EXEGESIS OF THE OPENING VERSES OF JAMES

James 1:1      "James, a bond servant of God, and of the

Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which

are scattered abroad."

James begins his Epistle by addressing the Jewish believers who

have been scattered from Jerusalem during the great persecution.

James 1:2      "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall

into various trials, knowing that the testing of

your faith produces patience."

The trials and hardships that follow on the heals of poverty

are not in vain.  Suffering, pain, hardships and trials have

meaning and purpose to those who will seek wisdom from

those hardships, one benefit being patience.

James 1:3      "But let patience have its perfect work, that

you may be perfect and complete, lacking

nothing."

James admonishes his audience that by patiently enduring

their trials of poverty, God will give them spiritual insight

that will make them a more whole person.  They will have

profound spiritual insight into the nature of trials, and to the

nature of man, by which insight they might more effectively

navigate trials with a godly lifestyle, and have empathy

toward the needs of others when they endure their own trials.

James 1:4      If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of

God, who gives to all liberally and without

reproach, and it will be given to him.

James encourages the believers who are scattered abroad that

God is willing to give them the wisdom to navigate the

suffocating trials of homelessness and poverty if they but ask.

Chapter 13

EXEGESIS OF JAMES 2:14-17

SALVATION IN THE BOOK OF JAMES

Moving forward from these introductory verses of Chapter 1 of James, let us go on to the passage in question in Chapter 2, examining this passage according to these alternative heuristics.  After every verse, you, the reader, are urged, not simply to read, but to look away, and, in view of the foregoing data, contemplate which interpretation makes sense, and which looks utterly ridiculous.

James 2:14    "What does it profit my brethren, if someone

says he has faith, but does not have works?

Can faith save him?"

Heuristic 1:        James begins addressing the duty of the

church toward their unemployed and homeless brethren with

a touch of irony, whether or not the unemployed and

homeless can be saved from this earthly dilemma by faith,

the same terms, "faith" and "save" that surrounded the

question of eternal salvation when James was a keynote

speaker at the Jerusalem counsel.

            OR

Heuristic 2:        James is exploring the great theological

question of whether or not salvation from hell can be secured

simply by faith in Christ,

James 2:15    "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute

                        of daily food,"

Heuristic 1:        James begins by bringing up an example of

 a man or woman who is naked and destitute of daily food as

a result of the hardships and trials of poverty,

            OR

Heuristic 2:        James begins by bringing up an example of

a man or woman lost and in need of salvation through Jesus;

Christ.

James 2:16    "and one of you says to them, 'Depart in

peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not

give them the things that are needed by the

body, what does it profit?"

Heuristic 1:        Following his theme of irony, James asks, hypothetically, if one can ameliorate the suffering of the poor, the cold, and the hungry, simply by a kind word, and without actions of giving food and clothing to them.

            OR

Heuristic 2:        James is addressing the hypothetical question of whether or not warm thoughts and greetings can save one from the eternal hell if you do not give them food or clothing.

James 2:17    "Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have

works is dead."

Heuristic 1:        James generalizes from the above example

about food and clothing that faith without works is "dead" in that it is of no real consequence to those who are in physical or material need, or other similar mundane realities of the human condition.

            OR

Heuristic 2:        James generalizes from the above example

about food and clothing that faith without works is "dead" in

that it cannot impart Eternal Life.  Hence, the birth of the

term "dead faith," as being a faith in Christ that, though

honoring Christ alone as Saviour, and believing the truth of

the gospel, somehow fails to impart eternal salvation.

Chapter 12 - The Opening Verses of James' Epistle