The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (266 page)

2:23 Abraham believed God:
A quotation from Gen 15:6. • This is the one explicit text in Genesis that refers to Abraham's faith, though his belief and trust in God are evident throughout. Here he believes in the promise of a son, despite his old age and the barrenness of his elderly wife (Gen 16:1; 18:11). Reading the passage in light of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, James concludes that belief and behavior go together. So
faith
in God is inseparable from
faithfulness
to God, even in the most trying circumstances of life.
friend of God:
The background of this title is probably found in 2 Chron 20:7 and Is 41:8. 
Back to text.

2:24 faith alone:
Faith by itself is "dead" (2:17), "barren" (2:20), and has no power to "save" anyone (2:14). In the NT, the expression "faith alone" occurs only in James, where it is rejected as false teaching. Paul often stresses the importance of "justification by faith", but he nowhere speaks of justification by faith alone (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:15-16). 
Back to text.

2:25 Rahab:
The heroine of Josh 2:1-21. • Rahab of Jericho I offered hospitality and protection to Israelite scouts spying out the land of Canaan. Her assistance, coupled with a confession of faith in Yahweh (Josh 2:11), was rewarded as she and her family were rescued from the violent destruction of the city (Heb 11:31). 
Back to text.

3:1-12
An appeal for prudent and wholesome speech (1:19). Several illustrations are marshaled to demonstrate how an unbridled tongue can cause considerable damage in the world (Prov 16:27; Sir 28:17-26). Examples of misusing the tongue include blasphemy (Jas 2:7), cursing (3:9), slander (4:11), boasting (4:16), grumbling (5:9), and illicit oath swearing (5:12) (CCC 2148, 2479-81). • James shows how great an evil is man's tongue, so great that it cannot be tamed, even though men have tamed wild animals. He spoke, not with the intention that we should tolerate this evil, but in order that we might ask God for the grace to tame our tongues (St. Augustine,
On Nature and Grace
15). 
Back to text.

3:1 teachers:
Christian educators bear great responsibility for their teaching and influence. Since their mission involves extensive speaking, they are at greater risk than most for making "mistakes" in what they say (3:2). The prospect of a stricter judgment should restrain them from uttering careless words (Mt 12:33-37) and teaching what they themselves do not understand (Sir 5:11-13). 
Back to text.

3:6 unrighteous world:
The tongue is a microcosm of the fallen world, where sin and hurt prevail. It is extraordinarily difficult to bring under control.
cycle of nature:
Every stage of life, from youth to old age.
hell:
Literally, "Gehenna". See word study:
Hell
at Mk 9:43. 
Back to text.

3:9 we bless . . . we curse:
Using the tongue in worship is contradicted by abusing the tongue in conversation. Despite our praise, the Father is not truly honored when our neighbor is dishonored and discouraged by harmful words. 
Back to text.

3:13-18
These verses continue to address the teachers mentioned in 3:1. The teacher who claims to be wise but is controlled by "jealousy and selfish ambition" (3:14) is really a fool whose wisdom stems from the world (3:15). True wisdom transforms the mind and heart of the teacher and is manifest through a pure and peaceable life (3:17). It is a divine gift that comes down from the Father above (1:17).
See note on Jas 1:5
. 
Back to text.

4:1-2
Wars among men are a symptom of the spiritual war within man, whose incessant drive for power and possessions spreads envy and violence throughout the world. The root problem is that our members too easily yield to the inclinations of our fallen nature (1 Pet 2:11).
See note on Rom 7:23
. 
Back to text.

4:3 You . . . do not receive:
Prayers go unanswered when we seek what will gratify our cravings instead of the help we need to better ourselves. Corrupt motives impede our petitions in the same way that doubt does (1:5-8) (CCC 2737). 
Back to text.

4:4 Unfaithful creatures!:
Literally, "Adulteresses!" • The Prophets used this epithet for the idolaters of Israel, whose infidelity to the covenant was considered spiritual adultery against Yahweh (Jer 3:6-10; 31:32; Hos 3:1). James charges some of his own readers with idolatry because their love for created things has overpowered their love for the Creator (see 1 Jn 2:15). Their
friendship with the world
stands in stark contrast to righteous Abraham, who became a "friend of God" because he was willing to surrender even his most beloved possession (Isaac) to please the Lord (Jas 2:21-23). 
Back to text.

FAITH AND WORKS

The Letter of James presents many challenges to readers of the Bible. For one thing, what James teaches about faith and works can seem to contradict what Paul teaches on the same subject in Romans and Galatians. Both discuss topics such as faith, works, and justification, yet they seem to draw different conclusions, with Paul asserting the saving power of
faith
over works and James defending the saving value of
works
as an expression of faith. Martin Luther believed Paul and James to be in such sharp disagreement that he relegated the Letter of James to an appendix in his 1522 edition of the New Testament. This is not an option for Catholics, who maintain the inspiration and authority of the book, nor have other Christians followed Luther on this point. Still, the question remains how to reconcile the teaching of Paul and James on faith and works. Consider the following quotations.

Romans 3:28
 
"For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law."

James 2:24
 
"You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."

On the surface, it seems as if Paul affirms what James denies, and James affirms what Paul denies. However, when we delve below the surface and examine these statements in their proper contexts, we discover that Paul and James are not in disagreement at all. In fact, they share a common doctrine on faith and works, though they draw attention to different aspects of it. This is not surprising, since they address different pastoral situations in the early Church.

FAITH
 First, when Paul speaks of justifying faith in Rom 3:28, he is talking about the faith of the convert that leads to Baptism. In other words, the apostle is making a general statement about how man is brought from sin to salvation. This process begins with faith and leads the believer to Baptism, which Paul teaches is the sacrament of our justification in Christ (1 Cor 6:11; Gal 3:25-27; Tit 3:5-7). James, on the other hand, is dealing with a much different situation. He is talking, not about the faith of the convert, but about the faith of the professing Christian. He is making a general statement about those who already "hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jas 2:1). The point, then, is that Paul and James discuss the role of justifying faith in two different contexts, namely, before and after the believer is incorporated into Christ.

WORKS
 Second, it is important to notice that Paul, when he denies justification by works in Rom 3:28, is speaking very specifically about works of the Mosaic Law. His point is that no one can earn or merit the free gift of grace by obedience to the Torah. Whether one observes its moral commandments, such as those of the Decalogue, or its ritual and ceremonial obligations, such as circumcision, dietary laws, or Sabbath observance, none of these works—apart from the grace of Christ—can bring about the justification of the sinner. There is no reason to think that James would disagree with this. After all, when James affirms justification by works, he is talking, not about works of the Mosaic Law performed apart from grace, but about works of mercy performed by those who are already established in grace (Jas 1:27; 2:15-16). Again, Paul and James are discussing different scenarios. Paul denies the saving power of Mosaic works, performed on the strength of human nature, while James affirms the value of Christian works, performed by the grace and power supplied by Jesus Christ.

JUSTIFICATION
 Third, since Paul in Rom 3:28 is addressing issues related to conversion, it follows that he is talking about our initial justification in Christ, that is, the critical moment when God makes the believer righteous by an infusion of his Spirit and life. Apart from this divine action in the believer, human works—even those done in compliance with the Mosaic Law—are simply unable to merit the grace of our first justification in Christ, which is rather the free gift of his grace. James, we must recognize, is not contradicting this teaching when he says that believers are "justified by works" (Jas 2:24). Unlike Paul, he is not talking about the initial justification of the sinner at all; nor is he referring to works of the Mosaic Law undertaken to establish one's standing before God. Rather, he is discussing the ongoing justification of believers who put their faith into action and strive to live the gospel in practical and charitable ways. These are works of Christian obedience undertaken in response to the grace of Christ. In this context, where Christian living is made possible by the grace of God, works do indeed contribute to our increase in righteousness and justification. This teaching of James is in full harmony with the teaching of Paul (Rom 2:13; 6:12-19).

More could be said about this issue, and additional distinctions could be made. Suffice it to say, there is no real discrepancy between Paul and James on the matter of faith and works. James does not contradict Paul. In fact, many scholars believe that James is refuting a popular misunderstanding of Paul's doctrine of justification. Is it merely a coincidence that Paul and James both discuss faith, works, and justification? Or is it merely happenstance that these doctrines are illustrated by turning to the figure of Abraham, whom Paul hails as a man of faith (Rom 4:1-12) and James hails as a man of faithfulness (Jas 2:21-23)? Probably not. James is correcting those who took Paul out of context and minimized the importance of works as a proper and necessary expression of faith in the Christian life. This is why he stresses that faith in Christ entails the obligation to live faithfully in Christ through good works. Thanks to the preservation of both Paul and James' writings in the New Testament, we have the benefit of having this clarification and of responding to the full message of the gospel. «
Back to James 4:1.