Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:19 James echoes Jewish Wisdom tradition on the misuse of the tongue and the anger that can result (cf. Prov. 10:19; 11:12; 15:1; 17:28). quick to hear. Lack of listening, combined with lack of restraint in speech, leads to ill-tempered action. Slow to anger does not mean that all human anger is sinful (cf. Eph. 4:26), but the quick-tempered, selfish anger of the world ("the anger of man," James 1:20) betrays lack of trust in God and lack of love for others.

1:20 The self-reliant anger of man, even when directed against some wrongdoing, fails to recognize that mere human reproach cannot change another person's heart, and thus it does not produce the righteousness of God; nor indeed is such anger fully righteous itself. God is holy and righteous, requiring that his people emulate his righteous character (e.g., Lev. 19:2; Matt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:16). "Righteousness" here is not Pauline legal or forensic righteousness proclaimed in God's court of law (e.g., see notes on Rom. 3:20; 5:10) but is closer to the usage of the OT (Isa. 61:3) and Jesus (Matt. 3:15; 5:6, 10, 20; 6:1, 33; 21:32), in the sense of conducting one's life by the will of God, according to his standards.

1:21 Put away all filthiness pictures the stripping off of dirty clothes (cf. Rom. 13:12; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:8) based on a desire to have nothing to do with the dirt (here, moral evil) ever again. In place of filthy behavior, the implanted word must take root in God's people. This idea of God planting his revealed truth reflects Deut. 30:14 ("the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart") and especially the new covenant of Jer. 31:33 ("I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts"). Save your souls refers here to progressive sanctification and ultimately the completion of God's saving work on the last day.