James 1:25

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. LOOKETH INTO, [ parakupsas (G3879)] - stoopeth down to take a close look. Peers into: stronger than "beholdeth" (James 1:24). A blessed curiosity if efficacious in bearing fruit (Bengel). PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY - the Gospel-rule of life, perfect and perfecting (shown in the sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:48): making us truly walk at liberty (Psalms 119:32;...

25_The perfect law of liberty_. After having spoken of empty speculation, he comes now to that penetrating intuition which transforms us to the image of God. And as he had to do with the Jews, he takes the word _law_, familiarly known to them, as including the whole truth of God. But why he calls it _a perfect law_, and _a law of liberty_, interpreters have not been able to understand; for they have not perceived that there is here a contrast, which may be gathered from other passages of Scripture. As long as the law is preached by the external voice of man, and not inscribed by the finger and Spirit of God on the heart, it is but a dead letter, and as it were a lifeless thing. It is, then, no wonder that the law is deemed imperfect, and that it is the law of bondage; for as Paul teaches in Galatians 4:24, separated from Christ, it generates to condemn and as the

22-25 If we heard a sermon every day of the week, and an angel from heaven were the preacher, yet, if we rested in hearing only, it would never bring us to heaven. Mere hearers are self-deceivers; and self-deceit will be found the worst deceit at last. If we flatter ourselves, it is our own fault; the truth, as it is in Jesus, flatters no man. Let the word of truth be carefully attended to, and it will set before us the corruption of our nature, the disorders of our hearts and lives; and it will tell us plainly what we are. Our sins are the spots the law discovers: Christ's blood is the laver the gospel shows. But in vain do we hear God's word, and look into the gospel glass, if we go away, and forget our spots, instead of washing them off; and forget our remedy, instead of applying to it. This is the case with those who do not hear the word as they ought. In hearing the word, we look i...

Verse 25. _BUT WHOSO LOOKETH INTO THE PERFECT LAW_] The word παρακυψας, which we translate _looketh into_, is very emphatic, and signifies that deep and attentive consideration given to a thing or subject which a man cannot bring up to his eyes, and therefore must _bend his back and neck, stooping down_, that he may see it to the greater advantage. The _law of liberty_ must mean the _Gospel_; it is a _law_, for it _imposes obligations_ from God, and prescribes a _rule of life_; and it _punishes_ transgressors, and _rewards_ the obedient. It is, nevertheless, a law that gives _liberty_ from the guilt, power, dominion, and influence of sin; and it is _perfect_, providing a _fulness of salvation_ for the soul: and it may be called _perfect_ here, in opposition to the _law_, which was a system of types and representations of which the Gospel is the sum and substance. Some think that the wor...

BUT WHOSO LOOKETH - (παρακύψας parakupsas). This word means, to stoop down near by anything; to bend forward near, so as to look at anything more closely. See the word explained in the notes at 1 Peter 1:12. The idea here is that of a close and attentive observation. The object is not to contrast the manner of looking in the glass, and in the law of liberty, implying that the former was a “careless beholding,” and the latter an attentive and careful looking, as Doddridge, Rosenmuller, Bloomfield, and others suppose; for the word used in the former case (κατενόησε katanoēse) implies intense or accurate observation, as really as the word used here; but the object is to show that if a man would attentively look into, and continue in the law of liberty, an

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 sight his natural relationship to our Lord, and styles himself simply "a bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ." That, and that alone, gave him a right to speak and a claim to be heard. Δοῦλος is similarly used by St. Paul in Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1 by St. Peter in 2 Peter 1:1; and by

BUT WHOSO LOOKETH INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY,.... By which is meant, not the moral law, but the Gospel; for only of that is the apostle speaking in the context: this is no other than the word of truth, with which God begets men of his own will; and is the ingrafted word which is able to save, and of which men should be doers, as well as hearers, James 1:18, and this is compared to a glass by the Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and the word here used for looking into it is the same word the Apostle Peter uses of the angels, who desired to look into the mysteries of the Gospel, 1 Peter 1:12 all which serve to strengthen this sense; now the Gospel is called a law; not that it is a law, strictly speaking, consistin

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. That is a mere piece of nonsense. There were, and there are still, twelve tribes of Israel, as much one as the other. Ask any Jew if it is not so. James writes to all his compatriots by nature, and to all the fellow-citizens of the saints by grace, and greets them. What a strange greeting it is! James 1:2. _My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;_ Or «trials.» Do not be sorry about it, be thankful for it. The gold should be glad to be put into the crucible; the Christian should rejoice to be tested and tried. Not only count it joy, but count it «all joy when ye

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) 4. The conquest of faith (James 1:12) 5. The result of faith (James 1:16) James 1:1 The first verse is the introduction. The writer is James, but he does not add, as he might have done, “the brother of the Lord.” It would have identified his per

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 help forward God's ideal of Right. Filthiness or baseness the word was often used of counterfeit coin (but _cf._ also Revelation 22:11) is coupled with a rank growth of malice, lit. overflow: there is an allusion to the Lord's reminder that speech is the overflow of the heart. The implanted word (_cf._ Matthew 13:21) can save the whole s