Kretzmann's Popular Commentary
James 1:18
Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures.
Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures.
Verse 18. _OF HIS OWN WILL BEGAT HE US_] _God's will_ here is opposed to the _lust of man_, James 1:15; his _truth_, the means of human salvation, to the _sinful means_ referred to in the above verse...
OF HIS OWN WILL - Greek “willing.” βουληθεὶς boulētheis. The idea is, that the fact that we are “begotten” to be his children is to be traced solely to his will. He purposed it, and it was done. The...
ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. TRIALS AND THE EXERCISE OF FAITH CHAPTER 1 _ 1. Trials and the power of faith (James 1:1)_ 2. The resources of faith (James 1:5) 3. The realization of faith (James 1:9...
The Beatitude on Endurance (_cf. James 5:11_ and note). Trial is still neutral: it is affliction which tests and develops loyalty. But since human nature has a bias towards evil, a trial exerted upon...
My dear brothers, do not he deceived. Every good gift and every perfect boon comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is none of that changeableness which comes from changing shadows. Of...
GREETINGS (James 1:1) _ 1:1 James, the slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greetings to the twelve tribes who are scattered throughout the world._ At the very beginning of his letter Ja...
OF HIS OWN WILL. Having willed. App-102. BEGAT. Greek. _apokueo._ See James 1:15. WORD. App-121. Compare 1 Peter 1:23. THAT. to the end that. Greek. _eis_. App-104. A KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS. a certain...
_Of his own will begat he us_ The construction of the Greek is participial, WILLING HE BEGAT US, and is parallel to that of Colossians 2:18, which, rightly rendered, runs " LET NO MAN WILLING, i.e. by...
God and His perfect gifts 16. _Do not err_ The absolute goodness of God had been presented so far on its negative side as excluding all origination of evil. But the writer feels that that is but a pa...
2–18. (_a_) TEMPTATION FROM WITHOUT, 2–4; (1) WISDOM, PRAYER, STEDFASTNESS, THE DIVINE HELPS IN TEMPTATION, 5–8; (2) A SPECIAL FORM OF TEMPTATION—OPPRESSION BY THE RICH—THE OLD TESTAMENT PROBLEM OF T...
ΒΟΥΛΗΘΕΊΣ, OF HIS OWN WISH, denoting absolute freedom from necessity or external cause of any kind. βούλομαι and βούλησις are strictly used of the end, not of the means to the end: εἰ δή τι τέλος ἔστι...
_SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF THE_ WORD OF GOD -- JAMES 1:18-25 : The person who loves God will respond to his word. It is God alone who is able to save us. "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.....
ΒΟΥΛΗΘΕΊΣ _aor. pass. part. от_ ΒΟΎΛΟΜΑΙ (G1014) советоваться, решать после совета, желать. Здесь обозначает свободное правление, творческую волю или решение, указ Бога (Mussner; TDNT). Temp. _part._...
DISCOURSE: 2359 REGENERATION—ITS AUTHOR, MEANS, AND END James 1:18. _Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures_. THERE is an evil i...
A KIND OF FIRST-FRUITS, &C.— More excellent than others, and in a peculiar manner separated and consecrated to him. By κτισματων, _creatures,_ the apostle here means _the new creation;_ and he seems b...
CHAPTER III _RECEIVING FROM GOD_ James 1:16-27 _Introduction_ After fourteen verses of showing the Way of the Wise, James has concluded that our trials are good for us, producing steadfastnessthat...
THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD THINGS _Text 1:16-18_ 16. Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom c...
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (John 1:13.) The believer's regeneration is the highest example of every good proceedin...
VERSE 18. OF HIS OWN WILL BEGAT HE US. God is the author of the system of faith proclaimed to the world. The scheme of human redemption is the product of the infinite love of our Father in heaven. Th...
1 James is never called an apostle and does not write this epistle in that character. Rather, he puts himself in the place of a slave. Hence the epistle is not concerned with authoritative teaching so...
1:18 will (d-5) 'Having so purposed' or 'willed it.' It was the fruit of his own mind, and so a free gift....
THE POWER OF FAITH UNDER TEMPTATION 1. Servant] better, 'slave.' The word does not suggest any degradation, but only absolute surrender to the Master. St. James's humility prevents the mention of the...
BEGAT] RV 'brought forth.' It seems at first sight natural to see in this v. a reference to the new birth of baptism, or to the regenerating power of the gospel (1 Peter 1:23). But such ideas are fore...
WHAT *FAITH SHOULD DO JAMES _IAN MACKERVOY_ The word list at the end explains words with a *star by them. INTRODUCTION 1 THE WRITER James is the writer of the letter. But he does not tell us...
OF HIS OWN WILL BEGAT HE US WITH THE WORD OF TRUTH. — There is a greater witness to God’s goodness than that which is written upon the dome of heaven, even the regeneration of man. As the old creation...
(12-18) The Apostle returns to the consideration of the afflicted Christian. Such a one has a blessedness, greater infinitely than any earthly happiness, already in possession, and the promise of a fu...
(2-27) Immediately after the salutation, and with more or less a play upon the word which we translate “greeting” (“rejoice,” James 1:1; “count it all joy,” James 1:2) there follow appeals on behalf o...
CHAPTER 8 THE SOURCE OF TEMPTATIONS AND THE REALITY OF SIN THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE DETERMINIST. James 1:12 AFTER the slight digression respecting the short-lived glory of the rich man, St. James ret...
Again we have a verse without any connection between what precedes or follows; the words ἴστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί of James 1:19 seem to belong to James 1:18. As we have seen, James 1:17 most probabl...
GOD REWARDS, NOT TEMPTS James 1:12 The word _temptation_ may stand for trial and testing, without implying that there is any necessary impulse toward evil; or it may stand for the direct impulse of t...
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 upo...
GOD IS THE SOURCE OF GOOD Do not make the mistake of believing that God tempts us to do evil. He would not give man two such unwanted offspring. Instead, God is the source of everything that is good ...
(14) Of his own (q) will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of (r) firstfruits of his creatures. (14) The fourth part concerning the excellency and fruit of the word of God,...
_By the word of truth. Some, with St. Athanasius, understand the eternal word made man. Others commonly understand the word of the gospel, by which we have been called to the true faith, &c. --- Some...
Do not err, my beloved brethren. (17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (18) Of...
To the reader who enters on the consideration of the epistle of James from the epistles of Paul, the change is great and sudden, and by no means least of all from the epistle to the Hebrews, which, in...
_THE POWER OF THE PULPIT_ ‘Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth.’ James 1:18 Simon and Andrew—called to be fishers of men—were not unknown to the Lord Jesus, nor He to them. They had...
18_Of his own will_. He now brings forward a special proof of the goodness of God which he had mentioned, even that he has regenerated us unto eternal life. This invaluable benefit every one of the fa...
The Epistle of James is not addressed to the assembly, and does not take the ground of apostolic authority over the persons to whom it is sent. It is a practical exhortation which still recognises the...
OF HIS OWN WILL BEGAT HE US,.... The apostle instances in one of those good and perfect gifts, regeneration; and he pitches upon a very proper and pertinent one, since this is the first gift of grace...
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Ver. 18. _Of his own will begat he us_] Gr. απεκυησε, brought he us forth, as a special i...
_Of his own will_ Without any necessity on his part, or merit on ours; from a will most loving, most free, most pure, just opposite to our evil desire, James 1:15; _begat he us_ He converted, regenera...
BEGAT HE US; by the regeneration of our souls, and thus made us his spiritual children. WITH THE WORD OF TRUTH; which is the instrument of his Spirit. A KIND OF FIRST - FRUITS; the gospel was first p...
This chapter has a very close relationship to the Old Testament, for all is seen in connection with God; and Christ is not yet spoken of as the center and essence of all blessing and of all direction...
How is our salvation the will of God? What is the “word of truth” mentioned here? How are we the first fruits of his creatures? What does “first fruits” mean in this verse? Study 1 Corinthians 15:23...
Speaking Of Gifts: Our Salvation James 1:18 'In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.' 'In the exer...
12-18 It is not every man who suffers, that is blessed; but he who with patience and constancy goes through all difficulties in the way of duty. Afflictions cannot make us miserable, if it be not our...
OF HIS OWN WILL; out of his mere good pleasure, as the original cause, and not moved to it by any dignity or merit in us, EPHESIANS 1:9 2 TIMOTHY 1:9. BEGAT HE US; by a spiritual generation, whereby w...
James 1:18 will G1014 (G5679) brought G616 us G2248 forth G616 (G5656) word G3056 truth G225 that...
‘Of his own will he begat us (‘brought us forth') by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.' For while the sustaining of Creation was left to the glorious heavenl...
ALL THINGS COME TO MEN THROUGH THE UNCHANGING CREATOR INCLUDING OUR BEGETTING THROUGH THE WORD OF TRUTH. THUS MEN SHOULD BE SILENT BEFORE HIM AND, RATHER THAN SPEAKING ANGRILY AND UNBEFITTINGLY, RECEI...
James 1:18. OF HIS OWN WILL ‘After the counsel of His own will,' as St. Paul expresses it(Ephesians 1:11). Regeneration is here alluded to as the highest instance of the Divine goodness. It is not a n...
OF HIS OWN WILL (βουληθεις). First aorist passive participle of βουλομα. Repeating the metaphor of birth in verse James 1:15, but in good sense. God as Father acted deliberately of set purpose.HE B...
James 1:18 The First-fruits of God's Creatures. I. "Of His own will," or because He willed it, is given as the reason why God bestowed on us a new life. We are to receive this assurance with the effo...
James 1:1. _James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting._ James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was an apostle,...
James 1:1. _James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting._ «Where are the lost ten tribes?» asks somebody. They never were lost. Tha...
James 1:1. _James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting._ The apostle James evidently believed in no lost ten tribes, as some nowad...
James 1:1. _James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting._ According to the teaching of some in the present day, the apostle should...
CONTENTS: Testing of faith. Solicitation to evil not of God. Obedience as a test of true faith. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, James. CONCLUSION: Such as have a true title in Jesus Christ through faith may...
James 1:1. _James, a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ._ He does not style himself an _apostle,_ because he would not assume any superiority; yet the majesty of his address is the language...
BY HIS OWN WILL. "The spiritual birth made possible by God's act in Christ was not something God was forced to do. He did this by his own free will, because He loves us." HE BROUGHT US INTO BEING. "We...
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 1:18 BROUGHT US FORTH BY THE WORD OF TRUTH speaks of spiritual salvation. “Us” refers to believers. The “word of truth” is the gospel. Being “brought... forth” (from the womb) is a...
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 1:13 James turns to the other side of trials, when testing becomes temptation. ⇐ ⇔...
JAMES 1:2 The Testing of Faith. Trials are part of God’s “good gifts” (v. James 1:17) to his people, to strengthen them in their faith....
_CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ James 1:17. FATHER OF LIGHTS.—The luminaries of heaven; as symbols of all kinds of lights, natural, intellectual, spiritual. SHADOW OF TURNING.—Or shadow that is cast b...
EXPOSITION JAMES 1:1 SALUTATION. JAMES, A SERVANT OF GOD AND OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. (On the person who thus describes himself, see the Introduction) It is noteworthy that he keeps entirely out of...
Let's turn to James chapter one. James introduces himself as the bondslave of God and of Jesus Christ. It's a title that most of the apostles delighted to take. Renouncing any claim for any rights, tu...
1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 John 3:9; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 1:3;...
Begat [α π ε κ υ η σ ε ν]. Rev., brought forth. See on ver. 15, and compare 1 John 3:9; 1 Peter 1:23. A kind of first fruits [α π α ρ χ η ν τ ι ν α]. A kind of indicates the figurative nature of the t...
Of his own will — Most loving, most free, most pure, just opposite to our evil desire, James 1:15. Begat he us — Who believe. By the word of truth — The true word, emphatically so termed; the gospel....
These words are very expressive of four things, namely, of the efficient cause, the impulsive cause, the instrumental and the final cause fo our regeneration. Observe, 1. The author and efficient cau...