James 1
Greeting to the Twelve Tribes
1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings.
Summary of the Bible Reading
The Book of James is a very practical book. Rather than talking about who Jesus is and how we can be saved, it focuses on what we need to do once we have received salvation, once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It teaches us how we are to live the Christian life…in a practical, every day way.
Today we are going to start a series on the Book of James. We will be going pretty slowly through the Book of James over several months so that we can get the most out of. But, as we go through the Book of James, let us resolve not only be hearers of the word, but also doers.
The Book of James emphasizes works, probably more than anywhere else in the Bible. Some people think the writings of Paul and the Book of James are in contradiction. However, we have to keep in mind that James’ emphasis is not that we can attain salvation through our good works. Because clearly that is not so. Paul makes it clear that salvation is based on faith alone. Thus, James is not writing about how to become a Christian, but rather how to act like one. Having all the correct beliefs about God is not enough: even demons believe in God. Real, life-giving faith should produce action, and James clearly lays out the specific spiritual actions expected of believers.
Lesson
Author
Lets take a look at verse 1, which starts with identifying the author:
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
He identifies himself as James. There are at least three other men in the New Testament we recognize by this name.[1]
1. The son of Zebedee and brother of John (Mark 1:19). It is unlikely he is the author since he was martyred under Herod Agrippa I before this epistle was written.
2. There was James the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18). It is unlikely that he was the author either and little is known about him. Some equate the son of Alphaeus with the Lord’s brother, by claiming that James was really Jesus’ cousin. This contention violates a literal interpretation of “brother” and is an attempt to support the invention of the perpetual virginity of Mary.
3. There is also James the father of Judas (not Iscariot; Luke 6:16). This James did not figure as an important person in the early church and it is doubtful that he authored the book of James.
4. Finally, there is James the half brother of the Lord (Matt. 13:55; Gal.1:19). He was raised in the same family and household as the Lord Jesus Christ. But James was not a believer until after the resurrection. James was a predominate figure in the early church. In Acts chapter 15, a controversy arose among believers. The Judaizers claimed that to be truly saved and to be a Christian, one had to adhere to all the Old Testament rituals and laws. This controversy lead to what is know as the first Jerusalem Council, which was to determine what was to be accepted as truth. It is believed that this James presided over this meeting and made a rendering a verdict on the issue. Some say this James was the first Bishop or Pastor of the church at Jerusalem.
Normally, you would think that a man in such a position in the church and also a half-brother of Jesus surely would introduce himself with that respect, “I am James the half-brother of Jesus.” Or, “James the leader of the church at Jerusalem.”
But look at how he introduces himself:
James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
What does this phrase tell us about James relationship with Jesus?
A bond-slave during the time of Christ was a slave who was released, but willingly made the choice of indefinite slavery. (Exodus 21:6).
The bond-servant (doulos) had five characteristics that were true of his life:
- He was “owned”, totally possessed by his master.
- He “existed only for his master”, and had rights only as his Master allowed him.
- He “served only” his Master.
- He had no “will but that of the Master”. (see II Corinthians 10:3-5)
- He had a “title commensurate with the One he served”. Just as Joseph served Pharoah and had his power, and Daniel served the King and shared his power, “true slaves of Jesus share His power” as well as His Kingdom. (see 1 Corinthians 7:22; Ephesians 6:6; Colossians 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:24)
What else do we see in James’ introduction? We see that he finds his identity in Christ now. As believers, we too should find out identity in Christ. I once read a scrap someone wrote to a friend and she said, “In college, I am known as ‘The Christian Girl.’” You know, that is a wonderful identity. Remember, “Christian is not a religion…it means “Christ like.” Would it be wonderful to be known as the “Christ-like Girl”?
Destination
Lets now look at the next phrase in verse 1, which identifies the recipients of this letter:
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad
The “twelve tribes” is a common New Testament title for Jews. Thus, it appears that James wrote his letter to early Jewish Christians residing in Gentile communities outside of Palestine. The phrase “which are scattered abroad” refers to the fact that because of the great persecution, these early Christians they left Jerusalem and were scattered to many other countries.
Here we see that although these Christian Jews were physically apart they were still one in the grace of God. This should encourage us today that nothing happens to us that will ever take us out of the care of God. Nothing removes us from His concern for our lives.
Date
It is widely accepted that the Book of James was written between A.D. 45 and 48. James was killed in A.D. 62, so the epistle had to be written before this date. Also there is no mention of the decisions made at the Jerusalem Council held around A.D. 48 to 49, that James presided over (Acts 15). So this means the epistle had to be written prior to this date. The book of James is probably the earliest of the New Testament writings.
Greetings
James starts the letter, with the simple word, “Greetings.” This word is literally translated “Rejoice.” When we believe in Jesus, we truly have much to rejoice over. When we know we are not in the storm alone, we can rejoice. When we know the God that is watching over us has the answer, we can rejoice. When we know that there is hope beyond the circumstances, we can rejoice.