James 1:1–4

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Wow. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds?? Is James serious?

Yes, and look at who he’s writing to—the twelve tribes in the Dispersion. The Dispersion (διασπορᾷ, diaspora in Greek) literally means the Jews that were “dispersed” around the world by persecution. It also means the Christians (especially Jewish Christians) who were similarly dispersed after the martyrdom of Stephen.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. — Acts 8:1b–2

So the trials faced by James’s readers make most of the trials we face look like picnics. Many of them were literally refugees. Counting trials like these as all joy is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Praying to be delivered is more like it.

And that’s why James wrote this. He is not instructing his readers to do something that’s automatic. He’s also not minimizing their suffering.

He’s saying that it’s all worthwhile.

But James’s main point isn’t simply that the suffering is worthwhile; it’s why—because it produces steadfastness. The Greek word that’s translated as “steadfastness” (ὑπομονὴ, hu-pom-on-ay) means patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, endurance. The NKJV translates it as “patience” here, the NIV as “perseverance.”

Okay, fine, but how is learning steadfastness/patience/endurance so important that it’s worth major trials?

That question is the perfect intro to the book of James. Growth in Christ (AKA sanctification) is at the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. James is writing against the variation of Christianity-light that says, “Just say the sinner’s prayer, and I’ll meet you at the pearly gates.”

This isn’t about how to become a Christian; his readers already are.

It’s about how to glorify God by being a useful one.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Scripture taken from the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.