First Day

PART IV (NASB)

Thank you for spending some of your time today with me at the First Day podcast. Make sure you visit FirstDay.us and subscribe so you will be notified when a new episode drops. 

Deuteronomy 10:17-21 reads, 

“For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the LORD of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality or take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Your shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your glory, and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.”

This passage should sound familiar, since it was used in the previous episode to help define what a “pure and undefiled religion” is to be. Yes, we are to care for the widows and orphans—the marginalized and the forgotten—but we cannot ignore our responsibility for the stranger, either. 

Wouldn’t faith be so much easier if we only had to care for the people who were just like us, if we only had to love those who reciprocate our care and concern? 

It is true that most of us live our lives mostly in the presence of people just like us—how diverse are our neighborhoods when you think about it? 

This places comfortable boundaries around the definition of a neighbor. This is why Jesus had to change Peter’s assumed definition when he answered the question, “Who is my neighbor?” with the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

But James doesn’t have to wait for Luke to share the story because—you guessed it—God had already commanded His people to care for the stranger and those unlike us. 

I can’t help but think about the line in the Yes song Your Move (I’ve Seen All Good People): “Don’t surround yourself with yourself…” 

Jon Anderson, Yes’ lead singer, said that they chose to use chess imagery as a metaphor for life’s spiritual challenges. 

He says, “Life is a game of strategically placed situations presented to you, and you lave to learn to live with them and work with them.” In fact, the line, “Just remember that the goal is for us to capture all we want” is a reference to the rich and powerful victimizing the weak and the poor. 

Ultimately, Christian living is about how we choose to respond to the people and circumstances that we encounter every day. And what we desire will direct our response often. I think that this is why James says in chapter one that we must put away the things of the old life, the filthiness and wickedness. 

“I’ve seen all good people turn their heads to stay so satisfied…” 

James chapter two begins, “My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” I think he’d be asking, “Are you going to turn you head to stay satisfied?” 

Indeed, it is an easier faith if we look away from anything that might cause us personal discomfort. With whom would it be easier for you to relate: the wealthy person or the poor one? Because this is precisely what James does.

Read verses 2-4
2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

In verse 2:2 James gives his audience a choice: to relate to a wealthy person or to a poor one. Now remember that all this thus far in James’ letter is his attempt to help his fellow Christians endure through the trials of life: Trust and commit, rely upon God, love one another, and put away the old self. 

James says we do this—we put the old away—by replacing it with the new, by proving ourselves “doers of the word, and not just hearers.” 

So, we have to love one another, but we also have to love the stranger that we encounter. And in doing this, we cannot show partiality, because what partiality—or personal favoritism—really reveals is what is most important to our hearts: ourselves. 

And if we want to endure the trials that we face, we must take our hearts off ourselves and focus them on others. Stop worrying about tomorrow, I think you’ll hear James say later in this letter. 

Zechariah 3:3f (James 2:2)
2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in…

Using one’s appearance to determine how you will interact with that person is a risky endeavor. James may have well had Zechariah 3:3  in mind, where the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, who is later crowned by the prophet in Zechariah 6 , stands before the LORD “in filthy garments”. He is reclothed by the LORD and offered lordship over God’s house if he walks in God’s ways and serves Him. (Zechariah 3:4,7)

Reread verses 3, 4
3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil.

So what are we risking if we ignore the one “in dirty clothes”? Well, if Zechariah is to be believed, we might be ignoring an instrument of the LORD. James’ audience would have likely heard these words from the prophet—so knowing that the person in dirty clothes CAN BE RECLOTHED BY GOD would not be a novel idea. 

Job 34:19 (James 2:5)
5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

James would have his personal experiences with his Brother, of course, knowing His humble beginnings, but these are James’ personal experiences. Christians spread around the empire may have no way of connecting to them. But James doesn’t have to rely upon experience here; he has Elihu’s speech in defense of God’s actions as a reference, in particular, Job 34:19.  But Elihu is arguing for more than equal regard here—so much more. This becomes evident beginning as quickly as the very next verse. 
“In a moment they die, and at midnight people are shaken and pass away, and the powerful are taken away without a hand.” (20) Back in verse 18 God declares the kings and the nobles “worthless” and “wicked” because they hate justice and, unlike God, show partiality and regard the prominent and the rich. These “workers of injustice” (22) cannot hide from God, and “He sees all [their] steps.” (21) 

Elihu continues by pointing out that their actions speak for themselves and that God “does not need to consider [them] further…He breaks in pieces the mighty without investigation.” (23a, 24a) And why is this? “Because they turned aside from following Him, and had no regard for any of His ways, so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him”. (27,28a) 

So according to Elihu, being wealthy in this world is more than likely a hinderance to developing the righteousness of God. 

Read verses 6,7
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?

I can almost picture James rolling his eyes as he’s talking about the choice to court favor with the wealthy. Who is supporting Herod Agrippa...

PART III (NASB)

Thank you for listening to First Day. I ask that you share the podcast with others, and I am glad that you are here. In this first chapter, James is concerned with helping his fellow Christians navigate a world of difficulties that include open persecution, temptation, anxiety, and disagreement. 
 
We ended last episode with a look at verses 19 and 20, but verse 21 makes me think that we might need to take a minute’s more consideration.
 
Read 19-21
 
Even though we in the Church should know better and all we have decided to follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life, all that sin—the way we used to be and the way we used to live and do things like deal with other people—can be a bit habitual. I mean, if you want something done right…This can lead to frayed nerves and short tempers. See the end of last episode for an example. 
 
Imagine a congregation having to face difficulties tougher than—and unlike—any that it has faced before. (Sound familiar in the world of COVID.) 
 
Now in reality, no one member is objectively more concerned—or loves the church more—than any other member, but in the members’ minds this is likely not the case. 
 
External pressures on the church, family, government, or any other organization (in my sociology classes back in school they call these systems) can easily and almost invariably cause rifts between its members. 
 
The system is squeezed until external pressure leads to internal ones. And if we let that happen, the system won’t be around for long. I think we all know this from experience. Maybe we should just expect it, but as a church, should we?
 
I can envisage James hearing that his brothers and sisters around the empire are, maybe, reacting to one another just like any run of the mill pagan would in light of these troubles. 
 
Jesus tells His disciples that the world will know them as His by their love.
 
And verses 19 and 20 lead me to believe that those on the outside looking in might not be able to see Jesus lurking in these disciples’ hearts. 
 
In Philippians chapter two Paul provides a solution by telling the members “to consider everyone else’s needs as more important than your own” and to share the mind of Christ (i.e., to be willing to sacrifice themselves for one another). 
 
This isn’t something that comes naturally or easily—although it is absolutely necessary to our living out our lives in hope no matter what we face. 
 
Here’s where verse 21 comes in. James says, “Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” Drop the mic. 
 
Paul gets to make an assumption about the Philippians. He can assume that they know already what James told the Church in verse 21—that if you want to get to righteousness you have to put away “all filthiness and what remains of wickedness and in humility receive the implanted word…” 
 
I think we must be honest with ourselves and admit that we don’t often put other’s needs ahead of our own—especially those of the people with whom we are in disagreement. 
 
Here’s what I’m saying. Philippians was written around 60 CE, 15 years or so after James. In fact, the Philippians would have had access to plenty of doctrine and teaching on how they should get along with one another by their time. 
 
Heck, they had the manual on the doctrine of getting along with each other in the form of Romans.
 
In Paul’s mind, I think he would have figured that they didn’t have an excuse. His command: “Just do it.” “Put yourself last. Just do it.” “Take the mind of Christ. Just do it.” “Make the same choice Jesus would. Just do it.” I ask you, even having the benefit of all this knowledge…Do we just do it?
 
Here’s my point…We can’t just do it on our own, and we seem to have forgotten this. 
 
James’ command to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, is possible only when we rid ourselves of the remains of wickedness and all filthiness and “in humility receive the word implanted…” according to James 1:21. 
 
We must be honest with ourselves about the parts of our previous sinful lives that remain and influence our actions. If we want to bring about righteousness, then we have to admit that there is some sordidness still lurking in our souls—and we have to want to get rid of it, by the way. 
 
Paul can matter-of-factly say, “Just do it.” because James has already identified the source of the problem: OUR LIVING IS NOT CHRISTIAN LIVING. And why is this? Because we are not humbly receiving the word—the gospel—that has been implanted. 
 
We don’t let Christ; we hold on to what was—or at least some of what was; so we don’t produce the righteousness of God, and we tear into one another when the squeeze is on. 
 
So how do we put away the past way and accept the implanted word? 
 
Read 22-27
 
James says that disciples receive the implanted word and produce the righteousness of God by being doers of the word. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And one of those commandments is “to love our neighbor as ourselves.” “Forgive seventy-times-seven.” “Pray for your enemies.” You get the point. 
 
Now the word about which James is speaking is not the rest of the New Testament. It’s not be written yet. Most likely he had a collection of his Brother’s sayings, but the gospels weren’t in existence yet, nor any of Paul’s letters. So what word is James talking about, exactly? 
 
Well, I think the answer is in the last verse of chapter one. “Pure undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” 
 
Deuteronomy 10:12-22
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. 15 Yet the Lord set His affection on your fathers, to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, you over all the other peoples, as it is this day. 
16 So circumcise your heart, and do not stiffen your neck any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. 18 He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. 19 So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 He is your glory and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
 
All these passages in Deuteronomy demonstrate the care that God’s people are to have for those on the margins, those alone, those struggling, those who are in any kind of need:
 
Deuteronomy 14:29; 16:11,14; 24:17-21; and there are many more in Deuteronomy. 
 
In fact, Let me call attention to the curses uttered by Moses on Mount Ebal in Deuteronmy 27. In the list of curses upon those who do some pretty horri...

PART II (NASB, 2020)

So as we covered last episode, James’ letter is addressed to Jewish Christians “dispersed throughout the world.” These Jewish Christians are not having the easiest go of it, and I am pretty sure that some of them—particularly the ones in Judea—might be questioning their decision to embrace Jesus as Messiah. Remember, King Herod Agrippa I is actively persecuting the Jewish followers of Jesus. See Acts 12 for more on this. 

Considering all of this, I think James’ primary is focus on Christian living over one on doctrine is reasonable. It seems natural that people under persecution might have a second look at their commitment. I think it helpful to see this as a how to for Christians. 

Last time we looked at verses one-through-eight where James reminds his brothers and sisters to remain faithful in their time of trial. We should ask the LORD to give us discernment in these tough times so that through them we might be able to grow in our wisdom and discipleship. With God we are not victims unless we are of two-minds: Remember Joseph in Genesis and all that his brothers did to him, all that we went through; he never curses them and wraps up the end of Genesis with the declaration, “As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (50:20,21)

So God is at work if we look, and when we respond in these times with faith, we will be impacting more people than we can imagine. 

Tell a story about not reacting the way people would expect you to react, to a trial. 

Read 9-11: The rich and poor alike will face these trials and each must seek the wisdom of God that James has just finished discussing. There is always something that God wants us to take away from the trials that we experience. But I want to spend some time considering this section a bit more—through the lens of Christian living.

What comes to mind here is Jesus’ statement to His disciples about the difficulties that the wealthy face when trying to follow Him. How easy it is to just do it yourself than to trust that someone else will handle it—particularly a God that you cannot see. The trials that God’s people face are, indeed, tremendous. I hear James saying about the rich person’s handling it: “Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, it’s going to move sideways. No matter how beautiful and “tough” the flower appears to be, the sun takes care of it. 

The “lowly” person—the poor or person of meager resources—has no choice but to trust that God will see the faithful through. In fact, this person should “glory in [God’s] exaltation” in this time of trial, and not beat themselves up over not being able to handle it—should glory that they can’t do it alone. Believers should glory in the fact that they can’t handle it. And the wealthy should glory in their humiliation that they will only, in the end, fail in their pursuits.

James is telling us to be satisfied that we must leave it to God. Remember Laodicea in Revelation, they didn’t think they needed anything from Christ, and they were wrong.

Read verses 12-15

Within the trials that we face, there is temptation. Now here the thing, James says. God Does not tempt. Trials come to strengthen our faith—and God, I think, has every expectation that we well pass the trial; we will endure. But within these trials there is the temptation to lose one’s trust in God. Wouldn’t it be easier to solve our own problems? 

Jewish Christians are under trail, they are being thrown into jail and some have been executed. How easy it would be to compromise, to turn and walk away—perhaps even more so for James’ audience. Afterall, these are Jews. 

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (14) Within whatever trial each of us is facing, a trial if we look deeply enough we can see something that God is working, there is a temptation to think about ourselves. Remember what Joseph said, his trial wasn’t about him; what he went through was so that many might be saved. People watch us to see how we are going to respond to the trials and setbacks that we face. If we make our lives about ourselves, we make room for temptation. 

And I think James’ thinking may be along the same lines. 

Read 16-18.

What brings us through the trial is a blessing and gift from God. And God will remain faithful—will live up to His end of the covenant. “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” It’s not about us Jews, he says, because we have always only intended to the first of many!

Read 19, 20

Because there is more at stake here than just ourselves—there is more at stake than just you in whatever you are facing—James’ guide to Christian living, I think, puts it in a way that doesn’t need much embellishment. We should watch how we react or death with the trials that we face, since we represent more. 

Although James’ advice is to a church that is under official, state persecution, I don’t think that his advice is limited to only that type of trial. We face trials every day—within our public and private lives—even within the church. We come up against something, or I guess more appropriately something comes up against us, the apostle’s teaching holds true. 

I recently had a moment of trial with a fellow Christian, another leader in my congregation. There was a difference of opinion, and I yielded to temptation in the midst of this trial. But after some yummy crow in my belly, we came out the other side, and I think our church will be better for it. 

There is no doubt that Christ’s Church and we Christians today face an uphill battle. Everywhere we turn in this present darkness there is a temptation to compromise on the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and we run the risk of taking up once again the sin of Adam and making all this about ourselves. Doing so will only make us quick to speak and quick to wrath—and this “does not produce the righteousness of God.”

In 41 CE, Claudius succeeded Caligula as emperor of the Roman Empire. He remained in power until 54 CE—thus making him emperor through at least four books of the New Testament: James, Galatians, First and Second Thessalonians—with 1 Corinthians perhaps being a fifth.

Claudius was a bit of an awkward man before his ascension, and it seems was never even considered to be in line for the throne. But when the Praetorian murdered Caligula, it was to him that they turned as a replacement. 

He didn’t appear to be concerned with religion but wasn’t above getting involved in it when Roman stability was concerned. He put down anti-Roman movements in Britian and the Druids who had encouraged them—doing similarly in Gaul. Interestingly, Claudius expanded Roman protection of Jewish religious rights in Egypt yet decides to do something that has a great impact on Christianity: He expels the Jews from Rome. (Spoiler alert: This decision undergirds Paul’s letter to the Romans.) 

It is another of his decisions—although an indirect one—that has a much greater impact on the Church and on the faith: He appoints Herod the Great’s grandson, Agrippa, King of Judea.

Herod Agrippa I was King of Judea from 41-44 CE. He was the nephew of Herod Antipas of Galilee—the Herod that killed John the Baptist and had a part to play in Jesus’ execution.  He befriended Caligula while Tiberius was emperor—and upon Caligula’s rise to power, received his uncle Philip’s holdings in northeastern Judea. Antipas, his other uncle, protested this decision to Caligula—and was banished for it, and then Galilee was given to Agrippa as well. 

Caligula decided to restore Herod the Great’s throne to him but was assassinated before this could take place. But since Agrippa supported Claudius to become emperor he was named king of Judea with Samaria added to his kingdom. 

As king, Agrippa viciously oppressed Jewish Christians; in fact, the whole of Acts chapter twelve: the execution of James Son of Zebedee and the arrest of Peter is about him. Herod Agrippa I died while hosting a series of games in Caesarea, held to honor Claudius: most likely a victim of assassination. And we see how this impacts the first Christians in the opening chapters of James.

James is writing to Jewish Christians in the Diaspora—in the Roman empire outside of Jerusalem. Christians that are facing much persecution. Jewish Christians were exiled from Rome by Claudius just like all the other Jews. 

So these Christians would be most concerned with a practical theology. How do we live out our new faith in a world that seems against us anywhere we turn? How do I remain faithful? 

I'm starting a new series about the development of Christian thought by reading through the New Testament chronologically by publishing date. I know that there is much disagreement amongst scholars about these dates, but I don't think we should let that deter us. I have made the decision to base my chronology on Carson's & Moo's dating recommendations and arguments in their survey of the New Testament. This approach places me squarely in the "earlier" camp of New Testament authorship. But even if you don't agree with the chronology I use, I hope that you will find value here. 

In Part 2 we will take a brief look at the Hebrew and Greek source material for the Old and New Testaments.

This is the first part of a class on Bible interpretation and translations.