James 1:26 was the header verse used in the sermon reviewed on the previous entry...
James 1:26-27 New King James Version (NKJV) (Same version as the Orthodox text)
26 If anyone [a]among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
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The Orthodox Study Bible from 26-27, opines on 'three examples of the relationship between faith and works'. (542).
1) Mastery over speech: It is reasoned that the quality of speech from believers in Jesus Christ 'will reveal the quality of our faith in God'. (542).
This connects more specifically to verse 26, and the subject of the previous article on this website, which discussed theoretical theology on lying.
In agreement with Orthodoxy, divinely respectful speech that is grateful in love to God, is in my theology, an indicator of the quality of faith. I personally would place even more emphasis on the worldview embraced and lived, by the person claiming to be a Christian in determining the quality of faith in a Christian. Ultimately only God can adequately and exhaustively judge the spirit, mind and deeds of a person (Revelation 20, 2 Corinthians 5: 10).
2) Ministry to the needy: 'Faithful Christians must be the guardians of the poor.' (542).
This is the 'Pure and undefiled religion' of verse 27. Justification and salvation by grace through faith in the applied atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ to believers, not by any human works, but for good human works in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1-2).
3) Moral purity in thought and deed: 'A faith that works produces moral purity.' (542). The idea from James here is in agreement with Ephesians 2. A legitimate Christian walk by grace through faith should lead to general (sinful nature still exists in this realm) obedience in good works.
In regards to James 1: 26, Courson writes that 'a truly religious man, a deep man, does not pop off and throw temper tantrums at God, God is God and we're not. God is good, and we're not.' (1519).
I have been verbally angry at God. I partially agree with Courson here. Tantrums should be repented of where sinful thoughts and speech was expressed. Obviously, humanity is finite and sinful and God is theologically, infinite and perfectly good and holy.
I think that in faith it is at times good to pray to God with emotion, including anger, rather than directing emotion at other people that do not have God's infinite knowledge and complete knowledge of the human heart.
It is good to vent to God in faith, and it is good to avoid foolish misunderstandings of our emotions with other people. It is good to vent with God in faith and not hold a grudge.
Let us remember that anger at God, and other sinfulness, can exist, even without being verbally expressed.
Matthew 15: 19
New American Standard Bible
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
In regards to James 1: 27, Courson explains that 'true religion is a matter of purity and humility.' (1519).
Unspotted (ἄσπιλον) from James 1: 27
Bible Hub
Strong's Concordance aspilos: spotless, unstained
Original Word: ἄσπιλος, ον Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: aspilos
Phonetic Spelling: (as'-pee-los)
Definition: spotless, unstained Usage: unstained, undefiled, spotless, pure.
Englishman's Concordance
James 1:27 Adj-AMS GRK: θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν NAS: oneself unstained by the world. KJV: himself unspotted from INT: tribulation of them unstained oneself to keep.
It is accusative, masculine, singular.
COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
