An overview of the book of James 11/09/03
Speed read the whole book
1. THE AUTHOR
- I don’t want to steal the thunder of the studies I’ve prepared, which covers possible authors (read it)
Suffice to say that my conclusion is, along with that of tradition, that this is written by Jesus’ younger brother, James
- half brother
Mt 13:54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. 55 "Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
- If the order is anything to go by- he was the next down
o Imagine: this is the child… boy… man who sat opposite Jesus at breakfast every morning. Played with him. Synagogued with him
o But missed Him!
- Thought Jesus was out of hi mind
MK 3:20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
o Why? How did they miss this… Him… when so well brought up by Mary & Joseph?
Don’t know, really. Maybe Jn 7:2 gives a hint
John 7:2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
Maybe they still saw it in worldly sense… pride, publicity etc got in the way?
Maybe it was just ONE OF THOSE THINGS
• Like us!
• Fail to see Christ in the normal, everyday things?
• How often do we miss Him, with us… or in someone else?
- Anyway- come Acts 1:14- they are all there
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
- What happened!?
1CO 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
This James became the pillar of the early church, and (tradition has it) first Bishop of Jerusalem.
- very early on you find him becoming its reference point
o It was to James that Peter sent the news of his escape from prison—Acts 12:17
o James presided over the Council of Jerusalem which agreed to the entry of the Gentiles into the Christian Church—Acts 15.
o It was with James and Peter that Paul met when he first went to Jerusalem; and it is with Peter, James and John—the pillars of the Church—that Paul settles what his sphere of work will be—Gal. 1:19; 2:9.
o It was to James that Paul came with his collection from the Gentile Churches on the visit to Jerusalem, which was destined to be his last and led to his imprisonment—Acts 21:18-25. This last episode is important, for it shows James very sympathetic to the Jews who will observe the Jewish law, and so eager that their scruples should not be offended, that he actually persuades Paul to demonstrate his loyalty to the law by assuming responsibility for the expenses of certain Jews who are fulfilling a Nazirite vow.
He was known as ‘James of Jerusalem’, ‘James the just’ (and, I think ‘camel knees’)…and was martyred in AD 61 or 62.
So- DATE:
- must be before 62
- must be after Stephen’s death (Acts 7:58) and the scattering that followed.
- Before the Jerusalem council (nothing of dietary laws mentioned) of ~ AD 49/50
- Probably even before Paul’s first missionary journey (~ AD 46-48) - as it’s ALL to Jews.
So- MAYBE written about AD 45
Mind you- all that would probably be pretty irrelevant to the author as the letter is
- incredibly practical
- no doctrine at all, really. HS doesn’t even get mentioned
2. PRACTICAL SERMON
Basically- it’s OUR kind of letter. It’s really like a practical sermon
- in fact- many think it WAS a sermon!
o Explains the skipping around ( ALL the best do that!)
o Loads of things in there to keep a listener’s interest up
Tongues, ships
Exhortations: ‘brethren’, ‘dear brethren’
• We always use such terms when we’re about to club someone with a practical sledgehammer!
o Has introduction, main point, conclusion
INTRODUCTION (1:2-11)
- trouble and joy. All kinds of trials and experiences of life… tests of faith
o what do you do? V3-8 – persevere, be patient and pray!
o V9 whether rich or poor. Whatever befalls you
CONCLUSION
- and James ends the same (5:7-20)
- v13: are you happy? In trouble? Sad? Whatever your circumstances
o what do you do? Be patient (v7-12). Pray (v13-18). Persevere (v11)
Good old James! Just like a preacher: tells them what he’s going to tell them…. Tells them… tells them what he told them
And just like with ANY preacher, you can say ‘they’ve only got one message, really… delivered in a number of formats’…
- it’s the same with James
- and there IS only one (or two messages), really!
o Jesus loves you
o Life’s a bitch
o You’ve gotta persevere and grow through it
So- what’s his main point? What’s the MEAT… middle, here? The central content?
- it’s more of the same.
- Basically it follows the theme of
o Birth (end of introduction, 1v19)
o Growth (1:19-25)
o Development (up to 6:6)
3. BIRTH (1:13-19a)
The first punctuation point in James’ sermon, if you like, is 1:18.
-everything before and after seems to hang on it: ‘he chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created”
In other words- something has happened. A transaction has taken place. You have been BIRTHED… born from above
- what comes before IS part of that package. Birth pains. You are birthed in battle and for battle- the battle of life
- what comes after that is part of the package: born to grow… and go on to growth pains and growth fruit: for which the Christian faith equips you, as well
o James provides no ‘instant answer’ – it’s birth… growth… development
- You ARE birthed by God- but the old nature is still very active (1:13-16)
o There’s your own inner desires (v14)
o That tempt you… drag you away like a wild beast does its prey
o That will eventually kill you
It crouches at the door desiring to ‘have you’ but you must master it and not blame God or the devil for it
But also- there’s more that comes as part of this ‘birth package’
- you are birthed into a FAMILY…. And you’re not going it alone
- repeatedly there’s this term ‘brothers’. Everywhere. “Dear brothers. “
o and there’s rich, poor, happy, sad in this family
see the themes coming through?
• Ch 2- no favouritism
• 2:12 be merciful to each other in this family
• ch 3- watch your tongue in this family
• 3;13 – no pompous boasting in this family- be peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit
…. I’m starting to Nick my material from the next main section, really. That is
4. GROWTH (1:19-25)
After the birth ‘punctuation point’ it moves onto- growing from there:
The Word of truth birthed you- but it will grow you, too
- he who has a true friend, or the word of God needs no mirror
o it is the mirror of the soul
o see yourself reflected truly in it
challenge is to go away changed by it, not ‘put into denial by it’
Gosh- nothing really about the deep theology of the Word of God- but rather how it is a book that shows us how we should live, practically.
And here’s the 3rd bit of the main section: development
5. DEVELOPMENT (1:26-5:6)
It IS development spurred on by the Word- but it’s not measured by knowledge, dogma or doctrine
- it’s all measured… and the development is tracked… by certain practical evidence:
o the use of the tongue
if you can master this beast, you really are mature (3:2)
o care for the needy
the poor
fair wages
this is pure, mature religion (1:27)
o personal purity
keeping your ambitions right (3:14)
keeping your relationship with God, right (4:1-7)
not boasting. About today (3:14) or tomorrow 4:13
not slandering (4:11)
These, James sees as the litmus test of Christian development
- so much so that he really says you can’t have genuine faith if they are not present
Some might see his message as in contrast with what Paul shows us
- that salvation is by faith and grace alone, not by works (so no man may boast) (Eph 2:8)
But it’s NOT. All he’s saying is that if you have such saving faith… and have been given the grace of God- it will show itself in this growth and these good deeds
- you’re not saved BY them,. You are saved FOR them
In the end- it’s not what you SHOUT about- it’s what you SHOW WITHOUT
I feel that’s enough of my overview. I kind of ‘dried up’ at this point
- and I think that’s right
- I’d like to hear what things spoke to YOU out of the book of James
come up and share!!
