James Intro
Several months ago, the world seemingly shut down as a pandemic reached the doorsteps of people all across the world. Students came home from school for a weekend, only to learn over time that it was the end of their time “in school” for the rest of the year. Parents aren’t able to go to work and need to adjust to working from home. Many have lost their jobs and are unsure of how to pay bills or put food on the table. There is no argument that these are uncertain and unusual days! So where do we turn to know how to get through difficult days like these?
The book of James is all about practical advice for how to live wisely and with integrity. All throughout his letter, James is encouraging Christians to endure whatever difficulties might come our way, knowing that God will use those struggles to help us to mature in our faith!
I know that digging in to study the Bible on your own or with a group of people can be intimidating when you don’t understand everything you read or know where to even begin to dig deeper and apply what the Bible is saying to your life in a personal way. So where do we even begin? It’s my hope that during this Bible Study, I can help you to learn ways to utilize other tools or a few common strategies that will help you to get the most out of your time in God’s Word!
Before we dive into our study in James, it will be useful to know a few things about James and what was going on when he wrote this letter.
W H O W A S J A M ES ? :
In biblical times, there were a lot of men named James. It's uncertain which of the many people named James wrote this book. Tradition leads us to believe that the most likely candidate was James, the brother of Jesus. He was probably the oldest of Jesus' four younger brothers. James didn't always believe in his brother. It wasn't until Jesus rose again that James fully believed in Him. Before this event, James and the rest of his family thought Jesus was a little crazy, constantly wandering through Galilee and Judea proclaiming some "kingdom of God." But once James understood his brother, he became a leader in the church in Jerusalem - Paul even called James one of the pillars of the church. He was with Peter when Paul visited three years after his conversion; he was the person Peter contacted after miraculously escaping from prison; and he provided a convincing argument to the council in Jerusalem, challenging them to accept Gentiles into God's family. James was called "the Just" or "the Righteous" by Christians and non-Christians alike.
H I S T O R Y :
The book of James was probably written between AD 48 and 52, though nothing in the epistle suggests a more precise date. The reference to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" (1:1) suggests the letter was written to Jewish Christians living outside of Israel. The reference to a synagogue in 2:2 also suggests that his audience was Jewish Christians. References to their circumstances (for example, oppression by wealthy landowners, 5:1-6) could refer to congregations anywhere in the Roman Empire.
P U R P O S E O F T H I S L E T T E R :
Like much of the New Testament, the book of James is actually a letter. Reading these letters is similar to reading a letter from a friend. But this letter was written over nineteen hundred years before you were born; there are no juicy bits of personal information, and you aren't really that tight with its author. Other than that they're exactly the same. It makes sense for us to look at James' letter as if it were written just for us, because it was, in a sense.
What is unique about the letter of James is its focus: it closely aligns with Jesus' own message. It is obvious from his manuscript that James was very familiar with Jesus' teachings, especially those found in the book of Matthew. For example, James (like Jesus) taught that the poor inherit God's kingdom, that the persecuted are blessed, and that merciful actions reflect faith. These references allow readers to assume that James thoroughly understood Jesus' message.
Also, James, like Jesus, was very much a Jewish Christian. He focused most of his attention on God the Father and who we are as God's creatures - favorite topics of Jewish believers. Unlike other New Testament writers, James assumed that his readers already knew and believed the gospel; now he wanted to make sure they fully understood the implications of living it out.
James let other people - such as the apostle Paul - worry about the theoretical details; James was more concerned with showing his readers how to live practically with Jesus. He wanted people to understand that yes, faith is certainly foundational, but it must be genuine, proven, and lived out if it's going to amount to anything!
The book of James takes the wisdom of Jesus and gives us a challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God. My hope and prayer is that as you dig into this book of James, you will learn more about how the testing of your faith will produce endurance, shape your character, and will continue to make you whole and perfect through Christ!
Read through all of James at least once.
One of the best ways to prepare for studying a book of the Bible is to read through the entire book at least one time. This helps to lay the foundation for that deeper study, by being able to at least see the big picture of that letter. It’s ok if you don’t understand everything that you read! Reading to get an overview of the book is different than when you read to study. Don’t try to pick out every nugget of wisdom or try to apply what you are reading this time. Just read it.
S T U D Y T I P :
If you are feeling ambitious, try reading this letter in several different translations. I will mostly use the CSB (Christian Standard Bible) during our online study, but I also highly recommend the ESV (English Standard Version). If you want to read a translation this is more conversational, to give you a new perspective, you can try the NLT (New Living Translation). One of the best ways to find different translations of the Bible is to pull up a Bible app on your phone, or visit a website to read the Bible in a different translation.
B I B L E W E B S I T E S :
BibleGateway.com
When you search for a book or passage of the Bible, you can pick from various translations in the drop-down menu. One of my favorite things about this website is that you can also click on the little gear icon for Options, and unselect all of the options (like verse numbers, headings, footnotes) so that what you see and read actually looks more like a letter! Many times, I will even copy and paste the text into a new document on my computer and sometimes I will even print it out, so that I can read it like a letter or save it to take notes and mark it up during my time studying.
Bible.com
This is the same as the YouVersion Bible app - it’s just online. This is a very easy to read version of the Bible and you can select from lots of different translations to read from. It has the option to create an account so that any highlights that you make or notes you write on the website or on the app will be saved so you can see them wherever you read the Bible on your computer or your phone.
B I B L E A P P S :
YouVersion Bible App
This is the mobile app for Bible.com - one of the most user-friendly and easy-to-read versions of the Bible. This app also has lots of great reading plans for daily devotionals.
Logos App
This is one of the best resources for reading the Bible if you also want to go even deeper in your study when you are reading! There are lots of resources available that allow you to read study notes or commentaries on the verses or passages that you are reading.
Faithlife Study Bible App
Another great resource for not just reading the Bible, but also studying deeper into the verses and passages.
Carry Bible App
This is an amazing new resource that not just allows you to the read the Bible, but you can also create groups and read the Bible with friends! It’s easy to use and is a great tool if you are a part of a small group or want to study the Bible with a few friends. Any time something stands out to you while you read or study, you can make a comment and it will allow everyone else in that group to see your thoughts!
D I G D E E P E R
To learn even more background and context,
check out The Bible Project:
James Video: https://youtu.be/qn-hLHWwRYY
R E S O U R C E S
A list of resources used throughout this online Bible Study series in James
James: A Double-Edged Bible Study, A TH1NK LifeChange Study by NavPress. A NavPress resource published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Copyright 2013 by The Navigators.
James Study by SheReadsTruth, https://shereadstruth.com/plans/james/ Copyright 2019 by SheReadsTruth, LLC. All rights reserved.
James Study by HeReadsTruth, http://hereadstruth.com/plan/james/ Copyright 2019 by HeReadsTruth, LLC. All rights reserved.
Grounded: Wisdom for Real Life from Proverbs and James by Clayton and Sharie King, LifeWay Press, 2018.
James: Faith / Works by Matt Chandler. Copyright 2018 The Village Church, Lifeway Press, All rights reserved.
