The ancient church tradition says that the author is James (Jas 1:1a) who was the half-brother of Jesus (Gal 1:19), the leader of the congregation in Jerusalem until his martyrdom around 62 or 69 AD. James was a very straightforward person, something that can be seen in his letters. James is speaking to Jews who have become Christians (Jas 1:1b), but it's also very applicable to Gentiles (non-Jews).
A great persecution was going on against these Christians (Acts 8:1). It was a hard and difficult time for them. We shouldn't give in to it. We should rejoice when we face trials of various kinds because it gives perseverance (Jas 1:2–4):
- Allow God to use difficulties in our life as training (Deu (5 Mos) 8:2).
We should accept hardship as discipline (Psalm 26:2), see
God rebukes us to become more sanctified in The Book of Hebrews. - Continue to trust God that he wants our best (Rom 8:1, 28).
God has intended that the trials we face will eventually bear good fruit
and will be a blessing to us. - Don't give room to discouragement and bitterness.
Trials either make us better or bitter. - Don't give way to self-pity. It can help to do something for someone else.
- Be responsive when confronted with sin and repent of it (Jas 1:21).
- Stay in touch with Christ. Don't let hardship chase you away from the Lord, from spending time reading the Bible, praying, or Christian fellowship.
God doesn't show partiality, as men do (Jas 2:1–8). When we receive Jesus into our lives, we become children of God (John 1:12). We are all children of God equally, whether we are popular or not popular, male or female, reach or poor
(Proverbs 22:2). We shouldn't show partiality, it's a sin (Jas 2:9–10), see Unity.
See this explained at time 6:17–13:27 in James 2 (Part 1) :1-13.
(Proverbs 22:2). We shouldn't show partiality, it's a sin (Jas 2:9–10), see Unity.
See this explained at time 6:17–13:27 in James 2 (Part 1) :1-13.
God tests us, but God doesn't tempt people (Jas 1:13), Satan does. Every person is tempted when he is enticed by his own evil desire (Jas 1:14).
Jesus quoted the Word of God when he was tempted by the devil (Mat 4:1–11,
Luke 4:1–13). He never fell into temptation, he was without sin (1 John 3:5,
Heb 2:18). See time 13:47–15:29 in August 2024 Bible Q&A.
Jesus quoted the Word of God when he was tempted by the devil (Mat 4:1–11,
Luke 4:1–13). He never fell into temptation, he was without sin (1 John 3:5,
Heb 2:18). See time 13:47–15:29 in August 2024 Bible Q&A.
We should strive to resist temptations. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (Jas 4:7b, 1 Pet 5:8–9). "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one." (Eph 6:13, 16, 1 Cor 10:13,
Gal 5:16), see The Book of Ephesians. Sin brings destruction and death (Jas 1:15),
see The Book of Jude.
Gal 5:16), see The Book of Ephesians. Sin brings destruction and death (Jas 1:15),
see The Book of Jude.
How to minimize the impact of sin in our lives:
- Temptations come from Satan or from desires in our heart. We should spend time in God's Word and let it judge our heart (Heb 4:12).
We should be opened to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can convict us of something that needs to change in our life. - We shouldn't do what our evil desires want us to do (John 3:20–21).
We should bring our sin into the light and confess it to God as sin. - We should avoid places where we are weak to avoid falling into temptation.
We should be doers of God's Word and not just hearers (Jas 1:22–25, Mat 7:24–27), see The Parable about the Wise and Foolish Builders.
We are saved by grace through faith and not by work, but faith leads to works
(Jas 2:14, 17, 20, 24, 26), see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas.
There should be no contrast between what we say and how we live (Jas 2:15–17). What we do is a result of what we believe. True faith is seen in our actions.
The faith that Abraham had led to actions (Jas 2:21–23), see The Life of Abraham.
"Faith was active along with his (Abraham's) works, and faith was completed by his works." (Jas 2:21–22). Our faith is proved by our good works, see
time 35:43–40:40 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul - June 2023.
We are saved by grace through faith and not by work, but faith leads to works
(Jas 2:14, 17, 20, 24, 26), see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas.
There should be no contrast between what we say and how we live (Jas 2:15–17). What we do is a result of what we believe. True faith is seen in our actions.
The faith that Abraham had led to actions (Jas 2:21–23), see The Life of Abraham.
"Faith was active along with his (Abraham's) works, and faith was completed by his works." (Jas 2:21–22). Our faith is proved by our good works, see
time 35:43–40:40 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul - June 2023.
Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luk 6:45b). We must think about what we say (Proverbs 10:19, 11:9, 15:4, Psalm 141:3). Our tongue can start a big fire (Jas 1:26, 3:5–6, 1 Pet 3:10). We can use it to bless the Lord, but also to curse other people (Jas 3:9). It must not be so (Jas 3:10–12, Mat 12:36–37).
We must allow the Holy Spirit to change our heart to prevent that (Jas 3:8).
We must allow the Holy Spirit to change our heart to prevent that (Jas 3:8).
Wisdom from God is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere (Jas 3:13–18).
The Mosaic Laws aren't bad, but keeping those Laws for the purpose of being saved or righteous is wrong (Rom 3:20). We should love our neighbor as ourselves,
then we fulfill these Laws (Rom 13:8–11), see The Golden Rule in
The Sermon on the Mount. See also Jesus and the Young Rich Man. Therefore, we shouldn't speak evil or judge each other by speaking bad of other people
(Jas 4:11–12), see Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount. We should condemn sin when it's committed by other believers (1 Cor 5:12–13a). But then it's important to speak the truth in love. We shouldn't be condemning or unkind to the person if we condemn a sin in the person's life, see Dealing With Sin in the Church.
then we fulfill these Laws (Rom 13:8–11), see The Golden Rule in
The Sermon on the Mount. See also Jesus and the Young Rich Man. Therefore, we shouldn't speak evil or judge each other by speaking bad of other people
(Jas 4:11–12), see Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount. We should condemn sin when it's committed by other believers (1 Cor 5:12–13a). But then it's important to speak the truth in love. We shouldn't be condemning or unkind to the person if we condemn a sin in the person's life, see Dealing With Sin in the Church.
We should involve God in our plans (Jas 4:13–17), see time 12:46–15:43 in
Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ January 2024. He is the Lord of our lives.
Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ January 2024. He is the Lord of our lives.
James confronts the rich who exploit their employees (Jas 5:1–5). He isn't saying that wealth is evil. But it can corrupt a person's heart (1 Tim 6:6–10), see
The Love of Money.
The Love of Money.
There is a great blessing in bringing back a Christian who has wandered away from the Lord (Jas 5:19–20), see The Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.
See also The New Testament of the Bible.
