Doubtless, many reasons exist why God has brought various members of the human race into the sphere of redemption, reconciliation, and regeneration. James presents just one of them: the redeemed are to be "a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." We are the first specimens, so to speak, of His new creation.

James was thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament annual Feast of Firstfruits (Lev. 23:10-14). It took place on "the morrow after the sabbath." On the Sunday after the Passover, the Hebrews had to present a sheaf from the harvest field and wave it before the Lord. Plenty more grain was in the field, but the wave-sheaf was set apart especially for God. Even James, as devoted as he was to the Sabbath, must surely have seen the significance of the fact that the wave-sheaf was connected with the first day of the week, with the day on which Christ rose from the dead, and thus with the church itself. At some time between Passover and Pentecost, the risen Lord appeared to James. It might well have been on the resurrection day itself, the same day on which He appeared to backslidden Peter.

The church is the anti type of the Old Testament type of the Feast of Firstfruits. It occupies a unique place among the various companies of the redeemed. The Old Testament believers were redeemed; the 144,000 witnesses, who will witness for Christ during the Tribulation, will be redeemed; the countless multitude of those who will be won to Christ by the ministry of the 144,000 will be redeemed; and the people who will respond to the preaching of the apocalyptical angel (Rev. 14:6-7) will be numbered among the redeemed. But the church is unique, set apart from all other companies of the redeemed.

Perhaps James had caught a glimpse of this fact from David's great Calvary psalm (Ps. 22). In the second half of the psalm, the Divine Sufferer looked forward to a day beyond the cross. "My praise shall be of thee," He tells His father, "in the great congregation"(Ps. 22:25). God has many congregations. Indeed the psalmist has already mentioned one of them (Ps. 22:22). But He has a great congregation. David did not know anything about that congregation, but the Holy Spirit did. The great congregation is the church. It stands apart from all other congregations of God's people in ages past and ages yet to be.' James described it as "a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

It was left to the apostle Paul, however, to set before the church the significance of its unique place in the annals of eternity and its high and holy calling in the purposes of God. Note his word to the Ephesians: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ"(Eph. 1:10-12). He continues later in the epistle, "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Eph. 3:10-11).

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Adapted from Exploring the Epistle of James: An Expository Commentary by John Phillips. Used by permission of Kregel Publications. The John Phillips Commentary Series from Kregel is available at your local or online Christian bookseller, or contact Kregel at (800) 733-2607.

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John Phillips is a popular preacher and Bible study leader who now resides in Bowling Green, KY.