James: A Slave Of God Series

James: A Slave Of God

James 1:1

The Epistle James was written by James (obviously). An important question is “which James?” James was a very common name; in fact there are at least four men named James who are mentioned in the New Testament. Of those four men, only two could realistically be considered as the author of this Epistle.

I have found no scholar or commentator who thinks that the Apostle James; often referred to as “James the Less” is a serious candidate for authorship of this letter. This man was the “son of Alphaeus” (as referenced in Matthew 10:3 & Acts 1:13). He was certainly a special man, a faithful servant and honored to be numbered among the 12 Disciples, but it is highly unlikely that he wrote the Epistle of James.

There was another James who was even more obscure that James the Less; he was the father of the Apostle Judas (not Iscariot) and he is only mentioned in connection with his son in Luke 6:16 & Acts 1:13).

Then there is the beloved Apostle James, the brother of John. (Matthew 4:21) These two men were some of the earliest followers of Christ and the Lord called them “The Sons’ Of Thunder.” The Apostle James was privileged to be part of Jesus’ inner circle along with his own John and Simon Peter. If you will remember this James was martyred by King Herod in the earlier days of the Church and evidence seems to suggest that his death occurred much to early for him to have written this Letter.

The most likely and most commonly accepted candidate for authorship of this Epistle would be James the half-brother of the Lord Jesus. James was also the brother of Jude who most (including myself) believe was the author of the Epistle of Jude.

We have somewhat of a roll call of the earthly family of Jesus in - Matthew 13:54 And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?"

The fact that the brother of the Lord is the author of this Epistle is fascinating for many reasons. First of all, it is intriguing as to why he did not mention this reality in his salutation. This highlights several important truths. It is a mark of humility that instead of boasting concerning his earthly relationship to Jesus, James sees himself as a slave of God. It also reminds us that James inherited no spiritual authority as a result of human birth. The only reason that this man was qualified to lead the Church the way he did and that he was able to be inspired by the Holy Spirit to pen such a letter is because he had experienced the “second birth”. James, Jude and the rest of Jesus’ siblings were saved the same way that we are; that is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus.

In the first verse of James 1 we see several important characteristics of the man whom God used to write this letter that has blessed the Church for two millennia. First of all we see that:

JAMES WAS A SLAVE OF GOD

“James, a bondservant of God”

Most Bible translations use the term “servant” or “bond-servant”. There are a few that translate this term as “slave”, and that is the most literal rendering of the Greek word that is used in this passage. The word is “doulos” and it speaks of one who is purchased and owned by a master or “lord.”

As Christians we have been bought at a price. Paul said in - 1 Corinthians 6:20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. We often refer to Jesus as “Lord”, and He certainly is! The problem is that many use the term “Lord” without fully understanding its meaning. Lord is (kurios) – {Koo'-ree-os} in the Greek and it means one who is supreme in authority. Jesus is the Master and we are His slaves. Though we tend to forget this reality, it was at the forefront of James’ mind as he began his Epistle to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”.

In Greek culture “doulos” usually referred to the involuntary, permanent service of a slave, however, the New Testament writers use this term to describe one who willingly surrenders his will in order to serve a master that he loves and respects. This concept is illustrated in several Old Testament passages. One clear example of this type of servitude is found in Exodus 21:1-6: