James 1:27

F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary - James 1:19-27

Doers, Not Hearers Only James 1:19-27 Keep your mouth closed when you are angry; the inner fire will die out of itself, if you keep the doors and windows shut. In James 1:18 we are taught that God’s truth is the agent of regeneration; in James 1:21 it is the means of deepening our consecration. It is a blessed thing, when not only the words , but the Word of God is engrafted on the wild stock of our nature. The one and only way of making holy impressions permanent is by translating them... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - James 1:1-27

James wrote to Christians in the midst of temptation and trial. He showed first that the issue of testing is that they "may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing." It is therefore to be looked upon as a means of blessing and received with joy. He clearly pointed out that God is never the Author of temptation as enticement toward evil, and in a passage full of remarkable force revealed the process of such temptation. It is an appeal through desire to some perfectly legitimate need of life,... read more

James Nisbet

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - James 1:27

THE CHRISTIAN IN THE WORLD‘And to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ James 1:27 As men and women grow older they change. Of all the changes that they undergo, those of their moral natures are often the most painful to watch. We all have a dim idea that if we could have taken the young life and isolated it we could have kept its freshness and purity. Out of the aggregate of the many influences which we call ‘the world’ have come the evil forces that have changed and soiled the life. It... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - James 1:22-27

It Is Not Sufficient Only To Be A Hearer, It Is Necessary Also To Be A Doer (James 1:22-27 ). Having laid a careful foundation in demonstrating that God’s People are those whom He has sovereignly begotten, in whose hearts his word of truth has been received and implanted, and is to grow, (their side has been through the response of faith both to His word and to His begetting), James now emphasises that that truth must be carried out into practise. It was very necessary that they hear His... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - James 1:27

‘Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.’ James is here giving his own meaning to the Greek word translated ‘religion’ which elsewhere indicated ‘following ceremonial requirements’. It is not intended to indicate the formation of a new religion. It is to be read in a similar light to Isaiah 58:5-14. Thus he is rather saying that in the eyes of One Who is both our God and... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - James 1:19-27

James 1:19-Daniel : . “ Be sure of it” ( cf. mg.) , he goes on, and turns to ask what conduct right views of God should produce. Humility and self-control, firstly, then purity, gentleness, and teachableness, with unsparing honesty that turns every creed into a code of action. “ Quick to hear” not only God’ s warning, but both sides of a human quarrel, “ slow to speak” angry words, the peril of which James expounds in ch. 3 , such conduct will be free from that “ human wrath which can never... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - James 1:27

Pure religion; true, sincere, genuine, Matthew 5:8; John 15:3. And undefiled; this seems to reflect upon the hypocritical Jews, whose religion consisted so much in external observances, and keeping themselves from ceremonial defilements, when yet they were sullied with so many moral ones, James 1:14; Matthew 23:23; John 18:28; devoured widows’ houses. They thought their religion pure and undefiled; the apostle shows here which is really so before God; in the sight of God, and according to his... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - James 1:26-27

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTESJames 1:26. Seem to be.—Imagine himself to be religious; a difficult term, because its meanings have been subject to change. “The Greek adjective is one which expresses the outward, ritual side of religion, answering to ‘godliness’ as the inward.” Seem to be a professor, a worshipper. Bridleth not.—Does not restrain, and wisely rule and direct. It is singular to find this chosen as a test of sincerity in religious profession. But compare Matthew 12:37. “If a man... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - James 1:27

James 1:27 The Christian Service of God. I. The general meaning and intention of this passage is obvious. No doubt some of these early converts from Judaism, to whom the Epistle of St. James is addressed, found it very hard, trained as they had been in mere outward formalism, with no deep sense of personal responsibility, to form an adequate conception of the lofty moral purity involved in that perfect law of liberty which they had professed to accept as the law of their lives. It had not... read more

Charles Simeon

Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae - James 1:27

DISCOURSE: 2362PURE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION DESCRIBEDJames 1:27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.ERRORS of the most fatal kind were early found in the Christian Church. So speedily had vital godliness decayed, that even in the Apostles’ days a mere form and profession of religion was deemed sufficient. Under the idea of exalting faith, the value of good works was... read more

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