R.T. Kendall's Blog, page 14

James 2:14

When I first envisaged preaching on the Epistle of James in 1980 I panicked at the thought of having to explain James 2:14: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have no works? Can faith save him?”  I knew the way Evangelical scholars traditionally dealt with it, namely, that justifying faith is always validated by good works; they say that works prove that true faith has set in. That interpretation never satisfied me.  Nor did it enter any scholar’s mind (that I know of) that James might be speaking of “him” as someone else but only arguing that the person who claims to have faith must also have works or he could not be saved. It admittedly seems obvious – at first – that the “him” (“Can faith save him?”) of James 2:14 must mean that you needed works to be saved. Roman Catholics therefore never had a problem with this verse. And yet that verse has bedeviled Protestant biblical interpreters for centuries, beginning with Martin Luther who simply dismissed James as “an epistle of straw”. After all, on the surface it would appear that James and Paul could not be in sharper disagreement. Although I admire Luther I refused to believe James was second class. I decided in any case to start preaching on James. I felt a peace that I would know what James 2:14 meant once I had to deal with it months later. I began at James 1:1 and went right through to the end – verse by verse. That was the way I preached.

When I preached on James 2:13 I was no closer to understanding James 2:14. I wondered, “What am I going to do? Simply sweep the dirt under the carpet? Take the traditional view that James is merely stating the true faith also is always accompanied by good works?” After all, I do believe true faith is accompanied by good works; I simply did not believe this is what James was saying in 2:14.

But, lo and behold, as I began preparation on James 2:14 I had a surprising discovery. James is not speaking of the person’s personal salvation at all. He does not say, “Does the man ‘himself ‘ have faith who has no works?” There is no reflexive pronoun. This was important. The big breakthrough was “him” – in the accusative, masculine singular. I saw that James was not talking about the validity of a person’s own salvation.  And yet I knew I still had my work cut out for me. In those days I still had Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones at my side. I knew he must be convinced if I would get away with a major departure in the history of biblical interpretation.

I came to discover that the key to James 2 is verse 6 – that the Greek word for “poor” (KJV) is ptochon – “poor man”– accusative, masculine singular. When translations say “poor” it sounds plural. “You have despised the poor” sounds like poor people generally. But no. James lifts out an example of a “poor man” – and proceeds with this right through the rest of the chapter. I did not have the English Standard Version in those days which reads, “You have dishonored the poor man”. The NIV strangely translates it merely “poor”.

Most interpreters also assumed that James introduces a new discussion in 2:14. No. The poor man is James’ concern from James 2:6 onwards; indeed, “poor man” is what James is talking about right through the rest of James 2.

The “him” of James 2:14, then, refers to the poor man of James 2:6. It may seem odd to us but not to James himself who wrote it. In other words, it could have read, “Can faith save that poor man?”  That poor man out there needs to see our good works if he is going to be persuaded of our faith! Both James 2:6 and James 2:14 are accusative, masculine singular. Read it, beginning with James 2:6. Then keep reading right to the end. I’m really surprised Martin Luther missed this. Had Luther bothered to check James 2:6 carefully and connected it to James 2:14ff, he would never have had a problem with James. James 2:14 to the end, with “poor man” in mind, reads by itself. Although I was convinced I had got it right, you can be sure it was of no small consolation when Dr. Lloyd-Jones looked at me and said, “You have convinced me”. And when my exposition of Hebrews 2:14 came out in the Westminster Record a year or two later, Dr. Michael Eaton wrote and assured me I had indeed got it right – and gave me further grammatical reasons. He later told me this view of James 2:14 revolutionized his ministry in Johannesburg, leading him to open his church to black people.

James 2:14 is therefore not referring to whether we are saved. It refers to whether our testimony will be effective to others, especially to that poor person out there for whom nobody cares.

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James 1:2

James 1:2

A pivotal point in my life, funnily enough, turned on what at first might appear to you to be either comical or trivial.

In the summer of 1980 I began praying sermons on James, a series that commenced in the Fall. I had prayed hard for a good beginning, a clear way forward that would make the Epistle come alive. I was particularly conscious that right at the beginning were those words (using the KJV in those days): “Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations” (Jas.1:2).

In those days we always went to Florida for our vacations. The children begged to return to Disney World. I reluctantly agreed when I recalled that the previous year I got the best pizza I ever ate in Kissimmee, Florida where we had stayed. We checked into the hotel, headed immediately for the pizza parlor. I ordered a huge jumbo pizza with everything on it – mushrooms, pepperonis, sausage, green peppers, etc. But after a half hour our pizza was not ready. I went to the manager and inquired. They lost the order. He impatiently said, “What do you want?” I replied, “Am I to believe we have sat her for over a half hour and you don’t even have our order?” “Right, so what do you want?” I called the family up and we put our order in – one at a time, ending with my own huge jumbo order. Fifteen minutes later we were on our way back to the hotel but in a storm. The rain was so fierce you could hardly see the road. When we got to the motel the water was ten inches deep on my side. But I got out, opened the back door to get my pizza – while the family headed with theirs into the hotel room. But as I took my pizza out in a brown paper bag the rain beat down on it so hard that the next thing I noticed was my pizza floating on the water like a pyramid with the mushrooms, pepperonis, sausage, green peppers . . . I went inside to explain to Louise and the kids that I had to go back to the pizza parlor and face the manager and order another pizza.

On the way to the parlor – roughly a five minute drive – I recalled the words, “Count it all joy”. I said to myself, “Either this is true, or it isn’t. I believe it is true. I must dignify this trial.” I repented of my complaining and murmuring not only in the parlor with the manager but my habit of being a grumbler over the years. I felt so ashamed. I resolved from that moment to dignify every trial I would ever have. I began by apologizing to the manager of the pizza parlor. The next day at Disney World I was almost overwhelmed by an amazing peace. It lasted all day. And the next. And the next.

Really and truly, that incident ensured that I would never be the same again.

The word “count” – translated “consider” in the NIV – is the exact same word Paul uses in Romans 4 regarding his teaching of justification by faith alone. It means “impute” – put to the charge of. In other words, God imputes righteousness to us when we believe the promise, even though we are not righteous. James uses this word – that we impute “all joy”, “pure joy” (NIV) to a trial. This does not mean it is joyful to have a trial. It could be horrible. But we “impute” joy to it; we “consider”, “regard” or “count” it pure joy.

Doing this pleases God. He hates complaining, grumbling. But when we regard it as joy – dignifying the trial – we honor him. What is more, we will sooner or later thank God for the trial, seeing eventually that God has a purpose in every trial. Every single trial. Small ones (losing a pizza) or huge ones (tragedy). I don’t say it will be easy. But God’s word is true. Stop complaining. Regard everything in your life at this moment – the most negative thing – as something God allowed for your own spiritual growth. You will never be sorry.

But you will be sorry if you don’t break the grumbling habit.

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Watch RT on the Joni Table Talk Show

Elijah, a powerful prophet and a total wreck! Today we sit down with renowned minister, speaker and author, Dr. R.T. Kendall, to look at what the Bible reveals about the man who was one of Israel’s most legendary prophets and how we can relate to him.

http://ow.ly/kCk4o

Elijah 4

Elijah – Still Learning God’s Ways

One of the most moving things to me regarding the life of Elijah is that God continued to deal so tenderly with the prophet – even after he was (presumably) near the end of his life. In the world today we tend to dismiss people either because of their old age or if they don’t have the platform or position they once had. God is not like that. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you; I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isa.46:4). That is so encouraging.

In Elijah ‘s case although his work on earth was almost finished, God was not finished with Elijah. Not that Elijah would “use” new things God was about to show him. What God was about to do was to show Elijah things he had never seen or thought of.

Elijah was not only a tired man by the broom tree but also a proud man. “I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4). I want to ask Elijah, “Whoever thought you were?” But he had high aspirations for himself! He wanted to be the ultimate servant of God. The ultimate prophet. The ultimate example. His running from Jezebel made him realize that he was “dust”. God knows our frame; he remembers we are “dust” (Psa.103:14).

But now God is about to show Elijah something of God’s ways which Elijah was not prepared for. He was ordered to stand on the mountain and see God’s manifest presence. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart. But the Lord “was not in the wind”. That is odd. You would have thought God certainly was in the wind. Then came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then came a fire – certainly God had appeared in fire before; but the Lord was not in the fire. And then came what was perhaps the most understated and lackluster manifestation of all time: a “gentle whisper” (“still small voice” – KJV – 1 Kings 19:11-12).

Elijah recognized God in this unspectacular manifestation. He heard it, pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood in the mouth of the cave (v.13). Elijah learned that there was a lot about God and his ways that he had never thought of.

God has a way of doing that. Just when we think we are getting to know his ways we often discover – to our embarrassment – we knew so little about him. And yet -  I cannot help but ask – how will Elijah “use” this information about God? When I get a new insight I ask, When can I preach this? But sometimes one sees things he cannot share. Some insights are to be kept, hidden in one’s heart. Why? Just to know God and his ways is enough. We don’t need to “preach” every insight we get!

God was in the process of sorting out this tired and proud prophet. The time had come for God to say, “Elijah, you have said twice that you are the only one left. I have to tell you Elijah – you are wrong. I have seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal. Sorry Elijah, but you are not the only one” (1 Kings 19:18).

The beautiful thing is, not only was God teaching Elijah new things; he was teaching things to Elijah in his old age – his vocation nearly complete and his ministry almost over. But God loves to show us that he loves us just as we are. Our relationship with him is enough. His presence is enough. His ways are so fulfilling. And his compassion toward our shameful weakness and shocking pride means that God gets all the glory in the end. Not us. Not even Elijah.

RT

You can read much more about this in my New book: These are the days of Elijah available at a discount for this month.

Island Church, Bainbridge Island, WA

Island Church, Bainbridge Island, WA Sunday 10am

9624 Sportsman Club Road

Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

http://www.islandchurch.org

Canada

TBA

Our Father’s House, Melbourne, Florida

Sunday Morning @ 10:45 a.m

Our Father’s House • 321-777-0057 • 535 Cassia Blvd. Satellite Beach, FL 32937

http://www.ofhsb.org/index.php

New Hampshire

TBA

Walnut Hill Community Church Bethel CT

Friday 27th

Litchfield County Campus – 7pm

Saturday 28th

The Anointing (Yesterdays man, Todays man, Tomorrows man) – Men’s conference at our Bethel Campus – 9am-1pm

“Word and Spirit” – Open for all Campuses and held at our Bethel Campus – 7pm-9pm

Sunday 29th

8am, 9am, 11am – Bethel Campus services


Address for Bethel:
156 Walnut Hill Road
Bethel, CT 06801
203-796-7373

Address for Litchfield County:
19 Dorwin Hill Road

New Milford, CT 06776
203-796-7373

http://www.walnuthillcc.org

Bethel CT

TBA