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Nate Roten / James / James 1:1
Main Idea
The reality of our faith is revealed in the quality of our life. (John Stott).
Passage
James 1:1 ESV
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
Author
There are three candidates in scripture because three people are named James.
1. James son of Zebedee (John’s brother)
2. James son of Alphaeus
3. James Jesus’ half-brother
James son of Zebedee was the first apostle martyred by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12 in 44 AD.
James son of Alphaeus is an obscure figure in scripture and no one in church history names him as the author.
This leaves Jesus’ brother, who is both interesting and powerful since he remained an unbeliever during his brother’s earthly ministry (Jn 7:3–5). He was converted at Jesus’ resurrection (who wouldn’t be) because we see him present as one of the 120 who worshipped and prayed in the upper room just before Pentecost (Acts 1:14).
He quickly became a prominent voice and leader in the Jerusalem church. By the time Paul was converted and had returned from his first missionary trek, James was a figurehead and influential decision-maker at the Jerusalem Council in 50 AD (Acts 15). Not only was he the Lord’s brother (which would have clouted him), but he had a reputation for faithful living and even earned the title of “James the Just” by Christian historians. They note he was frequently on his knees praying in the temple, so much so that his knees became thick and hard like a camel’s knee. Another church historian named Eusebius said this:
“The philosophy and godliness, which his life displayed to so eminent a degree, was the occasion of a universal belief in him as the most just of men.”
Church history also tells us that James became increasingly at odds with the High Priest Ananus, who finally orchestrated his death by stoning after being tried by the Sanhedrin in 62 AD. Ananus was a wealthy, aristocratic Sadducee, so it is not a mystery why he hated James when you read the parts of his letter that rebuked the wealthy’s exploitation of the poor.
It is clear that James wasn’t just talk. He lived out the sage advice he offered the early Church, becoming a noticeably godly man, which is encouraging because if a man who once rejected Jesus as Lord can become that near to God… so can I.
Date
Like many New Testament books, we don’t have an exact date. Though precise dates are disputed, it is widely accepted that the Book of James was written between 40 and 52 AD, which would mean it was one of the first (if not the first) New Testament books written.
Many scholars put its writing in the mid to late 40s because:
1. Jewish Christians are still meeting in synagogues.
2. Church leaders are still being called teachers and elders, as opposed to deacons and bishops (which developed later).
3. James doesn’t mention the issue of circumcision as a requisite for the Christian faith and the inclusion of gentile believers, which was a massive ordeal at the Jerusalem Council in 50 AD, and of which he was a prominent voice.
I agree that it was written before 50 AD. But why does this matter? Well, it matters a great deal in many ways!
1. Apart from the oral stories of Jesus’ ministry, there was no New Testament doctrine written down, meaning they did not have ANY part of the New Testament Bible that we have today. No gospels. No letters from Paul. The book of Acts has only partially been lived out.
2. James was the first to write inspired scripture that guided the early infant church.
3. James was writing to an infant church that was experiencing foundational change and growing persecution from the Jewish authorities.
Circumstance
Remember what has happened from Pentecost until the supposed writing of this letter:
The Apostle’s ministry grew significantly in Jerusalem, drawing jealous attention from the Sanhedrin and developing an incredible need for servant leadership to handle the vast needs of the community.
Deacons were selected to handle the practical needs, one of which was Stephen, who was quickly put on trial by the Sanhedrin and swiftly executed as the first Christian martyr, with Paul (then called Saul) standing over his lifeless corpse in happy approval.
Saul became the Sanhedrin’s vicious attack dog against the early church, and this persecution drove a large portion of the Christian community out of Jerusalem.
Philip was one of them, witnessing in Samaria. Peter went to Caesarea and brought the gospel to the first Gentile household. Saul was knocked off his high horse by the risen Christ and was converted, transitioning from the great Persecutor of the church to the great Preacher in the church. Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by the church in Antioch to be the dynamic duo to bring the good news of the gospel to other parts of the Roman Empire.
While Paul and Barnabas were bringing the gospel to the surrounding provinces, James was building up the church in Jerusalem amid perpetual persecution from the Jewish authorities.
So, James penned this epistle while the Sanhedrin were trying desperately to squash the Christian movement (then called The Way). Roman rulers like Herod Agrippa I were also trying to kill Christian leaders (successfully murdering James, the brother of John, and attempting to murder Peter). Paul had ravaged the church but was now building it back up. This new movement that his brother initiated was powerful but undefined. It was a natural outpour of the Jewish faith, yet there were so many things that were different about it. Many Christians were under fire, disoriented by recent events, and wondering how to live out their newfound faith in such a chaotic environment.
I’m sure these things were fodder for his pastoral desire to write the first letter of instruction, wisdom, and practical ways to do just that.
Audience
So, who was this letter written to?
As we’ve seen, the Gentiles were only beginning to enter the picture, and James’ base of operations was in Jerusalem, so he was speaking primarily to Jewish Christians. And that is reflected in how he addresses his letter: “to the twelve tribes in the dispersion.”
The dispersion (or Diaspora) refers to all the Jews scattered throughout the surrounding nations since the time of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and now Rome. God’s people are in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Europe, and Northern Africa. This is a clear reference to Israel’s core identity. It would be safe to assume that what James was teaching face-to-face in Jerusalem was what he wanted to convey to all Jewish believers throughout the Roman Empire, whether they were always abroad or had been pushed out by persecution. The mention of the twelve tribes clearly indicates that he wants to convey the message to God’s covenant people, as Paul did.
However, James is addressing Christians. There is no mistaking that his Lord is Jesus Christ, whom he puts on equal footing with God in his opening (which also had to be wild for him to pray to Jesus as God, who is also his brother… just saying). So, referencing the twelve tribes is also James’ way of showing his readers that all who embrace Jesus as Lord and God are God’s covenant people, a theology that Paul will later unpack more fully.
How cool is it that in an introductory statement, James can take a negative circumstance like the decentralization of God’s people from Jerusalem and cast it in light of his brother’s command to take the gospel to every nation, tribe, and tongue!
Themes
You could summarize the entire Book of James as wisdom for practical, faithful living. The book is like a blanket made of many patches. The whole blanket is the theme of faithful living, but it is made up of a bunch of different examples of how that is played out in the life of the believer. These are presented with vivid imagery and imperative commands (be doers of the word and not just listeners, for example). There are over 50 commands in five chapters, an average of ten commands per chapter!
That is his message, and that was how he lived. Because of this, many have called James the Proverbs of the NT because of its no-nonsense, practical wisdom and the similar structure of Proverb’s bite-sized sayings.
The core theme is a call for all Christians to have a living, faithful, and active faith.
But, other reoccurring themes are emphasized repeatedly throughout the letter that describes how to do it successfully:
- perseverance in trials
- deceitfulness of wealth
- the sin of favoritism
- the interplay of faith and works
- worldliness
- judgment
- prayer
Interestingly, James summarizes his intent and themes at the end of the first chapter. Many scholars and commentators see these two verses as an encapsulation of the whole letter:
James 1:26–27 ESV
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
You could view this as James’ plumbline of the Christian life, which entails a duty to:
1. yourself (control your tongue)
2. your neighbor (visit orphans and widows)
3. God (keep unstained, and thus be pure and undefiled before God the Father)
He then elaborates on these things in the rest of the letter (ch. 2—caring for those in need, ch. 3—the power of the tongue, ch 4-5—resisting the world, waiting on the Lord, and the value of prayer).
Because of this, John Stott concluded that James’s message is, “The reality of our faith is revealed in the quality of our life.”
Reflecting Jesus’ teachings
Another striking element of this book is how James wove his brother’s life into his exhortations, though he only mentions Jesus by name twice. Perhaps his use of vivid imagery and illustrations resulted from hearing Jesus talk in parables so often. There is a heavy emphasis on what Jesus said in his sermon on the mount and other key sermons… upwards of 20 parallels!
Why is this relevant?
This is why we need to review the context. First, most of these are not quotations but parallel exhortations, which means they are baked in and assumed. It’s as if James expects his listeners to know the parallel to Jesus’ teachings already.
Here are a few examples:
• Those who suffer trials are “blessed”: James 1:2; Matthew 5:10–12
• The tree determines the fruit: James 3:12; Matthew 7:15–20
Secondly, no gospel account had yet been written, so 20 truths in Jesus’s teachings were preserved and presented to the church before they were officially recorded in one of the four gospels.
Imagine how crucial that was when no New Testament books had yet been written down. It’s true that they still had the Old Testament scriptures, but aside from the oral passing of Jesus’ instruction, they had no authoritative direction for the New Covenant era—not in a sharable, written form that could be passed from church to church. For a small period of time, this was the Christian playbook, and many of the secrets of the Kingdom, from the King Himself, are woven throughout.
Takeaways
Today, my main takeaway is to cherish this small contribution to the Bible. If you struggle and labor in your Christian walk, tripping and staggering as you try to keep moving forward, this book is for you.
This book was written for people who were:
Suffering through various types of trials. Are you going through a difficult season of life right now?
Confused about what it looks like to live a virtuous Christian life in a pagan world. Do you struggle in your spiritual walk? Have you ever wondered if you will ever learn how to do this thing right?
Consistently tempted by what the world has to offer. Are you constantly distracted by the allures of this life: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life? The desire for wealth? Is your career, hobby, or favorite sports team more important than your pursuit of God?
Alone. Many of James’ readers were driven away from their homes, friends, and family. They were cast away and lived in foreign lands and cultures as a part of the dispersion. Do you feel alone right now? Do you feel as though no one sees you or cares about your circumstances? God does, and He gave instructions through a pastoral heart to draw you into His loving community.
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this little book with five tiny chapters could be life changing. It is infused with spiritual and practical wisdom, and twenty truths from Jesus’ ministry are interwoven.
The Book of James is for all of us. It is a long buffet table with more than enough food to satisfy your unique hunger. His message is wisdom, which is knowledge in action. By showing your faith through active obedience and service, you will overcome your trials, worldliness, and sinful inclinations.
So, come to the table, and let’s feast on all of God’s practical wisdom. This wisdom will transform our simple sentiments into loving service and result in a God-honoring, fulfilling life that is rich and beautiful.
Questions to Consider
- Why is dating the Book of James significant in understanding its importance in the early church?
- What are some key themes in the book of James that believers are called to embrace in their daily lives?
- What is the central theme of the book of James, as highlighted in the sermon?
- Considering the call for active faith in the book of James, how can we practically show our faith through obedience and service in our daily interactions with others?