第一章
| 1:2 | 我的弟兄們，你們落在百般試煉中，都要以為大喜樂 ． | |
| 1:3 | 因為知道你們的信心經過試驗，就生忍耐 。 | |
| 1:4 | 但忍耐也當成功，使你們成全完備，毫無缺欠 。 |
Trial vs. Temptation (試煉 vs. 試探）
(both words came from the same Greek root “Peiura”)
Trial (Greek word # 3986 “peirasmo”)
- to try whether a thing can be done
- to try for the purpose of improvement (quality, thought, behavior…)
- to test one’s faith, virtue, character by resistant of sin
Temptation (Greek word # 3985 “peirazo”)
- to solicit to sin
Where does it come from?
Trials - (1) War, disasters, society, accident…
(2) God allows circumstances in our lives,
like broken relationship, difficult people, lost job…
(3) Consequences of our bad decisions in the past
Temptation – come from our desires within (Satan),
like craving, lust, pride (彼前 2:16)
Read: 太 4:1-11, 路 4:1-13, 來 4:15-16
Understanding trials/difficulties:
1. Difficulties are inevitable 困難是不可避免的
你在生命中不可避免地會遇到各種各樣的困難。
Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble.” 約 16:33
“You know quite well that we were destined for them.” 帖前 3:3
2. Difficulties are unpredictable 困難是不可預測的
雅各說：“……你們落在百般試煉中……”英文版的原意是：“……在你們面對百般試煉時……”在希臘語中，“面對”的原文是“peripipto”，字面的解釋是“意外地落入”。 這些試煉都是是意想不到的，因爲它們不是由人們計劃而來的。我們很少會預見到生活中所經歷的種種困難。
3. Difficulties are various 困難是多種多樣的
困難會有大有小, 形形色色。 希臘文“許多種”的字面意思就是“多種顔色”的。困難有不同程度的，表現也是多種多樣的。
4. Difficulties are intentional 困難是有目的的
“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish in work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
The Purpose of trials:
1) 困難可以淨化我們的信心 (Test your faith)
在這裏，雅各使用了“試煉”一詞，就好比是在冶煉金銀。在冶煉金銀的時候，你需要用高溫將它們加熱，直至燒掉裏面的雜質。約伯說：“他試煉我之後，我必如精金。” 試煉所要做的第一件事情就是檢驗我們的信心.
Gold refinement process:
When the furnace’s contents are completely melted, the furnace is tilted and the molten material is poured into a conical mold. Worthless black slag forms on the top and is broken from the underlying gold button once it cools. The buttons are again placed in the furnace, melted and poured into bar molds.
Read: 彼前 1:7, 亞 13:9
2) 困難可以增加我們的耐心 (Develop perseverance)
“因爲知道你們的信心經過試驗就生忍耐……” 在這裏，雅各所談論的是忍耐力和持久力，不是消極的, 而是一種持久等待的能力。神要利用困難來教會我們如何應對壓力，如何學會永不放棄。
“Perseverance” in Greek means “Constancy”. It’s a process to maturity.
Read: 來 10:36, 路 21:19, 弗 6:18
3) 困難可以幫助我們成熟 (maybe mature and complete, not lacking anything)
困難可以使我們變得更像基督；困難可以幫助我們成長，讓我們日臻成熟。“因爲知道你們的信心經過試驗就生忍耐。但忍耐也當成功，使你們成全完備，毫無缺欠。”這就是神對我們的長期目標。他的最終目標是讓我們成熟和成長起來。在我們的生命中，神的首要目的就是要我們像耶穌基督。
Read: 帖前 5:23, 來 6:1, 林前 14:20
Remember:
God is more concerned about our characters than our comfort.
God uses circumstance to develop our character.
God uses problems to draw you closer to Him.
Problems force us to look to God and depend on Him instead of ourselves.
Everything that happens to you has spiritual significance.
Our Attitude toward trials:
1. Consider it pure joy (雅 1:3-5)
WHY – “because you know…” (雅 1:3)
Know what -
(1) God’s tests make us mature & complete. (詩 26:2, 雅 1:3-4)
(2) God’s plan is good. (耶 29:11, 腓 2:13)
(3) God is with us. It’s not unbearable. (林後 1:4, 申 31:6-8)
(4) It’s not in vain. (林前 15:58, 弗 2:10)
(5) It’s temporary. (林後 4:17, 彼前 1:6, 5:10)
HOW to be joyful –
Happiness is based on circumstances.
Joy comes from the Holy Spirit. (加 5:22, 羅 14:17)
(1) Joy is a matter of choice. (帖前 5:18, 詩 104:33-34)
(2) Joy is a matter of obedience. (腓 4:4, 10-13, 西 2:6)
(3) Joy is a matter of focus. (腓 3:13-14, 帖後 1:12, 尼 8:10)
2. Ask for wisdom (雅 1:5-8)
(1) God wants to give us wisdom. (路 11:9-13, 啟 3:20, 耶 29:12)
(2) Ask without doubt.
Why we doubt - Our own pride (箴 3:5-7, 11:2)
Satan’s way to lead us astray-doubt God’s love (羅 4:20, 8:38)
Double-minded (雅 4:4, 8)
(3) Ask by faith. (詩 37:4, 34:10, 腓 1:6, 帖前 5:24)
3. Rely on God (腓 4:6)
We should believe – God has better plan/purpose (賽 55:9)
God will give us strength (林後 12:9, 箴 8:34-35)
God is on our side (羅 8:31)
God is in control (約 16:33, 羅 8:28)
Temptation:
The act of tempting, an enticement to do something wrong by promise of pleasure or gain.
Temptation comes from:
1. Satan (彼前 5:8, 約 8:44, 太 4:1)
2. Persecution (帖前 3:4-5)
3. World/Influence of other people (加 6:1, 彼前 4:3-4, 太 18:7-9)
4. Our desires within us (加 5:16-21)
5. Our pride (約壹 2:16, 箴 6:17)
6. Wealth (提前 6:9-10, 太 19:23-24)
7. Laziness/Easy way out (箴 24:30-34, 太 7:13-14, 箴 10:4)
God never leads us into sin. It’s against God’s nature to be tempted or to tempt.
Sin finds its origin within us. It’s a growing process.
Lust -> Sin -> Death (羅 6:23, 7:5)
Man’s first reaction is to blame others for his own sin or temptation. (創 3:12-13)
God’s goodness is constant à no change, no turning. (太 7:9-10)
* First fruit -> Jewish term (申 26:1-11, 18:4), means (1) chief (2) principal part
1. Jesus (林前 15:20, 23)
2. Holy Spirit (羅 8:23)
3. Early Christians (雅 1:18, 啟 14:4)
4. Gentiles (羅 11:16, 16:5, 林前 16:15)
Growing through temptation
1. We think temptation lies around us, but God says it begins within us. (雅 4:1)
2. Satan confuses us with deception. (約 8:44, 創 3:4)
3. We develop doubt during temptation. (來 3:12-14, 創 3:6)
4. Disobedience is the final act of temptation. (雅 1:14-16, 創 3:6)
Temptation simply provides the choice. Character development always involves a choice, and temptation provides that opportunity. Every time you choose to do God’s way instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ.
“Some people seem to succeed at everything they try – careers, families, spiritual lives...When you get close to people like this and try to understand just how they manage fulfill so much of their potential, you find that in almost every case one quality plays a key role – discipline.”
-Bill Hybels-
How to overcome temptations:
1. Refuse to doubt God’s love. (來 12:2, 羅 8:38-39)
2. Resist the temptation. (詩119:9, 箴 1:7, 6:21-23, 19:23)
3. Don’t let your guard down. (彼前 5:8-9)
4. Ask for God’s help. (來 4:15-16, 林前 10:13)
5. Refocus your life on God’s purpose. (雅 1:12, 林前 9:24-25)
“你們各人要快快的聽, 慢慢的說, 慢慢的動怒.”
Hear/Listen –
1. sama (Aramaic/Hebrew #8085)
Appeared about 1160 times in Bible.
(hear - 創3:8; heard & answer -創16:11, 約壹5:13-14; obey - 創 16:18, 耶31:10)
2. akouo (Greek #191) Hear
(太11:15, 可 4:23, 徒 9:7)
3. eisakouo (Greek #1522) Listen & Obey
(林前14:21, 箴15:31-32)
4. diakouo (Greek #1251) Hear through
(徒 23:35, 申1:16, 伯9:33)
5. epakroaomai (Greek #1874) Listen attentively
(徒16:25)
We need to listen to -
(1) God (帖前 5:19 – God’s whisper)
(2) Other people (spouse, children, parents, friends, church, co-workers…)
– to reduce conflict, misunderstanding…
“Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could hear twice as much as we speak.”
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”
“Listening well and answering well is one of the greatest perfections that can be obtained in conversation.”
“We only consult the ear because the heart is wanting.”
“The first duty of love is to listen.”
“To listen well, is as a powerful means of influence as to talk well, and it’s essential to all true conversation.”
When we’re speaking, we’re NOT listening.
(箴10:19, 13:3, 詩39:1, 傳10:14)
When we talk too much, we cause gossip, misunderstanding, judging, boasting, criticizing...
1. Gossip (箴11:13, 16:28, 17:20)
2. Boast/try to impress others (箴 27:2, 耶9:23, 林後11:18, 雅4:16)
3. Excuse/defense ourselves (約壹1:10, 箴12:15, 19, 28:13) à blame others (創3:12-13)
4. Lie (Pseudo #5579), deceit (apate #539) – give a false impression whether by appearance, statement, or influence…(詩120:2)
5. Complain (伯27:4, 出 16:2, 17:2, 32:1, 民 11:1) à quarrel (箴18:6)
6. Judge/Criticize/Label à to condemn, to form an opinion (太7:1-3, 提前3:1-8)
7. Scold (太5:22) “Raca”=”stupid”
“A bad word whispered will echo a hundred miles.”
Tongue (glossa, #1100)
- an organ of speech
- language
- supernatural gift of speaking in another language without learning it
Mouth (in Greek = “Judgement”)
How to use our tongues… (箴10:11, 13)
1. Praise and Thanksgiving (詩 61:8, 69:30, 104:33, 帖前5:16)
2. Encourage/Build each other up (弗 4:29, 帖前5:11, 加5:26, 羅14:13)
3. Comfort (箴12:25, 15:4, 23, 林後1:4, 帖前 4:18, 弗5:19)
4. Counseling/Advice (箴 25:11-15, 加 6:1)
5. Wisdom (箴10:13, 31:26, 詩37:30)
6. Witness/Set a good example (多2:1, 8, 提前4:12, 來10:24)
7. Pray for others (提前 2:1, 雅5:16)
Other verses about “tongue”
(彼前 3:10, 詩34:13, 箴12:18, 西4:6, 箴13:3, 21:23)
Anger (orge #3709) – Natural impulse/desire/disposition
Different from Wrath (thumo #2372) à 18 times in NT (羅2:8, 啟16:19, 19:15)
Anger associate with…
1. Unmet expectation (路15:28)
2. Unfair treatment (羅12:19, 詩37:8)
3. Jealousy/Pride (伯5:2, 箴21:24, 加5:26)
4. Provoked/Strife (箴12:16, 29:22, 30:33)
Anger leads us to sin & evil. Anger brings its own punishment.
(箴14:17, 29, 16:32, 19:19, 25:28, 27:3-4, 傳7:9)
“For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (雅1:20)
Be slow in anger. Be a peacemaker.
(箴 15:1, 18, 16:32, 19:11, 29:8, 傳 10:4, 弗4:26, 31, 提前2:8, 多1:7)
Get rid of moral filth and evil
(約壹 1:9-10, 賽 55:7-13, 加5:19-20)
“Word”
1. (logo #3056)
- “the expression of thought” reasoned speech (林前14:4,19)
- “the word of the Lord” = the revealed will of God (來4:12)
- Speech, discourse (林前2:13)
- Jesus (約1:1-18, 耶31:31-34)
2. (rhema #4487)
- that which is spoken, instruction (約8:20, 弗6:17)
3. (Epos)
- the articulated expression of a thought, useful discourse (太10:27, 路20:39)
How does obedience provide freedom? (來8:6-12, 羅8:2)
Freedom (eleutheria # 1657)
- liberty (加5:1, 13, 彼前2:16, 林後3:17)
- citizenship (徒22:28)
* A real believer is not just to talk the talk, but to walk the walk. (路 6:46-49)
* Real actions in life à the Great Commend (路10:27)
雅各書 1:1-27 問題討論
1. 為何雅各書一開始就講”試煉”?
2. 在2-8節中有什麼基督徒生活上的原則?
3. 你曾經經歷過什麼試煉?
我們是否有時想要逃避試煉?
讀了經文後有什麼新的領悟?
4. 為什麼我們生活中會面臨試探?
5. 我們應如何面對試探?
6. 為何雅各說”…單單聽道,是自己欺哄自己”?
我們如何在生活上實踐行道?
有什麼事會阻礙我們行道?
7. 我們如何在言語上聖潔無瑕?
什麼是”虛的虔誠”?
8. 雅各書第一章提到敬虔生活的原則是什麼?
我們如何實行在日常生活中?
“你們的信心經過試驗,就生忍耐.但忍耐也當成功,使你們成全完備,毫無缺欠.”
“你們各人要快快的聽,慢慢的說,慢慢的動怒.”
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