James (Yaqob) Chapter 1
1) James... Yaqob... 2385 Iakobos {ee-ak'-o-bos} - a Graecised form of the word Iacob 2384 - which is transliterated from the Hebrew originated word Ya`acob 3290 "heel catcher", or, "supplanter"... a servant of Yahweh; and of the Master, Yahushua the Anointed One. To the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad... 1290 diaspora {dee-as-por-ah'} - a scattering... the dispersion... To the twelve tribes of Israelites that have been dispersed... scattered... Greeting... 5463 chairo {khah'-ee-ro} - a primary verb meaning "be joyful", "be well", or "be glad" - used in its absolute sense at the beginning of a letter, formal speech, or statement with the simple, or, basic form of the verb - chairein {khah'-ee-ray-in} - to give someone a greeting or to address someone with good will or respect...
*** This "James", whose actual name is Yacob, is almost universally thought to be one of the half brothers of Yahushua fathered by Joseph, the husband of Miriam, who is the mother of Yahushua...
The following references, aside from those in the four gospels, have to do with James:
Acts 1:13-14; 12:17; 21:18-25; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 1:18-19; 2:1-10
While the account in John 7:3-5 points out that Yahushua's brothers did not believe on Him at that time, these other references show us that Yacob came to the realization of Who and What Yahushua is; and that he fully acknowledged Him as the Son of Yahweh, and as the Salvation sent by Yahweh to redeem those called and chosen by Yahweh throughout the time of man. That he taught these things and lived them; and that he became an apostle... a delegate, sent by the Master Yahushua, to declare the Good News of Rescue and Preservation sent by Yahweh... and a leading elder, described by the apostle Shaul in his letter to the Galatians, as one those who seemed to be pillars of strength and support within the Assembly of believers of the Way of Yahushua that was in Yerushalem...
2) My brethren... 80 adelphos [ad-el-fos'} - my kinsmen... who have the same national ancestry...,
*** Note: This letter could., at this time, be viewed either as an address to all Hebrew brethren, regardless of their comprehension of the salvation sent by Yahweh, or, as an exhortation to those who have had the light switched on in the eyes of their mind by Father Yahweh having drawn them toward Yahushua... Certainly it is possible that both kinds were touched by the message, wherever it was sent, for it was read out loud, or repeated and discussed, where all ears could hear in the daily lives of those living at that time... That this letter is an exhortation to those Israelite brethren who have been touched by the Salvation sent from Yahweh; and who now serve the Master, Yahushua, the Anointed One of Yahweh, becomes apparent in ensuing chapters...
count it all... 2233 hegeomai {hayg-eh'-om-ahee} - consider it all to be... believe all of it to be... be of the opinion that all of it is... think of it all to be... joy... 5479 chara {khar-ah'} - the cause or occasion for being joyful... when you fall into... 4045 peripipto {per-ee-pip'-to} - when you fall into the midst of; and are completely surrounded with... diverse... 4164 poikilos {poy-kee'-los} - various types of... various methods of... temptations... 3986 peirasmos {pi-ras-mos'} - testing your integrity... proving your character to see whether or not it is morally excellent, or, "as it ought to be"...
3) Knowing... 1097 ginosko {ghin-oce'-ko} - learn to know from these various ways in which your character and integrity is put to the test... that the testing of your faith... the testing or proving out of the conviction of what you percieve as truth...
*** A Note of Contrast:
For the Israelite brother who does not know Yahweh's Salvation through Yahushua, now that death has been conquered, this perception of truth is a darkness... a blindness... of comprehension... a lack of an ability to understand the True Truth of Who and What Yahweh is, and Who and What His Salvation is... This perception; and all actions that are taken as a result of this conviction of truth, leads to a sad, inevitable realization of the impossibility of Yahweh's approval.
For those Israelite brothers who have light shining within the eyes of their mind, this is the truth of Yahweh and of Yahushua that you now have; and this testing...
works... 2716 katergazomai {kat-er-gad'-zom-ahee} - accomplishes... brings about... achieves the results of... patience... 5281 hupomone {hoop-om-on-ay'} - steadfastness... endurance... perseverance...
*** Note: Compare with Yahushua's own words... concerning the testing of someone's character and integrity as Yahweh's Beloved...
Matthew 5:10-17 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. 11 Blessed will you be when men will revile you, and persecute you, and will make false accusations against you about all types of wickedness, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad when this takes place. For your reward in heaven is great. For in the same manner did they persecute the prophets who lived in history before you. 13 You are the salt of the earth; but if that which is known to be salt has lost its salty properties, how will it ever become salt again? It is, from that time onward, good for nothing; and there is nothing that can be done with it, except that it is to be thrown out onto the ground to be walked upon and mixed into the earth under foot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set up high on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel; but they put it on a candlestick instead; and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine in this manner before all men, so that they can see your good works; and give praise and honor to your Father, who is in heaven.
4) Moreover... more than learning to know this..., let patience have her perfect work... "let" - 2192 echo {ekh'-o} - have, in the sense of wearing, like a covering that can be displayed... hold to, as a possession of your mind..., willfully, consistently choose to always be in an internal, mental state or condition of... "patience" - 5281 hupomone {hoop-om-on-ay'} - steadfastness... endurance... perseverance... "have" - 2192 echo {ekh'-o} - possess... "perfect" - 5046 teleios {tel'-i-os} - a completion of... a full, complete end of... "work" - 2041 ergon {er'-gon} - its deed... its undertaking... its business... whatever it had set out to accomplish... so that you can be perfect... 5046 teleios {tel'-i-os} - so that you can be brought to maturity... and entire... 3648 holokleros {hol'ok'-lay-ros} - and so that you can become complete in all respects, and not lacking in anything whatsoever throughout the remainder of your physical life...
More than learning to know this, have, in the sense of wearing, like a covering that can be displayed... hold to, as a possession of your mind..., wilfully, consistently choose to always be in an internal, mental state or condition of... steadfastness... endurance... perseverance... Allow this to take place so that this consistent mental position can possess a full, complete end of whatever it had set out to accomplish, so that you can be brought to full maturity; and become complete in all respects. Not lacking in any regard whatsoever throughout the remainder of your physical life...
*** Note of comparison:
1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, we are now the sons of Yahweh, and it has not yet become clearly understood what we will become; but we know that, when he does become actually, visibly, and plainly recognized by all the world, then we will resemble Him. For then, we will physically look at Yahushua and perceive Him to be as He truly is; 3 And every man who has this expectation within himself, moves himself to take action to purify himself morally and ethically in proportion to the degree that he comprehends that Yahushua is pure...
*** If the Most Holy, Rational Spirit is the generating force within anyone to cause these actions to take place, then the perception of Yahushua is accurate; and the end result is "as it ought to be", and clearly manifested to the surrounding world... If that is not the spirit within someone attempting to affect change, then those fruits will also be clearly recognized by those able to discern rightly...
5) If any of you perceive that you are lacking in wisdom... 4678 sophia {sof-ee'-ah} - wisdom from Yahweh as opposed to wisdom from the inherent nature of men... in this case this word is used to infer the wisdom associated with regulating one's life and squaring it with Yahweh's Order..., then let him ask for it from Yahweh, who gives to all liberally... openly... sincerely, with no pretense or guile..., and who does not revile... does not belittle... does not speak abusively to... anyone for asking, and it will be given to him.
6) Moreover..., More than this... More than merely asking for wisdom in a casual, shallow context, it must be understood that... the man who asks for anything from Yahweh has to make sure that he asks in faith... that he is being convicted..., fully convinced..., of the True Truth of Yahweh concerning Who and What He IS... with nothing wavering... being certain of what he asks for... and why... Not being in a doubtful, hesitational state of indecision regarding his faith and reasoning... For anyone who hesitates while in doubt is like a wave of the sea that is agitated by the wind and tossed forward and back.
7) This is most important..., because anyone who is in that condition should not think that he will receive anything from Yahweh.
8) This is so because... a double minded man is unstable... inconsistent... in all of his manner of thinking, and feeling, and deciding things.
9) Let the brother who is humble in his heart rejoice because he is exalted;... let him rejoice because he is high in the esteem of Yahweh;
10) But the rich Man, let him rejoice because he is made to be humble; for, just like the flower of the grass, he will perish.
11) Because the sun will have just risen with a burning heat; and the grass begins to dry up and the flower of the grass falls off; and the beauty of the appearance of the flower is destroyed. In the same manner will the rich man fade away in his purpose and pursuits.
12) Happy is the man who endures temptation; for, when he has been made acceptable, then he will receive the crown ...Stephanos - the mark of royal or exalted rank and honor... of life...zoe {dzo-ay' - the absolute fullness of life that is without beginning or end... which Yahweh has promised to those that love Him.
13) Let no man say, when he is tempted: ...when he is tested - for the purpose of ascertaining the quality of what he thinks, or how he will behave himself:.. "I am being tempted or tested by Yahweh"; for Yahweh cannot be tempted with evil; and neither does He test or tempt any man with evil.
14) But instead, every man is tempted, ...tested... when he is drawn out and away ...when he is lured away from the safety of self restraint from sin or rebellion against Yahweh... because of his own desires and cravings, and is caught with that bait.
15) Then, when the desire or longing has seized ...captured... him, and taken him prisoner, it then produces sin; ...rebellion... and rebellion against Yahweh, when it has truly been accomplished, ...when it has become all that it can become... produces death. ...the absolute fullness of death... the absolute opposite of the promise of Yahweh for those who are "as they ought to be"...
16) Do not err ...do not wander, do not be led into error... my beloved brethren.
17) Every good gift, ...anything given that is honorable... that is excellent... that is resulting because of a good constitution or nature, that is "as it ought to be"... and every gift that is not lacking in any way is from above, and comes down from the Father of the light, ...the Father of the illumination - the life force - of men... with whom there is no variation or change, neither turning of shadow. ...No gray area...
18) The Father brought us forth ...caused us to be birthed... us = we who are of the Way of Yahushua... with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. ...a kind of first within the scope of all creatures that have been made in His creation... Different from all others... Set Apart to Yahweh... Never been done before...
19) For this reason, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to listen, and slow to speak, and slow to anger;
20) For the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of Yahweh. ...The anger that stems from the reprobate thinking of the reasoning and logic of man does not produce fruit like the reasoning and logic which comes from the nature of Yahweh... Which is "as it ought to be"
21) For this reason, put away from yourselves all filthiness; ...put away...shun... avoid... all that is defiled... all that is befouled... all that dishonors Yahweh... as well as the abundance of the desire to injure; ...wickedness... depravity with no shame... and receive with meekness the inborn word ...that word which is inborn because of the inherent nature of Yahweh... which is able to save your souls.
22) And be doers of the word, and do not be of those who only hear, deceiving yourselves by considering what you do to be righteous. ...speaks of steadfast faithfulness and the obedience of what is taught to us by the Word of Truth... and the actions in everyday life that are as a result...
23) For, if any man is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, then he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a glass; ...mirrored surface...
24) Because, he looks at himself and goes on his way, and then immediately forgets what manner of man he was.
25) But, whoever looks into ...as one who inspects something so as to become familiar with it... the perfect law of liberty; and remains with it. If he is not a forgetful hearer; but instead he is a doer of the work, ...if he is undertaking the labor of obedience... the labor of the exercise of faith during the conduct of everyday life... then this man will be blessed in his doing. ...this speaks of the liberty ...the ability to make the deliberate choice to do what is pleasing to the Master we serve in spite of the test or temptation to do otherwise...
26) If any man among you seems to be one who fears Yahweh; and yet does not control his tongue; but deceives his own heart instead. Then the worship that this man offers to Yahweh is without truth; and is useless and without purpose.
27) The worship and fear of Yahweh, who is truly our Father, that is pure and clean is this: To visit ...to go to see in order to help or benefit... the fatherless and widows in their affliction; and, to keep himself unspotted from the world....and to maintain a condition or state of existence that is unblemished by the profane perception of Yahweh that is of the "world" ... the apt and harmonious order of things that does not truly recognize Yahweh and His Order...
