Intro to James


Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

James 1:2-4 
This morning I did my morning Bible study. I did laundry around noon. I wanted to exercise today, but instead I chose to read a book. I like playing with my dog in the mornings and evenings. If you found it difficult to follow the logical flow of the previous statements, don’t worry. Even I found it difficult to find any sort of connection between those statements other than they were describing activities that occurred in my day. The epistle, or letter, of James at times might feel like that; difficult to follow James’ logic as he quickly pivots from one topic to the next.

In a limited sense, it might be better viewed as a sermon, rather than a letter, for various reasons. For instance, it contains no direct references to the original recipients other than that it is generally written to the Diaspora, the dispersed Jews living outside of Israel. Additionally, there is no closing benediction which is typically found in all of the other letters. Lastly, this letter consists of numerous imperatives, about one for every two verses, with allusions to over 20 Old Testament books, and striking parallels to the Sermon on the Mount. A possible theme for the letter is a Christian's endurance in suffering while displaying genuine faith. An outline to reinforce that theme could be genuine religion (ch 1), genuine faith (2:1-3:12), and genuine wisdom (3:13-5:20).

This can be very challenging to us as readers at time since the call of faith that James gives is one which requires us to live out our faith in a world which is increasingly anti-God, but with whole-hearted devotion and trust in Him. It is true faith that James calls his readers, to include ourselves, to live. We are not merely to talk the walk, but to walk the talk (or talk the talk and walk the walk). James is not antinomian, believing that those who are under grace no longer need to keep the law of God, and is not positioning himself against Paul. Rather, James is writing to complement Paul and highlights the fruit of a person with genuine faith. A true believer is not only one who lives a life of moral uprightness, but also one who is generous to others, in keeping with the command to love your neighbor.

In summary, James reminds us that faith in God is not passive, but active. We express our faith in God by our actions and the way we live our lives. Mere Christianity for James is to be doers of the Word and not simply hearers of the word. We control our tongues and share with those who are in need even in the midst of trials of various kinds. We do so having a changed heart and a grateful appreciation of Christ’s perfect work. We also live this way so that any who may have fallen astray may be brought back to life eternal. This epistle may jump from topic to topic, but the believer is firm, unwavering in his faith and devotion to God. Let us be that people.

Grace and Peace,
Alex Galvez

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