📖 Biblical Definition
Free from the world's stains; the second half of pure religion James names. James 1:27: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. The Greek aspilos (without stain, spot, or blemish) is also used of Christ Himself as the spotless Lamb (1 Pet 1:19) and as the standard for Christian conduct (1 Tim 6:14: That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ). The two halves of James 1:27 are inseparable: outward service (visiting orphans and widows) AND inward purity (unspotted from the world). Either half without the other becomes counterfeit religion. James insists on both.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Free from world-stains.
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Free from the world's contaminating stains; the second half of pure religion in James 1:27 — visit orphans and widows AND keep oneself unspotted from the world; an active discipline of moral and spiritual cleanness in the midst of a corrupting culture.
📖 Key Scripture
James 1:27 — "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
1 Timothy 6:14 — "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ."
2 Peter 3:14 — "Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Often dropped from James 1:27 sermons; contemporary ethics emphasizes the visit-the-widow without the unspotted-from-world.
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James 1:27 has two halves: visit and keep unspotted. Cultural Christianity loves the first; cringes at the second. Pure religion requires both. Compassion AND moral separation. Embrace one without the other and the religion is no longer pure.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek aspilos — without spot.
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['Greek', 'G784', 'aspilos', 'unspotted']
['Greek', 'G4694', 'spilos', 'spot']
Usage
"Visit AND keep unspotted."
"Both halves are pure religion."