James on Wisdom

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James on Wisdom
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The Life of James
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The Life of James
Josephus, Antiq, XX, 200 Eusebius, EH,23.1-18

• Matt 1355
• Mark 321, 31-35
• John 73-9

1 Cor 157
Acts 1217 Acts 1513 Gal 119 Gal 29
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The Letter of James Truth Applied

• Readers Scattered persecuted Jewish believing
  community (Acts 81-4 91-2)
• Date AD 45-early 50s
• Need
• Integrate faith in Jesus into real life
• Help respond to trials of life
• Application focused 50 commands out of 150 verbs

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Wisdom in the OT

• Gods skill in creation
• Skill, given by God (Bezalel, Exod)
• Wisdom literature skill to live in light of the
  self-revelation of Yahweh.
• Fear of the LORD
• Promise of blessing
• Promise of curse
• Proverbs Seek wisdom, know blessing
• Ecclesiastes/Job The CONUNDRUMS of Faith Fear
  God and obey His Commandments, trusting His
  Character and His purposes

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Wisdom in James

• 1 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you
  are involved in various trials, 3 because you
  know that the testing of your faith produces
  endurance. 4 But you must let endurance have its
  full effect, so that you may be mature and
  complete, lacking nothing.
• 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask
  God, who gives to everyone generously without a
  rebuke, and it will be given to him. 6 But he
  must ask in faith, without any doubts, for the
  one who has doubts is like a wave of the sea that
  is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 Such a person
  should not expect to receive anything from the
  Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in
  all he undertakes.
• 9 A brother of low status should boast in his
  exalted status,10 and a rich person in his
  lowliness, because he will fade away like a
  flower in the grass. ...
• 12How blessed is the man who endures temptation!
  When he has passed the test, he will receive the
  victors crown of life that God has promised
  those who keep on loving him.

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Wisdom in James

• 113 When someone is tempted, he should not say,
  I am being tempted by God, because God cannot
  be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. 14
  Instead, each person is tempted by his own
  desire, being lured and trapped by it.15 When
  that desire becomes pregnant, it gives birth to
  sin and when that sin grows up, it gives birth
  to death.
• 16 Do not be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every
  generous act of giving and every perfect gift is
  from above and comes down from the Father of
  lights, in whom there is no inconsistency or
  shifting shadow. 18 In accordance with his will
  he made us his children by the word of truth, so
  that we might become the firstfruits among his
  creatures.

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Wisdom in James

• 313 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let
  him show by his good life that his works are done
  in humility born of wisdom. 14 But if you have
  bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, stop
  boasting and lying against the truth. 15 That
  kind of wisdom does not come from above. No, it
  is worldly, self-centered, and demonic. 16 For
  wherever jealousy and rivalry exist, there is
  disorder and every kind of evil.
• 17However, the wisdom that comes from above is
  first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle,
  willing to yield, full of compassion and good
  fruits, and without a trace of partiality or
  hypocrisy.18 And a harvest of righteousness is
  grown from the seed of peace planted by
  peacemakers.

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Wisdom in James

• Gods love for us demands the perfecting of us.
• TRIALS Rejoice because trials are Gods
  instrument to continue the transforming process
  (James 12-4)
• Faith God shaped Lens through which we filter
  and interpret all of life
• God is the Source of Every Good and Perfect Gift
  (James 117).
• Father of Lights

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• 13 "knowing that the testing of your faith
  produces endurance
• Proverbs 2721 "The crucible is for silver, and
  the furnace is for gold, so a person is tested by
  being praised, for the wise heart seeks
  knowledge."

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Wisdom in James

• Temptation can be thwarted when we recognize that
  the source is our own desires We take
  responsibility
• See the destructive end as reality Remember the
  SIZZLE!
• Remember every good gift comes from God, the
  Giver of LIFE!!! (James 118)

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Wisdom is the Confident Skill (active faith) to
See all of Life through the Lens of the Good
Creator who has Redeemed Us in Jesus Christ with
the intent to Transform Us.

• Faith views life as an apprenticeship in
  holiness...
• God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart
  from Himself, because it is not there. There is
  no such thing.
• -C.S. Lewis

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Wisdom in James

• Wisdom is the skill to see and live life in light
  of Gods character and purpose.
• Wisdom comes from our gracious God and can be
  ours by asking for it (15).
• Wisdom will help us endure trials and overcome
  temptation by providing the why.
• Wisdom that God gives will result in stable
  godly, community-preserving virtues and a
  lifestyle that pleases God (315-18).

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• Isa 112  The Spirit of the Lord will rest on
  him the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
  the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of
  knowledge and of the fear of the Lord

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Three Roles of Wisdom in James

• It helps us to stand in the test and grow in
  perfection (15).
• It is contrasted to desires as the good gift that
  leads to life (117).
• It produces the virtues of the Christian life
  (315-18).
• Peter Davids, Commentary on James, 55.

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Three Roles of Wisdom in James

• It helps us to stand in the test and grow in
  perfection (15).
• It is contrasted to desires as the good gift that
  leads to life (117).
• It produces the virtues of the Christian life
  (315-18).
• UMMM...good!
• Peter Davids, Commentary on James, 55.