James

Book Reviews aim to provide succinct, thoughtful summaries of books I have read. Each review contains quotes from the book, thoughts from others, and also some thoughts of my own. Typically they will be structured in the following order: author, introduction, message and purpose, remarkable chapter, and conclusion. This review will cover James, a book written around 50 AD and one that is part of a larger collection of books called The Bible.

James

Author

James

Introduction

The book of James is a wonderful companion piece to the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the four Gospels. James has a strong ethical emphasis that is consistent with the moral teachings Jesus gave to His disciples. James also mirrors the sometimes harsh denunciations that Jesus spoke against religious hypocrisy. Like Jesus' teachings, the book of James is both a source of exhortation and comfort, reproof and encouragement. Finally, James is known for being extremely practical, yet it contains some of the most profound theological truths of the New Testament.

Message and Purpose

As a general epistle, James was addressed to a broad audience (Jewish Christians) rather than a specific audience (e.g., Christians at Galatia only). There is an obvious concern to address internal and external difficulties being faced by Jewish Christian congregations. Externally they were facing trials (1:2), particularly oppression of various sorts exerted by wealthy landowners. It does not appear that the oppression was religious in nature. Internally it appears that dissension was caused by a lack of self-control (1:13-17), uncontrolled speech, and false teachings that led to a misunderstanding of true religion (1:19-27; 2:1-4; 3:1-8), favoritism toward the wealthy (2:1-13), and selfish ambition that led to murder and criticism (4:1-12).

James addressed these issues primarily through the application of principles defined by the Old Testament wisdom tradition. The solutions he named reflected the wisdom from above that comes from the "Father of lights" (1:17) who gives wisdom generously to those who ask for it. Wisdom is required for proper speech in worship and in determining who ought to teach (1:19-27; 3:1-8). Wisdom is also needed to avoid internal conflicts that create dissension within congregations (3:13-18; 4:1-12). The theme of faith in action is also important (1:19-27; 2:14-26); James demonstrated that faith that does not express itself in good works is useless. Another theme of the epistle is ethics, especially social justice (2:1-13; 4:1-12; 5:1-12).

Remarkable Chapter

James rips off a powerful chapter to start the book. He begins by telling his readers that they should, "Consider it a great joy whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James encourages us to consider hardships as a blessing in disguise, as it can lead to beneficial pruning of our spirit.

One of the main focuses of this first chapter is the connection between faith and works. While some people think James is at odds with Paul about the Christian's relationship to the law, both authors actually combine to give us a solid understanding of the Old Testament law. James showed believers that their obedience to God's moral standards is an indication of a living faith, which is a life lived in step with the One who met the demands of the law.

Speaking directly to this relationship, James practically guides the reader on how to put faith into action in verses 22-25:

"But be doers of the word and not just hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works - this person will be blessed in what he does."

Conclusion

James continually called for obedience to the law of God. He never referred to the ceremonial law, but to the moral law - doing what is right. A quick side note on the author: James is identified as the brother of Jesus from various sources in the New Testament, although he was not a follower of Christ during his earthly ministry. A post-resurrection appearance convinced James that Jesus is indeed the Christ; a strong reminder that it's never too late to follow Jesus and He is never too far away. James would later go on to lead the Jerusalem church, exercising great influence there.