Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Beware of the Tongue


Beware of the Tongue

by Ted Burleson

James warns against rash and angry words by tying speech and hearing to anger. Anger is not sinful in itself; however, violence is not the thing that God approves. Instead of anger, the Christian may feel when viewing the wickedness of the world and within the church family, the Christian must wait patiently for the Lord to execute justice. Christians are to rid themselves of evil by being washed in baptism. Believers must govern their lives by the word “planted” in them (Jas. 1:19–21).

If Christians have an authentic walk with God, they must be slow to speak (control the tongue). Otherwise, one’s religion is useless. This idea is counter-cultural in that the wisdom of the world may lead someone to make claims that are not backed up by actions. James encourages Christians to walk the walk and talk the talk.

The lesson is clear for Christians today. The moral standards and the estimate of grace guided by a worldly mind are no match for the standards of the wisdom that comes from God. We may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are religious, but if we do not control our speech, we are following the ways of the world.

James warned against becoming teachers (3:1–12) because of the influence of the position and the difficulty of controlling one’s speech. A teacher will have to be more cautious about his or her speech. Knowledge of God’s commands is required, because we expect Bible teachers to speak God’s Word.

A teacher does not have to be perfect, of course, but a teacher must demonstrate actions and speech that are befitting to Christians. James illustrates these ideas with the metaphor of bits in a horse’s mouth, a rudder on a ship, and a spark that starts a massive forest fire. If worldly wisdom leads the tongue, then it is set on fire by hell. These illustrations are reminders that as a small member, the tongue (speech personified), is powerful (Jas. 3:1–12).

James continues illustrating the power and danger of the tongue by reminding his readers of all types of tamed creatures, but the tongue cannot be tamed. The tongue is like a deadly snake. Just as springs do not produce spring water and saltwater, the tongue cannot deliver words of heavenly wisdom and words of earthly wisdom.

The tongue controls the whole person. Nature is consistent, but the tongue is very inconsistent. It cannot be tamed. God alone can tame the tongue of the humble Christian who lives in submission to His will. Our culture is full of self-help books on improving our speech and vocabulary, but this is not the language of God. In our speech, God’s speech means that we are allowing God to strengthen our character, and the people who hear us know that our words are righteous.

James considers another abuse of speech to be slander and warns against such actions (Jas. 4:11–12). Those who are pure in heart will allow God to teach their mouths not to speak evil against others. To speak evil against a brother or to judge a brother is a violation of the royal law of loving our neighbor as ourselves (Jas. 2:8; cf. Lev. 19:18). If Christians do not want to be condemned by God, they should refrain from condemning one another.

James’ message is truly counter-cultural when applied to our present society, where faultfinding has become an accepted custom. James challenges his original readers and those who would read his writings today to stand against the culture by refusing to speak evil of others. This advice is especially true in the church. Simply because such evil speaking is behind closed doors or in private does not mean that it is less harmful. Evil speaking is sinful and forbidden by God.

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

An Evangelistic Church


AN EVANGELISTIC CHURCH

Roger Shepherd

Evangelism is one person talking to another person about his or her need for the salvation, that is only in Christ, with the intention of bringing him or her to a positive decision (Acts 4:12). Evangelism is personally teaching the lost. This is significant to church growth, because Christianity is a taught religion. The mission of Jesus is “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). The terms “make disciples” is an imperative! He left us no choice but make and teach disciples to make other disciples. I am personally a Christian because my parents taught me one-on-one how to be saved and remain faithful to the Lord.

The Restoration Movement reminds us of the need for evangelism. Traverce Harrison and C. J. Sharp said, “By evangelism we do not mean merely the conduct of revival or protracted meetings. We do not mean alone the work done by professional evangelists. By evangelism we do mean the use of the Word of God by as nearly as possible every Christian to win to Christ as nearly as possible everyone who is unsaved. The thought needs to be restored and reemphasized that every minister of the gospel is an evangelist first of all, and that, second of all, every Christian is capable of being, and therefore, ought to be, a winner of souls for Christ” (Evangelism, 39). It is amazing that this urgent plea was written in 1924. It is little wonder why the church grew so dynamically in the first century and during the Restoration Movement. Christians taught the gospel to lost people! Therefore, I ask, “What is an evangelistic church?”

A DISCIPLE MAKING CHURCH

The first Church of Christ was all about making disciples. Luke said, “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying…Then the Word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:1, 7). The “number of the disciples multiplied” because the “Word of God” kept spreading. Church growth is the result of teaching the gospel referred to as evangelism outreach. Why? It is because people are personally taught how to be a Christian (Acts 5:42). Is the church multiplying where you worship?

How do we make disciples? A disciple is a follower, pupil, learner of Jesus, and adherent to the gospel of Christ. Therefore, we encourage the lost to follow Jesus and teach them to be “obedient to the faith” (John 3:36). They are taught to obey the gospel, because it is the “power of God to save” (Rom. 1:16; 10:17). Paul changed the morality of Rome by teaching “the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1, 14–15). Today, do we understand the POWER of DUPLICATION? A discussion on the topic of disciple making according to Jesus’s command is at hand. I suggest the following:

  1. Call them to follow Jesus as a learner in their journey (Mark 1:16–17).
  2. Engage people in kingdom work such as helping the sick (Matt. 10:6–7).
  3. Intercede: pray for and with them in disciple growth.
  4. Invest: deepen your relationship with them.
  5. Inquire: ask questions and listen.
  6. Invite: ask for appropriate next step commitments.
  7. Instruct: discuss the commands of Jesus.
  8. Involve: connect them to others on their spiritual journey in small groups.
  9. Inspire: encourage the next steps of study, immersion, and more active ministry (Early and Dempsey, Disciple Making Is…How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence, 129).
  10. Implement: spiritual teaching in the assembly, Bible class, and one-on-one.

A TEACHING CHURCH

Disciple making includes teaching about Jesus. Disciples are not born into Christ. They are taught to follow Jesus and “observe” everything commanded by him. In the book of Acts alone there are more than ten occurrences of the disciples teaching others to be faithful followers of Jesus. Please note the following:

  1. Luke recorded “all that Jesus began to do and teach” (1:1).
  2. The “Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the People” (4:2).
  3. The disciples were asked “not to teach in the name of Jesus” (4:18).
  4. The “high priest asked, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us!’” (5:28).
  5. Disciples “daily in the temple, and in every house, did not cease teaching Jesus as the Christ” (5:42).
  6. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (6:4, 7).
  7. “Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ and he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’” (8:30–31).
  8. “Paul and Barnabas (evangelists) remained in Antioch, teaching the word of the Lord, with many others” (15:35; 28:31).

What do we learn to motivate evangelism from these passages? We learn significantly that evangelism with the early disciples was intentionally following the example of Jesus. Teaching the gospel disturbs and threatens the growth of the enemies of Christianity and the denominational world. Christ is taught in the assembly and in every house in an evangelistic church. The church grew because preachers were involved in personal teaching and “other” Christians followed their example.

The teaching of the gospel to lost people and to keep the saved begins with the elders or shepherds of the church. It is followed by the preachers, or in better terms, the evangelist. Paul told Timothy: “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). The word “evangelist” means a “proclaimer of the gospel, evangelist” (BDAG, 403). This is first exemplified by the preacher and elders. An evangelistic church motivates individuals to teach the gospel person to person and by group teaching, such as in Acts 16:11–15 when Paul and Timothy taught a group of women of which Lydia and her household were immersed into Christ as a result.

AN OUTREACH CHURCH

The evangelistic church is involved in community outreach. How was this accomplished? First, the church reached out to the community in daily evangelism. For example, “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Second, in benevolence “all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need” (Acts 2:44–45). Who is needy in your community? Evangelism outreach applies to those hungry, naked, homeless, sick, in prison, lonely, lost, discouraged, and millions of others (Matt. 25:31–46). An evangelistic church reaches its community with the good news of Jesus. The fact is the church will “Reach out or Fade out!”

The Bible school was created to be an evangelistic outreach for the local congregation (Heb. 5:12). The Restoration Movement reminds us that “the richest and most fruitful field for evangelism is in the Bible school. Indeed, if the Bible school is awake to its opportunity with an intelligent evangelistic program, it will make the early ages a period of careful preparation, so that when the proper age is reached, there will be little difficulty in winning every boy and girl to Christ” (Harrison and Sharp, 60). Ira North helped build a dynamic church in Madison, TN, in years past with this slogan: “As the Bible School goes, so goes the Church.”

CONCLUSION

An evangelistic church is active in at least three areas: first, making disciples; second, personal teaching of lost people and the saved how to mature in their faith; and third, reaching out with the saving gospel of Jesus to the community. How does your congregation measure up to the teaching of Jesus, the apostles, and the early church?

Friday, September 11, 2020

Why I Love Preaching


Why I Love Preaching

by Justin Imel

I’ve been out of the pulpit for the past five years, in no small part, due to Dystonia, a genetic neuromuscular disorder which primarily affects my lower limbs. Walking unassisted was impossible. I even needed a walker if I were going to walk a long distance. Climbing stairs was impossible, and pain had become my constant companion. While I’ll never be rid of Dystonia, I’ve spent the past five years getting to a place where I could get back in the pulpit. I swim at least a kilometer a day, ride a bike a few miles a day, take my dog on a mile walk late that evening, and I’ve been watching what I eat. I’ve lost 107 lbs so far. Yeah, it’s a lot, but all that work has improved my walking dramatically, and I’m able to go about normal day-to-day activities.

I’ve worked hard—and I have more hard work ahead of me—for one major goal: To get back in the pulpit and work with a good, solid congregation of God’s people. Why work so hard to get back to preaching?

Preaching is in my DNA

When I was in high school, my dad, who had spent years preaching part time, gave up a comfortable job with the Coca-Cola company to go into full time ministry. I’ll never forget Dad’s faith and determination to do right. Paul told Timothy: “Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness” (2 Tim 3:10). Because I observed Dad’s teaching, faith, love, steadfastness, and so many other positive qualities, I was drawn to ministry.

Examples say so much; they have the power to convert (cf. 1 Pet 3:1). Not only did the faithful pattern of Christian living on the part of both of my parents lead me to faith in Jesus (cf. 2 Tim 1:5), but my Dad’s love of God and his word led me to love God and his word.

Preaching changes lives

The Corinthian church stands as a prime example of the life-altering power of the gospel. After listing sins which will keep one from the kingdom of heaven, Paul tells them, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). Because the Corinthians had heard the proclamation of the gospel and had responded in faith, they were new creatures in Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:17). No longer were they homosexuals and adulterers and slanderers and swindlers. Instead, preaching changed the direction of their lives.

I’ve seen the gospel change countless lives. I’ve seen marriages brought back from the brink of disaster. I’ve seen the burden of guilt lifted from heavy souls. I’ve seen immorality abandoned for righteousness. What a joy it is to play even a small role in lives changed through proclaiming truth!

Preaching saves souls

“I am not ashamed of the gospel,” Paul says to the Romans, “because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). The only way one can hear that message of salvation and respond to it is to have “someone preaching to them” (Rom 10:14). I wish to spend my life proclaiming the cross of Jesus as the means of salvation so that I, in some small way, may help increase the population of heaven.

Preaching is serious business and nothing to be taken lightly, for heaven and hell hang in the balance. I know of no other way to spend my life on this earth, for I love preaching!

Thursday, September 10, 2020

On the Formative Power of Friendship


On the Formative Power of Friendship

Bill Bagents

Not all gifts come in boxes. Dr. Steve Williams forwarded a website with a STRONG suggestion to consider its contents for teaching purposes. We appreciate both the gift and the spirit behind it. We love reminders that flow from the intersection of biblical teaching, knowing people’s needs, and good sense. It was a link to an article describing the best advice that Bill Gates ever received from his friend Warren Buffett. Gates recalled how Buffett himself put it when the pair spoke to Columbia University students in 2017:

“You will move in the direction of the people that you associate with. So it’s important to associate with people that are better than yourself. The friends you have will form you as you go through life. Make some good friends, keep them for the rest of your life, but have them be people that you admire as well as like.” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/31/one-of-most-important-things-bill-gates-learned-from-warren-buffett.html 31 Aug 2020, updated 1 Sept 2020

Those wise words make us think of the Proverbs.

  • “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (12:26).
  • “Whoever walks with the wise, becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (13:20).
  • “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (17:17).
  • “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (18:24).
  • “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare” (22:24–25).
  • “Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend” (27:10).

We read the truth of Proverbs 22:24–25 again in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals.” We see that same truth as Jonadab worsened Amnon (2 Sam13:1–20) and as Solomon’s wives corrupted him (1 Kgs 11:1–4). For better or worse, we’re heavily influenced by our companions, and the closer they are to our hearts, the stronger their power to shape us.

It’s stunningly easy to focus on the negative power of relationships. How many parents and friends have said some version of, “He was such a good person until he fell in with the wrong crowd”? Being older, we now wonder, did he carelessly “fall in” with the wrong group? Or did he think himself an exception to their influence? Or did he on some level choose his preferred direction? Are those questions mutually exclusive, or might they be layered and interactive?

While negative examples are stunningly memorable, the majority of the Proverbs above invite us to consider the positive. Good people tend to make us better; good friends tend to pull us upward. Joshua was better with Caleb, David was better with Jonathan, and Paul was better with Barnabas. The Gates/Buffett example falls strongly on the encouraging side of the equation. It reminds us of the strategic intelligence of choosing our friends carefully. What if we consistently chose to ask ourselves:

  • Will forming this friendship move us toward God?
  • Will choosing this friend honor God?
  • Will continuing this friendship help both of us become who God wants us to be?

We’re wise to choose friendship with people who make us better; we’re even wiser to also value those who welcome any godly influence that we can offer. Influence is never one way. We love the principle of synergy. The formative power of friendship is too strong and important to be ignored.

Truth isn’t truer because the rich and famous bring it to our attention, but we’d never ignore a fine reminder just because it comes from a noteworthy source. We stand amazed at how many sweet, simple, and powerful truths from the Bible continue to shine today.

Friday, September 4, 2020

Making Disciples vs Having Baptisms


MAKING DISCIPLES VS. HAVING BAPTISMS

C. Philip Slate

Books about church members who drop out are numerous and scattered over many decades.1 The list is long from both Protestant and Roman Catholic writers and researchers. Our own Flavil Yeakley, Jr. has produced Why They Left (Gospel Advocate, 2014). What reasons are there for doing such studies, however, unless we are willing to do something about what we learn? Given the desire to reduce dropouts, however, what can be done?

It can be a challenge to stabilize and mature new converts, but it is an inherent of the disciple-making process. All New Testament books have for at least one of their purposes that of stabilizing, strengthening, or protecting those who decided to follow Jesus. Paul mentioned his vigorous effort to “present every man mature in Christ” (Col. 1:27). He contended that people need to be so equipped for ministry that they will no longer be “tossed about by every wind of doctrine” but be so nurtured that they will grow up in Christ (Eph. 4:11–16). Later in that epistle he instructed them about spiritual warfare (6:10–20). The writer of the “word of exhortation” (Heb. 13:22) to Jewish believers bemoaned the lack of maturity of his readers (5:11–14) and urged on them the need to “go on to maturity” (6:1ff). Underlying all such passages is the desire both to protect the vulnerable and build them up in positive godliness. Those objectives should continue for all who endeavor to be biblically shaped disciples. Initial conversion, turning to Christ in faithful obedience, is the beginning, not the terminus of discipleship.

One Teacher’s experience. For nearly six decades I have tried to mature new converts in one way or another in two countries and in ten congregations. One conclusion I have reached is that regular attendance alone at both our assemblies and regular Bible classes does not provide all that new converts need. They inform me they are reluctant to ask their most pressing questions in Bible classes, feeling they are the only ones who don’t know that already! Even when they are given to diligent personal study, they do not know what they need to know both to survive and grow. Besides that, several studies indicate that understanding how the church “works,” finding at least a meaningful ministry, and developing a sense of belonging are at least as crucial as knowing more Bible. See footnotes 5 and 9. As a rule, all of these spiritual development components need special, focused attention by more mature Christians if new converts are to remain steadfast in their faith and grow in holiness.

Catechism: Early in Christian history, the church developed “catechism.” That word, often associated with Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and other groups as preparation for “confirmation,” is from a Greek word (κατηχέω; kateecheoo) that appears eight times in seven verses in the New Testament (Lk. 1:4; Acts 18:24; 21:21, 24; Rom. 2:18; Gal. 6:6; and 1 Cor. 14:19). As the contexts indicate, the basic meaning is teaching, instructing, or passing on information. In time it came to be used for formal instruction prior to baptism so the product would not be “wet pagans.” In the late 2nd century the Catechetical School of Alexandria, headed by Pantaenus, and later by Clement and Origin, “addressed itself to the propagation of the Christian faith among the more cultured classes” than to the preparation of basic believers for baptism,2 but the idea of “instruction” was basic. Thus, “catechetical” instruction took various forms, but in all cases, it was recognized in earlier years that being a follower of Jesus involved growth in both understanding and behavior.

There is nothing about the passage of centuries that changes the basic tenants of making disciples, even though changing circumstances necessarily require adjustments in curriculum and methods of such instruction. Indeed, as McNeill has shown, many religions and most expressions of Christianity have recognized their responsibility to “care for the souls” of new converts.3 Malherbe has shown that pagan philosophers in the time of Paul were very deliberate in their efforts to stabilize and strengthen those who had recently undertaken to be philosophers, and that Jews did the same thing with proselytes.4 Both groups had learned that for positive and negative reasons it was imperative to solidify initial decisions about life. Malherbe demonstrates how Paul used some of the same culturally appropriate techniques to stabilize the Thessalonians. It is well known that when people embrace radically new ideas and behaviors, many factors can cause them to feel the tug to return to the old way. The church is remiss if it does not take the initiative to provide some form of deliberate spiritual formation and ministry development in the lives of new converts.

Several years ago, Dr. Gayle Crowe, now with World Christian Broadcasting Corporation, did a Doctor of Ministry thesis on the retention of new converts. He noted that many books existed on why church members drop out, but that few studies have focused on the salient features of keeping converts and helping them to grow. The presupposition of his study was confirmed, that “the convert’s ultimate faithfulness or unfaithfulness is as much a matter of the church’s attitude and actions toward him as his own determination to remain faithful.”5 So much was that the case he concluded the church must bear at least 50% of the responsibility if a new convert reverts or falls away within the first three to five years after baptism. He contended that in order to keep and develop new converts, “churches must first become aware that spiritual growth does not just happen; it requires the assistance of mentors who will guide the way up the spiritual path in a variety of creative ways” (p. 95). How can that be done today? The question-answer method of classical catechisms is now a largely inappropriate way of going about the task. Since that is the case, what are appropriate means of helping?

Among those who really take Scripture seriously, it is common to say, or at least to feel, that strong Bible teaching will provide what the convert needs. Well, yes and no. What parts of Scripture do you have in mind? There is a lot of information in those sixty-six books! Where do you begin with a new convert? Read through 1 Thessalonians and notice how Paul dealt with those new coverts from paganism. He did more than give them Bible lessons. Leaders are to “watch over the souls” of believers (Heb. 13:17). How, then, is it to be done today in the Euro-American area?

Helps and Helpers. I have a list of no less than eighteen books and lesson sets, as well as one filmstrip, designed to instruct and guide new converts.6 Indeed, I produced a little study guide for use in the North American situation,7 seeking to fill in some of the gaps I see in older works. Converts to Christ nowadays bring with them baggage that was not common in the 1940s–1970s. Additionally, there is currently a lot of helpful material on making disciples.8 The big problem seems to be, however, that most churches I know have no realistic commitment to use such helps in working meaningfully with new converts. Where that is the case, the church must accept a significant slice of the blame for the spiritual demise of those “who were once enlightened.”

On the other hand, I have known several people who are most grateful for the focused attention given to them soon after their baptism into Christ. In some cases, it was a specialized class, while in others it was more a matter of individual guidance and mentoring. In addition to understanding the Christian system, if it may be put that way, other factors are known to be important for the growth and development of babes in Christ.9 A church that wants to be obedient to Jesus Christ will have some deliberate and routine means of helping new converts to Christ to survive and thrive.


1 Kirk Hadaway, What Can We Do about Church Dropouts (Abingdon, 1990); Thom Rainer, Essential Church (Broadman & Holman, 2008); David Kinnaman, Unchristian (Baker Books, 2007) are samples.

2 “Catechetical School of Alexandria” in The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by Frank L. Cross (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), p. 248.

3 John T. McNeill, History of The Care of Souls (New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1951) is a standard work on the subject.

4 Abraham J. Malherbe, Paul and the Thessalonians (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987), 36–46.

5 Gayle M. Crowe, “Incorporating New Members into the Local Church: A Study of Methods, Practices, and Attitudes,” DMin thesis. Harding Graduate School of Religion. Memphis, TN. 1986. Page 2.

6 I’ll send an electronic list to those who request it: cpsmissions@gmail.com

7 C. Philip Slate, Risen! The First Forty Days of Your Christian Life (Cincinnati: DeWard Publishers, 2016). I recommend that this elementary introduction be followed by broader and deeper studies.

8 Making disciples has nothing to do with the Crossroads and Boston church abuses. It has all to do with being obedient to what Jesus said to do (Matt. 28:19–20). We don’t abandon preaching or the eldership just because a few people have abused those positions or works.

9 Don Loftis did a Guided Research project at Harding School of Theology that involved interviewing converts that remained and those that left. He found that “understanding the way the church functions” and “feeling a part of the church” were perceived as stronger factors for remaining faithful than Bible knowledge and other factors. Ordinary Bible classes alone, important as they are, might not supply either of those items. Correspondingly, those who fell away cited the lack of understanding how the church functions and the feeling of not belonging as greater factors than lack of Bible knowledge.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Responsibility Comes with Riches



Responsibility Comes with Riches

Ted Burleson


James deals with the relation of the rich to the poor in several passages in his letter (cf. Jas. 1:9–11; 2:1–13; 4:13–16; 5:1–6). Culture teaches that if one is rich, he is worthy of great honor. James explains that the economically poor brother is the one who should rejoice in his position. The poor do not boast in their accomplishments or the lack of accomplishments. Instead, the poor should boast in what God has done for them through Christ (Jas. 1:9). God has chosen the poor (Jas. 2:5) to be rich in faith and to inherit His kingdom. Faith, not money, is the measure of real wealth.

In contrast, the rich will have their statuses reversed. God will humble the rich and change their positions with the poor. Earthly wealth is temporal. Christians do not need to seek material wealth and fame because of God’s promises that they will receive. Spiritual riches are the only riches in which Christians can boast. Money makes promises that only God can ultimately fulfill.

Scripture portrays the poor as being righteous and generally depicts the rich as evil. Wealthy people can be virtuous, but the temptation is more significant for the rich to trust in someone or something other than God. To be “poor” usually means anyone who has less than we do. For example, American Christians are generally rich compared to the rest of the earth’s inhabitants.

To illustrate the relationship between rich and poor and to demonstrate that the world’s standards of judging success had crept into the church, James describes a hypothetical situation in which a rich man and a poor man enter the same assembly (Jas. 2:1–7). Some favor the rich person and shame the poor. We must never judge people by outward appearance. God knows their hearts. To judge people using the world’s standards is to follow the wisdom of the world.

James’ counter-cultural argument is that instead of using the world’s standards to judge individuals, believers must use God’s rule and consider the heart. If disciples of Jesus are true believers, then they will refrain from judging by appearance and from insulting the poor. James reminds his readers that people are slandering the good name of Jesus because of their actions. To favor the rich is to join the ranks of those that despised and rejected Jesus. Despising the poor is just as sinful as favoring the rich (Jas. 2:7).

Favoring the rich over the poor violates the royal law to “love your neighbor as yourself.” It is more than unethical. It is sinful to exhibit partiality. A Christian cannot love God and judge people by worldly standards. Our churches are full of examples that James would attack if he were writing today. When lawyers, doctors, and executives move into an area, many modern believers compete for their presence at local congregations. Contrast this with the failure to invite poor people to be a part of a congregation. Congregations of successful, self-sufficient people exist in many locations. But Christians are never really self-sufficient. Christians are God-sufficient.

Another weakness in the self-sufficiency of Christians who follow the standards of the world in church relationships is the failure to be dependent upon God for the future (Jas. 4:13–16). A desire for material things leads them to plan their futures in terms of money, profit, and prestige instead of basing their future in spiritual realms.

James wanted everyone, the rich and those who wanted to be rich, to know that riches are unsure and can become a trap. James wanted the rich to weep and wail (Jas. 5:1), because their wealth in which they trusted had rotted. Rotten riches cannot deliver the promised rewards. Instead of stored riches, they receive judgment they have brought upon themselves.

The counter-cultural language of James regarding the rich and the poor should strike modern Christians especially hard. We are rich. It is not sinful to be rich, but we must remember that with riches comes a responsibility to the poor.