This Week's Scripture: Wisdom from James

The Letter of James is often called Christian "wisdom" Literature. Jesus himself was also a wisdom teacher. Jesus focused less, however, on conventional wisdom concerning behavior and more on provocative themes like what constituted true righteousness. We are lucky, then, to have the practical wisdom found here in the letter of James (as well as elsewhere in the New Testament).

In this passage, it is helpful to see James' teachings on behavior as flowing out of the understanding of God's gifts he puts forward in the first paragraph: Wisdom and good behavior are not ends in and of themselves, but rather are gifts given for the fulfillment of God's purposes. They are, therefore, part of the transformative mission of God.

From the Letter of James:


Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my beloved:let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves* in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.