• James 1:18
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 18 βουληθεὶς Having wished ἀπεκύησεν he was pregnant off to ἡμᾶς us λόγῳ to word ἀληθείας, of truth, εἰς into τὸ the εἶναι to be ἡμᾶς us ἀπαρχήν firstfruits τινα some τῶν of the αὐτοῦ of his κτισμάτων. creatures.

  • James Study Notes—Chapter 1
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 1:18

      It was his will to bring us forth by the word of truth: The phrase “to bring us forth” could also be rendered “to give birth to us.” (Compare study note on Jas 1:15.) James here seems to refer to a spiritual birth. When Jehovah anoints humans with his holy spirit, they are born in a special sense, for they now enjoy the hope of spirit life in heaven. (Compare Joh 3:3-6 and study notes on verses 3 and 5.) By using the same Greek word for “bring forth” as in verse 15, James makes the following contrast: “Sin . . . brings forth death,” but God by means of his spirit and “word of truth” brings a new life to the anointed. In this context, “the word of truth” refers to the good news of salvation, the entire body of teachings, that anointed Christians have heard and accepted in faith.​—Joh 17:17; Eph 1:13, 14; 1Pe 1:23-25.

      a kind of firstfruits of his creatures: James’ readers were familiar with the term “firstfruits,” referring to the first ripe fruits offered to Jehovah at the sanctuary. (Le 23:4-12, 15-20; see Glossary, “Firstfruits.”) The firstfruits of the earliest grain crop, that of barley, were offered on Nisan 16. Correspondingly, Jesus Christ was resurrected to immortal life on that day, becoming the first and primary of the firstfruits to God from among mankind. (For more information about Jesus as the firstfruits, see study note on 1Co 15:20.) His spiritual brothers are, not the primary, but “a kind of” firstfruits, corresponding to the firstfruits of the wheat harvest that were offered later, on the day of Pentecost, Sivan 6. (See App. B15.) They were the first ones to be taken from sinful mankind to become God’s adopted sons, and they would eventually go to heaven to rule with Christ in his Kingdom. (Ro 8:15-17; 1Co 15:23; 1Pe 2:9; Re 14:4; 20:6) Of course, in agriculture, the “firstfruits” constitute only the beginning of the harvest. That expression suggests that a greater ingathering of humans would follow, that is, the ingathering of those who have the hope of living forever on earth and becoming “children of God.”​—Ro 8:19-21; see also Mt 5:5.