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James, The Book Of
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The Historical Background On The Book Of James

Who Was The Author?

There are at least four notable men in the New Testament named James:

  1. The son of Zebedee and brother of John (Mark 1:19). It is unlikely he is the author since he was martyred under Herod Agrippa I before this epistle was written.

  2. There was James the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18). It is unlikely that he was the author either and little is known about him. The Roman Catholics equate the son of Alphaeus with the Lord's brother, by claiming that James was really Jesus' cousin. This contention violates a literal interpretation of "brother" and is an attempt to support the invention of the perpetual virginity of Mary.

  3. There is also James the father of Judas (not Iscariot; Luke 6:16). This James did not figure as an important person in the early church and it is doubtful that he authored the book of James.

  4. Finally, there is James the older half brother of the Lord (Matt. 13:55; Gal.1:19). Early on he was recognized as the leading Overseer (Elder) of the Judean Church (Acts 12:17; 15:13; Gal.2:1, 9-10, 12), and is commonly regarded as the writer of this Epistle by such persons as Origen, Eusebius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius, Augustine, and many other early writers.
         Clement of Alexandria says that Peter and James and John, who were the three apostles most honored of the Lord, chose James, the Lord's brother, to be the bishop of Jerusalem after the Lord's ascension (Euscb., HE, II, 1). This tradition agrees well with all the notices of James in the New Testament books. He was surnamed "the Just" by his countrymen, and it has been said that he spent so much time on his knees in prayer that they became hard and callous like a camel's knees. It is believed that James was married (1 Cor. 9:5). He was very influential in the early church among the Jews and in the Church. Peter reported to him upon his release from prison (Acts.12:17), and Paul acted on his advise (Acts 21:18-26). He also endorsed Paul's work to the Gentiles, but was himself mainly concerned with the Jews. According to Josephus and Hegesippus (first and second-century historians), James was stoned and clubbed to death while he was on his knees praying, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do," when he refused to denounce Christ as the Messiah. James was an unbeliever prior to the resurrection of Christ (John 7:3-10; 1 Cor.15:7).


Who Was It Written To?:

    "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad" (James 1:1)

  1. The letter is filled with extensive Hebrew symbolism and was written to those Jewish Christians who had been dispersed from their homeland in Israel.

    1. The term "scattered" comes from the Greek word, "diaspora" and refers to the Jews who were scattered among the Gentiles as their ancestors had been during the days of Captivity (only used two other times in the New Testament: John 7:35; 1 Peter 1:1).

    2. The twelve tribes were scattered but never lost, as some claim (see listing in Rev.7:5-8).

    3. Peter may have wrote to the Jewish Christians scattered to the West (1 Peter 1:1), while James wrote to the scattered Christians to the East in Babylon and Mesopotamia.

  2. Some have claimed that the "twelve tribes" is to be taken metaphorically as the Gentile church scattered around the Roman Empire, but is not consistent with a literal translation (the normal sense).

  3. This epistle exhibits a strong Jewish background, which refutes the notion that James structured his letter after the Greek diatribe. The diatribe was not geared to speak to a particular historical situation.

    1. The setting must have been in Palestine because it was only there that farmers employed labor, rather than slaves (James 5:4).

    2. James alluded to participation in worship in Jewish synagogue (James 2:2) which suits the first generation of the church.

    3. The letter contains a compilation of Jewish Christian teachings, that was deeply influenced by the moral teachings of Jesus.


Time Period:

  1. It is widely accepted that the Book of James was written between A.D. 45 and 48.

    1. James was killed in A.D. 62, so the epistle had to be written before this date.

    2. Also there is no mention of the decisions made at the Jerusalem Council held around A.D. 48 to 49, that James presided over (Acts 15). So this means the epistle had to be written prior to this date.

  2. The book of James is probably the earliest of the New Testament writings.


Style:

     The book of James is more of a lecture than a letter, and was obviously prepared for public reading as a sermon to the scattered congregations. The tone of the book is authoritative and includes 54 imperatives (volitional mood of command in the Greek, "do it now!") in 108 verses, this is on average one call for action in every other verse. James' used more figures of speech, analogies, and imagery from nature than all of Paul's epistles together. James conveyed profound concepts with well-chosen words. His sentences are short, simple, and direct. The epistle of James has been called a literary masterpiece that is both picturesque and passionate, and combines the beauty of Greek with the stern intensity (earthiness) of Hebrew.


Major Themes:

  1. The book of James has two main New Testament Themes:

    1. Positional Truth
      • Our position in Christ right now in heaven.
    2. Experiential Truth
      1. Our walk down here on earth
      2. James' focus is upon the practical aspects of the Christian life

  2. Focus of James

    1. Responsibility - (Verse 1:13)
    2. Consequences - (Verse 1:15)
    3. Accountability - (Verses 1:19-20)
    4. Duty - (Verse 1:22)
    5. An Active Trust in God - (Verse 2:15-17)
    6. Consistency - (Verse 3:9-10)
    7. Promoting Godly Wisdom - (Verse 3:17)
    8. Anti-materialism - (Verse 5:1-3)

  3. James draws heavily upon the teachings of Jesus in the sermon on the Mount.

    1. Adversity - (James 1:2, 12; 5:10; Matt. 5:10-12)
    2. Prayer - (James 1:5; 4:3; 5:13-18; Matt. 6:6-13; 7:7-12)
    3. The Single Eye - (James 1:8; 4:8; Matt. 6:22-23)
    4. Wealth - (James 1:10-11; 2:6-7; Matt. 6:19-21, 24-34)
    5. Wrath - (James 1:19-20; 4:1; Matt. 5:22)
    6. The Law - (James 1:25; 2:1, 12-13; Matt. 5:17-44)
    7. Mere Profession - (James 1:26-27; Matt. 6:1-18)
    8. The Royal Law - (James 2:8; Matt. 7:12)
    9. Mercy - (James 2:13; Matt. 5:7)
    10. Faith and Works - (James 2:14-26; Matt.7:15-27)
    11. Root and Fruit - (James 3:11-12; 7:16-20)
    12. True Wisdom - (James 3:13; Matt. 7:24)
    13. The Peacemaker - (James 3:17-18; Matt.5:9)
    14. Judging Others - (James 4:11-12; Matt. 7:1-5)
    15. Rusted Treasures - (James 5:2; Matt. 6:19)
    16. Oaths - (James 5:12; Matt. 5:33-37)

  4. Many have called this "the book of Proverbs" of the New Testament because of its many resemblances.

    1. James style is rugged, vivid, and graphic.
    2. It is difficult to outline.
    3. The word wisdom recurs frequently.

  5. 5. It makes thirty references to things in nature (1:6, 10, 11,17, 18; 3:3-8, 11, 12, 18; 4:14; 5:2-5, 7, 14, 17, 18)


Important Characters:

  1. The book of James contains no personal references, but rather James refers to his readers as "brethren," fifteen times (1:2; 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19)

  2. James makes references to:

    1. Abraham - (James 2:21, 23)
    2. Isaac - (James 2:21)
    3. Rahab - (James 2:25)
    4. Job - (James 5:11)
    5. Elijah - (James 5:7)


General Outline

  1. Problems And Believers: (James 1:1-12)

    1. The Reason We Have Problems (James 1:1-4)
    2. How To Resolve Problems (James 1:5-8)
    3. The Result Of Going Through Problems (James 1:9-11)
    4. Our Reward (James 1:12)

  2. Temptations And Christians: (James 1:13-18)

    1. Where Temptations Come From (James 1:13-14)
    2. The Results Of Temptation (James 1:15-16)
    3. Overcoming Temptation (James 1:17-18)

  3. God's Word And The Believer: (James 1:19-27)

    1. Receiving God's Word (James 1:19-21)
    2. Responding To And Revealing God's Word (James 1:22-27)

  4. Learning To Accept Other's, God's Way: (James 2:1-13)

    1. Respect For Others (James 2:1-7)
    2. Observing The Royal Law (James 2:8-11)
    3. Our Exhortation (James 2:12-13)

  5. The Two Types Of Faith: (James 2:14-26)

    1. The Question Of Faith (James 2:14-17)
    2. The Verification Of Faith (James 2:18-20)
    3. Examples Of Faith (James 2:21-26)

  6. The Tongue: (James 3:1-12)

    1. The Accountability Of Teachers (James 3:1)
    2. The Ability Of The Tongue (James 3:2-5a)
    3. The Destructive Power Of The Tongue (James 3:5b-8)
    4. The Revealing Power Of The Tongue (James 3:9-12)

  7. Two Types Of Wisdom: (James 3:13-18)

    1. The Outward Evidence Of Wisdom (James 3:13)
    2. The Wisdom From Below (James 3:14-16)
    3. The Wisdom From Above (James 3:17-18)

  8. Christian Conflicts: (James 4:1-6)

    1. The Source Of Conflicts (James 4:1-2a)
    2. The Behavior That Causes Conflicts (James 4:2b-3)
    3. The Effects Of Conflict (James 4:2c, 4-5)
    4. God's Grace And Conflicts (James 4:6)

  9. The Ten Commandments Of Resolving Christian Conflicts: (James 4:7-12)

    1. Submit Yourself To God (James 4:7a)
    2. Resist The Devil (James 4:7b)
    3. Draw Near To God (James 4:8a)
    4. Cleanse Your Hands (James 4:8b)
    5. Purify Your Hearts (James 4:8c)
    6. Be Miserable (James 4:9a)
    7. Mourn (James 4:9b)
    8. Weep (James 4:9c)
    9. Humble Yourselves (James 4:10)
    10. Do Not Speak Evil Against Other Christians (James 4:11-12)

  10. Losing Our Focus: (James 4:13-17)

    1. The Sin Of Presumption (James 4:13)
    2. Regaining Our focus (James 4:14-15)
    3. The Sin of Boastful Pride (James 4:16)
    4. The Sin Of Knowing Better (James 4:17)

  11. Money Problems: (James 5:1-6)

    1. What Their Riches Will Bring (James 5:1-4)
    2. The Way The Rich Used Their Wealth (James 5:3-5)
    3. The Way They Got Their Wealth (James 5:4, 6)

  12. Patient Endurance: (James 5:7-11)

    1. The Patience Of The Farmer (James 5:7-9)
    2. The Patience Of The Prophets (James 5:10)
    3. The Patience Of Job (James 5:11)

  13. Oaths And Christians: (James 5:12)

  14. The Prayer Of The Saints: (James 5:13-20)

    1. Prayer For The Afflicted (James 5:13)
    2. Prayer For The Sick (James 5:14-16)
    3. Prayer For The Nation (James 5:17-18)
    4. Prayer For The Backslidden (James 5:19-20)

Go To James Chapter 1 (Part One) - Click Here!

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Last modified: 4/10/2007