For many years I didn’t know what to make of James and his fascination with works.
When people asked me about James vs Paul, I gave mealy-mouthed explanations that sort of worked but didn’t really. Truth was I couldn’t reconcile what Paul said (we’re saved by faith not works) with what James said (faith without works is dead).
Then one day the lights turned on. Camilla and I were on a road trip. We were talking about James, and it was like a flood of revelation had hit me.
“Did you know both Paul and James both had life-changing encounters with the Risen Lord?”
“Did you know that Paul is the only person in the New Testament who called James an apostle (see Gal. 1:19)?”
“Did you know James referred to Paul as a ‘dear friend’?” (see Acts 15:25).
The key that unlocked James for me was this: “When Peter got out of line, Paul confronted him to his face. But Paul never said anything to James. He didn’t need to, since they were both preaching the same message of grace!”
It’s obvious when you see it, but I hadn’t seen it. Same message, different audiences. Paul preached to the Gentiles who did not have the law, while James preached to the Jews who did. James spoke about law and works because that’s the only language the Jews understood.
Since that day, I have learned two things. First, there is much more grace in James’ epistle than most people realize. Second, there many things in his letter that people plain misunderstand, such as this verse:
No one can tame the tongue. (James 3:8)
That’s pretty clear, right? The tongue cannot be tamed. It is UN-TAME-ABLE. So why do some notable Bible teachers say otherwise?
“James does not mean that no one can tame his own tongue,” said Charles Ellicott the 19th-century theologian. The tongue needs “to be watched, and guarded, and governed, as much as an unruly beast,” added Matthew Henry. “We are taught to govern our tongue so as to prove ourselves perfect and upright men.”
In other words, James was mistaken. He was wrong. “If you can’t control your words, you’re not a real believer.”
Which sounds like a recipe for dead works and frustration.
My view: James was spot on and the theologians are wrong. Instead of changing the text to suit our understanding, we should take the verse at face value.
Surely James’ point is that a wicked tongue belies a wicked heart. If the mouth speaks evil, it’s because the heart is evil (Mark 7:15, 20–23). We need the Holy Spirit to give us a new heart and a new tongue. James says as much:
In the exercise of his will he brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among his creatures. (James 1:18)
Unless you have been brought forth into new life and given a new heart, you will never able to tame the tongue. An untamable tongue is a sign that we need God.
That’s just one of the many new creation gems in James.
James is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. When notable commentators are saying “James was wrong” or “his book shouldn’t be in the Bible,” you know something is amiss. And this is why I wrote The Grace Bible: James.
Hand on heart, this little book is totally free from the dead works and confusion you normally get when reading about James. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s Nita O’Keefe’s Amazon review:
I enjoyed this book so much. It really made me consider James in a different way than I had before. Things I didn’t understand about how James preached became very understandable to me. I highly recommend this book for all who want to clearly understand how James really did preach grace.
Thanks Nita.
In my next update, I’ll tell you about the next Grace Bible installment. But before I do that, I wanted you to know that The Grace Bible: James is a unique book. There is nothing else like it.
If you have read and you liked it, why not grab copies for your friends and pastor?
Grace and peace,
Paul
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