John Calvin Commentary James 1

To the twelve tribes. When the ten tribes were banished, the Assyrian king placed them in different parts. Afterwards, as usually happens in the revolutions of kingdoms (such as those that occurred then), it is very probable that they moved here and there in all directions. And the Jews had been scattered to almost all parts of the world. He then wrote and exhorted all those whom he could not personally address, because they had been scattered far and wide.

But as to why he does not speak of the grace of Christ and of faith in Him, the reason seems to be this: he addressed those who had already been rightly taught by others, so that they needed not so much of doctrine, as of the goads of exhortations.

All joy. The first exhortation is to bear trials with a cheerful mind. It was especially necessary at that time to comfort the Jews, who were almost overwhelmed with troubles. For the very name of the nation was so infamous that they were hated and despised by all people wherever they went; and their condition as Christians rendered them still more miserable, because they regarded their own nation as their most inveterate enemies. At the same time, this consolation was not limited to that specific time but is always useful to believers, whose life is a constant warfare on earth.

To understand more fully what he means, we must undoubtedly take temptations or trials as including all adverse things; and they are so called because they are the tests of our obedience to God. He commands the faithful, while tested by these, to rejoice; and that not only when they fall into one temptation, but into many; not only of one kind, but of various kinds. And undoubtedly, since they serve to mortify our flesh, as the vices of the flesh continually shoot up in us, they must necessarily be often repeated. Besides, as we suffer from diseases, it is no wonder that different remedies are applied to remove them.

The Lord then afflicts us in various ways, because ambition, avarice, envy, gluttony, intemperance, excessive love of the world, and the innumerable lusts in which we abound, cannot be cured by the same medicine.

When he commands us to count it all joy, it is as though he said that temptations ought to be considered such gain as to be regarded as occasions of joy. He means, in short, that there is nothing in afflictions that ought to disturb our joy. And thus, he not only commands us to bear adversities calmly and with an even mind, but shows us that this is a reason why the faithful should rejoice when pressed down by them.

It is indeed certain that all the senses of our nature are so formed that every trial produces in us grief and sorrow; and none of us can so far divest himself of his nature as not to grieve and be sorrowful whenever he experiences any evil. But this does not prevent the children of God from rising, by the guidance of the Spirit, above the sorrow of the flesh. Hence, in the midst of trouble, they do not cease to rejoice.

Knowing this, that the trying. We now see why he called adversities trials or temptations: because they serve to test our faith. And a reason is given here to confirm the last sentence. For it might, on the other hand, be objected, “How is it that we judge as sweet what to our senses is bitter?” He then shows by the effect that we should rejoice in afflictions, because they produce fruit that ought to be highly valued—namely, patience.

If God then provides for our salvation, he gives us an occasion for rejoicing. Peter uses a similar argument at the beginning of his first Epistle: That the trial of your faith, more precious than gold, may be... (1 Peter 1:7). We certainly dread diseases, poverty, exile, prison, reproach, and death, because we regard them as evils; but when we understand that they are turned by God’s kindness into helps and aids for our salvation, it is ingratitude to murmur and not willingly submit to being treated in this fatherly way.

Paul says, in Romans 5:3, that we are to glory in tribulations; and James says here, that we are to rejoice. We glory, Paul says, in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience. What immediately follows in Paul's argument seems contrary to the words of James, for Paul mentions probation in the third place, as the effect of patience, while James puts probation (or trial) first, as if it were the cause.

But the solution is obvious: the word “probation” (or “trial”) has an active meaning in Paul’s context, but a passive meaning here in James. James says that probation or trial produces patience; for if God did not test us, but left us free from trouble, there would be no patience, which is nothing other than fortitude of mind in bearing evils.

Paul, however, means that while by enduring we conquer evils, we experience how much God’s help avails in times of need; for then the truth of God is, so to speak, truly manifested to us. Therefore, we dare to entertain more hope for the future, because the truth of God, known by experience, is more fully believed by us. Paul therefore teaches that by such a probation—that is, by such an experience of divine grace—hope is produced; not that hope only begins then, but that it increases and is confirmed. Both authors, however, mean that tribulation is the means by which patience is produced.

Moreover, human minds are not so formed by nature that affliction of itself produces patience in them. But Paul and Peter consider not so much human nature as the providence of God, through which it comes about that the faithful learn patience from troubles; for the ungodly are thereby more and more provoked to madness, as the example of Pharaoh proves.

But let patience have her perfect work. As boldness and courage often appear in us and soon fail, he therefore requires perseverance.

“Real patience,” he says, “is that which endures to the end.” For work here means the effort not only to overcome in one contest, but to persevere through life.

This perfection may also be referred to the sincerity of the soul, meaning that people ought willingly and not insincerely to submit to God. However, since the word work is added, I prefer to explain it as constancy.

For there are many, as we have said, who show heroic greatness at first, but shortly after grow weary and faint. He therefore instructs those who would be perfect and entire to persevere to the end.

But what he means by these two words, he afterwards explains as referring to those who do not fail or become weary. For those who, being overcome in patience, are broken down, must necessarily be weakened by degrees and eventually fail completely.

If any of you lack wisdom. Since our reason and all our feelings are averse to the thought that we can be happy in the midst of evils, he directs us to ask the Lord to give us wisdom.

For wisdom here, I limit to the subject of the passage, as if he had said, "If this doctrine is beyond what your minds can grasp, ask the Lord to illuminate you by His Spirit; for since this consolation alone is sufficient to mitigate all the bitterness of evils (namely, that what is grievous to the flesh is beneficial for us), so we must necessarily be overcome with impatience unless we are sustained by this kind of comfort."

Since we see that the Lord does not require from us what is above our strength, but that He is ready to help us if we ask, let us, therefore, learn, whenever He commands anything, to ask from Him the power to perform it.

Although in this place to be wise is to submit to God in the endurance of evils, under a proper conviction that He so orders all things as to promote our salvation, yet the sentence may be generally applied to every branch of right knowledge.

But why does he say If any one, as though all of them did not lack wisdom?

To this I answer that all are by nature without it, but some are gifted with the spirit of wisdom, while others are without it.

Since, then, not all had made such progress as to rejoice in affliction, and few there were to whom this had been given, James, therefore, referred to such cases. He reminded those who were not yet fully convinced that their salvation was promoted by the Lord through the cross, that they were to ask to be endowed with wisdom.

And yet there is no doubt that necessity reminds us all to ask the same thing, for he who has made the greatest progress is still far from the goal.

But to ask for an increase of wisdom is another thing than to ask for it at first.

When he directs us to ask of the Lord, he intimates that He alone can heal our diseases and relieve our wants.

That giveth to all men liberally. By all, he means those who ask, for those who seek no remedy for their wants deserve to languish in them. However, this universal declaration, by which every one of us is invited to ask without exception, is very important; therefore, no one ought to deprive himself of so great a privilege.

To the same purpose is the promise which immediately follows. For as by this command he shows what is the duty of everyone, so he affirms that they would not do in vain what He commands, according to what is said by Christ: Knock, and it shall be opened (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9).

The word liberally, or freely, denotes promptness in giving. So Paul, in Romans 12:8, requires simplicity in deacons. And in 2 Corinthians 8 and 2 Corinthians 9, when speaking of charity or love, he repeats the same word several times.

The meaning, then, is that God is so inclined and ready to give that He rejects no one, nor haughtily puts them off. He is not like the stingy and grasping, who either sparingly, as with a closed hand, give very little, or give only a part of what they were about to give, or debate with themselves for a long time whether to give or not.

And upbraideth not. This is added so that no one should fear to come too often to God. Those who are the most liberal among men, when anyone often asks to be helped, may recount their past generosity and thus excuse themselves for the future. Therefore, we are ashamed to weary a mortal man by asking too often, however open-handed he may be. But James reminds us that there is nothing like this in God, for He is always ready to add new blessings to former ones, without any end or limitation.