I would like to invite you to join me on a journey through the Book of James. We will be exploring this New Testament book for the next 5 weeks. Before you go any further, take some time to read through it. James is five chapters long and should take you about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Go there now! Don’t delay.
Author
James is authored by James “the brother of Jesus.” He was the biological brother of Jesus. Even though he was a blood relative, he did not believe Jesus was the Christ until after the resurrection.
For not even his brothers believed in him. John 7:5 (ESV)
Soon after the resurrection it seems he had a conversion. Acts 1:14 tells how the brothers of Jesus were present with the disciples after the resurrection but before Pentecost.
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. Acts 1:14 (ESV)
Later we see James as a leader in the church at Jerusalem (see Acts 15:12-21, Galatians 1:19, Galatians 2:9). He was martyred in 62 AD.
Recipients
The Book of James is one of the earliest written books in the New Testament, if not the earliest. It is not so much a book as much as it is a letter. It is written to Jewish Christians who were scattered throughout the world after the martyrdom of Stephen.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 8:1 (ESV)
James is not a personal letter, but a chain letter, designed to be passed from person to person and church to church. While the original intended recipients were Jewish Christians of the first century, this letter has insight for all believers, both Jewish and Gentile.
Theme
James is sometimes referred to as the Proverbs of the New Testament. Proverbs was a book in the Old Testament, written by King Solomon, filled with numerous wise sayings. James is a book that is filled with much wisdom and practical thoughts for everyday living.
If you had to use one word to capture the theme of this book, it would be perseverance. James says:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:2-3 ESV)
We rarely associate joy with the challenges of life, but James makes the point that a believer can meet adversity with joy. We see several examples of this in the Scriptures. There is the apostle Paul writing from prison:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 (ESV)
Then there is Jesus himself:
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross . . . Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)
The reality is we will all encounter difficult moments in life. We cannot prevent the trials of life, but we can choose how we respond to them. James gives us the wisdom to persevere and even find joy in the most difficult challenges.
Tomorrow we will begin to take a look at some of the tools and assets God gives us to face adversity. In the meantime, take a look at the questions below and if you have not done so already, read through the book of James.
Questions/Thoughts for Reflection
- What is a challenge you faced in the past that helped you grow closer to Christ?
- What lessons have you learned from facing adversity?
- What adversity are you facing right now where you need to rely on the power of Christ?
- Do you know someone who is facing a difficult time? What can you do right now, before you do anything else, to encourage them?
Gary Kessler says
Glad to be getting your devotionals again. I didn’t know James was one of the first New Testament books written. Did I hear Martin Luther didn’t care much for James?
Phil Ressler says
The letter is addressed to the twelve tribes. It might be because there were not many Gentile believers yet.
Kathryn says
I was of the understanding that James relied on “good works” in order to be saved, not the grace of God through Jesus, and that is why Martin Luther was not “fond” of the book.
Phil Ressler says
We will talk about that section of James next week. It is true that Luther was not as fond of this book. It is also true the faith and works section of the book that is often misunderstood. We will talk about it more, but in the meantime recognize that we are saved by works. It is the work of Jesus that saves us. Our faith is placed in the perfect work he accomplished on the cross. Those are some initial thoughts, but I will have more to share.
JOAN says
So many things I have read lately refer to James. Obviously, God is giving me a gentle push to study this letter. Thank you. JOAN
Don Schumaker says
Thank you for this study. We are going through a rough road right now and I know this study will help us. God walks with us each step of the way and I know He is teaching us patience and perseverance.
Renee says
I am so happy once again to be receiving your emails! This looks like a great study!
ii says
yes it well be a great study to us or any one
in the world.
nancymiller1048 says
I have missed getting devotions from you. I am pleased to be studying the book of James with you!
Kathy says
This sounds like a good study!
Anne-Marie Webster says
I’m so happy that you are providing a new study. I enjoyed the study we did for Lent and was sorry to see it end. Thank you. I am looking forward to the next 5 weeks.
Virginia Greene says
Thank you for being back! I have missed the daily devotional sand I’m looking forward to studying James (ole Camel Knees) with you. Virginia
Barbara says
Thank so much for these daily devotionals. I have missed them. When I saw this today and the subject, I felt that it was my “God Wink”.
Ginny says
Thank you for this email…always appreciated the 40 days of Lent series…and looking forward to understanding the book of James…always appreciated this book of the Bible, it was practical and you could
use it as a GPS of how to walk as a Christian…..thank you
Latonia says
On Sunday our pastor spoke on James as we as a local body are going through a difficult time.
Now you start James??? I agree with Joan – guess God wants me to learn more about perseverance & how to walk thru it with joy.
Hummie says
I really enjoyed the 40 Days of Lent, so I was excited to see you were starting something new. I think I am going to make it a personal goal to follow this study. Off to read James now. 15 to 20 minutes? Maybe I’ll time it. (Missouri)
Hummie says
Wow! You’re good! 17 minutes, 20.95 seconds!
Phil Ressler says
Wow, I confess I did not time how long I took. More of an educated guess.
Dina says
I am glad we are doing this study. I enjoyed your Lent study and the videos that accompanied them. Thank you.
Marty Merryman says
Some from our ladies mission group just yesterday went to hear a Jewish Christian explain how the celebration of Hannukah relates to todays Christians through our Jewish roots. So I’m ready to see what James had to say to the Jewish Christians!