I must now resort to the Greek. If ever there existed a Bible student who is not a Greek scholar it is I. (Notice I did not say, "It is me," which proves that at least I know English.)

It was the Greek language in which brother James addressed the church of this day. Therefore a translation of his words into English ought to resolve the dilemma before us.

"But James was not an apostle!" I hear someone say. True enough. This is not the apostle James, this is that James, who along with his brothers, and probably sisters too, denied the claims of their half-brother in the flesh, one called Jesus.

Not until after His resurrection did James see the light. But he was quick to grow. His letter is probably the first of the New Testament writings. You can believe that it was written under the close scrutiny of the apostles, who by the way, also appointed James to be the leader of the church in Jerusalem, spoiling forever Rome's claim to Petrine lordship over that or any church of the first century. But that too is an issue that has to wait...

So we have established James' authority and his language. Moving right along, we look at what he actually said about this "religion" matter. You can read along at the end of James chapter one for yourself. He said that a person who cannot control his tongue has a vain empty religion. He said that a person who cares for others and leads a holy life has a good religion.

So why are folks saying today that religion in and of itself is a bad thing?

I said I would talk Greek to you, so here it is. James' "religion" is threskeia. It is a ceremonial observance. That same word is used by Paul in Colossians 2:18, but is there translated "worshipping." So what is it, "religion" or "worshipping?" I believe that if you can step back in your mind long enough to think of an idea that embraces both words, you will have the full truth.

Deeper into the Greek. threskos is the adjective. "Religious." But Strong, from whom I glean all these facts, says that it means "ceremonious in worship," or "pious." We liberated believers do not like the sound of either of these ideas. Nevertheless James contends, and I will contend with him, that there is a good side of piety, religiosity, even ceremony. Hang on just a minute.

Both of these words come from the verb thre-o, which means "to wail or clamor." By implication, to frighten! And the word is translated in your Bible, "to trouble." It is used, for example, in the book of Acts, after sleepy Eutychus fell to his death during an especially long sermon of Paul. Paul immediately ran to him, ministered to him, then told the hushed and worried crowd, "Don't thre-o yourselves, his life is in him." Don't wail, clamor, frighten yourself.

One more enlightening view of this word family is in the related thriambeu-o. Are you still there? This is really going somewhere... This word depicts a noisy song sung in honor of the god of wine, Bacchus. It has come to mean "conquer" or "give victory" or "triumph."

So! Put all this together. We can assume, I believe, that first century worship was loud, clamorous, exciting, victorious. There was a ritualism attached to it, even as is attached to even the "freest" of services today. You come in, you expect there will be a "worship" service first. There are certain kinds of instruments, usually being used to play a certain number of songs. There are perhaps interruptions and differences here and there, but those who cry the loudest against ceremony have usually created their own! It is so different your first visit, but becomes quite predicable in time.

Against none of this activity does James speak! Clamor all you want. Make your noise! Have your weekly ceremonies. But go out from church and fill that same heart and mouth with words of anger or ridicule or foolishness, and all that worship is vain! Your life in Christ is seven days, not two hours, a week.

And when it comes right down to it, the worship the Lord seeks among His people is a life given not only to prayer and praise but to service and holiness. All of this together is what shows the heart to be what it is. Those who make noise but no fruit are vain worshipers whether they are at a Roman Mass or a Pentecostal convention.

Trouble with all that I just said is that some will read it and excuse themselves from the fullness of worship. That too would be a mistake. Though love and separation are teachings valued by the Lord, He also is not too happy to see a half-hearted meeting of the saints where the leader must use a sound system, music from this world, or constant begging to get people involved.