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James
1:5 But
if
any of you
lacks
wisdom, let him
ask of
God, who
gives to
all
generously and
without
reproach, and
it will be
given to him.
(NASB:
Lockman) |
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Greek:
Ei
de
tis
humon
leipetai
sophias,
aiteito
para
tou
didontos
theou
pasin
haplos
kai
me
oneidizontos,
kai
dothesetai
auto.
Amplified: If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let
him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and
ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be
given him.
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
NLT: If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you
to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your
asking. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: And if, in the process, any of you does not
know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God - who
gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty
- and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given
him. (Phillips:
Touchstone)
WBC: But if there is one among you who does lack wisdom, let
such a person ask from God who gives to all without hesitation or
recrimination, and he will give it.”
Wuest: And if, as is the case, anyone of you is deficient in
wisdom, let him keep on presenting his request in the presence of the
giving God who gives to all with simplicity and without reserve, and
who does not reproach, and it shall be given him. (Erdmans)
Young's Literal: and if any of you do lack wisdom,
let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not
reproaching, and it shall be given to him;
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BUT IF ANY OF YOU LACKS
WISDOM, LET HIM ASK OF GOD: Ei de tis humon leipetai (3SPPI) sophias,
aiteito (3SPAM) para tou didontos (PAPMSG) theou pasin aplos kai me
oneidizontos, (PAPMSG) kai dothesetai (3SFPI) auto: (Ex
31:3,6; 36:1, 2, 3, 4; 1Ki 3:7, 8, 9,11,12; Job 28:12-28; Pr 3:5, 6,
7; 9:4, 56; Je 1:6,7; 2Co 2:16) (Let him ask - Jas 1:17; 3:17; 5:16;
1Chr 22:12; 2Chr 1:10; Pr 2:3, 4, 5, 6; Is 55:6,7; Je 29:12; Je 29:13;
Da 2:18, 19, 20, 21, 22; Mt 7:7, 8, 9, 10, 11; Lk 11:9, 10, 11, 12, 13; Jn 4:10;
14:13; 15:7; Jn 16:23,24; 1Jn 3:22; 5:14,15 ) Note:
Hold mouse pointer over underlined links for pop up of Scripture
(which stays open and can be copied).
If (ei) does not
imply doubt but to the contrary presupposes "a standing fact"
(Hiebert). If any of
you lacks wisdom - The wisdom in context is specifically regarding
what God is accomplishing through the trial(s). James is making the
point that we don't have to be perplexed by the trial and try to face
it with our own natural, fallible wisdom. Instead, James says that if
we find ourselves in a trial and lack spiritual insight, our "reflex"
should be to go to our Father and ask Him for His wisdom, which is the
practical application of His Word to everyday situations.
Manton agrees that the
wisdom referred to by James...
is to be restricted to the
text and not taken in a general way. This wisdom is for bearing
afflictions.
Lacks
(3007)(leipo)
(repeated from Jas 1:4-note)
means falling short, being destitute or being in need. It pictures
one not possessing something which is necessary. James does not
want his readers to be deficient in anything that reflects Christian
maturity.
Wisdom (4678)
(sophia)
is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of
action, based on knowledge and understanding.
Thayer
makes an excellent point that wisdom is...
used of the knowledge of very
diverse matters, so that the shade of meaning in which the word is
taken must be discovered from the context in every particular case.
Spiritual
wisdom is godly wisdom (contrasting with worldly wisdom - study
and make a list of the contrasts in Jas 3:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and
1Cor 1,2) which involves living life in the light of the revelation of
God’s Will in His Word and applying this knowledge to specific
situations. Biblical wisdom is definable as skill for living. God's
plan to redeem us destroyed the wisdom of the worldly wise men (1Co
1:19). In fact, human wisdom never could comprehend God's plan for
salvation (1Co 1:21). Paul was not bound by the limits of human wisdom
because the Holy Spirit conveyed spiritual wisdom through him (1Cor
2:13). Human wisdom is totally inadequate to accept God's salvation
(1Co 3:18,19).
Spiritual wisdom
is given only by the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, Solomon
exemplified this wisdom (Mt 12:42). When Jesus came, His wisdom also
outshone the wisdom of the wisest among men (Mt 13:54). This wisdom
was seen in the Lord Jesus, even when He was a small Boy (Lk 2:40,52).
When leaders became necessary in the Jerusalem church, the apostles
set about to select men who possessed this spiritual wisdom (Acts
6:3).
Solomon's great prayer at the inception of
his reign was for spiritual wisdom...
Give
me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in
before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine? And
God said to Solomon, "Because you had this in mind, and did not ask
for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor
have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself
wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I
have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to
you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of
the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come
after you." (2Chr 1:10, 11, 12)
In Proverbs Solomon wrote that...
the
LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
(Pr 2:6)
Daniel was in a "bind" (cp Da 2:13, 16, 17,
18, 19) and sought God's wisdom which was granted, and which
prompted Daniel to declare...
Let
the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and
power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the
epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom
to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding. It is He
who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the
darkness, and the light dwells with Him. (Da 2:20, 21, 22)
Wisdom is
the insight into the true nature of things. Knowledge is the mental
possession of powers of perceiving objects, wisdom is the power
of right reasoning concerning them and forming right decisions
accordingly.
Wisdom is
the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of
action, based on knowledge and understanding.
Wisdom is
the art of being successful, of forming the correct plan to gain the
desired results. Its seat is the heart, the centre of moral and
intellectual decision
Sophia emphasizes understanding of ultimate things—such as life
and death, God and man, righteousness and sin, heaven and hell,
eternity and time.
Sophia is mental excellence in its highest and fullest sense
(Vincent, M. R. Word studies in the New Testament. Vol. 3, Page
1-129).
Sophia is
used frequently in the New Testament to describe the ability to
discern and conform to God’s will.
Wuest
comments that wisdom or sophia
“was a great word with the Greeks.
With them the word included the ideas of cleverness and skill in
handicraft and art, skill in matter of common life, sound judgment,
intelligence, practical wisdom, learning, speculative wisdom, natural
philosophy and mathematics” (Liddell and Scott). Trench says that
sophia is recognized in the NT and in Christian writers as expressing
the highest and noblest in wisdom. He says; “We may affirm with
confidence that sophia is never in Scripture ascribed to other than
God or good men, except in an ironical sense.… For, indeed, if sophia
includes the striving after the best ends as well as the using of the
best means, is mental excellence in its highest and fullest sense,…
there can be no wisdom disjointed from goodness.” Thayer says that
when sophia is used of God, it refers to supreme intelligence such as
belongs to God....Expositors says; “Sophia is the collective
moral intelligence, ‘insight into the true nature of things’
(Lightfoot) and in the Pauline Epistles it is this intelligence in
especial as knowledge of the divine plan of salvation long hidden and
now revealed." (Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Studies in
the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge:
All true spiritual wisdom is found only in Christ
Nelson's New
Illustrated Bible Dictionary adds that
The biblical concept of wisdom,
therefore, is quite different from the classical view of wisdom,
which sought through philosophy and human rational thought to
determine the mysteries of existence and the universe. The first
principle of biblical wisdom is that people should humble
themselves before God in reverence and worship, obedient to His
commands. This idea is found especially in the Wisdom
Literature: the books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. In the Old
Testament, the best example of a “wise man” is King Solomon (1Ki
10:4,6, 7, 8). And yet the same book that heaps such lavish, warm, and
glowing praise upon Solomon for his reputed wisdom (1Ki 4:29, 30, 31,
32, 33, 34) also points out how Solomon’s heart turned away from the
Lord (1Ki 11:1-13). (Youngblood,
R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
So clearly
"spiritual wisdom" is no guarantee that one will walk worthy, but
needs to be affect our heart decisions in order to be practical. How
are you doing in this area? Or, are you like "wise" King Solomon,
filled with "spiritual wisdom" and yet choosing to walk in a
manner counter to God's clearly revealed will? Bible study won't do
you much good unless it transforms your thinking and your walk. True
spiritual wisdom must affect your daily life. Wisdom and practical
intelligence must go together.
A B Simpson writes
that...
Wisdom is that quality which enables us
to suit the right means to the end in view. It is wholly practical and
concerned not with theories and ideas, but with actual conditions and
the way to meet them. It teaches us how to live, and enables us to
meet every emergency rightly and successfully. It does not mean that
we are infallible. It is not the wisdom of our common sense and
level-headedness. It presupposes our ignorance and fallibility, and
takes God's wisdom instead of our own. Even when we cannot understand
His leading, faith still can trust Him that it will be right in the
end. Even when we err, God's wisdom can still overrule our mistake and
bring blessing out of it in the end.
Mr. Spurgeon used to tell about a weather-vane which had the text
inscribed above it "God is love." When he asked the old miller why he
put the verse on top of it, he said that it might speak to the people
at all points of the compass and say to them, "God is love, whichever
way the wind blows." So faith in God's wisdom counts upon His goodness
and faithfulness in the face of all conditions and in spite of all
hindrances.
John Vassar used to say that he doubted whether our so-called mistakes
were mistakes always. Knocking at a door one day in quest of a woman
with whom he wished to speak about her soul, a different person met
him, and told him that he had made a mistake, and that she did not
live there. The good man answered, "I guess it is not a mistake after
all, but the Lord wants me to talk to you instead." And so tactfully
breaking through the barrier of her strangeness, he reached her heart,
and ended by leading her to the Savior.
The writer recalls an incident in the early
history of this work through which he was strangely led to lease as
his residence for a year the dwelling in which all the Alliance work
began in this city. He had been offered the house by a friend who
owned it, and after much prayer had decided that it was the Master's
will that he should take it. But on almost the last day of the season
he was informed that the house had just been sold to a neighbor, who
was determined to live in it himself. All efforts to induce this man
to consent to my occupying the house were vain, and the only thing
left was to accept the house that the man was leaving instead, as the
season was late, and moving day came within twenty-four hours. Against
every inclination the writer became convinced that it was the Lord's
will for him to consent to this arrangement, and after a great
struggle he called to sign the lease for the unwelcome house, which
was most unattractive in every way. To his surprise, however, the
gentleman came out to greet him, and immediately explained that he had
changed his mind, and decided to stay where he was, and that he would
be glad to lease the other house that he had just purchased, as we
desired. The strange reason of it all was that that very day he had
attended a funeral of an old friend in the country, and that he and
his wife had come home with the feeling that if they moved something
might happen to them. It was a mere superstition, but God had allowed
it to come in order to change his mind and accomplish the purpose to
which He had been leading all the time.
There is nothing in the whole circle of our common-place life that we
may not bring to God in faith, and thus find a hundred Ebenezers every
day all along the path of life.
(Reference)
Let him ask of God - That's
the condition and generous giving is the promise which parallels a
similar truth in first John...
This is the confidence (boldness)
which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His
will (Do not forget this important divine caveat! Otherwise you will
misinterpret passages like Jn 15:7), He hears us. And if we know that
He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests
which we have asked from Him (cp Ps 37:4,5). (1Jn 5:4,5)
When life knocks you to your knees,
you're in a good position to pray.
Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye
languish—
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel;
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish:
Earth has no sorrow that heav'n cannot heal. —Moore
C H Spurgeon writes...
Wisdom for the Asking - IF any of
you lack wisdom. There is no “if” in the matter, for I am sure I lack
it. What do I know? How can I guide my own way? How can I direct
others? Lord, I am a mass of folly, and wisdom I have none. Thou
sayest, “Let him ask of God.” Lord, I now ask. Here at thy footstool,
I ask to be furnished with heavenly wisdom for this day’s perplexities
and for this day’s simplicities; for I know I may do very stupid
things even in plain matters, unless thou dost keep me out of
mischief. I thank thee that all I have to do is to ask. What grace is
this on thy part, that I have only to pray in faith, and thou wilt
give me wisdom! Thou dost here promise me a liberal education, and
that, too, without an angry tutor or a scolding usher. This, too, thou
wilt bestow without a fee—bestow it on a fool who lacks wisdom. O
Lord, I thank thee for that positive and expressive word, “It shall be
given him.” I believe it. Thou wilt this day make thy babe to know the
hidden wisdom which the carnally prudent never learn. Thou wilt guide
me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory. (Spurgeon, C.
Faith's Checkbook)
When with expectancy we pray
According to God’s will,
We’ll see Him working in our lives
His purpose to fulfill. —Sper
True wisdom consists principally of
two parts: the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves! —John
Calvin
WHO GIVES TO ALL GENEROUSLY AND WITHOUT
REPROACH, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM: para tou didontos (PAPMSG)
theou pasin haplos kai me oneidizontos, (PAPMSG) kai dothesetai (3SFPI)
auto: (Mt 11:20; Mk 16:14; Lk 15:20, 21, 22)
Who gives to all -
Vincent notes that "The Greek puts it so that giving is emphasized
as an attribute of God. Lit., “Ask of the giving God,” or of “God the
giver.”
Generously (574)
(haplos) means liberally ("with singleness of heart”) here to
describe God as the gracious and “liberal” Giver.
Vincent has this note on
haplos writing that it is used...
Only here in New Testament.
Literally the word means simply, and this accords with the following
negative clause, upbraiding not. It is pure, simple giving of good,
without admixture of evil or bitterness. Compare Ro 12:8, where a
kindred noun is used: “He that giveth let him do it with simplicity.”
Compare, also, Pr 10:22. Men often complicate and mar their giving
with reproach, or by an assumption of superiority.
Elwell writes that
as an encouragement to ask, James
reminds us that God gives “simply,” “with a single, unwavering intent”
(probably the meaning of the Greek word here) and without holding our
past failures against us (v. 5).
James describes God's gifts
(which would include wisdom)...
Every good thing bestowed and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. (Jas 1:17)
Regarding God's wisdom (in
contrast to earthly wisdom - Jas 3:15, 16) James says...
But the wisdom from above is
first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good
fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (Jas 3:17, 18)
Without reproach
(3679)(oneidizo
from óneidos = disgrace, abuse, or object of disgrace or shame)
means to assail with abusive words, upbraid, slander, revile, falsely
accuse or to speak disparagingly of a person in manner not justified,
to find fault in a way that demeans the other, to mock, to heap
insults upon as a way of shaming. The idea is to to find fault in a
way that demeans the one being reproached. It means to upbraid,
which in turn means to criticize severely, find fault with, reproach
severely or scold vehemently. In short oneidizo refers to
especially strong verbal abuse, something God will not do when we ask
Him for wisdom.
It will be given to him - So instead of giving us disparaging
words, God gives us divine wisdom. This is a promise from the
"non-lying" God.
><>><>><>
F. B. Meyer explained it this way:
“A bar of iron worth $2.50, when wrought into horseshoes is worth $5.
If made into needles it is worth $175. If into penknife blades it is
worth $1,625. If made into springs for watches it is worth $125,000.
What a ‘trial by fire’ that bar must undergo to be worth this! But the
more it is manipulated, and the more it is hammered and passed through
the heat, beaten, pounded, and polished, the greater its value.”
Christian, are you wondering about the trials through which you are
passing? With impatient heart are you saying, “How long, O Lord?” The
heat of the flame and the blows of the hammer are necessary if you are
to be more than an unpolished, rough bar of iron. God’s all-wise plan,
though it calls for the fire, produces the valuable watch spring of
maturity. His very best for your life has behind it His perfect
timing. - P. R. Van Gorder
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved) |
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James
1:6 But
he must
ask in
faith
without
any
doubting, for
the one who
doubts is like
the
surf of the
sea,
driven and
tossed by the
wind.
(NASB:
Lockman)
(NASB:
Lockman) |
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Greek:
aiteito
de
en
pistei,
meden
diakrinomenos,
o
gar
diakrinomenos
eoiken
kludoni
thalasses
anemizomeno
kai
rhipizomeno;
Amplified: Only it must be in faith that he asks with
no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers
(hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is
blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
NLT: But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him
to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed by the wind. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: But he must ask in sincere faith without secret
doubts as to whether he really wants God's help or not. The man who
trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea,
carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: But let him be presenting his request in a trusting
attitude, not in an expression of that hesitation which vacillates,
for the person who vacillates is like the surf of the sea, driven and
tossed by the wind; (Erdmans)
Young's Literal: and let him ask in faith, nothing
doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea,
driven by wind and tossed,
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BUT HE MUST
ASK IN FAITH WITHOUT ANY
DOUBTING: aiteito (3SPAM) de en pistei,
meden diakrinomenos, (PMPMSN):
(Ask in faith - Mt 21:22; Mk 11:22, 23, 24; 1Ti 2:8;
He 11:6)
(Jesus declared) And all things you
ask (aiteo) in prayer, believing (pisteuo), you shall receive. (Mt
21:22)
Comment: As Morris rightly
observes " There are other conditions for answered prayer, of course
(1 John 5:14; James 4:3), but true belief would be founded upon these
other conditions.
And Jesus answered saying to them,
"Have faith in God. 23 "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in
his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall
be granted him. 24 "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you
pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be
granted you. (Mk 11:22, 23, 24)
Note: Hold mouse pointer over underlined links for pop up of Scripture (which
stays open and can be copied).
But (de) introduces a qualification regarding God's
promise in Jas 1:5. Ask
(154)
(aiteo)
is a specific word for prayer which
asks for something to be given and gives prominence to the thing asked
for rather than the person. Aiteo conveys the sense of asking
with urgency, even to the point of demanding and
refers to the seeking by the inferior from the superior (Acts 12:20),
by a beggar from the giver (Acts 3:2 ), by the child from the parent
(Mt 7:9-note)
or by a man from God (Mt 7:7-note;
cf 1Jn 3:22).
Faith
(4102)(pistis)
is synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth
of anything, and in Scripture usually speaks of belief respecting
man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the
included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with
it. As pistis relates to God, it is the conviction that God
exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things well as the Provider
and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ. As faith relates to
Christ it represents a strong and welcome conviction or belief that
Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation and
entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Stated another way, eternal
salvation comes only through belief in Jesus Christ and no
other way.
Expositor's Greek Testament
adds that...
Pistis as used
in this epistle, refers to the state of mind in which a man not only
believes in the existence of God, but in which His ethical character
is apprehended and the evidence of His good-will towards man is
acknowledged; it is a belief in the beneficent activity, as well as
the personality, of God; it includes reliance on God and the
expectation that what is asked for will be granted by Him. The word
here does not connote faith in the sense of a body of doctrine. This
idea of faith is not specifically Christian; it was, and is, precisely
that of the Jews; with them 'emuwnah/'emunah (0530
Ed: key
idea is faithfulness, certainty, fidelity, to remain in one place,
firmness, steadiness, cp description of Moses' hands held up until
sunset - Ex 17:12, describes God Himself Dt 32:4, totally dependable!)
is just that perfect trust in God which is expressed in what is called
the "Creed of Maimonides," or the "Thirteen principles of faith"; it
is there said: "I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed
be His name, is the Author and Guide of everything that has been
created, and that He alone has made, does make, and will make all
things". In Talmudical literature, which in this as in so much else,
embodies much ancient material, the Rabbis constantly insist on the
need of faith as being that which is "perfect trust in God". Those who
are lacking in faith (cp Mt 6:30) are held up to rebuke... Faith
therefore in the sense in which it is used in this epistle, was the
characteristic mark of the Jew as well as of the Christian. (Ed note:
Not that Jews were saved by faith in God but only by faith in
Messiah)....(Doubting, diakrino) means to be in a critical state of
mind, which is obviously the antithesis to that of him who has faith;
it excludes faith ipso facto (cp Mt 21:21 which uses the same verb
diakrino).
Doubting (1252)
(diakrino
from diá = separation, root meaning = "two" + kríno =
distinguish, decide, judge) literally means to judge between two and
has a range of meanings in the NT. The primary idea is that of
differentiating by separating (Mt 16:3). Other meanings include making
a distinction between persons by evaluation (Acts 15:9, 1Co 4:7, Acts
11:12). To make an evaluation, to judge or to pass judgment (1Co
11:31, 14:29). Diakrino was a technical legal term meaning to render a
legal decision (1Co 6:5). As used by James, et al (Mt 21:21, Mk 11:23,
Ro 14:23, Jude 1:22) in the middle voice (reflexive, initiates and
participates in the action) diakrino means in essence to be at odds
with one's self and so to doubt, hesitate or waver. One author says it
pictures the idea of to be divided in one's mind. The idea is that of vacillating between two opinions
or decisions. Diakrino
is translated in the NAS as - decide (1), discern (1),
disputed (1), doubt (2), doubting (2), doubts(2), judge (1),judged (1),
made distinction (1), made distinctions (1), misgivings (2), pass
judgment (1), regards as superior (1), took issue (1),waver (1).
Diakrino is used 19 times in
the NT...
Matthew
16:3 "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is
red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance
of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to
you, if you have faith, and do not doubt, you shall not only do
what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain,
'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it shall happen.
Mark 11:23 "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be
taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his
heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be
granted him.
Acts 10:20 "But arise, go downstairs, and accompany them without
misgivings; for I have sent them Myself."
Acts 11:2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were
circumcised took issue with him,
Acts 11:12 "And the Spirit told me to go with them without
misgivings. And these six brethren also went with me, and we
entered the man's house.
Acts 15:9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing
their hearts by faith.
Romans 4:20 (note) yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not
waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
Comment: Vincent says
diakrino here implies a mental struggle. Robertson translates, “He was
not divided in his mind by unbelief.”
Romans 14:23 (note) But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because
his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
1 Corinthians 4:7 For who regards you as superior? And what do
you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do
you boast as if you had not received it?
1 Corinthians 6:5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is
not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between
his brethren,
1 Corinthians 11:29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks
judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.
1 Corinthians 11:31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we
should not be judged.
1 Corinthians 14:29 And let two or three prophets speak, and let the
others pass judgment.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for
the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by
the wind.
James 2:4 have you not made distinctions among
yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
Jude 1:9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the
devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce
against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."
Jude 1:22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
Diakrino is used 23 times in
the
Septuagint (LXX)
- Ex 18:16; Lev.
24:12; Dt. 33:7; 1Ki. 3:9; 1Chr 26:29; Esther 8:12; Job 9:14; 12:11;
15:5; 21:22; 23:10; Ps 50:4; 82:1; Pr 31:9; Eccl 3:18; Je 15:10; Ezek
20:35, 36; 34:17, 20; 44:24; Joel 3:2, 12; Zech. 3:7
The one who doubts asks the
questions Edith Bunker did on the famous television show "All in the
Family" - "Are you sure?...Are you sure you're sure?" Doubt is
surely the hallmark of skeptics, but that is not who James is
describing in this section. He is speaking of believers who are
experiencing this nagging sensation in their soul which we call
"doubt". To be sure sometimes a doubting believer is a good thing,
when he or she armed with Biblical truth takes a stand against some
doctrine which is biblically questionable. Such doubting is desirable
in the believer. However, in the present context doubting is not
desirable for optimal spiritual health. As discussed below, it is
important to distinguish doubt from unbelief, but it can eventually
evolve into unbelief. That basic principle should guide one's thinking
as they seek to differentiate doubt, which is natural within faith,
from unbelief, which is not. Doubt arises from every person's human
weakness which in itself lacks the confidence to trust fully in God
especially when being fashioned by the anvil of various tests and
afflictions.
When you experience unexpected
trials, is not one of your first reactions to "listen" to the doubts
which are latent in every person's soul? The next time you find
yourself surrounded by variegated, multi-colored trials, consider the
Great Physician's prescription for personal proclamation, as outlined
in Psalm 42 and 43. Have you never preached to your own soul? Consider
how the psalmist preached to his own soul -- No less than three
times in these two great psalms, he proclaims to himself...
"Hope in God"!
Psalm 42:5
Why are you in despair
(Hebrew = "bowed down",
the Greek [Septuagint]
word used here = very sad, deeply grieved, afflicted beyond measure) ,
O my soul (Greek =
psuche)? And why have you
become disturbed (Hebrew
= turbulent -- emphasizing unrest or uproar in one's soul.
Septuagint
uses a verb which means to throw
continually into complete confusion ~ profoundly disturbed, greatly
vexed) within me?
(What is the psalmist's solution?)
Hope in God,
for I shall again praise
Him For the help (Hebrew = Yeshua - speaks of salvation, the name used
for Jesus! Greek word =
soterion - pertains to salvation --
saving, delivering, preserving, bringing salvation and by metonymy,
the Messiah Himself as mediating salvation or deliverance Lk 2:30) of
His presence.
6 O my God, my soul is in
despair within me;
Therefore I remember Thee from the land of the Jordan, And the peaks
of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Thy waterfalls; All Thy breakers
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