In verses 17-18 James reiterates what he has already mentioned in verse 13.  Evil and temptation do not come from God.  We know this because verse 17 teaches us that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from God above.  We are told that God is the creator, that He is unchanging, and that He can be trusted.  Instead of being deceived into thinking that temptation is God’s fault, we should focus on the fact that everything good comes from God.  The fact that we have been saved is evidence of that reality.

Let’s summarize this section of verses dealing with temptation.  (1) Temptation is not God’s fault.  God cannot be tempted with evil and He does not tempt people with evil.  (2) Temptation is the result of desire meeting opportunity and sin is the results of us adding action to that equation.  (3) Everything good comes from God and we can rest in that assurance.

In the next few verses we learn to truth about the cause of temptation.  I have seen it presented as a formula that I find very helpful.  So where does temptation come from?  Verse 14 starts with the introductory phrase, “each one is tempted when…”  James is about to show us the source of temptation.  If you have ever wondered where temptation comes from, here it is.  “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”  So what does that mean?  Here is the formula for temptation.

Temptation = Desire + Opportunity

Without desire there is no temptation.  Without opportunity there is no temptation.  But when you put the two together you have temptation.  When the desires of your sin nature meet opportunity temptation is born.  But even at this point sin has not taken place.  No sin has occurred.  Temptation itself is not sin. Verse 15 gives tells us how sin takes place.  James says that “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…”  Here is the formula for sin.

Sin = Desire + Opportunity + Action

When that desire that is mentioned in verse 14 is conceived or when it is acted upon, it results in sin.  Whenever you add action to the equation of temptation the new result is sin. The remainder of verse 15 tells us that sin, without God’s forgiveness. results in death.  Sin, without any intervening will result in spiritual death.

So what does all of this mean?  It means that if you want to keep sin out of your life you have to alter the formula.  We should all do what we can to change our desires through spending time in God’s Word.  We should all exercise wisdom and actively remove any opportunities for sin that may be present in our lives.  Set up safe-guards.   We should all be living a life that is controlled by the Holy Spirit so that our actions are led and controled by God and not ourselves.  When we do these things we alter the formula, and when the formula is altered the result is also altered.

James 1:13 clearly states two important truths.  First, God cannot be tempted with evil.  This literally means that God us untemptable,  There is no capacity to be tempted.  He has no vulnerability to evil and is completely unaffected by it.  Yes, evil does exist, but it is completely separate from God, and God is completely unaffected by evil.  It is like a sunbeam that is shining on a landfill but is completely unaffected by the filth that it shines on.  God cannot be tempted with evil. 

The second truth is that God does not tempt any man.  God is so separated from, free from, and unaffected by evil, that he has nothing to do with it on any level.  Not only is he not tempted by evil, he is so far removed from evil that he does not tempt anyone with evil.  As we will see in verse 17, everything good comes from God.  He is not to be blamed for our temptation or our response to it, but is to be praised and glorified for giving us the ability to escape and flee from temptation (see I Corinthians 10:13).

Temptation is real and it is something that we all face, but we must understand that temptation is in no way God’s fault.  Next time we will see the true cause of temptation.

Those who misuse these verses usually say something like this:  “We need to get back to the old ways of doing things.  We need to revert back to the old-time methods and old-time standards.”  Unfortunately, you have probably heard this kind of application.

There are several problems with this kind of interpretation and application.  However, I will only mention the most egregious.   The historical and textual context is completely ignored. The paths that are being referred to are specifically the following of the one true God instead of the many false Gods. The decision to fall down and worship idols had been an obvious stumbling block to the nation of Israel.  Jeremiah was encouraging them to walk in the paths of monotheism.  The old paths specifically refer to the paths of the previous generations of Jews who had remained faithful to God.

An accurate interpretation of these verses deals very specifically with idolatry.  Any other application is outside the authors intended meaning and thus is an abuse and misuse of Scripture.  The terms “old paths” refers specifically to the paths of worshipping God instead of worshipping false gods.  It refers to remaining faithful to absolute truth instead of turning your back on God’s truth.  If that is that meaning; and it is, then based on these verses, we should be encouraging people to stay true to God’s truth and to continue to worship Him.  Although there may be many false Gods we could be worshipping we should remain in the “old paths” of the ancient Jews in worshipping the one true God.

Are there certain principles and standards to which we should be committed?  Absolutely, but we should be committed to them because they are biblical, not because they are traditional or conservative.  The standard should always be the Bible; nothing more and nothing less.  Either way, these verses are not teaching on principles or standards at all.  They are teaching on the need for the nation of Israel, in the Old Testament, to stay committed to serving and worshipping the one true God.

The next several verses in chapter 1 mention the rich and the poor.  At first glance these verses may appear to be a change in topic, but in reality it is a continuation of the theme of trials.  We know this because verse 12, which concludes this paragraph, also deals with trials.  So the question we have to ask is this: ‘How does the topic of the rich and the poor fit into the topic of trials?’ 

Trials affect everyone; the rich the poor, those with big houses and those with small houses, those with vast amount of resources and those with none.  Everyone deals with sickness, disappointment, and death.  Trials and difficulties are the great equalizer of people.  The rich are not immune from suffering, and the poor don’t get a free pass on the basis of their poverty.  Trials many times serve as a tool of God to drive people to Himself, and we each are responsible for how we respond to the difficulties of life regardless of our economic circumstances.  When the poor person loses a family member to death or faces a terrible sickness, the correct response should be to turn to God.  When the rich person goes through the same situation his response should also be to turn to God.

Trials put us all on an equal playing field and demand a response.  We each have the responsibility to turn to God, regardless of our  financial situation.

The reason why I say that trials can produce endurance is found in verse 4.  To correctly respond to trials one must be submissive to God.  It is only through a submissive attitude that trials will produce endurance.  It is only through a submissive attitude that endurance can do a work in your life.  That is why verse 4 instructs us to let endurance have its perfect work in our lives.  It is a choice that we have to make.  We can either choose to become bitter because of the trial, or we can choose to become stronger.

Verses 5-8 of James 1 give us the next requirement.  In order to respond correctly to trials we need godly wisdom.  Many times these verses are lifted out of the context of the passage, but they clearly should be viewed as part of James’ teaching on trials.  According to verse 5 if anyone lacks wisdom, he is to ask God for it.  Why?  Because God will give it.  If you lack wisdom in dealing with trials, the correct response is to ask God for that wisdom and understanding.  God does not want you to hesitate to come to him with your concerns.

As great as asking for wisdom sounds, there is a requirement as to how we are to ask for that wisdom.  We are to ask in faith, without doubt, nothing wavering.  We are to have confidence in God.  This confidence in God can only come from a knowledge of the character of God.  We are to trust in God; not in ourselves or our own abilities, and not in the world.  A person who attempts to turn to God and yet rely on their own abilities is unstable and vulnerable to falling.  That is what James means by saying the person who asks without faith is like a wave of the sea that is tossed.

What does all this mean?  It simply means that when trials come we are to have a complete focus on Christ.  We are to realize that the only way to benefit from the difficulties is with a trust in God.  We are to keep our eyes focused on Him because we trust His character.  Once again we see that who God is has a direct results on our daily lives.

James is considered to be the Proverbs of the New Testament due to the obvious practicality of the book.  The author of the book is James, the half-brother of Jesus.  It is interesting that James was not a believer in Christ during the Lord’s earthly ministry.  It is only after he saw the resurrected Christ that he believed.  James was writing to Jews who had been scattered through the Roman Empire because of persecution.  Within the 108 verses of this book there are 54 commands.  This adds to the practicality of the book and shows us that James is not afraid to tell us what we should and should not be doing.  He is a very ‘in your face’ kind of an author who deals very bluntly and directly with the things that believers encounter in everyday life.  But we must keep in mind that James’ goal is not to beat up his readers, but to help them live the Christian life in an authentic way. 

Verse 1 serves as the introduction of the book and also lets us know to whom James is writing.  As mentioned earlier he is writing to the twelve tribes that have been scattered due to persecution (the technical term is Jewish Diaspora).  The very first topic that James deals with is something that we all must deal with in life.  It is the topic of trials.  The term trials refer to anything that breaks that patter of peace, comfort, joy, and happiness in someone’s life.  It literally means to put through a test.  Let me point out the instruction from these first three verses:

1. Consider it joy when you face various trials- vs. 2

2. Know that the test of your faith produces endurance- vs. 3

When you read these few verses for the first time it may seem as though the instructions given are really not all that realistic.  But upon closer examination, James’ true desires for the believer become more apparent. Notice that trials are a given.  It is not if we face trials, but when we face trials we are to respond with joy.  This is in no way saying that trials produces happiness or that we are to laugh our way through the difficulties of life.  However it is saying that when our focus is on Christ we know that He will work it all for good in our lives….for His ultimate glory.

There is a difference between happiness and joy.  Happiness is dependent upon circumstances while joy is independent of our circumstances.  True Christian joy is based in the person of Christ who never changes.  We can have joy in the middle of trials and when life is changing all around us because it is rooted in the person of Christ who is not affected by circumstances. 

The way that we are able to look at trials and difficulties with joy is because we understand that there is a purpose.  Verse 3 shows us that the purpose is endurance.  As we will see next time, this endurance that is mentioned is not going to happen on accident it requires a choice.

The first problem in this verse is a result of its unfortunate translation in the KJV.  The problem is that the word that is translated as “mansions” does not mean mansions in the way that we commonly think.  The word really means rooms or dwelling places.  In the culture in which this was written it was normal for a man to marry a woman and then go live in his father’s house.  They would just add another room or dwelling place so that the entire family could fit.  Jesus was saying that he was going to take believers back to His Father’s house.  They were not to worry because there would be plenty of dwelling places…rooms.  This can even be seen in the English definition of the word.  I encourage you to look up the word ‘mansion’ in a Webster dictionary (you can do it online here).  You will see that one definition says “a separate apartment or lodging in a large structure.” 

How did this happen?  The Greek word monai was rendered in the [Latin] Vulgate as mansiones, it then came down through the Tyndale version to the KJV as “mansions.¹   It doesn’t matter how many songs talk about ‘mansions over the hilltop’, it is still incorrect.  There are some other negative by-products of this misuse such as portraying Jesus as leading us to economic prosperity, but I will save that for another day.  In my opinion the NASB has the best translation by saying “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places…”

The second problem is a result of the first.  Because most people in our culture think of a mansion differently than this verse intended, they twist the phrase “I go to prepare a place for you” to fit.  This is not saying that Jesus was going to go to Heaven and put on His royal tool belt and build us each a heavenly version of the Biltmore (bowling lanes included).  His “going to prepare a place” was in reference to the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven.  That was the preparation that was needed in order for us to be taken to Heaven. One commentary said that Jesus was not in the business of construction, he was in the business of leading people to God.  And in order for people to be led to God a sacrifice was required.

Let me say in closing that I am in no way saying that Heaven is not going to be nice.  There are plenty of passages that refer to the splendor and majesty of Heaven, this is just not one of them.  Heaven will be greater than anything we could ever imagine, but it will be so first and foremost because we will be in the presence of Jesus Christ.  

1 KJV The King James Version Gerald L. Borchert, vol. 25B, John 12-21, The new American commentary, New International Version (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2002), 103.

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. - KJV

Those who misapply this verse are focusing on the act of preaching.  This is completely a wrong interpretation of this verse and in fact, takes away from the gospel.  The main proof of this is found in the original language.  The word that is translated as “preaching” in the King James Version is actually a noun in the Greek, NOT a verb.  It is referring to the message that is preached, not the act of proclaiming or preaching.  God has chosen by the foolishness of the message preached to save sinners.  It is the message that saves not the act preaching.

There are a couple verses that surround verse 21 the also point to the message not the preaching.  The first one is verse 18.  It says”

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Notice that it is the preaching of the cross that saves.  The cross is the message that is preached…that is the gospel.  The other verse that adds context is verse 23.  It reiterates this point by saying:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.

Again, it is not that they are preaching, it is what they are preaching.  They are preaching Christ crucified…that is the gospel.   The focus of verse 21 is not on the act of preaching it is on the gospel message that is preached.  It is the gospel message that saves, not simply the act of preaching.  The New American Standard Version, which is widely accepted as the most literal translation, is accurate when it says:

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

As you can see when the emphasis is on the act of preaching instead of the message that is to be preached, attention is take away from the gospel and onto the preacher.  Do not think that merely the act of preaching can save…it is only the gospel message that saves.  To misinterpret this verse in this way is a misuse and abuse of Scripture.

READ OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 1- Hebrews 10:25

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 2- Proverbs 29:18

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 3- Proverbs 22:28

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 4- II Chronicles 7:14

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 5- I Thessalonians 5:22

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 6- I John 1:9

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 7- Deuteronomy 22:5

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 8- I Timothy 6:10

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 9- I Corinthians 11:14

Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?- KJV

This is the verse that is used to try and convince people that guys should not have long hair.  One problem up front is that “long” is a very subjective term.  Here is how it is usually used in the circles in which I grew up:  If a guy’s hair touches his collar or his ear then it is long.  But is this interpretation what Paul is trying to teach with this verse?  I don’t believe it is.  Paul is not setting a steadfast standard or rule; he is giving a generalized principle.  This understanding must be the foundation for understanding this passage.

We have to remember that verse 14 is part of the entire passage.  And in this passage Paul was stressing the need to differentiate between genders in worship.  He was teaching that a women’s hair can be her head covering and that men do not need a head covering in worship.  He was not setting a standard of how long or short someones hair should be.  Walvord and Zuck suggest that there was no specific hair length in mind only the need to distinguish between male and female. 

However, the fact that this verse is not setting a specific and measurable rule or standard is not a license to take this liberty to an extreme.  Men’s hair is generalized as short and women’s hair is generalized as long.  But to try and make an absolute rule of what is long and what is short is absurd.  To refer to a guy as sinful because his hair touches his ears is simply wrong .  To hold other people accountable to a standard that doesn’t really exist is ridiculous.  To preach sermons on hair length is not preaching the truth of the Bible but one’s own misguided thoughts.

To try and make a steadfast rule from this verse is to twist Scripture into saying something that it doesn’t really say so that it fits your personal predetermined preferences.  This kind of action is an abuse and misuse of Scripture.

READ OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 1- Hebrews 10:25

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 2- Proverbs 29:18

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 3- Proverbs 22:28

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 4- II Chronicles 7:14

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 5- I Thessalonians 5:22

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 6- I John 1:9

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 7- Deuteronomy 22:5

Misused and abused Bible verses- part 8- I Timothy 6:10