Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (29.1)

The General Epistle of James

James Chapter 1 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Introduction

Author

The author is James, who here identifies himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jas 1:1).  In the New Testament, there are 4 men with that name.

James, son of Zebedee and brother of John - A fisherman called by Christ (Matt 4:17-22) who later became an apostle (Matt 10:2).  Together with John, they were nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" because of their impulsiveness. Herod killed him in 44 A.D. (Acts 12:1-2).

James, son of Alphaeus - Another one of the apostles (Matt 10:3; Acts 1:12).  He is called be "James the less" (Mk 15:40), whose mother, Mary, is called the wife of Cleophas, which is a Hebrew name the Greek equivalent of which is Alphaeus (Jn 19:25).

James, father of Judas the apostle – Little is known about him; one of the few references to him is Lk 6:16.

James, the brother of our Lord - A half-brother of our Lord (Matt 13:55), who did not believe in his brother at first (Jn 7:5).  He became a disciple following the resurrection (1Cor 15:7; Acts 1:14) and gained prominence in the church at Jerusalem (Gal 2:9). 

"James, the Lord's brother" (Gal 1:19) is most likely the author of this epistle.  Tradition describes James as a man of prayer, which may explain the emphasis on prayer in his letter.  It was said that he prayed so much, his knees were as hard as those on a camel. 

James was martyred at the Passover in A.D. 69. The scribes and Pharisees, who begged him to restrain the people who were in large numbers embracing Christianity, set him on a pinnacle of the temple. "Tell us," they asked in the presence of the people gathered at the feast, "which is the door of Jesus?" James replied with a loud voice, "Why ask ye me concerning Jesus the Son of man? He sitteth at the right hand of power, and will come again on the clouds of heaven."

Many thereupon cried, Hosanna to the Son of David. But James was cast down headlong by the Pharisees; and prayed as he fell, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do".  As he somehow survived that fall, he was then stoned and beaten to death with a fuller's club.

Recipients

This is a general epistle addressed to the 12 tribes that are scattered abroad.  These are the Jews scattered abroad as a result of Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.

Date written

Generally believed to be written from Jerusalem between AD 48-50, making it the first book of the New Testament to be written.

Theme

The theme of this epistle is Instructions on Practical Christian Living.  There are 108 verses in this epistle, from which come 54 commands, making James "the Amos of the New Testament."  There is a remarkable similarity between this epistle and our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. Also, this epistle, more than any others in the New Testament, is characterized, like the teaching of the Lord himself, by figures of speech taken from nature. You have the waves of the sea, the animal kingdom, the forests, the fish, and others, all drawn from nature, just as the Lord Jesus himself used to do.

Memory Verse

James 1:22   But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Summary

True religion endures trials and temptations (1:1-18)
True religion consists of doing, not just hearing (1:19-2:26)
True religion displays wisdom, not just speaking (3:1-18)
True religion befriends God through humility (4:1-17)
True religion blessed through patience, prayer and love (5:1-20)

by Elder Victor Yeo, GLCC, 07/10/2002