It would be strange indeed if the believer who fell into all manner of

temptations to do evil, should count it `all joy', but it is clear that

temptation of this kind is far from the mind of James, for he immediately

goes on to say `knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience'

(Jas. 1:3); and, like the epistle to the Hebrews, associates this tempting,

or trying, with `perfection' -- `Let patience have her perfect work' (Jas.

After speaking of a double -minded man, who is unstable in all his

ways, and of the danger of pride, he uses a figure that takes our minds back

to the Gospels, `for the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it

withereth the grass' (Jas. 1:11), a passage that recalls the parable of Luke

8:13; `they on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word

with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of

temptation fall away'.  The withering of the burning heat of the sun (Matt.

13:6; Mark 4:5,6), is likened to `affliction or persecution for the Word's

sake' (Mark 4:17).  This being the case, we are prepared to find, and do

find, a reference to temptation similar to that found in Hebrews:

`Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (or

having become approved, dokimos), he shall receive the crown of life,

which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him' (Jas. 1:12).

The introduction of the words `approved' and `crown' brings the passage

into line with the epistle to the Hebrews, which also urges the believer to

endure and to run with patience the race set before him, and which more than

once speaks of reward for such conduct.

James now turns to the aspect of temptation that arises from, and leads

to, sin.

`Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot

be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man' (Jas. 1:13).

If these words be taken literally, we are immediately faced with a

problem, for we get the two contrary statements, `neither tempteth He any

man' (Jas. 1:13), and `God did tempt Abraham' (Gen. 22:1).  But this is the

case only if the words be taken literally, for the reader of the Scriptures

will probably be aware that throughout the Old and New Testaments there

appears a figure of speech called Ellipsis, or `Omission', and that in many

passages the sense is found by supplying by repetition a word that has

already gone before.  If in James 1:13 we repeat the governing clause, `with

evil', all will be clear.  `Let no man say when he is tempted (to do evil

things), I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither

tempteth He any man (with evil)'.  This, however, is negative; the positive

follows, `but every man is tempted (to do evil things), when he is drawn away

of his own lust, and enticed' (Jas. 1:14).

That these two aspects of temptation are in mind in the epistle of

James is evident, for he could not teach, `my brethren, count it all joy when

ye shall fall into divers temptations', and are led away by your own lusts,

and enticed, bringing forth as it does sin and ending in death (Jas.

1:2,14,15), yet such must be the implication of James 1:2 if there be no

difference between that testing which comes from God, and is associated with

going on unto perfection, and those temptations that spring from our own