James 1:3

1:1-11 Christianity teaches men to be joyful under troubles: such exercises are sent from God's love; and trials in the way of duty will brighten our graces now, and our crown at last. Let us take care, in times of trial, that patience, and not passion, is set to work in us: whatever is said or done, let patience have the saying and doing of it. When the work of patience is complete, it will furnish all that is necessary for our Christian race and warfare. We should not pray so much for the removal of affliction, as for wisdom to make a right use of it. And who does not want wisdom to guide him under trials, both in regulating his own spirit, and in managing his affairs? Here is something in answer to every discouraging turn of the mind, when we go to God under a sense of our own weakness and folly. If, after all, any should say, This may be the case with some, but I fear I shall not succeed, the promise is, To any that asketh, it shall be given. A mind that has single and prevailing regard to its spiritual and eternal interest, and that keeps steady in its purposes for God, will grow wise by afflictions, will continue fervent in devotion, and rise above trials and oppositions. When our faith and spirits rise and fall with second causes, there will be unsteadiness in our words and actions. This may not always expose men to contempt in the world, but such ways cannot please God. No condition of life is such as to hinder rejoicing in God.

Those of low degree may rejoice, if they are exalted to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom of God; and the rich may rejoice in humbling providences, that lead to a humble and lowly disposition of mind. Worldly wealth is a withering thing. Then, let him that is rich rejoice in the grace of God, which makes and keeps him humble; and in the trials and exercises which teach him to seek happiness in and from God, not from perishing enjoyments.

Trying (δοκίμιον) Rev., proof; but the American Revisers insist on proving, and rightly. See on 1 Peter 1:7. Worketh (κατεργάζεται) The compound verb with κατά, down through, indicates accomplishment. The proving will work successfully and thoroughly. This harmonizes with a perfect work, James 1:4. Patience (ὑπομονήν) See on 2 Peter 1:6, and James 5:7.

Jam 1:3 . Τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν ) your proving , or trial . So τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως , the trial of your faith , 1 Peter 1:7 ; Proverbs 27:21 (Septuagint), δοκίμιον ἀργυρίῳ , καὶ χρυσῷ πύρωσις · ἀνὴρ δὲ δοκιμάζεται διὰ στόματος ἐγκωμιαζόντων αὐτόν , “ The fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; and so a man has his character tested by the mouth of those who praise him .” Herodian, δοκίμιον στρατιωτῶν (adde χριστιανῶν ) κάματος , ἀλλʼ οὐ τρυφή , “ The test of ( Christian ) soldiers is not luxury, but toil. ” Zosimus, εὐνοίας δοκίμια παρασχόμενος , “ Affording proofs of good-will .” The meaning of the word δοκίμιον is therefore trial patiently undergone . Were I not withheld by the parallelism in Peter,[3] I should more readily embrace in James the reading τῆς πίστεως , of your faith , supported as it is by so many witnesses.[4] As it is, trial , spoken of in general terms, embraces the trial of faith, love, and hope. And though there is no special mention of faith in this verse, yet James, as well as other apostles, esteems faith as all in all. See Jam 1:6 ; Jam 5:15 . And the trial of faith , in particular, is firmly established, on the authority of Peter.— κατεργάζεται ὑπομονὴν , worketh patience ) The same expression is used, Romans 5:3 , with the addition, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμὴν , and patience ( worketh ) experience . See below, Jam 1:12 .— ὑπομονὴν , patience ) See Jam 1:12 , and the note on Luke 8:15 .

So Psalm 62:6 (Septuagint), ὅτι παρʼ αὐτοῦ ἡ ὑπομονή μου , “ for my patient expectation is from Him .” [3] From whom it may have been interpolated here.—E. [4] And indeed Beng. preferred this fuller reading afterwards in the margin of the Ed. 2; and it is expressly given in the Germ. Vers.—E. B. B and later Syr. support the omission of τῆς πίστεως ; and so Tisch. But AC Vulg. support the words; and so Lachm. and Rec. Text.—E.

3. the trying—the testing or proving of your faith, namely, by "divers temptations." Compare Ro 5:3, tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience (in the original dokime, akin to dokimion, "trying," here; there it is experience: here the "trying" or testing, whence experience flows). patience—The original implies more; persevering endurance and continuance (compare Lu 8:15).

Knowing this; considering. That the trying of your faith; the reason why he called afflictions temptations, as well as why believers should count it all joy to fall into them, viz. because they are trials of their faith, and such trials as tend to approbation, as the word (different from that in the former verse) imports. Of your faith; both of the truth of the grace itself, and of your constancy in the profession of it. Worketh patience; not of itself, but as a means in the hand of God, made effectual to that end. Objection. Romans 5:3 , it is said, Tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience, or trial; whereas here it is said, that trial works patience. Answer. The words used here and Romans 5:3 are different; here it is dokimion, which signifies actively, the trying itself, and this works patience; there it is dokimh, which is taken passively, for the experiment following upon the trial; or, as we read it, the experience, viz. of our sincerity, as well as of God’s consolation, which may well be the effect of patience wrought by and under trials. And so both are true, that tribulation, as Paul speaks, and trial, as James, work patience; and patience, not a further trial, but rather discovery, or experiment, or approbation of what we are, which appears by nothing more than by patience under sufferings.

(3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. —And this verse confirms our view of the preceding one; the habit of patience is to be the blessed result of all the weary effort under God’s probation. James the Wise had learned it long and painfully, and he returns to his exhortation of it again, especially in James 5:7-11 (which see).

3 . that the trying of your faith ] The word for “trying” implies at once a “test,” and a “discipline” leading to improvement. The same phrase meets us, in conjunction also with “divers temptations,” in 1 Peter 1:7 . Each was, perhaps, quoting what had become an axiom of the Church’s life. worketh patience ] The Greek word always implies more than mere passive submission, the “ endurance unto the end” of Matthew 10:22 ; Matthew 24:13 , the perseverance which does not falter under suffering.

Jam 1:3 . γινώσκοντες : “recognising”; this seems to be the force of the word γιγνώσκω in Hellenistic Greek (see Lightfoot, Ep. to the Galatians , p. 171); if so, it comes very appositely after ἡγήσασθε .— τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως : according to instances of the use of the word δοκίμιον given by Deissmann ( Neue Bibelstudien , pp. 187 ff.) it means “pure” or “genuine”; it is the neuter of the adjective used as a substantive, followed by a genitive; the phrase would thus mean: “That which is genuine in your faith worketh …”; this meaning of δοκίμιον makes 1 Peter 1:7 clearer and more significant; cf. Proverbs 27:21 (Sept.); Sir 2:1 ff. On πίστις see Jam 1:6 .— κατεργάζεται : emphatic form of ἐργάζεται , “accomplishes”.— ὑπομονήν : the word here means “the frame of mind which endures,” as distinct from the act of enduring which is the meaning of the word in 2 Corinthians 1:6 ; 2 Corinthians 6:4 . Philo calls ὑπομονή the queen of virtues (see Mayor, in loc .), it is one which has probably been nowhere more fully exemplified than in the history of the Jewish race.