First on the list was the letter of James to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Although a few theories are supported about the authorship, it is widely thought that James the Just (the brother of Jesus) is the author of this letter. The reason that I support this stand is because after reading the book and diving in a little deeper into the ESV Study Bible, I found that James makes quite a few direct references to Jesus' teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. This to me says that he had to have a pretty good grasp on Jesus' teaching and had to have been around him more than most.
Little did I know before looking at a few commentaries, the twelve tribes were the tribes of Jewish Christians, most likely a group of house churches outside Palestine. There's a lot of talk in this letter about persecutions and trials, so it seems to go along with the notion that these churches had been going through some hard times. James also uses some pretty stern exhortations and convictions, so it would suggest that a good number of the people in the churches have succumbed to the pressure and hard times and have fallen into a worldly lifestyle.
Just this part got me thinking. It seems the reason that James wrote to this group is because some had fallen into following the world. He wanted to warn them to come back and what would happen if they didn't. He loved them enough to write to them and exhort them (rather harshly). He had their best interests at heart.
Keeping all of this in mind, it's easy to see why almost two whole chapters are devoted to talking just about living out our professed faith. Chapter 1, verses 19 to 27 talk specifically about being a doer, and not just a hearer of the Word. And again James 2:14-26 is all about how faith without works is DEAD. Still so much throughout the five chapters of the book comes back to those two ideas. James wanted these people to understand something that they didn't seem to get, that most people, in fact, don't seem to really get. That, after evaluation, I don't seem to really get. How can we call ourselves followers of Christ, if it all just stops with our words? If it doesn't go past our profession of faith? What he wanted people to understand is that true, genuine saving faith in Christ will lead us to action. Some people have made the argument that James is contradicting the solid fact that we are saved by grace through faith alone, and not by works. But on further meditation, he's backing it up. "In reality there is no dichotomy between faith and works" (ESV Study Bible note). He would agree that works have no part in our justification. It's through faith alone that we are saved. But if it is true saving faith, how can works and necessary actions not follow it? Works are the result of this true faith. This goes hand in hand with being a DOER and not just a hearer of the Word.
Another thing that hit me hard was almost elementary. Most (including me) would consider it a very secondary issue in reading Scripture. I was hit with how great a writer James was. The metaphors and allusions and different literary elements that he employs are masterful. They make the text seem that much more real. It gave way to see James' emotions behind the words and warnings. It illuminated his urgency and love in writing to these Jewish believers. It reminded me that James was so human. This wasn't a letter written by robots to some nonexistent people. This was true life. It was relevant. And I believe that it is just as relevant (more so than I could have imagined) to us today.
I feel like this could almost be a letter to the western Church today. So many are falling away and into worldly lifestyles. People are more worried about reputations and money and business and themselves than Jesus. We are worried about our own plans. We have our own agenda that most often does not include Jesus. Kent Hughes once said that that could really be considered "practical atheism". There is no inclusion of God in our daily lives.
I think it's very appropriate that, in the process of studying this book on my own, I got to hear a sermon on the passage of James 4:13-17. These verses set up the model of someone who is making business plans in which God has no part. Then verse 14 says "yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." I learned that the Greek for "mist" or "vapor" is atmos, which can be translated into "atom". Our lives are an atom. They are short, but they are by no means meaningless. So what are we to do with ourselves? Jesus created us with a purpose. To go and make disciples. To make His name known among all nations. In order to do this, we have to make the most of the time God's given us, and the way we do that is by seizing God's Word and promises and teachings. He is to be the main character in our lives. We are secondary in God's plan for us. It's all for His glory, but by His grace, He wants to include us.
These are some of the main things that James addresses in this letter. He was aware of the brevity of our lives, and also the importance. He desired to see the church he was writing to rise up above the world and grasp this concept. He encouraged the poor, gave extreme warning to the wealthy, and preached about the importance of being impartial with everyone. He talked numerous times about wisdom and not falling into worldliness. The church he was writing to needed a reality check. So James gladly wrote one for them.
The Western Church today needs a reality check. We need a "head's up", so to speak. We need to listen to the letter of James and soak up all we can and let the Holy Spirit fill us and have His way in us.
So much more could be written on this book. But I'm probably starting to bore you. So I'll leave it at that. Studying this book for the last three and a half weeks has been incredible. I pray that God will continue to open me up to Him and illuminate His Scriptures to me. I'm most definitely looking forward to starting Galatians next. We'll see the crazy things God does through that.
I'm out.
CRT13
