Pure & Undefiled Religion: Examining James 1:27

By Lisa Derringer

James 1:27 has become the theme verse for believers in the foster care and adoption community. It makes perfect sense why. James 1:27 is a call to care for those in need, the orphan, the widow, the vulnerable child, and the families who care for them.

But this verse is so much more than that; this verse echoes Old Testament laws and extends past only the orphan and widow.

The application for this verse is for all believers, not just those in the adoption and foster care space. It asks: What does pure and undefiled religion look like? 

Preceding Context 

Before breaking down James 1:27 in more detail, it is important to look at the context surrounding the verse. Verse 27 is the last in James 1. The preceding verses, beginning in 1:19, say, 

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 

This passage focuses on not only being hearers of the Word but also doers of the Word. Jesus emphasizes this idea in John 14:15 by saying, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The result of hearing the Word should be to then live it out as an act of obedience, not a requirement for salvation. 

Pure and Undefiled Religion

While this verse could be viewed as a command, it is actually more of a description.

There is no specific command language used. Jason Johnson, the national director of Church Engagement and Mobilization with the Christian Alliance for Orphans, explains this idea, saying, “This verse is describing something that is pure and undefiled in its application and expression. Interesting fact – the Greek word for ‘pure’ is translated ‘catharsis’ in English, meaning ‘cleansing’”.

This is the root from which our word “cathartic” is derived. This refers to an activity or practice that is psychologically or emotionally relieving or cleansing for us. It’s also the same root we get our word “catheter” from – a tube inserted into the body to drain toxic or potentially dangerous fluids. So there’s something pure and cleansing about what James is describing – not commanding.”¹

He goes on to explain how being pure and undefiled relates directly to the understanding of religion, with religion in this context referring to “an outward expression of faith,  ora demonstration of something that is inwardly true. It is describing a “pure and undefiled” outward expression or demonstration of something that is inwardly true – namely of who God is and what God does.”²

To Visit (or Care)

With the understanding of a pure and undefiled religion, there is the application to care for, or visit, orphans and widows in their affliction. It may seem like a simple ask in just visiting or checking in on those who are in positions of needing care, but the crux of the language used here, “is best translated “to give intense attention to and to go see.”

The tense of this word calls for this to be our habitual practice and attitude, and not just an isolated act of do-goodism or charity. It’s less about what we do periodically and more about who we are consistently. It conveys far more than just stopping by and saying hello, but instead implies a sense of consistent closeness and nearness and personal contact.³ 

Why does James specifically focus on widows and orphans? Because in the culture of the time, these were the most marginalized groups of people. Without husbands or parents, these groups were vulnerable to exclusion from society. This does not only mean that today we should focus on orphans and widows specifically, but also those who are broken and from hard places.

Keep Unstained

The verse ends with keeping oneself unstained by the world. This idea harkens back to the idea that pure religion is cleansing. For those we are serving as well as ourselves. This work “puts a clean, unadulterated picture of the gospel on display, but it cleanses us as well. Who has time or energy to be stained by and consumed with the affairs of this world when we’re so immersed in and stained by the brokenness of others? It changes our perspectives, our worldviews, our hopes and dreams, our prayers, and our families. It changes everything – for the better. And we’re somehow “cleaner” for it.”⁴

To condense this passage into five words, it would be, care for the needy and remain uncorrupted. 

Notes

1. Johnson, Jason. 2019. “James 1:27 Is Not a Command.” JASON JOHNSON | BLOG. April 18, 2019. https://jasonjohnsonblog.com/blog/james-127-is-not-a-command.
2. Johnson.
3. Johnson.
4. Johnson.