Tiago 1
Matthew Poole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 1:2
Poole comments that we are to "esteem it so by a spiritual judgment, though the flesh judge otherwise." Day by day and with each passing moment, Strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment, I've no cause for worry or for fear. —Berg JOY WHEN ENVELOPED BY VARIEGATED TRIALS All joy - "Whole joy", unmixed joy, without admixture of sorrow, not just "some joy" along with much grief! How is this possible? I submit that it is "IM-possible" relying on our natural strength, but is "HIM-possible" relying on supernatural strength. As noted above, the Holy Spirit produces His joy in us (Gal 5:22+, cf Ro 15:13+). The translations render it - wholly joyful (Amp), pure joy (ISV, Moffatt), complete joy (Berkley), nothing but joy (NET), unadulterated joy (Wuest), highest joy (Grotius) Joy is deep satisfaction that comes from knowing that God is in control even when my circumstances seem to be out of control. -- Ray Pritchard John
Tiago 1:2
Poole writes that James uses my brethren "both as being of the same nation and the same religion; so he calls them, that the kindness of his compellation might sweeten his exhortations." D Edmond Hiebert adds that my brethren denotes James' "personal feelings toward his readers. He accepts them as members with him of one spiritual community, as fellow members of the family of God. Therefore, "what James has to say applies only to born-again Christians." The possessive "my" expresses his own consciousness of his equality with them as brothers and that as their brother he is concerned about their trials. Fanar remarks, "The perpetual recurrence of this word shows that the wounds which St. James inflicts are meant to be the faithful wounds of a friend."' He eagerly draws his readers to himself as he seeks to minister to their needs. In the pagan world, the term (brethren) was used of a fellow member in some restricted secular group or of members of a particular religious society. Among the Jews, the term was used to denote a fellow Israelite. The early Christians readily employ the term as expressive of their consciousness that as believers in Christ they were all members of one spiritual family. The use of this designation in the early church was apparently stimulated by the teaching of Jesus in Mk 3:35 and Mt 23:8. (James Commentary) ENCOUNTERING TRIALS When you encounter (parapipto) - Note carefully James does not say "if" but "when" referring not to possibility but to inevitability! Trials are not an elective, but a required course in the "school of Christ"! Commenting on "when" Hiebert adds that "The use of the indefinite temporal construction (hotan with the subjunctive), "whenever ye [may] fall into," indicates that they tend to come at an undetermined time. Their arrival cannot be pinpointed beforehand. They may he expected at anytime." (James Commentary) Trials then are an expected/guaranteed element of the normal Christian life, and so, beloved, as Peter says "Do not be surprised (present imperative + negative = command to stop continually being surprised!) at the fiery trial among you which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you." (1Pe 4:12+) To be sure, most of us are either in a trial, just coming out of one or on the verge of entering a new one. Such is the common lot of mankind (cp 1Cor 10:13+ "common to man"). Hiebert adds that peripipto suggests "that these trials are unavoidable. Like the thieves who surrounded the man on the Jericho road (see Lk 10:30+), such adverse situations unexpectedly surround the believer with no escape. The compound verb (peripipto), which pictures these trials as encircling the believer, implies that the reference is not to minor little irritations but to larger adverse experiences that cannot be avoided. The reference is to various adversities, afflictions, and calamities that are hard to bear. The reference is not specifically to religious persecutions, although they were a prominent part in the experiences of the readers. Martin, indeed, holds that these trials "are better understood as signs of oppression and persecution endured for one's religious convictions."' (James Commentary) Steven Cole makes the important point that "Many Christians naively think that if they obey the Lord, they will be spared from any trials. When trials hit them, they are confused and often angry at God: “I was following You! Why did You allow this to happen?” But the Bible gives abundant testimony that all of God’s saints encounter trials. And these trials are not necessarily the consequence of disobedience. Rather, God uses them to test our faith. They will be varied according to His sovereign purpose. We cannot understand why He sends the particular trials that He does, but whatever they are, we can know that they are from Him. (James 1:1-4 A Radical Approach to Trials recommended) Notice that while the world says "consider it joy when you escape trials", James says "No, consider it joy when you are in the midst of trials!" The Psalmist writes that "Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning" (Ps 30:5) VARIOUS TRIALS Various (poikilos) gives a vivid picture of the diversity and varied aspects and appearances of the trials that affect believers, not their number, which is left to be inferred. William
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Poole comments that peripipto conveys the picture "when you are so beset and circumvented by them, that there is no of escaping them, but they come upon you, though by the direction of God’s providence, yet not by your own seeking. “Divers temptations;” so he calls afflictions, from God’s end in them, which is to try and discover what is in men, and whether they will cleave to Him or not. Samuel Rutherford emphasizes the certainty of trials writing that "You will not get leave to steal quietly to heaven without a conflict and a cross." The Puritan Thomas Watson agreed writing "Though Christ died to take away the curse from us, yet not to take away the cross from us."