James 1:12 (ASV)

Passage

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which [the Lord] promised to them that love him.

Nearby Context

James 1:10 and the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

James 1:11 For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and withereth the grass: and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which [the Lord] promised to them that love him.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man:

James 1:14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "blessed", "endureth", "temptation", "hath", "been", "approved", "shall", and "receive". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "blessed" and "endureth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "For the sun ariseth with the scorching..." into verse 13's "Let no man say when he is...", so "blessed" and "endureth" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "blessed" and "endureth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.