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

1:26-27 True, Practical Religion. This section on obedience (vv. 19-27) concludes with three characteristics of the one whose religion is pure and undefiled, that is, one who "does" the word. First, he refuses self-deception and bridles his tongue, which means he keeps a tight rein on his speech like a bridle controlling a horse. Second, he shows mercy and love to the oppressed. Orphans and widows were frequent OT examples of this (see Deut. 10:18; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 7:5-7) because of their particularly helpless state (on widows in NT times, see note on 1 Tim. 5:3-16). Third, he remains unstained from the world; James uses the sacrificial language of "the lamb without blemish" (Ex. 12:5; 1 Pet. 1:19) to describe the pure religious person.