Introduction

Review

History

Neglected, not rejected; complementary not contrary to Paul’s letters; addresses different issues.

Paul addresses how salvation is received; James addresses how salvation is verified

Authorship

James the brother of Jesus; leader of the church at Jerusalem;

Date, Place, Circumstances

                        Likely written about AD 45-48, almost certainly before the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15

                        Written to Jewish Christians, likely those who had left Palestine for Syria and Asia Minor

Form & Style

An open letter, Greek in language and style but with strong Hebrew and proverbial influences

Strong tone of pastoral exhortation – more imperatives than any other NT book

Themes

Eschatology, Faith/Works/Justification, The Law, The Christian Life, Wisdom, Poverty/Wealth

James wants the faith of the Jewish Christians to be genuine and not a counterfeit based on Judaism.

A true and living faith is of primary concern for James

Chapter One

Trials and Christian Maturity

2-4       Trials, Joy, Steadfastness

5-8       Seek Wisdom from God in Faith

9-11      Boasting of the Lowly and the Rich

12-15    Trials from God vs Temptation

16-18    Good Gifts from our Father

True Christianity Seen in its Works

19-21    Hearing, Speaking, and Anger

22-25    Doers vs Hearers of the Word

26-27    True Religion: Speech, Orphans and Widows, Worldliness

Themes

Trials and Steadfastness

Now and Not Yet

Mature, Perfect

Goodness of God

The Tongue

Doers of the Word

Content

1           Greeting

2-4       Trials, Joy, Steadfastness

Circumstances of readers – dire: famine, persecution

God is at work in them, and in us, through trials

Whatever the trials may be, we are to consider them to be an occasion of rejoicing

James’ desire is a mature, stable faith in believers

Luke 22:31-32 – Satan and Peter

Rom 5:3-5 – Sufferings produce endurance

5-8       Seek Wisdom from God in Faith

Trials bring a need for God’s wisdom

Our nature – Lacking wisdom, need to seek it; doubting needing faith

God’s nature – He is generous and gives freely to those with faith

The divided person has no fixed beliefs or direction; no “anchor of the soul” (Heb 6:19)

I Kings 18:21 – Elijah, God, and Baal

Matt 7:24-27 – Wisdom connected to hearing and doing

9-11      Boasting of the Lowly and the Rich

Boasting in God not ourselves, regardless of station in life

God exalts the lowly and brings low the rich

Clearly echoing Isiah 40:6-8

12-15    Trials from God vs Temptation

Trials again connected with steadfastness

Differentiation between trials from God and temptations from within and without

Trials strengthen our faith; Temptations lead us to sin

Progression of temptation:  desire, sin, death

Rev 2:8-10 – Church at Smyrna in trials

16-18    Good Gifts from our Father

God gives good and perfect gifts to us, his first fruits of creation

In contrast to the double-minded man, God is constant and unchanging.

Matt 7:7-11 – Good gifts from our Father in heaven

19-21    Hearing, Speaking, and Anger

We all are to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger

Note the connection between speech and anger

Warning against the anger of man and what it does not produce – righteousness.

Matt 13:18-23 – Parable of the sower

22-25    Doers vs Hearers of the Word

Hearers Only – We must hear the word

Doers- On hearing, we must obey

Unapplied learning leads to self-deception

Looking into the law and doing it brings blessing

“Obedience is the mother of true knowledge of God.” – Calvin

John 14:21-24 – Loving Jesus and keeping His commandments

26-27    True Religion – The Tongue, The Helpless, and Worldliness

Bridling the tongue connected with self-deception

What doing the word looks like – helping the helpless, echoing strong OT themes

True religion connected with staying unstained by the world

Isiah 1:14-17 – True religion

Application

God’s dealings with us – Trials, joy, steadfastness, crowns

Temptation – Understanding, resisting

Hearing and Doing – Dangers of separating these, and the blessings of joining them

True Religion vs False Religion

The Tongue – Anger, bridling, deception