James & Ecclesiastes - What is Wisdom?

[SilverFox7]

James 4:11-12
New King James Version

11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

We need to be careful about our assessments towards others, especially our brethren. We don’t see the full picture of what’s going in a person’s soul and God’s attempt to break through those walls of rebellion and sin. This is some pretty strong language from James against speaking evil of a brother and casting judgment on them, saying it is an attack against the law.

“There is one Lawgiver,” and thankfully for us He is a gracious and forgiving Judge. For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are forgiven through His sacrifice, and we are no longer under the wrath of judgement. Our sins are covered in His blood, and we kneel before the Judgement Seat as a seat of Mercy as well. We are not qualified to judge others like He is.

Romans 2:1-4
New King James Version

God’s Righteous Judgment

1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

 

[Sipsey]

I heard an excellent sermon a number of years ago that focused on the book of Ecclesiastes, and the pastor noted that James is an excellent complimentary epistle to Ecclesiastes. Both books fall within the category of "wisdom literature" with their short maxims that emphasize properly living a "righteous" and "prosperous" life in the flesh (Ecclesiastes) and in the Spirit (James).

Ecclesiastes was likely written by king Solomon later in his life. After succeeding his father, David, on the throne at a very young age, he started off down the right path by asking God for wisdom to govern the nation with a "discerning heart" to "distinguish between right and wrong" (I Kings 3: 9). God was pleased with this request and said, "...I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be" (v. 12).

Solomon shares his wisdom through the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms 72 and 127 along with the Song of Solomon. Early on in his career, he built upon David's success and led Israel to the height of their physical power and prestige as a nation. Unfortunately, unlike his father, he fell into heavy idolatry, had wives and concubines from other nations, and neglected his relationship with God to the point that Solomon's salvation is questionable (e.g. he is excluded in the list of "heroes of faith" in Hebrews 11).

Solomon lived a life of experimentation. Rather than focusing on God like David did, Solomon pursued a life of leisure and pleasure, but he sums up the results right at the beginning of Ecclesiastes that he felt emptiness in that lifestyle:

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2

New King James Version

The Vanity of Life

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

James on the other hand begins his letter much differently, emphasizing right up front that he is a servant of God, and life is far from "vanity" when we are living in Christ:

James 1

New King James Version

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [a]patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be [b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

I've been looking forward to tackling these two challenging texts for quite some time, yet I may have bitten off more than I can chew. But, with your help, I'm excited about gaining more "wisdom" hopefully through this study and fellowship with all of you.

May I suggest a book by someone who grew up in Greece, studied classical and Biblical Greek.
Faith, Love & Hope


An Exposition of the Epistle of James


Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D.


Zodhiates, Spiros. 1999. Faith, Love, & Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James. Electronic ed. Logos Library System; Exegetical Commentary Series. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

Here is the preface:
Preface


The messages contained in this book were prepared under the sponsorship of American Mission to Greeks, New York City [now Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel, Chattanooga]. The Mission felt that in appreciation for what the Christians of the United States have been doing for the people of Greece, both spiritually and materially, it should give them something of value from the original Greek New Testament.


This study is probably one of the most extended expository works on that much neglected, though eminently practical, book of James. When I began my study, I did not realize that there would be so much spiritual wealth in James. It took three years to complete the studies in this series—although, when I began, I anticipated that it would take only a few months.


I am happy to confess that I never experienced so much conviction by the Spirit of God as during the time that I prepared these expositions of the book of James. The study of James has greatly changed my life and thought. I now send these studies forth with the prayer and hope that they will aid in making great changes in the lives of many, whatever their place in life may be. We Christians often allow our confession to become mere lip service. The gospel of Jesus Christ, however, demands that our daily lives give evidence that we really mean what we confess. And it is precisely at this point that the book of James is needful, for it is actually a treatise against “Christian” hypocrisy.


In these studies I have sought to bring within everyone’s comprehension the depths of thought of the Greek text. The studies therefore will be of value both to the preacher and to the general Christian reader and worker. As a basis for these studies I used D. Erwin Nestle’s edition of Novum Testamentum Graece, published by Privileg Wurt Bibelanstalt, Stuttgart, Germany, 1956. It is my hope that as a Greek who has studied the Greek of both the classics and the New Testament, and as one who speaks the Greek used today, I have here given something that will help all of us to a better understanding of James.


Although these studies are based on the Greek text of James, they are not technical or specialized. Their main purpose is to touch and influence the life of the reader, to apply the message of James to practical life. This is a book on Christian conduct. We want to find out how God wants us to behave. But to do that, we have to be sure of the meaning of the words which God inspired James to write. A man who did not know that rechts and links meant “right” and “left” in German would not know which way to turn if these words were spoken to him. Sometimes even the preacher builds up a whole system of teaching and interpretation without examining the real meaning of a particular verse, not in its translated form, but in the original tongue in which God gave it. We read in Nehemiah 8:8, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” That is the task I have endeavored to perform—with objectivity and without theological or denominational bias.


Zodhiates, Spiros. 1999. Faith, Love, & Hope: An Exposition of the Epistle of James. Electronic ed. Logos Library System; Exegetical Commentary Series. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.