The Book of James

By William R. Cunningham
February 14, 2000

Introduction

The Epistle of James was written to the Jewish Christians. There are many references to the synagogue, the law and many Old Testament references, implying that the readers were well acquainted with the rites and the Scriptures. The epistle is addressed to the twelve tribes scattered abroad.

It is believed that this epistle was written during the transition period and before the doctrinal epistles of Paul. The transition period would include that time when Christianity was budding and the majority of believers were Jews. In Jerusalem and throughout Judea were many Jewish-Christian assemblies. Thousands of Jews believed on the day of Pentecost and many more were added daily. These Jews, just out of Judaism, were still zealous for the law and temple worship. There were even priests, obedient to the faith, who for a time continued in their priestly activities. Christianity was so new; there were many adjustments to learn. The orthodox Jew still had a great national hope of the restoration of the Jewish nation. This epistle in the ancient manuscripts was placed in the canon of Scripture following the book of Acts.

The Author of the Epistle

James, the brother of our Lord, is the designated author of this epistle. James the apostle and son of Zebedee was martyred, as recorded in Acts 12:2, in the year 44. James, the son of Alphaeus, also an apostle, is mentioned but once in Acts 1:13, and nothing more is said about him. Paul tells us that three years after his conversion he returned to Jerusalem, and that "But I Saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother." In Jerusalem James held a place of leadership as the head of the Jewish-Christians. He was the presiding officer of the first council at Jerusalem. According to ancient historians, James was a godly man and a strong observer of the ceremonial law. He was ready to see the hand of God in the ministry of Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles, yet he adhered closely to the law of Judaistic form of Christianity to the end of his life. Dr. Schaff says, "Had not a Peter and above all Paul arisen, Christianity would perhaps never have completely emancipated from the veil of Judaism and asserted its own independence." Still the transition ministry of James was necessary. It took a James to win over the ancient covenant people, and with such a high example of Old Testament piety in its purest form among the Jews, to make conversions to the gospel. James seemed to be the last voice of peace before the awful destruction of Jerusalem. James died a year before the fearful and long-threatened judgment came upon Jerusalem in a.d. 70 According to the historian Josephus, James was stoned to death.

Mostly their own brethren persecuted the Jewish Christians at this time. Christianity had not greatly spread to the Gentiles at this time so most of the Christians were converted Jews from Judaism. These persecutions were considered as trying their faith. Note that it wasn't a test of faith from God. Rather, the trying of their faith means that their faith was being exercised. It is one thing to say that you are a Christian and another to live what you say. The word temptation here means to test or try and is not used in a negative connotation, as it is later in this chapter. See Matthew 6:13

James also implies that the various temptations that these Christians faced were also a trying of the faith and worked patience in the person that stood strong.

James 1:5 through James 1:8 (KJV) ⁵If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

What does wisdom have to do with trials, temptations, and patience? Wisdom is necessary in order for us to endure patiently through trials and temptations. Without the proper use of wisdom then we are susceptible to sin by not allowing patience to complete its work. James acknowledges the fact that wisdom comes from God and all we have to do is ask God for wisdom in faith in order to get it.

When we ask God (anything) then we should ask in faith. Wavering is the act of going between two opinions. Either you believe that God will give you what you pray for, in this case wisdom, or you shouldn't expect to receive anything from him.

Note that James refers to a double-minded person. A double minded person is again someone that wavers between two opinions.

What can we learn from this? First that wisdom to overcome trials and temptations come from God. Secondly we should ask God for wisdom (or anything) in faith being confident that he will answer our prayers. We should also consider 1 John 5:14-15.

1 John 5:14 through 1 John 5:15 (KJV) ¹⁴And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: ¹⁵And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Our prayers should be consistent with God's word and not the expression of a fantasy or dream that we have. Remember that the Holy Spirit will help us pray to God so we simply need to acknowledge God and allow him to direct us.

James 1:9 through James 1:11 (NKJV) ⁹Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

It is easy to perceive this scripture as saying that the poor man should rejoice but not the rich man. However, what it says is that the poor person should rejoice in his condition because God has made him spiritually rich and the rich man should rejoice in his condition because God has revealed to him that he is spiritually poor. This doesn't mean that God looks favorably on the poor and not the rich. It reveals the point that possessions are meaningless to God as it pertains to one's life. What is really important is the spiritual condition of the individual and not their bank account.

We are prone to say that a rich person is blessed of God and the poor person must have a secret sin or something of that nature. However, these have nothing to do with the spiritual condition of that person. Consider Matthew 5:1-12. A rich man can loose his riches at any moment just as the sun scorches the grass. The Bible teaches us not to put our confidence in riches (See Proverbs 11:28).

James 1:13 through James 1:15 (NKJV) ¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. ¹⁵Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

The word tempted is used in a negative connotation here. It means to entice to evil. God does not entice anyone to do evil nor does he entice us with evil. Therefore, if we are tempted to do something that is sinful then we cannot say that we failed God's test. God does not tempt us with evil or to do evil. He will test our faith but it isn't a test to see if we will do something evil. That is akin to entrapment.

Temptation (enticement to do evil or sin) occurs when our lusts draw us away from what is right. When we succumb to our sinful desires then conception of that sin has occurred. The sin will then produce death (See Romans 6:23).

James 1:17 through James 1:18 (NKJV) ¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. ¹⁸Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Goodness comes from God and not evil. This further supports what I said about being tempted (enticed to evil) by God. God is stable and therefore trustworthy. He does not vary in opinion or activity. He is the same in principle and WAY all of the time. God saved us by the word of truth, namely Jesus Christ, by his will. We did nothing to earn salvation or the love of God.

The early Christians were a sign of a great number that would soon come. They were the first fruits of the harvest of souls.

James 1:19 through James 1:20 (NKJV) ¹⁹So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; ²⁰for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Don't talk too much and consequently produce wrath (or sin). Consider the following scripture.

Proverbs 10:19 (NCV) ¹⁹ If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin; if you are wise, you will keep quiet.

The word wrath in the subject verse means desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), that is, (by analogy) violent passion (ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication punishment:-anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.

Receive the word of God instead of the desires that will lead to destruction. The King James Version uses the word superfluity, which means exceeding what is necessary, an overflow.

James 1:22 (NKJV) ²²But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

This is very important. We should live what we learn from God and not just acquire a lot of information as to what God wants. It is one thing to study the Bible and know what God says and it is another to actually do what God says and live your life according to God's WAY. See also Matthew 7:24-27. If we don't do what we see in the word (hear) then we are only deceiving ourselves into a false righteousness before God.

James 1:25 (KJV) ²⁵But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

True blessings come as a result of obeying God, that is, doing what he says.

James 1:26 through James 1:27 (KJV) ²⁶If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. ²⁷Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The word religious here refers to outward expressions of one's faith, i.e., piousness or righteous acts. A person that does not control his or her speech deceives himself or herself and his or her righteous acts are in vain (meaningless).

However, pure righteous acts in the presence of God is to visit the orphans and widows in their afflictions and to keep yourself undefiled from the world system. See Isaiah 64:6.