A.T. Robertson Commentary James 1:27

"Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world." — James 1:27 (ASV)

Pure religion and undefiled (θρησκεια καθαρα κα αμιαντος). Numerous examples in papyri and inscriptions of θρησκεια for ritual and reverential worship in the Roman Empire (Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary; Deissmann, St. Paul, p. 251). As Hort shows, this is not a definition of religion or religious worship, but only a pertinent illustration of the right spirit of religion which leads to such acts.

Before our God and Father (παρα τω θεω κα πατρ). By the side of (παρα) and so from God's standpoint . Αμιαντος (compound verbal adjective, alpha privative, μιαινω to defile), puts in negative form (cf. 1:4,6) the idea in καθαρα (pure, clean). This (αυτη). Feminine demonstrative pronoun in the predicate agreeing with θρησκεια.

To visit (επισκεπτεσθα). Epexegetic (explaining αυτη) present middle infinitive of επισκεπτομα, common verb to go to see, to inspect, present tense for habit of going to see. See Mt 25:36,43 for visiting the sick.

The fatherless and widows (ορφανους κα χηρας). "The natural objects of charity in the community" (Ropes). Ορφανος is old word for bereft of father or mother or both. In N.T. only here and Joh 14:18. Note order (orphans before widows).

Unspotted (ασπιλον). Old adjective (alpha privative and σπιλος, spot), spotless. This the more important of the two illustrations and the hardest to execute.

To keep (τηρειν). Present active infinitive, "to keep on keeping oneself un-specked from the world" (a world, κοσμος, full of dirt and slime that bespatters the best of men).