James 1:16 (KJV)

Passage

Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Nearby Context

James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beloved" and "brethren". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beloved" and "brethren", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth..." into verse 17's "Every good gift and every perfect gift...", so "beloved" and "brethren" 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 "beloved" and "brethren" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.