‘Count it all joy, my brothers, whenever you find yourself involved with many kinds of temptations,'
James begins by calling on all Christians (‘my brothers') to rejoice in trials and temptations whenever they are faced up with them, seeing all testing as a means for exercising faith and confidence in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and in His promises, whether those trials be in terms of persecution, problems of life, or inward temptations. They should thus rejoice in them, as they rise above them hand in hand with Him, with their eyes fixed on things above where Christ is seated on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1-3), looking not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18). For in the light of what is unseen, the things that are seen are unimportant, and can be seen in their proper perspective. And in the process of experiencing these tests and trials they should continually rejoice because they know that their successful enduring of their trials is accomplishing much good in them.
‘Count it all joy.' That is reckon on it as the most delightful and joyous thing in the world. ‘Reckon it as a thing of unreserved joy', almost hilarity, because of the blessing that is going to result. We can compare Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount, ‘blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account, rejoice and be exceeding glad' (Matthew 5:12). And why are we to rejoice? Because it is the evidence that we are acceptable to God, and that God is treating us as His children who need to learn the lessons of life (Hebrews 12:3-11). And it is evidence that we have got Satan worried (Luke 22:31). And it is evidence that through our Lord Jesus Christ we have been reconciled to God, and have been made at one with Him (Romans 5:11), which has resulted in men turning against us because they see us as presumptious. See also for this joy John 16:20-24; John 17:13; Acts 13:52; Acts 15:3; Acts 20:24; Romans 14:17; Romans 15:13; Php 2:29; 1 Peter 1:8.
‘Temptations.' The word indicates trials of any kind whether through the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches or the desire for other things (Mark 4:19), or through physical persecution and harassment because they are Christians (see Acts 14:22; 1 Peter 1:6; 1 Peter 4:12; also Hebrews 2:18 etc). For the comparison of joy with trials compare 1 Peter 1:8 with James 1:7, but see also Luke 6:21-23 and the blessedness of the faithful as found in the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-13). The point behind such temptations and trials is the activity of God in ‘proving' His people, as the next verse reveals. Compare Sir 2:1; Sir 36:1 where the context similarly implies affliction on the one hand and being ‘proved' on the other.
It was the response of Christians to trials and persecution in the early church that often resulted in many becoming Christians. They knew that men who had such joy in the midst of suffering must have something worth having. And the early church saw it as a privilege, a favour granted by God, which is why Paul could say, “it has been granted to you … to suffer for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 1:29). Thus far from being seen as a matter for discouragement, it was seen as a grounds for thanksgiving. Peter indicated the same thing, ‘if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God' (1 Peter 4:16). That is why the early Christians went away “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41). They were honoured to be dishonoured for His sake.
Note the emphasis on ‘my brothers' which will continue. He wants them to see that they are all one family, that he loves them as a brother (later ‘my beloved brothers'), and that they are brothers to each other.