Sir, how would you interpret James 1:18?
"Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
sing
The 3-verse paragraph reads:
16 ¶Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word
of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Ask specific questions to begin to understand
what it says.
Syleong
What does the word of truth refer to in v 18?
sing
What's the context?
The meaning of a word/phrase is determined by
its context.
Verse 18 is given as an example of what is
spoken of in verse 17.
What is verse 18 speaking of?
Syleong
The gift is from our Father. But is the gift
here our Lord Jesus Christ or the Scriptures?
sing
What is verse 18 speaking of?
Syleong
Begat seems to imply a human, so I think it's
Lord Jesus Christ.
sing
"... begat he US" - plural.
Do you actually read the text?
Who does the plural pronoun "us"
embrace?
sing
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word
of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
- whose will is spoken of?
- what did he do?
- who is "us" acted upon by his own
will?
- what/who is the agent used in this act?
- why is the object acted upon said to be a
kind of firstfruits of his creatures?
Learning requires asking apt questions.
Syleong
Us is the firstfruits, the initial Christians (ie the object). The
agent is the word of truth, the
Scriptures?
Then it sounds like the gospel can regenerate
n convert a person
But then it's God's will
Such a confusing verse.
sing
The gospel can convert a regenerated elect.
The gospel is good news; good news CANNOT
beget life. Good news can beget a convert.
It's a simple and straightforward verse if
you just let it say what it says.
You must have a life-giver to beget life -
elementary.
[.... pause...]
sing
You didn't pursue your question further!
James 1
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word
of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Q. Whose will is spoken of?
A. God's will...
Q. What did he do?
A. Of His own will, He blessed the preaching
of the gospel, the word of truth, to the conversion of the Jews.
Q. Who is "us" acted upon by his own
will?
A. James was writing to the Jewish believers. The pronoun "us" embraces James
and the recipient of his epistle.
Q. What/who is the agent used in this act?
A. The preaching of the word of truth.
- The "word of truth" as in Eph
1:13 and 2Tim 2:15.
- God, by His Spirit, BEGETS LIFE, begets
sons and daughters.
- God, by His own will, bless the ministry of
the word of truth BEGET converts. 1Cor 4:15; 1Ti 1:2
Q. Why is the object acted upon said to be a
kind of firstfruits of his creatures?
By God's own will, the glorious gospel was
preached to the Jew first, then to the Gentile:
- Rom 1:16; Mt 10:5-6; 15:24.
Syleong
Actually, Mr. Wagner said that the word of
truth here refers to Christ. That's why I checked with you
sing
Christ is the Word
- John 1:1,14; Heb 4:12; 1Jn 5:7; Rev 19:13;
Christ is the truth
- Jn
14:6.
The phrase "the word of truth" is
used in these passages:
- Psalm 119:43 KJV — And take not *the word
of truth* utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7 KJV — By *the word of
truth*, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand
and on the left...
- Ephesians 1:13 KJV — In whom ye also
trusted, after that ye heard *the word of truth* the gospel of your salvation:
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of
promise...
- Colossians 1:5 KJV — For the hope which is
laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in *the word of the truth of
the gospel...*
- 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV — Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
*the word of truth.*
You decide what to believe and give your own
reasons for it.
