To Know To Do Good
(NKJV) Jas 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
(NIV) Jas 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
Just a reminder that anytime you see the word “Therefore” or anything similar like the NIV wording “If anyone, then,” be sure to read the previous versus to get a better understanding.
I’m sure that we have all had the opportunity to do something good but didn’t do it. Does that
mean that we sinned? You could go to your neighbor’s house and clean it, do the laundry for
them, cook their supper etc. This would be a good thing do to so are you sinning if you don’t do it? We need to take a closer look at what James is really saying.
In the first chapter James addresses his letter to the “To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” in Israel (This is referring to Jewish believers who had left Palestine either by force or by choice). We know that he is talking to Christians because in the second verse he says “my brothers and sisters”. In the second chapter he starts out by saying “My brothers and sisters”. In the third chapter he also starts out with his letters addressed to “my fellow believers”. In chapter four he continues talking to the Christians but he is upset with their behavior. We know they are still Christians because in verse 11 he calls them brothers and sisters but in verse 13 he changes his attention to a different group of Christians. Let’s take a look at what he says.
(NIV)
Jas 4:13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."
Jas 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Jas 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
Jas 4:16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.
Jas 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
(NKJV)
Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
Jas 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Jas 4:15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
Jas 4:16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Jas 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Before we go any further we need to know that there are two different types of sin. There is a sin of commission and a sin of omission. It might be easier to understand the difference by giving an example.
Let’s say two brothers are going to the store with the intention of shoplifting. Brother 1 is going to do the stealing while brother 2 is the lookout. After he steals the item they both run home. Remember that brother 2 didn’t see him steal the item because he was busy being a lookout. When they get home their mother sees the item and asked brother 1 if he stole it. He answered “no” which is a lie so he committed a sin of commission. She asked brother 2 if brother 1 stole it and he says “ I didn’t see him take it” which wasn’t a lie because he was busy being the lookout but he committed the sin of omission because he left out the whole truth to deceive his mother.
We can see from what James was telling them that they committed both types of sin.
Now let’s discuss what James was saying. Remember in verse 13 he changes his attention to a different group of Christians. He says “Now listen, you who say”. As you can see from the scriptures he was talking to a group that was planning their future and leaving God completely out of it. They actually committed two sins which are the sins of commission and omission. They were boasting about what they were going to do without acknowledging God at all. James told them that their boasting was arrogant and evil. Their arrogant boasting was a sin of commission. Along with their arrogant boasting they completely omitted God from their lives and plans. They knew to do good by including God and acknowledging that they couldn’t do anything unless God allowed it but they didn’t so they also committed the sin of omission.
Summary
James addressed his letter “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1), meaning all the house of Israel he was writing to the Jews to encourage them to continue growing in this new Christian faith.
After all of his instructions he still had a group (probably businessmen) that thought they could leave God out of their plans and do things on their own. By completely leaving God out of their plans they committed the sin of omission but they didn’t stop there. They also started bragging and being arrogant about what they were going to do so they also committed the sin of commission. I like the way James 4:16 is worded in the Contemporary English Version. It says: Yet you are stupid enough to brag, and it is wrong to be so proud. Basically what James is telling them is to continue down a path of worldliness and self-reliance instead of trusting God in your everyday choices is sin. We know what we should do, so we have no excuse not to do it.
Twelve Tribes
The twelve tribes refers to the Jewish people. The Jewish people are the offspring of Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Jacob’s twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin (Genesis 49:1-28; 50:24; Exodus. 1:1-5). The descendants of these twelve brothers are the twelve tribes or the nation of Israel.
(NKJV) Jas 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
(NIV) Jas 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
Just a reminder that anytime you see the word “Therefore” or anything similar like the NIV wording “If anyone, then,” be sure to read the previous versus to get a better understanding.
I’m sure that we have all had the opportunity to do something good but didn’t do it. Does that
mean that we sinned? You could go to your neighbor’s house and clean it, do the laundry for
them, cook their supper etc. This would be a good thing do to so are you sinning if you don’t do it? We need to take a closer look at what James is really saying.
In the first chapter James addresses his letter to the “To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” in Israel (This is referring to Jewish believers who had left Palestine either by force or by choice). We know that he is talking to Christians because in the second verse he says “my brothers and sisters”. In the second chapter he starts out by saying “My brothers and sisters”. In the third chapter he also starts out with his letters addressed to “my fellow believers”. In chapter four he continues talking to the Christians but he is upset with their behavior. We know they are still Christians because in verse 11 he calls them brothers and sisters but in verse 13 he changes his attention to a different group of Christians. Let’s take a look at what he says.
(NIV)
Jas 4:13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."
Jas 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Jas 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
Jas 4:16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.
Jas 4:17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.
(NKJV)
Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";
Jas 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Jas 4:15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
Jas 4:16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Jas 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Before we go any further we need to know that there are two different types of sin. There is a sin of commission and a sin of omission. It might be easier to understand the difference by giving an example.
Let’s say two brothers are going to the store with the intention of shoplifting. Brother 1 is going to do the stealing while brother 2 is the lookout. After he steals the item they both run home. Remember that brother 2 didn’t see him steal the item because he was busy being a lookout. When they get home their mother sees the item and asked brother 1 if he stole it. He answered “no” which is a lie so he committed a sin of commission. She asked brother 2 if brother 1 stole it and he says “ I didn’t see him take it” which wasn’t a lie because he was busy being the lookout but he committed the sin of omission because he left out the whole truth to deceive his mother.
We can see from what James was telling them that they committed both types of sin.
Now let’s discuss what James was saying. Remember in verse 13 he changes his attention to a different group of Christians. He says “Now listen, you who say”. As you can see from the scriptures he was talking to a group that was planning their future and leaving God completely out of it. They actually committed two sins which are the sins of commission and omission. They were boasting about what they were going to do without acknowledging God at all. James told them that their boasting was arrogant and evil. Their arrogant boasting was a sin of commission. Along with their arrogant boasting they completely omitted God from their lives and plans. They knew to do good by including God and acknowledging that they couldn’t do anything unless God allowed it but they didn’t so they also committed the sin of omission.
Summary
James addressed his letter “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1), meaning all the house of Israel he was writing to the Jews to encourage them to continue growing in this new Christian faith.
After all of his instructions he still had a group (probably businessmen) that thought they could leave God out of their plans and do things on their own. By completely leaving God out of their plans they committed the sin of omission but they didn’t stop there. They also started bragging and being arrogant about what they were going to do so they also committed the sin of commission. I like the way James 4:16 is worded in the Contemporary English Version. It says: Yet you are stupid enough to brag, and it is wrong to be so proud. Basically what James is telling them is to continue down a path of worldliness and self-reliance instead of trusting God in your everyday choices is sin. We know what we should do, so we have no excuse not to do it.
Twelve Tribes
The twelve tribes refers to the Jewish people. The Jewish people are the offspring of Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Jacob’s twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, Benjamin (Genesis 49:1-28; 50:24; Exodus. 1:1-5). The descendants of these twelve brothers are the twelve tribes or the nation of Israel.
