NT Lessons 141-142 James 2-3

https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-seminary-teacher-manual?lang=eng

Lesson 141: James 2

Introduction

James encouraged the Saints to reach out to the downtrodden and taught that true followers of Jesus Christ are not to give preference to the rich over the poor. James also taught about the relationship between faith and works.

I. James 2:1–13  James teaches followers of Christ not to show favoritism toward the rich

---Randomly select a student, and give him or her a small treat. Tell the class that you gave this student a treat for some reason that you have arbitrarily chosen (for example, because that student wore your favorite color or because he or she brought a certain object to class).

• How did my treatment of this student make the rest of you feel?
• Why do people sometimes show favoritism?

---Ask students to think of other times when they have seen someone being treated better than others and to consider how it made them feel.

---Invite a student to read James 2:1–4 aloud. Ask this student to also read footnote a in James 2:1, which includes an alternative translation from the Greek as well as the Joseph Smith Translation of James 2:1. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what James warned the Saints about.

• What did James warn the Saints about?

---Point out that to “have respect to persons” (Joseph Smith Translation, James 2:1) means to show favoritism for one person or a group of people while mistreating others because of their circumstances or characteristics.

• What example of favoritism did James share?
• What are some examples in our day of individuals showing favoritism toward some people while mistreating others because of their circumstances or characteristics?

---Summarize James 2:5–7 by explaining that James continued to reprove the Saints who showed favoritism to the rich. He taught them that God had chosen the poor to be rich in faith and heirs to His kingdom. James also reminded the Saints that it had been the rich who oppressed them and blasphemed against the Lord.

---Invite students to read James 2:8 silently, looking for what James reminded the Saints to do that would help them eliminate favoritism.

• What did James remind the Saints to do?
• Why do you think this commandment was referred to as “the royal law”? (James 2:8).
• What principle can we learn from these verses about how faithful disciples of Jesus Christ treat people? (Students may use different words but should identify a principle similar to the following: Faithful disciples of Jesus Christ love all people regardless of their circumstances. Write this principle on the board.)
• During His mortal ministry, how was the Savior an example of loving others regardless of their circumstances?

---Ask students to think of someone who strives to love all people. Invite a few students to share with the class who they thought of and why.

---Ask students to consider how they treat others. Encourage them to look for opportunities to follow the Savior’s example of loving others.

---Invite students to imagine that, after hearing James’s teachings about loving all people, they hear someone say that it is not a big deal if we show favoritism to some people while mistreating others. This person also says that there are far worse things we could do.

• What problems can come from having this mindset?

---Invite a student to read James 2:9–10 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for why it is a serious matter to not love all people regardless of their circumstances.

• Why is it a serious matter to not love all people regardless of their circumstances?
• What truth can we learn from James’s teachings in these verses? (Students may use different words, but make sure they identify a truth similar to the following: If we commit even one sin, we become guilty before God.)
• According to James 2:10, what is the eternal consequence of breaking even one of God’s commandments? (We become as if we were “guilty of all” in that we are unclean and therefore unable to dwell with God [see also 1 Nephi 10:21].)
• Why can we still have hope, even though disobedience to God makes us unclean to live with God?

---Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency:

“All is not lost.

“The grace of God is our great and everlasting hope.

“Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the plan of mercy appeases the demands of justice [see Alma 42:15] ‘and [brings] about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance’ [Alma 34:15].

“Our sins, though they may be as scarlet, can become white as snow [see Isaiah 1:18]. Because our beloved Savior ‘gave himself a ransom for all,’ [1 Timothy 2:6] an entrance into His everlasting kingdom is provided unto us [see 2 Peter 1:11]” (“The Gift of Grace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 108).

• What do we need to do to be worthy of entering the Lord’s kingdom through the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
• How might the principle we identified in verse 10 help us more fully appreciate the Atonement of Jesus Christ?

---Summarize James 2:11–13 by explaining that James provided an example of the principle taught in verse 10. He then encouraged believers to treat others mercifully, for those who treat others without mercy will be judged without mercy.

II. James 2:14–26  James teaches about the roles of faith and works in our salvation

---Invite students to suppose that a young man has recognized that he has sinned. He believes in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and in the Savior’s ability to save him. He says that all he has to do is believe and the Lord will forgive him, with no other effort on his part.

---Ask students to consider whether this young man’s belief alone is sufficient for him to be forgiven for his sins.

---Invite a student to read James 2:14 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what James asked the Saints about faith.

• What did James ask the Saints about faith?
• What type of works do you think James was referring to?

---Explain that James was correcting a false idea about faith. Some people had misunderstood faith to be simply a verbal expression of belief. In the context of James 2:14, James used the term works differently than the way the Apostle Paul had used it. When Paul used the term works, he referred to the works of the law of Moses. When James used the term works, he referred to acts of devotion or works of righteousness.

---As recorded in James 2:15–16, James used an analogy to illustrate the answer to his question in verse 14. Invite two students to come to the front of the class. Ask one of the students to act as a beggar who is pleading for the food, clothing, and shelter he or she needs to survive. Invite the other student to act as someone who can help the beggar. Invite a third student to read James 2:15–16 aloud while the two other students act out what is described in these verses.

• What is wrong with the response that was given to the begging student? Would the other student’s response be enough to save a beggar?

---Invite a student to read James 2:17–18 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what James taught about faith.

James 2:17–18 is a scripture mastery passage. Studying scripture mastery passages will help students increase their understanding of basic doctrines and be prepared to teach them to others. You may want to suggest that students mark scripture mastery passages in a distinctive way so they will be able to locate them easily. Refer to the teaching idea at the end of the lesson to help students with their mastery of this passage.

• What do you think the phrase “faith, if it hath not works, is dead” (verse 17) means?
• How does James’s analogy of the beggar help us understand what this phrase means?
• According to verse 17, what truth did James teach about true faith in Jesus Christ? (Students may use different words but should identify a truth similar to the following: True faith in Jesus Christ is made manifest by our righteous works. Write this truth on the board.)

---Invite a student to read James 2:19–20 aloud. Make sure the student also reads the Joseph Smith Translation of James 2:19 (in James 2:19, footnote a). Ask the class to follow along, looking for the example James used to show that believing in God does not necessarily include having faith in God.

• What example did James use to show that believing in God does not necessarily include having faith in God?

---Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to righteous action. … Action alone is not faith in the Savior, but acting in accordance with correct principles is a central component of faith” (“Ask in Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008, 95).

• According to Elder Bednar, what is “a central component of faith”?
• Why is it important to understand that faith in Jesus Christ means both believing in Him and acting according to correct principles?

---Remind students of the young man in the scenario at the beginning of this section of the lesson.

• How might understanding that faith includes both belief and action help someone who seeks forgiveness for his or her sins?

---Summarize James 2:21–26 by explaining that James referred to Abraham and Rahab as two examples of people whose faith in God was made manifest by their works. (The account of the courageous woman Rahab is found in Joshua 2:1–22.)

---Invite students to use their class notebooks or scripture study journals to write about a time when they demonstrated faith in Jesus Christ through their works and how they were blessed for doing so. Encourage students to include their testimonies of the Savior and how they will demonstrate that belief through their actions. Ask a few students to share what they wrote with the class.

---Invite students to prayerfully consider how they can more fully exercise faith in Jesus Christ by obeying Him. Encourage them to follow any promptings they receive.

Scripture Mastery—James 2:17–18

To help students apply the truths taught in this scripture mastery passage, provide each of them with a small piece of paper. Invite them to write down the words of this passage on one side of the paper. Then ask them to complete the following sentence on the other side of the paper: I will show the Lord my faith in Him by … Encourage students to keep this piece of paper in their pockets throughout the day and to keep a running list of ideas for demonstrating their faith to the Lord. As they add to their lists, they can review the scripture mastery passage. Encourage them to place the piece of paper where they will see it often and be reminded of their goals.

Commentary and Background Information

James 2:10. If we are guilty of one sin, are we really guilty of all?

James’s teaching recorded in James 2:10 is important to understand but can also be easily misunderstood. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught the following regarding this verse:

“James in his epistle said: ‘For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all’ [James 2:10]. This has appeared to many as a hard saying, yet it is true. The laws which govern in the celestial kingdom are perfect and before we can enter there we must place ourselves in harmony with them all. A person who is in rebellion against any one eternal commandment cannot be justified and cannot enter the celestial kingdom. If he were permitted to do so he would take into that kingdom confusion, and such a condition cannot be justified” (“The Standards of the Church,” Improvement Era, July 1957, 506).

James 2:14–18. We are not saved by our works

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency clarified that it is not our obedience to God’s commandments that saves us:

“Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God [see Acts 20:28]. Thinking that we can trade our good works for salvation is like buying a plane ticket and then supposing we own the airline. Or thinking that after paying rent for our home, we now hold title to the entire planet earth” (“The Gift of Grace,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 109).

James 2:18–26. “I will shew thee my faith by my works”

“James responded to reports of people who were speaking simplistically of faith as something separate from one’s actions, or ‘works’ (see James 2:14–26). …

“… James was not teaching that faith has no saving power; he was teaching that a passive belief that resulted in no action was not true, saving faith. When James challenged his readers to ‘shew me thy faith without thy works’ (James 2:18), he was pointing out that it is not possible to show one’s faith except through one’s actions—true faith cannot exist apart from righteous works” (New Testament Student Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2014], 495).

James referred to Abraham and Rahab as two examples of people whose faith in Jesus Christ was made manifest by their works. James explained that Abraham and Rahab were “justified by works.” To be justified means “to be pardoned from punishment for sin and declared guiltless. A person is justified by the Savior’s grace through faith in Him. This faith is shown by repentance and obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Justification,” scriptures.lds.org). Therefore, Abraham and Rahab were not saved because of their works, but their works and obedience to the Lord demonstrated that they had true faith in Jesus Christ and in His power to save.

Supplemental Teaching Idea

James 2:18–26. Video presentation—“The Just Shall Live by Faith”

To illustrate the truth that faith in Jesus Christ is made manifest by our righteous works, consider showing the video “The Just Shall Live by Faith” (12:25). Afterward, invite students to explain how the person portrayed in this video demonstrated faith in Jesus Christ. This video is available on New Testament DVD Presentations 1–25 and on LDS.org.

Play

© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lesson 142: James 3

Introduction

James taught the Saints the importance of controlling their speech. He then contrasted the world’s wisdom with the wisdom that comes from God.

I. James 3:1–12  James teaches the Saints the importance of controlling their speech

---Bring a tube of toothpaste to class. Invite a student to squeeze all of the toothpaste out of the tube (or ask students to imagine this scenario). Ask another student to try to put all of the toothpaste back into the tube. After the second student struggles to do so, ask:

• How can the toothpaste in this exercise be likened to the words we speak?

---Invite students to ponder whether they have ever said anything they later regretted. Invite students to look for truths as they study James 3:1–12 that will help them choose their words wisely.

---Invite a student to read aloud James 3:2–4 and the first sentence of James 3:5. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how James described those who do not offend others with their words. Explain that the phrase “we offend all” in verse 2 means that we all make mistakes, and explain that James used the word tongue to refer to the words we speak.

• How did James describe those who could control their words?

---Consider displaying or drawing on the board pictures of a horse’s bit and a ship’s rudder. You may need to explain that a bit (verse 3) is a small piece of metal placed in a horse’s mouth that connects to the reins, allowing a rider to direct the horse. In this verse, the word helm (verse 4) refers to a ship’s rudder, which helps someone to steer or turn the ship.

• According to James, what do a horse’s bit and a ship’s helm have in common? (Both are relatively small, and both steer or control the larger entities to which they are attached.)
• How can James’s comparison of these objects to a tongue, or the words we speak, help us understand the power of our words?
• What principle can we identify from these verses about what can happen as we learn to control our speech? (Students should identify a principle similar to the following: As we learn to control our speech, we can learn to control the rest of our actions.)
• Why might controlling our speech help us to control the rest of our actions?

---Invite a student to read aloud the last sentence of James 3:5 and also James 3:6. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what else James compared our speech to. Explain that the word matter refers to a forest (see verse 5, footnote b).

• What else did James compare our speech to?
• What aspects of our lives could be “set on fire” (verse 6), or jeopardized, by our unwise use of words?

---Explain that the phrase “course of nature” in verse 6 can refer to the course of someone’s life.

• In what ways can the words we speak influence the course of our lives?
• How can making small changes in the words we speak affect the course of our lives in positive ways? the lives of others?

---Invite a few students to take turns reading aloud from James 3:7–12. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what else James compared our speech to.

• What else did James compare our speech to? (An animal that must be tamed [see verses 7–8], “deadly poison” [verse 8], a fountain that “yield[s] salt water and fresh” water “at the same place” [verses 11–12], a fig tree that bears olives instead of figs, and a vine that bears figs [see verse 12].)

---To help students understand the content of these verses, invite a student to read aloud the following statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

“Obviously James doesn’t mean our tongues are always iniquitous, nor that everything we say is ‘full of deadly poison.’ But he clearly means that at least some things we say can be destructive, even venomous—and that is a chilling indictment for a Latter-day Saint! The voice that bears profound testimony, utters fervent prayer, and sings the hymns of Zion can be the same voice that berates and criticizes, embarrasses and demeans, inflicts pain and destroys the spirit of oneself and of others in the process. …

“… May we try to be ‘perfect’ men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail” (“The Tongue of Angels,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 16, 18).

• What truth can we identify from these verses about how followers of God should speak? (Using their own words, students should identify a truth similar to the following: Followers of God strive to use their language for righteous purposes, not to spread evil.)
• Why is it a serious problem if Latter-day Saints use their language for evil purposes or to hurt or tear down others?
• What are some things we can do to be a little more “perfect” (James 3:2) in choosing our words?

---Invite students to explain how living the truth they identified in James 3:9–10 would guide their actions in the following situations:

1. You are texting or using social media.
2. You are a priest who blesses the sacrament on Sundays. At school, your friends begin making fun of another student.
3. You are a young woman who in the past has spoken unkindly about another young woman in your ward or branch.
4. Your teammates use foul language.

---Invite a student to read aloud the following statement from For the Strength of Youth:

“How you communicate should reflect who you are as a son or daughter of God. Clean and intelligent language is evidence of a bright and wholesome mind. Good language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others invites the Spirit to be with you. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith, hope, and charity” (For the Strength of Youth [booklet, 2011], 20).

• When have another person’s words uplifted or encouraged you?
• How have you been blessed as you have tried to uplift or encourage others with your words?

---Invite students to write a goal in their class notebooks or scripture study journals concerning what they will do to better control their speech and use their language for righteous purposes. Invite them to act during the next week on what they wrote.

II. James 3:13–18  James contrasts the world’s wisdom with the wisdom that comes from God

---Summarize James 3:13–18 by explaining that James contrasted the world’s wisdom with wisdom that comes from God. The world’s wisdom leads to “confusion” (verse 16) and “strife” (verse 14), while wisdom “from above” is “pure” and “full of mercy” (verse 17).

---Testify of the principles taught in today’s lesson.

Commentary and Background Information

James 3:2. “Offend not in word”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles warned of the dangers of speaking negatively and spoke of the need to be more positive in our speech:

“I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.

“… We should honor the Savior’s declaration to ‘be of good cheer’ [Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 16:33]. (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly” (“The Tongue of Angels,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 17–18).

James 3:10. “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing”

Elder Robert S. Wood of the Seventy taught about the power of our words to bless others and ourselves:

“Our words and external expressions are not neutral, for they reflect both who we are and shape who we are becoming. …

“What we say and how we present ourselves not only betray our inner person but also mold that person, those around us, and finally our whole society. Every day each of us is implicated in obscuring the light or in chasing away the darkness. We have been called to invite the light and to be a light, to sanctify ourselves and edify others. …

“When we speak and act, we should ask whether our words and expressions are calculated to invite the powers of heaven into our lives and to invite all to come unto Christ. We must treat sacred things with reverence. We need to eliminate from our conversations the immodest and the lewd, the violent and the threatening, the demeaning and the false. As the Apostle Peter wrote, ‘But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation’ (1 Pet. 1:15). The expression conversation refers here not only to speech but also to our entire comportment” (“The Tongue of Angels,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 83, 84).

© 2016 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Follow up on invitations to act

You can encourage students to apply gospel principles by following up on invitations to act. Make a note to follow up with students regarding the goals they set in this lesson. You may also want to invite them to report on the experiences they had as they acted on their goals.