James
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Reading Guide
James
October 6-12
Author: James the half brother of Jesus. His Hebrew name is YA’AKOV (Jacob)
He was a leader of the church in Jerusalem for many years. There is strong traditional evidence that he was executed by the Jerusalem religious leaders between 62 AD and 69 AD. This letter was probably written shortly before his death.
The book of James consists of an introduction followed by 12 teachings about wholehearted devotion to Jesus.
Two main influences on James as he wrote the letter:
The teachings of Jesus, particularly the Sermon on the Mount
The first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs
These lead to:
Short wisdom speeches full of metaphors and one-liners
Emphasis on Jesus’ summary of the Torah: Love God and love neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40)
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Vs. 2-4 - Life’s trials produce endurance and can make us perfect (teleios: wholeness, integrity)
Vs. 5-8 - God gives wisdom to those who ask in faith.
Vs. 9-11 - Poverty can force us to trust God; wealth will pass away.
Vs. 12-18 - God is generous and gives us new birth in Jesus.
Vs. 19-27 - Don’t just listen to God’s word, but do it. The Torah of Freedom calls us to speak with love; serve the poor; be wholly devoted to God.
Twelve teachings
2:1-13 - Favoritism vs. Love (Matthew 5:46-48)
2:14-26 - Genuine faith vs. dead faith (Matthew 7:21-27)
3:1-12 - The tongue - good and bad (Luke 6:43-45)
3:13-18 - True wisdom vs. false wisdom (Matthew 5:3-11)
4:1-10 - A divided heart (Matthew 6:21)
4:11-12 - Condemning others (Matthew 12:36-37)
4:13-17 - The arrogance of wealth. “Your life is just a mist” (Matthew 6:28-34)
5:1-6 - The danger of wealth. “Your wealth will rot, just like you.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
5:7-11 - Patience and endurance (Matthew 24:13)
5:12 - Telling the truth. “Let your YES mean YES.” (Matthew 5:37)
5:13-18 - Faith-filled prayers (Matthew 21:21-22)
5:19-20 - Restoring others