The Book of James

Chapter 1:23-27

Verse 23

Anyone can listen to Bible doctrine. Some will understand it and still fail to be doers because doing it requires more than mere academic knowledge of God’s Word. Academic knowledge must be converted to spiritual knowledge by faith (believing the doctrine) before it can be applied, which is what is meant by being a doer. Believers who take in doctrine and understand it academically but do not believe it and apply it are hearers.

Looks is the Greek word “katanoeo.” Noeo means to think; kata means to think in terms of norms or standards or to thoroughly examine in your mind. So, “katanoeo” means to thoroughly examine your norms and standards. All of us have some idea as to how we look in the mirror. But no matter what you look like, when you walk away from the mirror and begin doing something else, you can easily forget how you look. The word does not mean just a glance; it means to look at yourself thoughtfully and to be able to memorize your own features. Memorizing your own features by looking in the mirror is like doctrine in your soul. Bible doctrine is literally a mirror into your soul. If you stop looking into “the mirror of the Word of God,” you may forget God’s divine norms and standards and who you are as an advancing believer, which may lead you into reversionism. And the road to recovery is a difficult one.

James is saying that if you fail to apply the doctrine after you learn it, then you are a hearer only. This means you know it and you can repeat it to someone, but you can’t apply it, because it is not yet spiritual knowledge. And failing to apply the doctrine you have converted to spiritual knowledge means you are merely a hearer, not a doer. Remember that the rate of learning Bible doctrine must always exceed the rate of forgetting, if you are going to be a consistent doer of the Word.

Verse 25

Looks this time is a different Greek word “parakupto,” which means to stoop down to examine something, to concentrate, to gaze intently, or to look into something with great intensity. It is a perfect word to describe the positive volition of a believer. The same verb is used in Luke 24:12 for Peter stooping down and looking intently into the empty tomb of Jesus. Peter uses the same verb himself in I Peter 1:12 for angels bending down and concentrating on mankind during the Angelic Conflict.

The Word of God is described not by the word mirror this time but by “the perfect law of liberty.” The word perfect is the Greek word “teleios,” and means something that is complete. The word law is used to describe God’s Word. What James is referring to is the complete revelation of God to mankind, as it was at the time of his writing, and as it would further come to be as one complete book called the Bible.

The law of liberty is referring to the perfect law. The Law of Liberty is the Law of Christ, a law that sets you free at salvation and in the Christian life. When Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” in John 8:32, He was referring to the truth of the Word of God. This freedom begins with spiritual freedom at salvation and has the potential to continue, if a believer advances to spiritual maturity. Abides by it is the Greek word “parameno,” meaning to continue. This continuation refers to a believer consistently examining the perfect law (God’s Word) and consistently applying it. If a believer does this, they will become doers of the Word and not hearers only. And, according to James, they will be an effective doer and be blessed in the doing of it, referring to divine production.

Verse 26

The word “religious” occurs only once in the New Testament, which is here in James. The word “religion” occurs twice in James. James was not advocating religion; he used the concept of religion to illustrate the fallacy of claiming to be something that you’re not (a doer, when in reality, you’re a hearer only). In James’ illustration, a man claims to be a person of religious devotion but fails to refrain from sinful talk.

Religion is a “do-good” system. James was dealing with believers who might assume that they are doing the right thing when they are actually doing the wrong thing. They assume that God is impressed by some form of “do-goodism.” In their attempt to perform human good, this person develops a terrible sin: maligning, judging, gossiping, and running down others, trying to make themselves look better than others around them. This is the way of the “do-gooders.” They must call attention to how good they are by running down someone else; not bridling their own tongue.

Deceives his own heart is a believer in reversionism. A believer is in reversionism because they are negative toward Bible doctrine. This eventually leads to the production of scar tissue on the soul, the emotional revolt of the soul, loss of the edification complex (if it existed). So, to understand deception of the heart, it is necessary to have some understanding of the doctrine of reversionism. For believers, the pattern is found in Romans 6:16-23; the principle is found in 1 Corinthians 10:12. When a believer gets careless about learning and using Bible doctrine, they begin to accumulate scar tissue on their soul. This opens up a vacuum and lets in satanic doctrine, causing emotional revolt of the soul and eventuates in reversionism. This man’s religion is worthless shows the end result of a person trying to please God by human effort and self-righteousness. The Greek word for worthless is “mataios,” which means empty. This verse describes a believer who fails to function under God’s power system and a vacuum is opened into their soul and satanic doctrine infiltrates it.

Verse 27

In the context, “religion” was used as a synonym for the Christian life. The Greek word for pure is “katharos,” meaning being cleansed. The Greek word for undefiled is “amiantos,” meaning free from contamination. The Greek word for unstained is “aspilos,” meaning unspotted as a lamb or free from defilement.

The characteristics James describes are those of a believer who is in fellowship with God (cleansed) and filled with the Holy Spirit (free from contamination), exercising the spiritual gift of showing mercy (free from defilement). Visiting widows and orphans and not being influenced by Satan’s world system are two practical examples of what a believer will do if they are doers of the Word and not hearers only.