James 1:3

... knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience.

This and the following verse (James 1:4) give the theme of the whole letter, which may be variously expressed as "The Testing of Faith," or "Christian Perfection."

The proving of your faith ... This would be better translated if rendered "the testing" of your faith.[12] Abraham, the father of the faithful was tested (Genesis 22:1); and it is a foregone certainty that none of the spiritual children of Abraham may expect otherwise than that their faith also will be tested. The testing begins with the Lord's commandment for believers to be baptized (Mark 16:15,16), and some never even pass that test. However, the testing never ends at the baptistery. Throughout life with its trials and hardships the testing goes on and on.

Worketh patience ... James continues to reflect perfectly the words of Jesus Christ who said, "In your patience ye shall possess your souls" (Luke 21:19), the same also being true of the writings of Paul. Barnes said, "This is one of the passages that show that James was acquainted with the writings of Paul (Romans 5:3)."[13] The meaning of "patience" here is that of courageous endurance, and not merely docile submission.

[12] R. C. H. Lenski, Interpretations of the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Epistle to James (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1954), p. 525.

[13] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 17.