. They've already got their rewards.

a reply to: Rustami

Perhaps you can tell me what you think of them. In each case, I would need to expand the context of the whole book or chapter. On the surface, it appears James and Paul disagree. James was not a believer until after the resurrection, just as Paul was not a believer. This is the case for all Biblical authors except Enoch. Each had to be shown to have faith from the story they document. The various perspectives of faith then become the reflecting point for the instructor to use later in our future. There is only one teacher. The last 1000 years of this biblical week is a revelation of the past six. Rightly dividing the Word of God means just what it says.

a reply to: DISRAELI

There seems to be a theme of gaining wisdom throughout, but revolving around a mystery of what wisdom is. Of course, Solomon refers to wisdom as female. The Rauch Elohim of God (Spirit of God) is feminine. Aleph Mem is the Mother, or material world around us. She is the womb that develops the child of God, so I would say the connection here is to gaining the Holy Spirit, or the ability to use knowledge with restraint. The fruits of the Spirit are developed by the work of the one growing the plant. The fruits are enjoyed by more than just the one harvesting them. Just like farming, it requires labor and suffering in the field.

a reply to: AlephBet
I think "the Wisdom from above" is the name which James uses for what Paul calls "the Holy Spirit".
Compare, for example, ch3 vv13-17 on the effects of "the Wisdom from above" with Galatians ch5 vv16-23 on "the fruits of the Spirit". Essentially, they are the same thing.

Similarly,"completing faith with works" means the same thing as what Paul means when he says "If we live by the Spirit, we must walk in it".
James has the same meaning as Paul, but deliberately chooses different words.
Since everybody since then has adopted the words which Paul chose, this makes James look like the odd one out.

a reply to: AlephBet

yes rightly dividing.. you did'nt notice this from those?~

Galatians 3 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

and Israel? (without bringing up anything about a "new name")

Matthew 15 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

John 10
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me

yet~
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Mark13

so~
The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven 1Corinthians

John 3 He that cometh from above is above all

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come Ephesians1

a reply to: AlephBet

Knowledge is understanding and wisdom is silence.
s+f

a reply to: deadeyedick

and blessed are the faithful herders for it is by their struggle that we shall find salvation of the lord and be redeemed. For on their journey they shall seek out the ways of the lost while they balance wisdom and understanding in seeking the lost. From their council shall the ears be opened and the straight path made light out of the depths of darkness. From under the fathers wings they shall endure the hardships of the earths toil while reciting the poetry of love. When they point us to the son who shall see for without faith we are blind.

a reply to: AlephBet

According to Jesus, Love is about Self-Sacrifice; giving to others.

John 15:10-13
"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11"These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. 12"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Jesus says that the greatest love is giving your life for those you care about, but love in general is giving. When you give to others, you show your support. You show that you care.

Going the extra mile (Matthew 5:41) means giving more to people. Jesus says, if you are forced to walk a mile with someone, walk with them two. You are giving them extra assistance. He also talked about " giving alms" - charity (Matthew 6:2), being generous to the poor (Luke 11:41), and giving to others without expecting them to give back (Luke 6:35). Jesus spoke about giving a lot because giving is love. That is why he said that there is no greater love than laying down ( giving ) your life for the ones you love. He said sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven (Matthew 19:21).

Keep in mind, that when Jesus said "sell your possessions" he was speaking to a rich man that loved his money and didn't want to sell anything to give to the poor, so much, that he decided not to join Jesus and The Disciples.

This is why Jesus said you cannot serve both God and mammon (wealth/money) Matthew 6:24.

Jesus says we should be merciful as the Heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36) and that we should give to others (since love is giving and the greatest love is giving your life - in other words self-sacrifice for others).

James 1:5 says God is generous. We are told that God is Light (1 John 1:5) , and that we are The Light of The World (Matthew 5:14) so we should let our Light shine to glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16).

a reply to: arpgme

According to Jesus, Love is about Self-Sacrifice; giving to others.

I agree. What I was showing in the OP is that suffering develops wisdom. Asking for wisdom is asking for suffering, but this does not need to be the suffering of pain. The flip side of suffering is the work we do for others, which is what you are also saying. I should have noted this in the OP:

Reward ---------------> Suffering ------------------>Reward
Taking ----------------> Giving ----------------------->Reward Earned

The simple example is smoking. Taking a reward such as this ends in ill health. Flipping this to giving, working out in the gym develops better health. Smoking takes reward and suffering in the gym brings reward. If you read on in James, he speaks of doing the word and not simply reading the word (beholding in the mirror then forgetting). It's a great book.