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James 1 Bible study: Doers of the word

Double-minded (1:8) is a word the New Testament has only in James. And behind produces in "The sin, when it is full grown, produces death." (1:15) and gave birth in "Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth" (1:18) is one Greek verb, which the New Testament has only in those two verses.

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“But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.”
James 1:22 · World English Bible

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“James 1:27 says pure religion is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Is that in James 1, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

A servant of God

In the text

The letter opens, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings." (1:1). It names one sender. These notes say nothing of this James, or of the letter's readers, beyond what the letter says, and apply this chapter, "the twelve tribes" (1:1) included, to no reader, people or person today. Then: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations," (1:2) "knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (1:3) (tap testing and endurance) "Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (1:4) (tap perfect). Here is what almost everyone misses: each step hands on to the next. Endurance ends 1:3 and comes again in the first words of 1:4, and perfect stands twice in 1:4, first of endurance's work and then of "you".

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The rest of James 1 is waiting in Favor

  • Like a wave of the sea
  • The crown of life
  • Not only hearers
  • Jesus Christ, in this chapter's own words
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  • 13 questions as you read
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The Greek word behind it

ποιητήςpoietessay poy-ay-TAYS

Strong's: "a performer". "But be doers of the word, and not only hearers" (1:22): behind doers is this noun, and behind doer in 1:23 and 1:25. James has it four times, and the New Testament six (counted in RP2018, and in all eight editions TAGNT compares), so three of the New Testament's six are in 1:22-25, where the last is "not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work" (1:25).

For your group

James 1 Bible study questions

  1. 1"But be doers of the word, and not only hearers" (1:22). What is one thing you have heard in the Bible that you want to do this week?
  2. 2"receive with humility the implanted word" (1:21). What helps you receive the word with humility?
  3. 3"while he doesn’t bridle his tongue" (1:26). What helps you bridle your tongue?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads James 1 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

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Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Last reviewed October 8, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home