THE POOR ARE RICH IN FAITH: JAMES 2:5

Verse 5

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5)

 

  When James commands them to listen, it is not simply to hear with their ears what he has to say, but to concentrate and comprehend the Biblical principle he is about to put forward.

The question posed in this verse urges us to consider the mind of God regarding those who are poor. His great compassion upon those in poverty is demonstrated throughout the Scriptures. Recall that while John the Baptizer was imprisoned, messengers were sent to Jesus asking if He was “the Expected One.” The Lord Jesus reported back to John:

The blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matthew 11:5)

The poor have the gospel preached to them! However, could the poor be understood as having a twofold meaning? The word used in the Greek does not only imply economic need but also weak, miserable, beggarly, impotent,1 and as explained further in the Greek lexicon:

[A]t times the reference is not only to the unfavorable circumstances of these people from an economic point of view; the thought is also that since they are oppressed and disillusioned they are in special need of God’s help, and may be expected to receive it shortly.2

The emphasis here is not a consideration of those who are economically impoverished, but those who are spiritually destitute—and this includes of all mankind from birth. James proclaims that the poor have been chosen to be rich in faith. For there is nothing greater than to have the gospel of Jesus Christ preached to all men. Once they accept Christ as their Savior they are rich for all eternity. Not as the world considers rich, i.e. money, social status, etc., but rich in faith—a faith in the true God of the universe. James is saying that those who were poor are now able to live the normal life of faith, devised by God and established upon His divine standards. This life He provides is contrary to the world’s standard of the continuous pursuit of self-interests and the frantic search for happiness.

Not only are they rich in faith, but they are heirs of the kingdom. This sounds impressive and superb, but what is meant by the kingdom? For the Jews in the ancient world, the kingdom refers to the establishment of a theocratic nation. It is often referred to in theological studies as the Millennial Kingdom, when Jesus Christ returns at His Second Coming and re-establishes the nation of Israel under His personal administration. 

But James is not referring to this future kingdom. He is indicating the spiritual kingdom of all who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior. It is the same idea that the Lord Jesus explained to the Pharisees:

Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17:20-21)

This kingdom which all believers inherit is to be accurately understood as the spiritual rule of God over the hearts and minds of all believers in Jesus Christ. Since this inheritance is a promise of God, there is a certainty implied, for He never break a promise and He can never lie (Titus 1:2).

His promise is realized by ‘those who love Him.’ How do we demonstrate our love for Him? By giving up something we like? By saying “Sweet Jesus!” over and over, like some religious mantra? By doing a good deed daily? By attending church or lighting a candle? By living a virtuous or monastic life?

No!

Jesus clearly asserted what it means to love Him:

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

The apostle John reiterated this in his first epistle:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)

So, what are His commandments? A look at a couple of passages will shed sufficient light on what Jesus meant.

The Pharisees in their never-ending attempts to trip Jesus up, asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” (Matthew 22:36) Instead of picking one commandment out of the Ten Commandments, Jesus sums up the whole:

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

But we should also note that Our Lord gave another commandment, just prior to His death on the cross. This commandment was directed to all believers in this present age:

 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

And the answer is yes—if we love Him as He has specified, by keeping His commandments, then we shall enjoy the fullness of His blessed kingdom.

 

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[1] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 735 (ptōchós [πτωχός]).

[2] Arndt & Gingrich, p. 735.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi

The Fruit of the Spirit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5: 22-23)

Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote that the “True Christian character is the ‘fruit of the Spirit’...produced in the believer, but not by the believer.”[1]

It is God’s design that the Christian produce the fruit of the Spirit, and that it can only be generated in his heart by the indwelling Holy Spirit. In other words, the Christian becomes the instrument by which the Holy Spirit works through to accomplish divine righteousness. These characteristics are in contrast with the works of the flesh as described by Paul:

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19–21)

Note also that the empowerment is different: these deeds are produced by the flesh, by the individual himself without any supernatural assistance. Nowhere in this passage does Paul defer personal responsibility, as some might claim that “The devil made me do it!”

Paul explains that the Christian has been given a choice to make concerning his faith: to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14)[2] or to indulge themselves “in the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:3). To this he provides an ultimatum:

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

Notice how Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, neatly envelops the teaching of the Fruit of the Spirit with the phrase walk by the Spirit in two verses, 16 and 25. The genius of this is that both words for walk are different in the Greek for the purpose of fully illustrating the Biblical concept of walking by the Spirit.

In verse 16 the word in the original is peripatéō [περιπατέω]. Generally meaning “a stepping movement of the feet.”[3] Of the 95 instances in the New Testament, half refer to the literal meaning of this word. But here it is used figuratively and “refers to the act of conducting one’s self, or ordering one’s manner of life or behavior.”^[4] The usage of this word is something which Paul expands upon throughout his writings (Romans 14:15a; Ephesians 5:2 & 8b; Colossians 2:6).

In this passage, the ordering of one’s ‘manner of life’ is to be implemented “by the Spirit”. When Paul states “walk by the Spirit” it is not merely a suggestion, it is a command. Biblical commands must always be obeyed, and not just when we are being watched. Dr. Chafer describes what this manner of life requires of the believer:

Walking by means of the Spirit is simply walking by a definite reliance upon the ability and power of the One who indwells...true spirituality is, then, an unbroken reliance upon the Spirit to do what He has come to do and what He alone can do.^[5]

The mechanics of walking by the Spirit should also be considered. For in the physical realm walking depends upon ones balance and stability, so it is in the Spiritual life, as duly noted:

We move forward in the Christian way of life through the stability provided by the Spirit-filled life; “in [by] the Spirit,” an instrumental case in the Greek. The Holy Spirit is the means of walking in the Christian way of life.^[6]

Stability in the Christian life comes from learning God’s Word and applying it in our daily lives. Our Lord made this point during His ministry when He challenged Satan: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). And James stresses the believer’s application of the Word when he asserts: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22). Dr. Francis Schaeffer suggests that this walk of faith is “doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way,”[7] which presupposes that we should not impede the work of the Spirit by doing things our way.

A further aspect of stability is contained in this passage: walking by the means of the Spirit ensures us that we “will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” The word ‘not’ is a double negative in the Greek making it emphatic and could be translated “in no way.” W.E. Vine explains it in this manner:

The sentence may be read...as an assurance to the believer that if he walks by the Spirit, i.e., if he submits to the leading of the Holy Spirit of God, refusing to order his life according to the promptings of the flesh and the conventions of the age, then he shall not be overmastered by the desires of the flesh, but on the contrary shall have the victory over, and be enabled to live superior to, them.^[8]  

Considering one’s obedience of this command, Paul states in verse 25 that “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Here Paul uses a different word for walk, stoichéō [στοιχέω]. Its meaning is slightly different than peripatéō, it is a military term meaning “to stand or go in order, advance in rows or ranks”^[9]; “to keep in line, to march in rank and file.”[10]

A paraphrase this verse can be rendered in this way: “‘[I]n view of the fact’ or ‘seeing that’ we live with reference to the Spirit”^[11] then let us also take our marching orders for the Christian way of life by means of the Holy Spirit. With this, Paul has provided a fitting response to the preceding verse:

“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) [12]

By wrapping these two verses, 16 and 25 with the two different words for walk, around the discussion of the believer’s necessity to produce the Fruit of the Spirit or the alternative, to practice the deeds of the flesh, Paul provides a complete harmonization of the principle of the Spirit controlled life. We are commanded to live our lives under the controlling and stabilizing influence of the Holy Spirit and to do so by falling in line with all believers following the Spirit’s leading.

Conclusion

The greatest gift, the supreme service that we can impart to believers and unbelievers alike is to live a life that produces the fruit of the Spirit. By walking by the Spirit—centered in Christ and producing His fruit—we exhibit the normalcy and naturalness that this life of faith affords: an eternal relationship with our Creator in time and in eternity. This is how we can then be dynamic witnesses of the gospel and a vivid expression of the reality and purpose of our existence here on earth.

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[1] Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1967). He That Is Spiritual. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, p. 45-46.

[2] For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14)

[3] Ebel, Günther (1986). The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (ed. Colin Brown), Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 3.943.

^[4] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 3.153.

[5] Ibid, Chafer, p. 96-97.

[6] R. B. Thieme, Jr., Unpublished notes from Galatians recording #416.15 02/09/1962.

[7] Schaeffer, Francis A. (1985). The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 3.50.

^[8] Vine, W. E. (1996). Collected Writings of W.E. Vine. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Gal. 5:16.

^[9] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G4748.

[10] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 8.295.

^[11] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 3.162.

[12] Note also Colossians 3:5ff.

YOU MAY HAVE PEACE: John 16:33

 
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” 

The Upper Room Discourse, chapters 13-17 in John’s gospel, contains a series of messages which Our Lord gave to His disciples on the night prior to His death by crucifixion. The focus of His discourse seems to be in preparing the disciples for His departure and the assurance that they will not be left on their own without provisions needed to carry on His work.

Specifically, He mentions that the Holy Spirit will be given to them as their helper to remain with them forever (14:16) and to guide them into ‘all the truth’ (16:13). The Lord also focuses on assuring them peace during the time of His absence (14:27).  It is this subject of peace which He sums up the16th chapter.

He declares in 16:33 that what He has spoken to them was to assure them that they “may have peace”. The word peace in the original Greek [εἰρήνη] means “by implication, a state of peace, tranquility.”1 This passage does not emphasize peace as some type of an emotion – a feeling or a euphoric sensation. Instead, it signifies a status quo – a condition in which they are no longer in the midst of a conflict. So that in the midst of pressure and adversity they can have a relaxed mental attitude knowing that these adversities and tribulations are precipitated by the world.

When John states that “in the world you have tribulation” he is proclaiming that there is a battle raging, not with flesh and blood (although it may entail this) but with the unseen forces of the Evil One, Satan. Paul describes this in Ephesians 6:12:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

What Our Lord determined to provide for them was this promise: that by a sound understanding of His teachings they possess peace and tranquility, to be applied in the midst of any pressures that they are confronted with. It was not necessarily a feeling of peace which He provided them, but a realization that they should not fear or despair when met with challenges to their faith. That is why He emphatically affirmed in verse 33 the fact that while they are in this world they will continually have tribulation.

And with this in mind, He commands them “but take courage.” He begins the command with the word ‘but’, the conjunction of adversity. It indicates a contrast or opposition to what has just been stated. What the Lord is saying is: “In contrast to the evil machinations of the Evil One, you are to keep on being courageous.” The word ‘courage’ infers not only courage but confidence. Without the confidence in believing His promise that they possess a status quo of peace, they will not be victorious in the midst of the battle.

The final phrase of this verse proclaims the proof that our Lord has provides them with this status quo: “I have overcome the world.” The perfect tense of the verb ‘overcome’ designates the eternal victory of Jesus Christ over the evil powers of the world.

Specifically, what is the full significance of the word world of which Jesus can claim He has emphatically overcome?

The word world in the original Greek is transliterated as cosmos. Its root meaning is order or arraignment like that of a person’s apparel or a woman’s cosmetics. The philosophical usage came to denote it “as the sum total of everything here and now, the (orderly) universe.”2 This world as understood by the Scriptures is concisely described by the theologian Lewis Sperry Chafer:

The cosmos is a vast order or system that Satan has promoted, which conforms to his ideals, aims, and methods. It is civilization now functioning apart from God – a civilization in which none of its promoters really expect God to share, who assign to God no consideration in respect to their projects; nor do they ascribe any causativity to Him. This system embraces its godless governments, conflicts, armaments, jealousies, its education, culture, religions of morality, and pride. It is that sphere in which man lives. It is what he sees, what he employs. To the uncounted multitude it is all they ever know so long as they live on this earth. It is properly styled the satanic system, which phrase is in many instances a justified interpretation of the so-meaningful word, cosmos. It is literally a cosmos diabolicus [i.e. the devil’s world].3  

How is this applicable to us today?

First, we still live in the same world as the apostles did 20 centuries ago, just as Paul stated in Ephesians 6:12 (see above). It is naïve for us to believe that certain men or groups are the sole architects of the evil in our culture. So it is essential that we understand that there is a demonic influence which persuades and manipulates the structure of our culture.

Secondly, we should consider exactly how Jesus Christ has overcome this world:

• As the unique person of the universe, the God/Man was able to be born into this world to fulfill the redemptive plan of God the Father. Overcoming the subterfuge of King Herod, Matthew 2:16-18. 
• He overcame intense pressure from Satan himself, Luke 4:1-13.
• He overcame many times the evil machinations of the religious leaders, Matthew 16: 1-4; 19: 3-12.
• He endured the scourging, the mocking and humiliation of Pilate’s soldiers, John 19: 1-3.
• He overcame the crucifixion, for He chose the moment of His death, John 19:17-30.
• He overcame death itself, for He rose from the dead, Matthew 28:1-7.
• His finale of overcoming this world: He ascended physically into heaven, Luke 24: 50-51.

Therefore, since He has overcome the world and has given to us the status of peace, it is crucial to project a confident witness within this evil culture, no matter what may be devised or concocted by the minions of Satan, i.e. those who may be of a political, entertainment or state controlled media consortium.

And to keep the Biblical perspective that Paul has stated:

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37–39)

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[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G1515

[2] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1979). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 445.

[3] Chafer, L.S., (1976), Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 2.77-78.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi