|
EVERY GOOD THING GIVEN AND
EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE: pasa dosis
agathe kai pan dorema teleion anothen estin, (3SPAI): (Good
- James 1:5; 3:15,17; Genesis 41:16,38,39; Ex 4:11,12; 31:3, 4, 5, 6;
36:1,2; Nu 11:17,25; 1Chr 22:12; 29:19; 2Chr 1:11,12; Pr 2:6; Is
28:26; Da 2:21,22,27, 28, 29, 30; Mt 7:11; 11:25,26; 13:11,12; Lk
11:13; Jn 3:27; Acts 5:31; 11:18; Ro 6:23; 11:30; 12:6, 7, 8; 1Co 4:7;
12:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; Ep 2:3, 4, 5,8; 4:8, 9, 10, 11;
Philippians 1:29; Titus 3:3, 4, 5; 1John 4:10; 5:11,12)
Literally this reads "every gift good and every give perfect from
above is continually coming down".
In James 1:5 the author
characterizes God as a giving God and here reiterates that attribute
as he refutes the claim that God (a good gift giving God) could tempt
men to sin. (James 1:13-15)
Vincent adds that James'
declaration in this passage writing that...
The statement that these gifts
are from God is in pursuance of the idea that God does not tempt men
to evil. The gifts of God are contrasted with the evil
springing from man’s lust.
Every (3956)
(pas) means all without exception. Every good thing from the
all good God (see His attribute
Good)
Good gift - This
identifies the giving as useful, profitable and beneficial in effect.
Good (18)
(agathos)
means intrinsically good,
inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also
profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent (marked by or
disposed to doing good).
Good and doing good is the idea.
Agathos describes that which is beneficial in addition to being good.
Agathos is that which is good in its character, beneficial in its
effects and/or useful in its action.
Agathos
is used in the New Testament primarily of spiritual and moral
excellence. Paul uses agathos to describe the gospel as the “glad
tidings of good things” (Ro 10:15-note).
The writer of Hebrews uses it in the same way, of “the good
things to come” of which “Christ appeared as a high priest” (He
9:11-note)
and of which the law was “only a shadow” (He 10:1-note).
The precise
meaning of agathos can be difficult to appreciate and
distinguish from kalos (2570)
an adjective that is also translated good. An attempt is made in the
following discussion to bring out the difference, but in some verses
where both are used, this distinction can be difficult to appreciate.
Given (1394)
(dosis from didomi = to give) is a word which means
giving and stresses the act of giving, either a human or a divine
gift. Dosis is very common in financial transactions. Dosis
adds the suffix of action to the verb root, means the act of giving,
while dorema adds the suffix -ma, denoting the result of giving
and hence the thing given or the gift itself.
Here is the only other NT uses
of dosis...
And you yourselves also know,
Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I
departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of
giving and receiving but you alone (see note
Philippians 4:15)
There are four uses of dosis
in the Lxx (Ge 47:22; Pr 21:14; 25:14)
Perfect (5046)
(teleios
from telos = an end, a
purpose, an aim, a goal) means complete, mature, fully developed,
full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to
completeness, in good working order. Teleios signifies
consummate soundness, and includes the idea of being whole.
Vincent notes that James
uses perfect to enlarge...
upon good, bringing out more
distinctly the moral quality of the gift.
Teleios
has at least three shades of meaning:
(1) Teleios speaks
of totality, as opposed to partial or limited and when used of things
means in full measure, undivided, complete or entire (as in
Romans 12:2 [note]
referring to "the will of God" which is "good and acceptable and
perfect"). (2) Teleios also speaks of that which is fully
development as opposed to that which is immature. (3) Teleios
can refer to that which is in a state of full preparation or
readiness.
MacDonald applies this truth writing that
God's...
gifts are as perfect as
Himself. Therefore it is unthinkable that He would ever entice man to
sin. Temptation comes from man’s own evil nature. Let us test our
faith on the subject of unholy
temptations. Do we encourage evil thoughts to linger in our minds, or
do we expel them quickly? When we sin, do we say that we couldn’t help
it? Do we blame God when we are tempted to sin?
(MacDonald,
W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or
Logos)
Every perfect gift -
Perfect identifies the gift as lacking nothing for completeness and
thus lacking nothing to meet the needs of the recipients.
Hiebert explains that...
Although all good gifts that men
enjoy come from God, the context suggests that James is thinking
specifically of His gifts "with special reference to their action on
the soul of man; for he is exhibiting the truth which stands opposed
to the error that God is the author of sin."
Gift
(1434)
(dorema
from
dorea
= free gift with emphasis on
gratuitous nature + -ma = the result of giving [dosis]) is the
thing given or that which is granted. Dorema is used in only one other
NT passage (Ro 5:16-note).
Vincent notes that
Dorema enlarges
slightly upon the other
word in emphasizing tile gift as free, large, full; an idea which is
further developed in verse 18, of his own will.
James Philip said
that...
The best defence against the
temptation to stray from God is the possession by experience of His
rich gifts that meet all desires.
Is (estin)
in the
present tense
emphasizes that it is continually from above which is reiterated by
the use of "coming down" also in the
present tense.
From above (509)
(anothen) means from a higher place or a from a source that is
above.
Coming down (2597)
(katabaino from
katá = down + baíno = go) means to come or go down or to
descend from a higher to a lower place.
Katabaino describes God descending to afford aid to the
oppressed in Acts...
I have certainly seen the
oppression of My people in Egypt, and have heard their groans, and I
have come down to deliver them; come now, and I will
send you to Egypt.' (Acts 7:34 from Ex. 3:8)
The
present tense
indicates that
these good things are continually coming down. God is the ultimate
Giver. We as saved sinners are the benefactors of amazing grace, for
He gives and gives and gives, independent of any merit on our part.
This is a humbling truth, that should generate within us a deep sense
of gratitude as recipients who are not worthy of such good and perfect
gifts. O, the deep, deep love of God! Let His unconditional, boundless
love, motivate us as His children to quickly, willingly obey His
Spirit's voice.
COMING DOWN FROM THE FATHER
OF LIGHTS: katabainon (PAPNSN)
apo tou patros ton photon: (Father - Genesis 1:2, 3, 4,
5,14,15; Deuteronomy 4:19; Psalms 19:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; 84:11; Is
45:7; 60:19; John 1:9; John 8:12; 2Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:18;
1John 1:5; Revelation 21:23; 22:5 )
Father of lights (patros
ton
photon)
- Probably refers to God as the Creator of all light, both heavenly
and spiritual.
Hiebert writes that...
Lights in the original has
the definite article, "the lights," and the primary reference
is to the well-known celestial lights, the heavenly luminaries that
are the sources of light for our earth. As "the Father" of
these lights, God is their source of being, and they reflect the glory
of their Creator (Ps 19:1; 136:7). As their Creator and Sustainer, He
is not to be identified with them. These luminous celestial bodies
must not be worshiped as God, but they testify to the Creator's
luminous nature. Their glory and dignity declare the nature and
essence of God, that "God is light" (1 John 1:5). He is also the
Father of all our spiritual illumination (2Co 4:6).
The Psalmist writes...
To Him who made the great lights,
for His lovingkindness is everlasting: (Ps 136:7)
Vincent feels that
lights in this phrase refers to...
the heavenly bodies. Compare Ps.
135:7 (Sept.) and Jer 4:23 (Sept.). God is called “the Father of the
lights,” as being their creator and maintainer. Compare Job 38:28 = "Has
the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?";
Ps. 8:3; Amos 5:8.
Temptations come to lead us into
darkness, which is a stark contrast with the essence of the Father,
Who is perfect Light. As His children who seek to genuine
Steven Cole feels that in
this section James is still speaking in the context of trials
and states that...
To avoid deception in trials,
affirm God’s goodness (Jas 1:17). When Satan originally tempted
and deceived Eve, he did it by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He
said (Ge 3:1), “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree
of the garden’?” Of course, God had not said that, and Eve corrected
Satan. But he persisted with his lie (Ge 3:4, 5), “You shall not die!
For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be
opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The
implication was, “God is holding back something good from you.
Therefore, God Himself is not good.” She fell for this line of
deception, and you know the terrible consequences.
So James affirms here (Jas 1:17),
for people going through trials, “Every good thing given and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James probably
repeats himself as a matter of literary style, combining Hebrew
parallelism with a Greek poetic form, the hexameter. There is no
significant difference between the “good thing given” and the “perfect
gift.” Perfect is one of James’ favorite words. It has the nuance of
mature. He used it twice in Jas 1:4, “And let endurance have its
perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing.” So Jas 1:17 ties back to verses Jas 1:2, 3, 4, with the idea
that trials are one of God’s perfect gifts, because when we persevere
in them, He uses them to produce spiritual maturity in us.
James’ point is that these good and
perfect gifts, along with all of the many good things that God gives
us to enjoy—the taste of good food, the love of our families, the
beauty of His creation, and every wonderful experience in life—all of
these good things come to us from a God whose very nature is good. As
the Psalmist proclaims (Ps. 119:67, 68), “Before I was afflicted I
went astray, but now I keep Your word. You are good and do good; teach
me Your statutes.”
James states that all of the good
things we experience come “down from the Father of lights, with whom
there is no variation or shifting shadow.” This is the only time that
God is called, “the Father of lights.” It refers to the fact
that He created light and the heavenly bodies that give off light.
Light stands for that which is good, in contrast to Satan’s evil
domain of darkness (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12, 13).
“Father” points not only to
God’s creative power, but also to His tender care for His creatures.
When James says that with the Father of lights, “there is no variation
or shifting shadow,” he is drawing a comparison with the sun. Like the
sun, God does not vary in His essential nature, which is light. He
always steadily is light. He is always good. But, on earth we do not
always experience the steady light of the sun. It varies on cloudy
days, at night, and with the changing seasons. James means that when
we experience what seem to be cloudy days or dark nights or wintry
seasons, do not make the mistake of thinking that God has changed in
His essential goodness towards us. His nature and His purpose towards
His children are steady and unchanging. Therefore, we can trust Him at
all times and in every difficult circumstance.
This has two practical
applications:
(1) Understanding Gods attributes
as revealed in His Word is essential for your spiritual well being.
You must know God, not as you may
conceive Him to be or wish Him to be, but as He has revealed Himself
in the Bible. I’ve heard professing Christians say, “My God is not a
God of judgment; He’s a God of love.” That’s nice, but your God is not
the God of the Bible! He is a figment of your own imagination! The God
of the Bible is both a God of judgment and of love. Or, there are
Christians who dodge a difficult chapter like Romans 9, where Paul
says of God (Ro 9:18), “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and
He hardens whom He desires.” They don’t want to conceive of God as
having the sovereign right to save whom He chooses and to harden
others in their sin. But to dodge what the Bible says about God is to
make God in your own image, which is idolatry.
Two things will help you understand
God’s attributes. First, read the Bible over and over, asking as you
read, “What does this teach me about You, God?” Second, read some good
books on the attributes of God. J. I. Packer’s classic, Knowing God
[IVP] is a good place to start. A. W. Pink’s The Attributes of God
[Baker] is brief, but good. A. W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy
[Harper & Row] is a bit mystical, but worth reading. Stephen
Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God [Baker] is wordy, but a
gold mine. He spends 146 pages on the goodness of God (2:209-355). Any
good systematic theology (Charles Hodge, Louis Berkhof, Wayne Grudem,
Robert Reymond,
etc.) will have a section on God’s attributes. There are also some
excellent easy-to-read books on various attributes of God, such as R.
C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God [Tyndale], A. W. Pink’s The
Sovereignty of God [Banner of Truth], or John MacArthur’s The Love of
God [Word]. Understanding God’s attributes will give you a firm
footing
when you encounter trials.
(2) Interpreting your circumstances
in light of God's attributes is essential for your spiritual well
being.
You must know God, but then when
trials hit, you have to process what you know in light of your
difficult situation. By faith, you have to rehearse for yourself what
you know to be true, maybe a hundred times a day.
The psalms are full of this type of
thing. The psalmist is in a huge crisis. He rehearses for himself what
he knows about God’s character and His covenant promises. By the end
of the psalm his circumstances haven’t changed, but his attitude and
emotions have
changed dramatically, because he has interpreted his circumstances in
light of who God is. For example, in Psalms 42 and Ps 43, there is a
refrain, where the psalmist talks to himself. Three times he asks (Ps
43:5; see also, Ps 42:5, 11), “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And
why are you disturbed within me?” He answers himself (Ps 43:5), “Hope
in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and
my God.” When you’re in the emotional throes of a major trial, you
have to do this by faith in God’s Word, not by your feelings. Your
feelings will be all over the chart, but your faith must rest on the
facts about God as declared in His Word of truth: He is good! (James 1:16-18
Avoiding Deception in Trials)
WITH WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR SHIFTING SHADOW: par' o ouk eni (3SPAI) parallage e tropes
aposkiasma: (Nu 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; Ps 122:6; Is 46:10; Mal
3:6; Ro 11:29; Heb 1:11,12; 13:8)
No (3756)
(ou) indicates absolute negation! He changeth not. He is the
unchanging One (Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8). In a world that is spiritually
speaking "upside down" and morally "topsy turvy" it is good to have a
God Who is neither, instead being the epitome of immutability, an
immutability which is in fact infinite. Glory!
Lord Sabaoth,
His Name,
From age to age the same
(praise
Him)
Variation (3883)
(parallage from para = beside, near + allasso =
to change) (English = “parallax,” the difference between the
directions of a body as seen from two different points) refers
to a transmission from one condition to another. Parallage
denotes a change or variation from an established course or pattern.
Vincent writes that
parallage...
is not used, as some suppose, in a
technical, astronomical sense, which James’ readers would not have
understood, but in the simple sense of change in the degree or
intensity of light, such as is manifested by the heavenly bodies.
Shifting (5157)
(trope from the verb trepo = to turn) describes
literally a turning as of the planets in their orbits, but here used
figuratively to depict the immutability or unchangeableness of our
God.
Shadow (644)
(aposkiasma from apó = from + skiázo = to shade)
is a shadow that is cast. It is literally the shade cast by an
object blocking rays of light from the sun or other source.
Unlike the heavenly bodies, which
undergo continual changes, variableness is absolutely not part of the
character of God.
Hiebert ties this in with the previous section of James writing
that...
There is never any dimming of the
light of God's holiness that would make it possible for Him to become
the tempter of men.
Kistemaker remarks
As the earth, sun, moon, and stars
move in their ordained courses, we observe the interplay of light and
darkness, day and night, the longest and the shortest day of the year,
the waning and the waxing of the moon, eclipses, and the movement of
the planets. Nature is subject to variation and change. Not so with
God! (Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary Exposition of the
Epistle of James and the Epistles of John)
Vincent writes that...
This is popularly understood to
mean that there is in God not the faintest hint or shade of change,
like the phrase, a shadow of suspicion. But the Greek has no such
idiom, and that is not James’ meaning. Rev., rightly, renders, shadow
tact is cast by turning; referring still to the heavenly orbs, which
cast shadows in their revolution, as when the moon turns her dark side
to us, or the sun is eclipsed by the body of the moon.
TDNT feels that
aposkiasma refers...
to the darkness caused on
earth by the movement of heavenly bodies.
Is your personal world "shaky" or
"shaking"? Then take a moment dearly beloved of the Almighty One and
sing loud Hosanna's (Hebrew = Save us now, We pray, -- Ps 118:25, Mt
21:9) to His Name, Who from age to age is the same...
|
