James 1:27: Pure Religion and the Orphan
James does not define religion in the abstract but tests it. Worship God accepts is measured by mercy shown to those with no protector and by a life kept clean from the world's corruption.
James 1:27: Pure Religion and Orphans
James does not leave care for orphans as a vague feeling. He names it as one of two marks of religion that is pure before God, paired with personal integrity.
James 1:27: Pure Religion and the Orphan
James puts the fatherless child at the center of what God counts as genuine worship. Mercy and holiness belong together, and neither can be dropped.