EquippedMama

When you receive a phone call, what is the first thing you wonder? Who is calling? Why are they calling me? What is their message?

When we read a book of the Bible, these questions should be just as much at the forefront of our thinking and are foundational to our understanding of the text. As we delve into the first verse of James, we explore three necessary questions for considering throughout further study.

Perhaps the most obvious question to consider is, “who is James?”

 The authors of the epistles almost always started their greeting with their name and relationship to Jesus Christ (Timothy 1:1, 1 Peter 1:1, Jude 1) and this epistle is no different. The only difficulty that is raised is that multiple individuals with the name James are seen in the New Testament. Most scholars believe that this James was the half brother of Jesus, listed several times in the New Testament by this relationship (Matthew 13:55, Galatians 1:19). This James eventually served as a leader in the infantile Christian church, and this position of authority made him a prime candidate for the writing of this epistle (Acts 12:17, 15:13).

A Slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a tremendous title for the half-brother of Jesus to confess! Although Scripture insinuates that James did not always believe in Jesus’ divinity (John 7:5), he clearly came to the understanding of who Jesus is. Perhaps it was after Jesus’ resurrection, when He appeared to James (1 Corinthians 15:7). Clearly there was a point where James understood Jesus’ true identity and mission, evidenced by James’ humble admission that he was a slave of Jesus Christ.

James addresses this letter much the same way that Peter addresses his audience (1 Peter 1:1)- he writes to people displaced from their home. These are “the twelve tribes dispersed abroad.” Scholars suggest that these believers were scattered either as a result of the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7) or, perhaps more likely, as a response to the bloodshed caused by King Herod towards Christ-followers (Acts 12). The writing of this epistle is very early in Church history- before 62 A.D. (when James was martyred). To this scattered church which was learning how to follow Christ in the midst of persecution and unrest, James wrote this general letter outlining the behavior and mindset of a Christian.

How ought a believer to live? This is an overarching theme present in the book of James. Hitting a plethora of practical living topics, such as joy in trials, taming the tongue, and living without hypocrisy, James helped believers see their responsibility to live fully devoted to God.

Many scholars discuss the heavily stated “works” theme (see James 2:14-26) suggesting that James stands contrary to the teaching of Paul on salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). This is not the case (but more on that later) as James stresses that those who are saved through faith should live out their faith through works.

Why ought a Mama to study the book of James? Perhaps you’re wondering why this book is relevant to your life stage or your experiences? Simply put, all Scripture is useful for all people at all stages of life- and knowing the heart of God as revealed in His Word transcends our surface-level desires to make Scripture applicable. Please approach this study with a desire to know God better, to understand His heart for His people more clearly, and to honestly seek to understand where your life does not align to His calling for believers. This is the message of James.

How to do this study:

In this Bible study we will be going through the book of James once per week. It is my suggestion that you print off the entire epistle and keep it somewhere you can access easily- along with a few highlighters and pens. Each week, work to read the entire text and complete the homework assignments to grow in your own understanding of what the letter is saying. Attached is a copy of the text (printer friendly) if you want to follow along in the NET version.

Homework:

Read the book of James, re-read, looking for repeated words and ideas, and highlight in yellow God’s names or specific references to Him.

Next Week Focus passage: James 1:2-8 Trials and Temptations

Notes:

The NET Bible is copyright through the following source. NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

For further study see the following sources.

Dr. Stanley Toussaint James – Dallas Theological Seminary – Free Online CoursesDallas Theological Seminary – Free Online Courses (dts.edu)

MacArthur, John. Bible Introductions, James. Grace to You. 2007. Bible Introductions – James by John MacArthur (blueletterbible.org)

Jensen, Irving. James A Self-Study Guide, Chicago, 1971. Print.

Downloadable file of James below: