James: Intro
A BOOK FOR SINNERS LIKE US:
Within the whole New Testament, James is an unusual book with almost a total lack of “theology” as its focus. It shows an almost single minded purpose centered upon behavior.
It offers us a strong glimpse into the complexity of the human heart and the unpredictable behavior of men.
James is not always easy to read with an immediate acceptance of its message as it can sound just like a book of moral thoughts and some have therefore compared it to the OT book of Proverbs.
The book comes alive for each believer when we are confronted with the issue of personal inadequacy, when we may be the cause of tension or discord, or when we are faced with personal failings. When we think about these issues and what we should have done (as opposed to what we did do) James then comes alive with its insights into our deepest concerns.
It is a book of “lessons learned” along the pilgrim pathway that we tread as we seek to follow Him closer and closer each day of our lives.
DATING THE WRITING:
Some had originally thought the book was written around 45 AD, making it the first of the NT books. In later and more recent times, it has been thought to have been written sometime in the period of 49 AD to 60 AD. We are quite sure it was finished before 62 AD, the year James was killed. But it also seems likely it was possibly written in the mid 50’s, as the “apparent conflict” with the teaching of Paul would most likely have been resolved in the meeting with Paul in 49 AD. So perhaps the oral portion of the book was in place for several years before it was reduced to paper.
AUTHOR:
There have always been three different thoughts as to the relationship between Mary & Joseph and the children that have come to be called the brothers and sisters of Jesus.
The children other than Jesus were older and were of a previous marriage between Joseph and a first wife who had died.
The children were born from the marriage of Mary and Joseph after the Holy Birth of Jesus. Matthew 1:25 teaches us that:
“And knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
This option has been strongly opposed by the Roman church as well as the Eastern Orthodox Church who still contend that Mary was a virgin until the end of her life.
The other children were not either siblings or half siblings but were actually cousins. Jerome has written that the Greek word used to describe these brethren was “adelphos” and has always meant cousin in Greek,
Since it seems necessary to take a stand one way or another, let us accept the prevailing wisdom that these other children were family. Custom has led believers to accept James as the brother of Jesus so for our study; let us proceed along that path.
There were a number of men named James within the NT and it seemed to have been a common man’s name during these times. Of the four men we see named James in the NT, we are introduced to three in one verse (Acts 1:13).
In that verse we see James, the son of Zebedee, James the son of Alpheus, and Judas, the son of James (so as to identify him as not being Judas Iscariot).
The thought is that the book could not have been written by the son of Zebedee as he was killed in 44 AD by Herod, before the book was written. With the other two men named James being very minor characters in the NT, and James, the brother, being head of the church in Jerusalem, it has been accepted that he was the author.
STYLE:
James is unlike all the other books of the NT in that it is not a gospel, nor is it directed to a single church or group of specific churches.
In James there is no mention of the Holy Spirit and no reference to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. There are only two references to Jesus at all, in 1:1 & 2:1 and Jesus is not quoted in the book, except indirectly in 5:12.
Almost all the examples provided by James are from the OT prophets, not from the ministry of Christ. The title “Lord” does appear eleven times, but almost all refer to the Father and not to the Son.
Martin Luther called the book “straw” as it was not focused upon the gospel.
James seems unconcerned with doctrine but rather concerns himself and therefore his teaching with ethics, how faith is to be lived day to day. The theologian Johann Herder later wrote that if the book is indeed “straw” then it is wonderful and filling straw for the soul.
SPECIAL CONCERNS:
James brings to our consideration some special concerns that should be discussed and settled inside any circle of believers who study his book. What he teaches is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago.
One of the strongest attributes that believers accept and develop after conversion is how do we live within the world we are given and what is the proper role of the follower of Jesus Christ in society?
James brings some of these matters into the open inside his book and they include:
The relationship between rich and poor (1:9-11, 2:1-7, 5:1-6).
The use and abuse of speech (1:19, 1:26, 2:12, 3:3-12, 5:12).
Instruction on prayer (1:5-8, 4:2-3, 5:13-18).
Endurance results from testing (1:2-4, 1:12-18, 5:7-11).
Inconsistency of human behavior (1:6-8, 1:22-24, 2:14-17, 4:1, 4:3).
Double mindedness of humans (1:8 & 4:8) Contrasting to God who is of one mind always.
Faith and works (Chapter 2).
Through all these topics, James conveys the strong truth that we must stop compromising with worldly values and behavior and give ourselves wholly to the Lord. The book of James preaches spiritual wholeness and as Jesus taught us in The Revelation, “those who have ears should hear”. Let’s begin.
