December 18, 2025
Faith without deeds is dead.
James 1-5
Scot Buchanan
Big Book Idea
James shows us what faith in action looks like.
Key Verse | James 2:22
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.
James 1-5
Chapter 1
Greeting
1 James, a servant 1 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Testing of Your Faith
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, 2 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated brothers) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19 when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass 3 1:10 Or a wild flower he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 4 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Chapter 2
The Sin of Partiality
1 My brothers, 5 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good 6 2:16 Or benefit is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Chapter 3
Taming the Tongue
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, 7 3:6 Or wheel of birth and set on fire by hell. 8 3:6 Greek Gehenna 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, 9 3:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12 these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Chapter 4
Warning Against Worldliness
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions 10 4:1 Greek pleasures; also verse 3 are at war within you? 11 4:1 Greek in your members 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! 12 4:4 Or You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. 13 4:11 Or brothers and sisters The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 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. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Chapter 5
Warning to the Rich
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, 14 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19 until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 15 5:16 Or The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Footnotes
[1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface[2] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19
[3] 1:10 Or a wild flower
[4] 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning
[5] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14
[6] 2:16 Or benefit
[7] 3:6 Or wheel of birth
[8] 3:6 Greek Gehenna
[9] 3:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12
[10] 4:1 Greek pleasures; also verse 3
[11] 4:1 Greek in your members
[12] 4:4 Or You adulteresses!
[13] 4:11 Or brothers and sisters
[14] 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19
[15] 5:16 Or The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power
Table of Contents
Introduction to James
Timeline
Author, Date, and Recipients
This letter was written by James, the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55) and leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15). It was probably written about A.D. 40–45 to Jewish Christians living outside Palestine.
Theme
Christians must live out their faith. They should be doers, not just hearers, of God’s Word.
Purpose
James’s readers were suffering persecution and living in poverty. They were in social and spiritual conflict. Many believers were living in a worldly manner. James corrects them and challenges them to seek God’s wisdom to work out these problems.
Key Themes
- God is a gracious giver, the unchanging Creator, and merciful and compassionate. He is also a Judge, the one and only God, a jealous God, a gracious God, and a healing God (1:5, 17–18; 2:5, 13, 19; 4:5–6; 5:1–3, 9, 15).
- Wisdom comes “from above.” It enables believers to withstand trials and to have peace rather than divisions among themselves (1:5; 3:13, 17).
- God allows tests and trials (1:2–4), but temptation comes from self and Satan. The required response is patient endurance (1:3, 13–14; 4:7; 5:7–8).
- These trials include poverty and mistreatment by the rich. The poor are the special focus of God’s care. They must be cared for by his people. They must not be taken advantage of or ignored. The wealthy are condemned for pride and for stealing from the poor (1:9, 27; 2:1–5, 15–16; 4:13–17; 5:1–6).
- There is both future judgment and future reward (1:12; 2:5, 12–13; 3:1; 4:12; 5:1–7, 9, 20).
- What a person says has power both to destroy and to bring peace (3:1–4:12).
- Rather than merely hearing God’s word, believers must obey it in their daily actions (1:19–27; 2:14–26).
- Prayer is the proper response to trials, but it must not be self-seeking. It is to be central in all of life’s circumstances, good or bad. God has great power to heal physical and spiritual problems (1:5–7; 4:2–3; 5:13–18).
- James and Paul agree that justification comes only by God’s grace through faith, and that true faith always results in good works. If no works result, there was no justification in the first place (2:14–26).
Outline
- Greeting (1:1)
- The Testing of Faith (1:2–18)
- Hearing and Doing the Word (1:19–27)
- The Sin of Favoritism (2:1–13)
- Faith without Works Is Dead (2:14–26)
- The Sin of Dissension in the Community (3:1–4:12)
- The Sins of the Wealthy (4:13–5:12)
- The Prayer of Faith (5:13–18)
- Concluding Admonition (5:19–20)
The Setting of James
c. A.D. 40–45
The letter of James was likely written to predominantly Jewish Christian house churches outside of Palestine, based on its mention of the “twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1), its distinctly Jewish content, and its focus on persecution and poverty. This would mean it was sent throughout most of the ancient Mediterranean world. The author has traditionally been believed to be James, the brother of Jesus and an early leader of the church in Jerusalem.
Fact: Mirrors
Up until the first century A.D., mirrors in the Near East were made of polished bronze or other metals. With the invention of glass in Lebanon, new techniques could be used to create more reflective surfaces. James compares God’s Word to a mirror in which people can see themselves in the light of God’s truth (1:22–25).
Fact: Was Job a real person?
Was Job a real person? It is not known exactly when Job lived, but he was a real person. Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:11 refer to him as a historical figure.
Fact: A mouth like a sharp sword
A mouth like a sharp sword. The Bible often describes either the mouth or words coming from the mouth as a sword (49:2). One Hebrew word for mouth actually means “edge,” as in “edge of a sword.” It is certainly an accurate picture of the power of words, for good or ill (James 3:1–12).
Fact: Familiar word pictures
Familiar word pictures. The images James uses to describe the power of the tongue (3:1–12) were well chosen to communicate to his original readers. The Greek playwright Sophocles spoke of wild horses being tamed by a small bit in the mouth. The Jewish philosopher Philo compared one’s senses to a helmsman steering a boat. And the Roman historian Plutarch compared a loose tongue to a blazing forest fire.
Fact: Rahab
Rahab is a remarkable example of the fact that God can use whomever he chooses to accomplish his will (1 Cor. 1:26–31). Though a prostitute and a Gentile, Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:5). She is remembered as a model of faith completed in works (James 2:25) and is listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
Fact: What does it mean to submit?
What does it mean to submit? Submission means that one has willingly placed himself or herself under the authority of another. It means humility and obedience, rather than rebellion. Submission to God means that the believer has surrendered to God’s will and embraced the Lord’s rule in his or her life (4:7).
Fact: Two rainy seasons
There are two rainy seasons in Palestine (5:7). The “early rains” come during the fall. Rain during this time is crucial to farmers, because it helps seeds germinate. “Late rains” come in early spring and help the seedlings turn into mature plants.
The Setting of James
c. A.D. 40–45
The letter of James was likely written to predominantly Jewish Christian house churches outside of Palestine, based on its mention of the “twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1), its distinctly Jewish content, and its focus on persecution and poverty. This would mean it was sent throughout most of the ancient Mediterranean world. The author has traditionally been believed to be James, the brother of Jesus and an early leader of the church in Jerusalem.
New Testament Timeline
The following chart provides a detailed New Testament timeline. Most of the dates can be determined precisely by correlating biblical events with extensive historical documents and archaeological evidence. Dates with an asterisk denote approximate or alternative dates. The extensive external confirmation of New Testament dates and events encourages great confidence in the truth and historicity of both the Old and New Testaments.
| 5 B.C.* | Jesus is born in Bethlehem. |
| 4 B.C. | Jesus’ family flees to Egypt to escape from Herod’s plan to kill Jesus (Matt. 2:13–18); Herod dies; Judas (of Sepphoris) and others rebel, requiring the Syrian Governor Varus to intervene throughout Palestine; Sepphoris, a city four miles from Nazareth, is destroyed by Roman soldiers; Judea, Samaria, and Idumea are given to Herod’s son, Archelaus; Galilee and Perea are given to his son Antipas; Jesus’ family, after returning from Egypt, resides in Nazareth (Matt. 2:19–23), a small village in southern Galilee. |
| A.D. 6 | Archelaus is exiled for incompetence; Judea becomes a Roman province; Judas the Galilean (of Gamla) leads a revolt against the tax census; the governor of Syria, Quirinius (A.D. 6–7), appoints Annas high priest (6–15). |
| 8* | Jesus (age 12) interacts with the teachers in the temple (Luke 2:41–50). |
| 8*–28/30 | Jesus works as a carpenter in Nazareth (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3) and probably in neighboring villages and Sepphoris, which was being rebuilt. |
| 28–29* | John the Baptist begins his ministry around the Jordan River (John 1:19). |
| 28–30* | Jesus begins his ministry in Judea, but soon focuses his efforts in Galilee. In Jerusalem, Pharisees (like Gamaliel) train disciples (like Paul) in their tradition. They send a delegation to Galilee, but the delegation rejects Jesus’ teaching. In Alexandria, Philo (20 B.C.–A.D. 50) attempts to unify Greek philosophy with Hebrew Scripture. |
| 33 (or 30) | Jesus returns to Judea, is crucified, and resurrected. James the brother of Jesus becomes a believer after witnessing the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor. 15:7; Acts 12:17). Jesus ascends to the Father’s right hand (Acts 1). Jesus’ first followers receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and begin to proclaim the gospel (Acts 2). |
| 33/34* | Paul witnesses the resurrected Lord on the way to Damascus and is commissioned as an apostle to the nations (Acts 9; Gal. 1:15–16). |
| 34–37 | Paul ministers in Damascus and Arabia (Acts 9:19–22; 26:20; Gal. 1:16–18). |
| 36 | Pilate loses his position for incompetence. |
| 36/37* | Paul meets with Peter in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26–30; Gal. 1:18). |
| 37–45 | Paul ministers in Syria, Tarsus, and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Gal. 1:21). |
| 38* | Peter witnesses to Cornelius (Acts 10). |
| 39 | Antipas is exiled. |
| 40–45* | James writes his letter to believers outside Palestine (see James 1:1). |
| 41–44 | Agrippa, Herod the Great’s grandson, rules Palestine; he kills James the brother of John (Acts 12:2) and imprisons Peter (Acts 12:3). |
| 42–44 | Paul receives his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). |
| 44 | Peter leaves Jerusalem; Agrippa is killed by an “angel of the Lord” (Acts 12:23). |
| 44–46 | Theudas persuades many Jews to sell their possessions and follow him into the wilderness where he claimed he would miraculously divide the Jordan River; Roman procurator Fadus dispatches his cavalry and beheads the would-be messiah. |
| 44–47* | Paul’s Second Visit to Jerusalem; time of famine (Acts 11:27–30; Gal. 2:1–10). |
| 46–47 | Paul’s First Missionary Journey (with Barnabas) from Antioch to Cyprus, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra (Acts 13:4–14:26). |
| 46–48 | Roman procurator Tiberius Alexander crucifies two sons (Jacob and Simon) of Judas the Galilean. |
| 48* | Paul writes Galatians, perhaps from Antioch (see Acts 14:26–28). |
| 48–49* | Paul and Peter return to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council, which, with the assistance of James, frees Gentile believers from the requirement of circumcision in opposition to Pharisaic believers (Acts 15:1–29); Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch (Acts 15:30) but split over a dispute about John Mark (Acts 15:36–40). |
| 48/49–51* | Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (with Silas) from Antioch to Syria, Cilicia, southern Galatia, Macedonia, notably Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea; and then on to Achaia, notably Athens and Corinth (Acts 15:36–18:22). |
| 49 | Claudius expels Jews from Rome because of conflicts about Jesus (Acts 18:2); Paul befriends two refugees, Priscilla and Aquila, in Corinth (Acts 18:2–3). |
| 49–51* | Paul writes 1–2 Thessalonians from Corinth (Acts 18:1, 11; also compare Acts 18:5 with 1 Thess. 1:8). |
| 51 | Paul appears before Gallio, proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18:12–17). |
| 50–54* | Peter comes to Rome. |
| 52–57* | Paul’s Third Missionary Journey from Antioch to Galatia, Phrygia, Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece (Acts 18:23–21:17). |
| 52–55 | Paul ministers in Ephesus (Acts 19:1–20). |
| 53–55* | Mark writes his Gospel, containing Peter’s memories of Jesus; perhaps within a decade, Matthew publishes his Gospel, which relies on Mark and other sources. Paul writes 1 Corinthians from Ephesus (Acts 19:10). |
| 54 | Claudius dies (edict exiling Jews repealed); Priscilla and Aquila return to Rome and host a church in their home (see Rom. 16:3–5). |
| 54–68 | Nero reigns. |
| 55–56* | Paul writes 2 Corinthians from Macedonia (Acts 20:1, 3; 2 Cor. 1:16; 2:13; 7:5; 8:1; 9:2, 4; see 1 Cor. 16:5). |
| 57* | Paul winters in Corinth and writes Romans (Acts 20:3; see Rom. 16:1–2; also see Rom. 16:23 with 1 Cor. 1:14); travels to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1–16), visits with James the brother of Jesus (Acts 21:17–26), and is arrested (Acts 21:27–36; 22:22–29). |
| 57–59 | Paul is imprisoned and transferred to Caesarea (Acts 23:23–24, 33–34). |
| 60 | Paul begins voyage to Rome (Acts 27:1–2); he is shipwrecked for three months on the island of Malta (Acts 27:39–28:10). |
| 60–70* | Letter to the Hebrews is written. |
| 62 | James the brother of the Lord is executed by the Sadducean high priest Ananus. |
| 62–63* | Peter writes his first letter (1 Peter) from Rome (1 Pet. 5:13). |
| 62* | Paul arrives in Rome and remains under house arrest (Acts 28:16–31); he writes Ephesians (see verses for Colossians), Philippians (Phil. 1:7, 13, 17; 4:22), Colossians (Col. 4:3, 10, 18; see Acts 27:2 with Col. 4:10), Philemon (see Philem. 23 with Col. 1:7; Philem. 2 with Col. 4:17; Philem. 24 with Col. 4:10; also see Col. 4:9). Luke, Paul’s physician and companion (see Col. 4:14), writes Luke and Acts. |
| 62–64 | Paul is released, extends his mission (probably reaching Spain), writes 1 Timothy from Macedonia (see 1 Tim. 1:3) and Titus from Nicopolis (Titus 3:12); he is rearrested in Rome (2 Tim. 1:16–17). |
| 63–64 | Work on the temple complex is completed. |
| 64 (July 19) | Fire in Rome; Nero blames and kills many Christians. |
| 64–67* | Peter writes his second letter ( 2 Peter). Jude writes his letter. Paul writes 2 Timothy (see 2 Tim. 4:6–8). Paul and Peter are martyred in Rome. |
| 66 | First Jewish-Roman War begins with a riot between Greeks and Jews at Caesarea; Roman procurator Gesius Florus (A.D. 64–66) is murdered and a Roman garrison wiped out; Menahem, son or grandson of Judas the Galilean, murders the high priest Ananias and seizes control of the temple; Nero dispatches Vespasian with three legions. |
| 67* | Romans destroy the Qumran community, who beforehand hid the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls in nearby caves; the church in Jerusalem flees to Pella (Matt. 24:15–16; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20–22); John migrates to Ephesus with Mary, Jesus’ mother. |
| 68 | Nero commits suicide; year of the three emperors. |
| 69 | Rebellion quelled in Galilee and Samaria; Vespasian summoned back to Rome to become emperor. |
| 70 (Aug. 30) | Titus, Vespasian’s son, after a five-month siege of Jerusalem, destroys the temple after desecrating it; the temple’s menorah, Torah, and veil are removed and later put on display in a victory parade in Rome; the influence of the Sadducees ends; the Pharisee Johanan ben Zakkai escapes and convinces the Romans to allow him and others to settle in Jamnia, where they found a school. |
| 73 (May 2)* | Before Roman general Silva breaches the fortress atop Masada following a two-year siege, 936 Jewish rebels commit suicide. |
| 75 | Titus has an affair with the Jewish princess Berenice, sister of Agrippa II (Acts 25:13, 23), whom he later abandons because of the scandal. |
| 77 | Pliny the Elder writes Natural History. |
| 77–78 | Josephus publishes Jewish War in Rome. |
| 79 | Pompeii and Herculaneum are destroyed by eruption of Vesuvius; Pliny the Elder dies attempting to investigate. |
| 81 | The Arch of Titus, celebrating his destruction of the temple, is erected in Rome. |
| 81–96 | Domitian, Titus’s brother, persecutes Christians among the Roman nobility, including his own relatives Clemens and Domitilla. |
| 85–95* | John writes his letters (1–3 John), probably in Ephesus. |
| 89–95* | John writes his Gospel, probably in Ephesus. |
| 93–94 | Josephus publishes Jewish Antiquities in Rome. |
| 94 | Domitian exiles philosophers from Rome. |
| 95* | Amidst persecution, Clement, a leader in the Roman church, writes his Letter to the Corinthians (1 Clement) appealing for peace between the young men and elders. |
| 95–96* | Exiled by Domitian to Patmos, John writes Revelation (Rev. 1:9). |
| 96–98 | Nerva, the first of five “good” emperors, ends official persecution. |
* denotes approximate date; / signifies either/or
Regeneration in the New Testament
| John 1:13 | “born . . . of God” |
| John 3:3 | “born again” |
| John 3:5 | “born of water and the Spirit” |
| John 3:6 | “born of the Spirit” |
| John 3:7 | “born again” |
| John 3:8 | “born of the Spirit” |
| Eph. 2:4–5 | “God . . . even when we were dead . . . made us alive together with Christ” |
| Col. 2:13 | “you, who were dead . . . God made alive together with him” |
| Titus 3:5 | “he saved us . . . by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” |
| James 1:18 | “he brought us forth by the word of truth” |
| 1 Pet. 1:3 | “he has caused us to be born again” |
| 1 Pet. 1:23 | “you have been born again” |
| 1 John 2:29 | “everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him” |
| 1 John 3:9 | “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning” |
| 1 John 4:7 | “whoever loves has been born of God” |
| 1 John 5:1 | “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God” |
| 1 John 5:4 | “everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world” |
| 1 John 5:18 | “everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning” |
Echoes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in James
| James | Teaching | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | joy amid trials | 5:10–12 |
| 1:4 | exhortation to be perfect | 5:48 |
| 1:5 | asking God for good things | 7:7–11 |
| 1:17 | God the giver of good | 7:11 |
| 1:20 | against anger | 5:22 |
| 1:22 | hearers and doers of the word | 7:24–27 |
| 2:5 | poor inherit the kingdom | 5:3, 5 |
| 2:10 | keeping the whole law | 5:19 |
| 2:13 | merciful receive mercy | 5:7 |
| 3:12 | know them by their fruits | 7:16 |
| 3:18 | blessings of peacemakers | 5:9 |
| 4:2–3 | ask and you will receive | 7:7–8 |
| 4:4 | serving God vs. friendship with the world | 6:24 |
| 4:9–10 | consolation for mourners | 5:4 |
| 4:11–12 | against judging others | 7:1–5 |
| 4:13–14 | living for today | 6:34 |
| 5:2–5 | moth and rust spoiling earthly treasures | 6:19 |
| 5:10 | prophets as examples and patterns | 5:12 |
| 5:12 | against oaths | 5:33–37 |
Leviticus 19 in James
| Leviticus 19 | James | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| v. 12 | “You shall not swear” | 5:12 | “do not swear” |
| v. 13 | “The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night” | 5:4 | “Behold, the wages of the laborers . . . which you kept back by fraud” |
| v. 15 | “You shall not be partial” | 2:1, 9 | “My brothers, show no partiality” |
| v. 16 | “You shall not go around as a slanderer” | 4:11 | “Do not speak evil against one another” |
| v. 18a | “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge” | 5:9 | “Do not grumble against one another” |
| v. 18b | “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” | 2:8 | “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” |
Equivalent Expressions for the “Last Days”
The “last days” (the day of salvation, 2 Cor. 6:2) have already come but the “last day” (the day of salvation and wrath, 1 Thess. 5:1–11) has not yet arrived. The following are equivalent expressions for the “last days” (the period of time between Jesus’ death and resurrection and the final judgment).
| “the last days” | Acts 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:2; James 5:3 |
| “the last hour” | 1 John 2:18 |
| “the last time” | Jude 18 |
| “the last times” | 1 Pet. 1:20 |
James 1:1 Greeting. Jesus chose 12 disciples to symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus he identified the church as the new Israel (see Matt. 10:1). James reminds these Jewish Christians of their spiritual heritage as God’s people, gathered by Jesus the Messiah. in the Dispersion. The tribes of Israel were scattered throughout the world by the Assyrians and Babylonians. They looked forward to being regathered as a people (Jer. 31:7–14; Ezek. 37:15–28). James implies that the true Israel is also away from its heavenly homeland and oppressed, but they are assured of their final gathering to the Lord.
New Testament Timeline
The following chart provides a detailed New Testament timeline. Most of the dates can be determined precisely by correlating biblical events with extensive historical documents and archaeological evidence. Dates with an asterisk denote approximate or alternative dates. The extensive external confirmation of New Testament dates and events encourages great confidence in the truth and historicity of both the Old and New Testaments.
| 5 B.C.* | Jesus is born in Bethlehem. |
| 4 B.C. | Jesus’ family flees to Egypt to escape from Herod’s plan to kill Jesus (Matt. 2:13–18); Herod dies; Judas (of Sepphoris) and others rebel, requiring the Syrian Governor Varus to intervene throughout Palestine; Sepphoris, a city four miles from Nazareth, is destroyed by Roman soldiers; Judea, Samaria, and Idumea are given to Herod’s son, Archelaus; Galilee and Perea are given to his son Antipas; Jesus’ family, after returning from Egypt, resides in Nazareth (Matt. 2:19–23), a small village in southern Galilee. |
| A.D. 6 | Archelaus is exiled for incompetence; Judea becomes a Roman province; Judas the Galilean (of Gamla) leads a revolt against the tax census; the governor of Syria, Quirinius (A.D. 6–7), appoints Annas high priest (6–15). |
| 8* | Jesus (age 12) interacts with the teachers in the temple (Luke 2:41–50). |
| 8*–28/30 | Jesus works as a carpenter in Nazareth (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3) and probably in neighboring villages and Sepphoris, which was being rebuilt. |
| 28–29* | John the Baptist begins his ministry around the Jordan River (John 1:19). |
| 28–30* | Jesus begins his ministry in Judea, but soon focuses his efforts in Galilee. In Jerusalem, Pharisees (like Gamaliel) train disciples (like Paul) in their tradition. They send a delegation to Galilee, but the delegation rejects Jesus’ teaching. In Alexandria, Philo (20 B.C.–A.D. 50) attempts to unify Greek philosophy with Hebrew Scripture. |
| 33 (or 30) | Jesus returns to Judea, is crucified, and resurrected. James the brother of Jesus becomes a believer after witnessing the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor. 15:7; Acts 12:17). Jesus ascends to the Father’s right hand (Acts 1). Jesus’ first followers receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and begin to proclaim the gospel (Acts 2). |
| 33/34* | Paul witnesses the resurrected Lord on the way to Damascus and is commissioned as an apostle to the nations (Acts 9; Gal. 1:15–16). |
| 34–37 | Paul ministers in Damascus and Arabia (Acts 9:19–22; 26:20; Gal. 1:16–18). |
| 36 | Pilate loses his position for incompetence. |
| 36/37* | Paul meets with Peter in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26–30; Gal. 1:18). |
| 37–45 | Paul ministers in Syria, Tarsus, and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Gal. 1:21). |
| 38* | Peter witnesses to Cornelius (Acts 10). |
| 39 | Antipas is exiled. |
| 40–45* | James writes his letter to believers outside Palestine (see James 1:1). |
| 41–44 | Agrippa, Herod the Great’s grandson, rules Palestine; he kills James the brother of John (Acts 12:2) and imprisons Peter (Acts 12:3). |
| 42–44 | Paul receives his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). |
| 44 | Peter leaves Jerusalem; Agrippa is killed by an “angel of the Lord” (Acts 12:23). |
| 44–46 | Theudas persuades many Jews to sell their possessions and follow him into the wilderness where he claimed he would miraculously divide the Jordan River; Roman procurator Fadus dispatches his cavalry and beheads the would-be messiah. |
| 44–47* | Paul’s Second Visit to Jerusalem; time of famine (Acts 11:27–30; Gal. 2:1–10). |
| 46–47 | Paul’s First Missionary Journey (with Barnabas) from Antioch to Cyprus, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, and Lystra (Acts 13:4–14:26). |
| 46–48 | Roman procurator Tiberius Alexander crucifies two sons (Jacob and Simon) of Judas the Galilean. |
| 48* | Paul writes Galatians, perhaps from Antioch (see Acts 14:26–28). |
| 48–49* | Paul and Peter return to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council, which, with the assistance of James, frees Gentile believers from the requirement of circumcision in opposition to Pharisaic believers (Acts 15:1–29); Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch (Acts 15:30) but split over a dispute about John Mark (Acts 15:36–40). |
| 48/49–51* | Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (with Silas) from Antioch to Syria, Cilicia, southern Galatia, Macedonia, notably Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea; and then on to Achaia, notably Athens and Corinth (Acts 15:36–18:22). |
| 49 | Claudius expels Jews from Rome because of conflicts about Jesus (Acts 18:2); Paul befriends two refugees, Priscilla and Aquila, in Corinth (Acts 18:2–3). |
| 49–51* | Paul writes 1–2 Thessalonians from Corinth (Acts 18:1, 11; also compare Acts 18:5 with 1 Thess. 1:8). |
| 51 | Paul appears before Gallio, proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18:12–17). |
| 50–54* | Peter comes to Rome. |
| 52–57* | Paul’s Third Missionary Journey from Antioch to Galatia, Phrygia, Ephesus, Macedonia, Greece (Acts 18:23–21:17). |
| 52–55 | Paul ministers in Ephesus (Acts 19:1–20). |
| 53–55* | Mark writes his Gospel, containing Peter’s memories of Jesus; perhaps within a decade, Matthew publishes his Gospel, which relies on Mark and other sources. Paul writes 1 Corinthians from Ephesus (Acts 19:10). |
| 54 | Claudius dies (edict exiling Jews repealed); Priscilla and Aquila return to Rome and host a church in their home (see Rom. 16:3–5). |
| 54–68 | Nero reigns. |
| 55–56* | Paul writes 2 Corinthians from Macedonia (Acts 20:1, 3; 2 Cor. 1:16; 2:13; 7:5; 8:1; 9:2, 4; see 1 Cor. 16:5). |
| 57* | Paul winters in Corinth and writes Romans (Acts 20:3; see Rom. 16:1–2; also see Rom. 16:23 with 1 Cor. 1:14); travels to Jerusalem (Acts 21:1–16), visits with James the brother of Jesus (Acts 21:17–26), and is arrested (Acts 21:27–36; 22:22–29). |
| 57–59 | Paul is imprisoned and transferred to Caesarea (Acts 23:23–24, 33–34). |
| 60 | Paul begins voyage to Rome (Acts 27:1–2); he is shipwrecked for three months on the island of Malta (Acts 27:39–28:10). |
| 60–70* | Letter to the Hebrews is written. |
| 62 | James the brother of the Lord is executed by the Sadducean high priest Ananus. |
| 62–63* | Peter writes his first letter (1 Peter) from Rome (1 Pet. 5:13). |
| 62* | Paul arrives in Rome and remains under house arrest (Acts 28:16–31); he writes Ephesians (see verses for Colossians), Philippians (Phil. 1:7, 13, 17; 4:22), Colossians (Col. 4:3, 10, 18; see Acts 27:2 with Col. 4:10), Philemon (see Philem. 23 with Col. 1:7; Philem. 2 with Col. 4:17; Philem. 24 with Col. 4:10; also see Col. 4:9). Luke, Paul’s physician and companion (see Col. 4:14), writes Luke and Acts. |
| 62–64 | Paul is released, extends his mission (probably reaching Spain), writes 1 Timothy from Macedonia (see 1 Tim. 1:3) and Titus from Nicopolis (Titus 3:12); he is rearrested in Rome (2 Tim. 1:16–17). |
| 63–64 | Work on the temple complex is completed. |
| 64 (July 19) | Fire in Rome; Nero blames and kills many Christians. |
| 64–67* | Peter writes his second letter ( 2 Peter). Jude writes his letter. Paul writes 2 Timothy (see 2 Tim. 4:6–8). Paul and Peter are martyred in Rome. |
| 66 | First Jewish-Roman War begins with a riot between Greeks and Jews at Caesarea; Roman procurator Gesius Florus (A.D. 64–66) is murdered and a Roman garrison wiped out; Menahem, son or grandson of Judas the Galilean, murders the high priest Ananias and seizes control of the temple; Nero dispatches Vespasian with three legions. |
| 67* | Romans destroy the Qumran community, who beforehand hid the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls in nearby caves; the church in Jerusalem flees to Pella (Matt. 24:15–16; Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20–22); John migrates to Ephesus with Mary, Jesus’ mother. |
| 68 | Nero commits suicide; year of the three emperors. |
| 69 | Rebellion quelled in Galilee and Samaria; Vespasian summoned back to Rome to become emperor. |
| 70 (Aug. 30) | Titus, Vespasian’s son, after a five-month siege of Jerusalem, destroys the temple after desecrating it; the temple’s menorah, Torah, and veil are removed and later put on display in a victory parade in Rome; the influence of the Sadducees ends; the Pharisee Johanan ben Zakkai escapes and convinces the Romans to allow him and others to settle in Jamnia, where they found a school. |
| 73 (May 2)* | Before Roman general Silva breaches the fortress atop Masada following a two-year siege, 936 Jewish rebels commit suicide. |
| 75 | Titus has an affair with the Jewish princess Berenice, sister of Agrippa II (Acts 25:13, 23), whom he later abandons because of the scandal. |
| 77 | Pliny the Elder writes Natural History. |
| 77–78 | Josephus publishes Jewish War in Rome. |
| 79 | Pompeii and Herculaneum are destroyed by eruption of Vesuvius; Pliny the Elder dies attempting to investigate. |
| 81 | The Arch of Titus, celebrating his destruction of the temple, is erected in Rome. |
| 81–96 | Domitian, Titus’s brother, persecutes Christians among the Roman nobility, including his own relatives Clemens and Domitilla. |
| 85–95* | John writes his letters (1–3 John), probably in Ephesus. |
| 89–95* | John writes his Gospel, probably in Ephesus. |
| 93–94 | Josephus publishes Jewish Antiquities in Rome. |
| 94 | Domitian exiles philosophers from Rome. |
| 95* | Amidst persecution, Clement, a leader in the Roman church, writes his Letter to the Corinthians (1 Clement) appealing for peace between the young men and elders. |
| 95–96* | Exiled by Domitian to Patmos, John writes Revelation (Rev. 1:9). |
| 96–98 | Nerva, the first of five “good” emperors, ends official persecution. |
* denotes approximate date; / signifies either/or
The Setting of James
c. A.D. 40–45
The letter of James was likely written to predominantly Jewish Christian house churches outside of Palestine, based on its mention of the “twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1), its distinctly Jewish content, and its focus on persecution and poverty. This would mean it was sent throughout most of the ancient Mediterranean world. The author has traditionally been believed to be James, the brother of Jesus and an early leader of the church in Jerusalem.
Fact: Mirrors
Up until the first century A.D., mirrors in the Near East were made of polished bronze or other metals. With the invention of glass in Lebanon, new techniques could be used to create more reflective surfaces. James compares God’s Word to a mirror in which people can see themselves in the light of God’s truth (1:22–25).
James 1:3 testing of your faith. Just as Jesus was “tested” in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–13), believers are tested to make their faith “genuine” (1 Pet. 1:7).
James 1:4 Believers are growing in holiness but are not yet perfected in it. This perfection will come only when Jesus returns.
James 1:5 wisdom. As in the OT, wisdom is a God-given and God-centered understanding of the practical issues in life. without reproach. God knows that his people need to grow in wisdom, and he is willing to give it.
James 1:7–8 A person who doubts is a double-minded man. He has “two minds,” torn between God and the world (compare v. 6).
James 1:9–11 Given the context, James seems to be saying that the challenges of both poverty and wealth may be among the greatest “trials” for Christians (see v. 12).
James 1:12 James returns to the theme introduced in v. 2. crown of life. The laurel wreath given to winners in athletic games (1 Cor. 9:25) and to victorious emperors. The reward for faithful endurance is eternal life and its blessings (see Rev. 2:10).
James 1:13 God tests his people (e.g., Abraham, Genesis 22; Israel, Ex. 16:4; Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32:31) to strengthen their character, but he never tempts them (never lures them into sin). Tempted is the verb form of the noun translated “trial” in James 1:12, but the context shows that different senses of the word are intended (see note on Heb. 4:15).
James 1:14 lured and enticed. A fishing metaphor for drawing prey away from shelter.
James 1:15 The picture changes to a birth/rebirth metaphor.
James 1:17 Nothing in this world is truly good unless it comes from above, heaven, down from the Father of lights (see Ps. 74:16; 136:7–9). God’s character never changes. He always gives good gifts. This contrasts with the variation of the night changing to day or the shifting shadow caused by the sun or moon.
1:2–18 The Testing of Faith. Trials are part of God’s “good gifts” (v. 17) to his people, to strengthen them in their faith.
James 1:13–18 James turns to the other side of trials, when testing becomes temptation.
James 1:18 Brought us forth by the word of truth speaks of spiritual salvation. “Us” refers to believers. The “word of truth” is the gospel. Being “brought . . . forth” (from the womb) is a metaphor for the new birth. The firstfruits of the harvest (compare Ex. 23:16–19; Lev. 23:9–14) are the early Christians.
Regeneration in the New Testament
| John 1:13 | “born . . . of God” |
| John 3:3 | “born again” |
| John 3:5 | “born of water and the Spirit” |
| John 3:6 | “born of the Spirit” |
| John 3:7 | “born again” |
| John 3:8 | “born of the Spirit” |
| Eph. 2:4–5 | “God . . . even when we were dead . . . made us alive together with Christ” |
| Col. 2:13 | “you, who were dead . . . God made alive together with him” |
| Titus 3:5 | “he saved us . . . by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” |
| James 1:18 | “he brought us forth by the word of truth” |
| 1 Pet. 1:3 | “he has caused us to be born again” |
| 1 Pet. 1:23 | “you have been born again” |
| 1 John 2:29 | “everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him” |
| 1 John 3:9 | “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning” |
| 1 John 4:7 | “whoever loves has been born of God” |
| 1 John 5:1 | “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God” |
| 1 John 5:4 | “everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world” |
| 1 John 5:18 | “everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning” |
James 1:19 James echoes Proverbs on the misuse of speech and the anger that can result (see Prov. 10:19; 11:12; 15:1; 17:28). Christians should be slow to anger, as God is (see Ex. 34:6).
James 1:20 Not all human anger is sinful (see Eph. 4:26). However, the quick-tempered, selfish anger of man shows a lack of trust in God and a lack of love for others. Even when directed against wrongdoing, anger cannot change another person’s heart. Thus it does not produce the righteousness of God. “Righteousness” here means conducting one’s life by the will of God, according to his standards (see Isa. 61:3; Matt. 5:6, 10, 20; 6:1, 33).
James 1:21 Put away all filthiness pictures taking off dirty clothes (compare Rom. 13:12; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:8). The person wants nothing to do with the dirt (moral evil) ever again. In place of filthy behavior, the implanted word must take root in God’s people (see Deut. 30:14; Jer. 31:33). Save your souls refers here to progressive sanctification and the completion of God’s saving work on judgment day.
Echoes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in James
| James | Teaching | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | joy amid trials | 5:10–12 |
| 1:4 | exhortation to be perfect | 5:48 |
| 1:5 | asking God for good things | 7:7–11 |
| 1:17 | God the giver of good | 7:11 |
| 1:20 | against anger | 5:22 |
| 1:22 | hearers and doers of the word | 7:24–27 |
| 2:5 | poor inherit the kingdom | 5:3, 5 |
| 2:10 | keeping the whole law | 5:19 |
| 2:13 | merciful receive mercy | 5:7 |
| 3:12 | know them by their fruits | 7:16 |
| 3:18 | blessings of peacemakers | 5:9 |
| 4:2–3 | ask and you will receive | 7:7–8 |
| 4:4 | serving God vs. friendship with the world | 6:24 |
| 4:9–10 | consolation for mourners | 5:4 |
| 4:11–12 | against judging others | 7:1–5 |
| 4:13–14 | living for today | 6:34 |
| 5:2–5 | moth and rust spoiling earthly treasures | 6:19 |
| 5:10 | prophets as examples and patterns | 5:12 |
| 5:12 | against oaths | 5:33–37 |
James 1:23–24 It is useless for a man to look intently at his natural face in a mirror and then forget what he was like. This shows the foolishness of examining oneself in God’s “mirror,” the “implanted word” (v. 21), but not changing one’s behavior based on what one sees there (v. 22).
James 1:25 the law of liberty. In James, the “law” and the “word” are two ways of describing the same thing. The “law” here refers to the OT as it has been interpreted and fulfilled in Christ. Together with the power of the Holy Spirit, it can change hearts. See note on 2:12.
Fact: Mirrors
Up until the first century A.D., mirrors in the Near East were made of polished bronze or other metals. With the invention of glass in Lebanon, new techniques could be used to create more reflective surfaces. James compares God’s Word to a mirror in which people can see themselves in the light of God’s truth (1:22–25).
James 1:19–27 Hearing and Doing the Word. This section focuses on living as a Christian directed by “the word of truth,” the gospel (v. 18). Christian living includes both “hearing” and “doing” the truth. Obedience is the mark of the true child of God.
James 1:27 Orphans and widows were particularly helpless in ancient culture, usually lacking anyone to support them (see Deut. 10:18; Isa. 1:17; Jer. 7:5–7). unstained from the world. James uses the sacrificial language of “the lamb without blemish” (Ex. 12:5; 1 Pet. 1:19) to describe the pure religious person.
James 2:1 Partiality refers to favoritism based on social status.
James 2:2–4 Assembly probably refers to a Christian house church. Sit down at my feet. The place of a servant. judges with evil thoughts. Christians are not to “judge” each other harshly and unfairly (Matt. 7:1–5; Rom. 14:4). To do so can only mean one’s mind is full of evil thoughts.
James 2:6–7 Oppress you reflects terrible social injustices in the first century. Merchants and landowners were taking land and possessions from the poor (see 5:1–6). drag you into court. As frequently criticized in the OT, the wealthy often used the court system to steal from the poor (Amos 4:1; Hab. 1:4; Mal. 3:5). This situation was the primary reason for the revolts in Galilee that led to the war against Rome in A.D. 66–70.
James 2:8 Royal law refers to God’s decree in Lev. 19:18 (“love your neighbor”; compare Matt. 22:34–40) as the most important kingdom rule for ethical conduct. See Rom. 13:8–10.
James 2:9 partiality. Favoring the rich breaks the OT commands to treat the poor fairly (Lev. 19:15; Job 34:19).
Leviticus 19 in James
| Leviticus 19 | James | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| v. 12 | “You shall not swear” | 5:12 | “do not swear” |
| v. 13 | “The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night” | 5:4 | “Behold, the wages of the laborers . . . which you kept back by fraud” |
| v. 15 | “You shall not be partial” | 2:1, 9 | “My brothers, show no partiality” |
| v. 16 | “You shall not go around as a slanderer” | 4:11 | “Do not speak evil against one another” |
| v. 18a | “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge” | 5:9 | “Do not grumble against one another” |
| v. 18b | “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” | 2:8 | “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” |
James 2:10–11 guilty of all of it. The law was considered an interdependent whole. Breaking any law meant breaking the whole law.
James 2:12 the law of liberty. The law of Christ provides freedom from sin.
James 2:1–13 The Sin of Favoritism. The problem of the poor and the rich, already emphasized in 1:9–11, 27, now comes into focus. James warns about discriminating against the poor in favor of the wealthy in the church.
James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. This common saying summarizes vv. 1–12 and leads into the “faith without works” discussion in vv. 14–26. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Because they have been shown mercy, Christians show mercy to others (e.g., by caring for the poor and hurting). This marks them as believers (Mic. 6:8; Zech. 7:9–10; Matt. 5:7; 6:15; 18:32–35).
Echoes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in James
| James | Teaching | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | joy amid trials | 5:10–12 |
| 1:4 | exhortation to be perfect | 5:48 |
| 1:5 | asking God for good things | 7:7–11 |
| 1:17 | God the giver of good | 7:11 |
| 1:20 | against anger | 5:22 |
| 1:22 | hearers and doers of the word | 7:24–27 |
| 2:5 | poor inherit the kingdom | 5:3, 5 |
| 2:10 | keeping the whole law | 5:19 |
| 2:13 | merciful receive mercy | 5:7 |
| 3:12 | know them by their fruits | 7:16 |
| 3:18 | blessings of peacemakers | 5:9 |
| 4:2–3 | ask and you will receive | 7:7–8 |
| 4:4 | serving God vs. friendship with the world | 6:24 |
| 4:9–10 | consolation for mourners | 5:4 |
| 4:11–12 | against judging others | 7:1–5 |
| 4:13–14 | living for today | 6:34 |
| 5:2–5 | moth and rust spoiling earthly treasures | 6:19 |
| 5:10 | prophets as examples and patterns | 5:12 |
| 5:12 | against oaths | 5:33–37 |
James 2:14 What good . . . ? Can that faith save him? Negative answers (“no good” and “no”) are expected. If someone says he has faith but he does not have works, he should question whether he has been saved.
James 2:15–16 Go in peace, be warmed and filled. An example of faith without works. The person seems to be expressing concern for the poor, but in reality he refuses to help.
James 2:17 dead. Useless, with no life at all. It cannot lead to salvation (v. 14). True faith will produce works.
James 2:18 But someone will say. James anticipates questions about this teaching.
James 2:19 God is one. This affirmation that there is only one true and living God comes from Deut. 6:4 (see Mark 12:29; Rom. 3:30). But James notes that even the demons believe this, and they shudder. Mere mental assent to the Christian faith does not save anyone. True commitment to Christ is needed.
James 2:21 Abraham . . . justified by works. James may seem to contradict Paul here (compare Rom. 4:2–3). However, while Paul cites Gen. 15:6 to show that Abraham was justified by faith, James bases his claim on Gen. 22:9–10, where Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Thus James apparently has a different sense of the word “justify” in mind here. Paul uses “justify” to express being declared righteous by God through faith, on the basis of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice (Rom. 3:24–26). James seems to use “justify” to stress the way in which works demonstrate that someone has been justified (compare Matt. 12:33–37). Paul emphasizes how one is justified; James focuses on what justification looks like in practice.
James 2:22 faith was completed by his works. James does not disagree that faith alone saves (Rom. 3:28). “Completed” often means “bring to maturity.” Full-grown and genuine faith is seen in the good deeds it produces.
James 2:23 James uses Gen. 15:6 in a way that complements rather than contradicts Paul (Rom. 4:1–9; Gal. 3:6). James sees Gen. 15:6 as having been fulfilled (see James 2:22) in Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Genesis 22). James focuses on Abraham’s act of obedience, while Paul highlights God’s declaration of Abraham’s righteousness. See note on James 2:21.
James 2:24 not by faith alone. James again seems at first to contradict Paul’s teaching that one is justified by faith alone (Rom. 3:28), but the two are compatible. Here “faith alone” means mere intellectual agreement without genuine personal trust in Christ that bears fruit in one’s life. On justified, see note on James 2:21.
James 2:25 Rahab the prostitute believed the stories of God’s saving work for the Hebrews (Josh. 2:8–11). So, at some personal risk, she hid the Jewish spies from her own people and then helped them escape (Josh. 2:15). Thus she became a model of faith completed in works.
Fact: Rahab
Rahab is a remarkable example of the fact that God can use whomever he chooses to accomplish his will (1 Cor. 1:26–31). Though a prostitute and a Gentile, Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:5). She is remembered as a model of faith completed in works (James 2:25) and is listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
2:14–26 Faith without Works Is Dead. James continues the theme that hearing/faith must lead to doing/works. It may seem that James contradicts Paul’s “by grace you have been saved through faith . . . not a result of works” (Eph. 2:8–9). In reality there is no contradiction between faith and works. Paul and James agree that the basis of salvation is grace alone through faith. Works are not the basis of salvation but the necessary result (Eph. 2:10).
James 3:1 Teachers were important in the early church (Acts 2:42; Rom. 12:7; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). Ambitious people wanted to be teachers for selfish reasons. Greater responsibility includes greater expectations by God (Luke 12:48; Heb. 13:17).
James 3:2 in what he says. A person’s words reflect his character. stumble. A metaphor for sinning. perfect man. Such perfection will be permanent only in heaven. Still, believers should always seek to grow in holiness.
James 3:3–4 Bits in a horse’s mouth and the small rudder on a ship are examples of very small things that control large objects.
James 3:5–6 The tongue, one of the smaller parts of the body, is like the bit or rudder (vv. 3–4). It has a similar control over a person. boasts of great things. Pride is a major cause of sinful talk. A great forest fire starts with a small fire. In the same way, a lot of problems begin with a proud “boast” or other careless use of the tongue. a world of unrighteousness. The tongue expresses all the wickedness of the world. The entire course of life likely means the “ups and downs” of life. Sinful speech can damage every aspect of individual and community life. set on fire by hell. Evil speech destroys because it comes from Satan himself.
Fact: A mouth like a sharp sword
A mouth like a sharp sword. The Bible often describes either the mouth or words coming from the mouth as a sword (49:2). One Hebrew word for mouth actually means “edge,” as in “edge of a sword.” It is certainly an accurate picture of the power of words, for good or ill (James 3:1–12).
Fact: Familiar word pictures
Familiar word pictures. The images James uses to describe the power of the tongue (3:1–12) were well chosen to communicate to his original readers. The Greek playwright Sophocles spoke of wild horses being tamed by a small bit in the mouth. The Jewish philosopher Philo compared one’s senses to a helmsman steering a boat. And the Roman historian Plutarch compared a loose tongue to a blazing forest fire.
James 3:13 meekness of wisdom. Meekness (translated “gentleness” in Gal. 5:23) does not come from cowardice or passivity. It comes from trusting God. This frees a person from anxious self-promotion.
James 3:16 Disorder describes the chaotic frenzy of fighting in the church (see 4:1). The related adjective means “unstable” in 1:8 and “restless” in 3:8.
James 3:17 The answer to the “disorder” of v. 16 is to seek wisdom from above. Wisdom produces strong character (compare Gal. 5:22–23). first pure, then. Purity (blamelessness) is the primary virtue. The other qualities result from this moral purity.
James 3:18 harvest of righteousness. The righteous conduct that God will bless (see note on 1:20).
Echoes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in James
| James | Teaching | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | joy amid trials | 5:10–12 |
| 1:4 | exhortation to be perfect | 5:48 |
| 1:5 | asking God for good things | 7:7–11 |
| 1:17 | God the giver of good | 7:11 |
| 1:20 | against anger | 5:22 |
| 1:22 | hearers and doers of the word | 7:24–27 |
| 2:5 | poor inherit the kingdom | 5:3, 5 |
| 2:10 | keeping the whole law | 5:19 |
| 2:13 | merciful receive mercy | 5:7 |
| 3:12 | know them by their fruits | 7:16 |
| 3:18 | blessings of peacemakers | 5:9 |
| 4:2–3 | ask and you will receive | 7:7–8 |
| 4:4 | serving God vs. friendship with the world | 6:24 |
| 4:9–10 | consolation for mourners | 5:4 |
| 4:11–12 | against judging others | 7:1–5 |
| 4:13–14 | living for today | 6:34 |
| 5:2–5 | moth and rust spoiling earthly treasures | 6:19 |
| 5:10 | prophets as examples and patterns | 5:12 |
| 5:12 | against oaths | 5:33–37 |
James 4:1 passions. Self-centered desires cause these people to make war against each other in the church. Here “war” is a metaphor for the traumatic effect of bitter hostility.
James 4:2 People desire and covet (“jealousy,” 3:14), which leads to the terrible fighting in the church. You do not have, because you do not ask. Believers should ask God for what they need, rather than fighting each other. Bringing requests before God can have a purifying influence on one’s desires.
James 4:3 you ask wrongly. They focus on satisfying self-centered passions rather than honoring God and advancing his kingdom purposes.
James 4:4 adulterous people. Old Testament prophets used this language to describe Israel’s unfaithfulness to God (Jer. 2:20; 3:6–10; Hos. 1:2). friendship with the world. Loving this world’s beliefs and pleasures more than God.
James 4:5 He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us. God wants to protect what is rightfully his. He created mankind with a “spirit,” and he deeply desires that our spirits worship him (see John 4:23–24). He has redeemed us. He deserves our worship and friendship.
James 4:6 God’s grace will be extended to those who are humble before him (see v. 10; also Prov. 3:34; Luke 1:52; 1 Pet. 5:5–6). God opposes means he resists and sends judgment.
Fact: What does it mean to submit?
What does it mean to submit? Submission means that one has willingly placed himself or herself under the authority of another. It means humility and obedience, rather than rebellion. Submission to God means that the believer has surrendered to God’s will and embraced the Lord’s rule in his or her life (4:7).
James 4:7–8a The only way to resist the devil is by submitting and drawing near to God (compare 1 Cor. 10:13).
James 4:8b–9 Cleanse and purify are OT terms for ritual purity and ethical purity. Laughter shows how casually James’s readers were treating their sin. The only proper reaction to God’s coming judgment is to be wretched and mourn and weep (see Isa. 15:2; 22:4; Jer. 6:26).
James 4:10 See note on v. 6.
James 4:11 James restates the basic problem behind the issues discussed in 3:1–4:10: the misuse of speech to speak evil or to slander others. Such conduct is rejected in the OT (Lev. 19:16; Jer. 6:28) and NT (Rom. 1:30; 2 Cor. 12:20; 1 Pet. 2:1). judges the law. The “law” likely refers to OT laws against slander, particularly Lev. 19:16, 18. Yet it also includes Jesus’ kingdom laws regarding love for neighbor (Matt. 22:39) and for one another (John 13:34–35). See note on James 2:2–4.
Leviticus 19 in James
| Leviticus 19 | James | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| v. 12 | “You shall not swear” | 5:12 | “do not swear” |
| v. 13 | “The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night” | 5:4 | “Behold, the wages of the laborers . . . which you kept back by fraud” |
| v. 15 | “You shall not be partial” | 2:1, 9 | “My brothers, show no partiality” |
| v. 16 | “You shall not go around as a slanderer” | 4:11 | “Do not speak evil against one another” |
| v. 18a | “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge” | 5:9 | “Do not grumble against one another” |
| v. 18b | “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” | 2:8 | “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” |
James 3:1–4:12 The Sin of Dissension in the Community. This section is the longest in the letter. It discusses the problems people cause with their speech (3:1–12; 4:1–12) and the solution to these problems (“wisdom from above”; 3:13–18). James is concerned about division (4:1) and slander (3:9; 4:11). This trouble may have begun with the leaders/teachers (3:1), but it now involves the whole “body” of the church (3:6).
James 4:12 When a person begins to “judge the law,” he rebels against the one lawgiver and judge. God alone gave the law. He alone is judge of all (Ps. 9:19; Isa. 2:4; Joel 3:12). to save and to destroy. Possibly a warning of future judgment to the divisive boasters.
James 4:13 trade and make a profit. On the surface this sounds like good business sense. But it masks a secular outlook that ignores God. These people are probably Christians belonging to the wealthy merchant class.
James 4:14 you. These business people think they control events. They fail to recognize God’s authority and the temporary nature of life. Planning and investing are not wrong, but arrogant self-confidence and boasting are.
Echoes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in James
| James | Teaching | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | joy amid trials | 5:10–12 |
| 1:4 | exhortation to be perfect | 5:48 |
| 1:5 | asking God for good things | 7:7–11 |
| 1:17 | God the giver of good | 7:11 |
| 1:20 | against anger | 5:22 |
| 1:22 | hearers and doers of the word | 7:24–27 |
| 2:5 | poor inherit the kingdom | 5:3, 5 |
| 2:10 | keeping the whole law | 5:19 |
| 2:13 | merciful receive mercy | 5:7 |
| 3:12 | know them by their fruits | 7:16 |
| 3:18 | blessings of peacemakers | 5:9 |
| 4:2–3 | ask and you will receive | 7:7–8 |
| 4:4 | serving God vs. friendship with the world | 6:24 |
| 4:9–10 | consolation for mourners | 5:4 |
| 4:11–12 | against judging others | 7:1–5 |
| 4:13–14 | living for today | 6:34 |
| 5:2–5 | moth and rust spoiling earthly treasures | 6:19 |
| 5:10 | prophets as examples and patterns | 5:12 |
| 5:12 | against oaths | 5:33–37 |
James 4:15 The key to vv. 13–17 is if the Lord wills. “Lord” refers to Yahweh as Creator. He sustains the universe and controls all that happens. Every business decision must be based on submission to God’s will.
James 4:17 Fails to do it describes the good acts that people do not do. This is as important to God as the sinful acts that they do.
James 5:1 weep and howl. Prophetic language describing the response of those God will punish on judgment day (Isa. 13:6; 15:3; Hos. 7:14; Amos 8:3). Miseries that are coming refers to final judgment, not present troubles.
James 5:2–3 Riches, garments, and gold summarize the materialistic lifestyle of these landowners. These possessions will be lost forever. They will also be evidence at the landowners’ final trial before God. They will feed the flames of the lake of fire where their owners will spend eternity (Rev. 20:11–15).
Equivalent Expressions for the “Last Days”
The “last days” (the day of salvation, 2 Cor. 6:2) have already come but the “last day” (the day of salvation and wrath, 1 Thess. 5:1–11) has not yet arrived. The following are equivalent expressions for the “last days” (the period of time between Jesus’ death and resurrection and the final judgment).
| “the last days” | Acts 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:2; James 5:3 |
| “the last hour” | 1 John 2:18 |
| “the last time” | Jude 18 |
| “the last times” | 1 Pet. 1:20 |
James 5:4 The Lord of hosts (“Lord of heaven’s armies”) pictures God as a warrior going into battle (1 Sam. 17:45; Rev. 17:14; 19:14).
James 5:5 fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. The rich feed on luxuries and fail to realize that they are headed for death (see Jer. 12:3; Rev. 19:17–21).
James 5:1–6 The rich people mentioned here are probably not believers (compare 2:6–7).
James 5:6 Righteous person may have a double meaning. He is both “one of God’s forgiven people” and “a person who is innocent” of the death sentence that the wealthy have given him. He does not resist. The righteous person was powerless to stop the wicked. This makes the sin even worse. See Matt. 5:38–42.
James 5:7 The righteous are to wait until the coming of the Lord (see 1 Thess. 4:15). At that time God will make things right. the early and the late rains. Autumn rains occurred just after planting and the spring rains come just before harvest (Jer. 5:24; Joel 2:23). These two rains were the most important for the crop.
Fact: Two rainy seasons
There are two rainy seasons in Palestine (5:7). The “early rains” come during the fall. Rain during this time is crucial to farmers, because it helps seeds germinate. “Late rains” come in early spring and help the seedlings turn into mature plants.
James 5:10 The example of the prophets is that they suffered and died (see Heb. 11:32–38) for speaking in the name of the Lord.
James 5:11 The theme of enduring trials recalls 1:2–4, 12.
Fact: Was Job a real person?
Was Job a real person? It is not known exactly when Job lived, but he was a real person. Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:11 refer to him as a historical figure.
James 4:13–5:12 The Sins of the Wealthy. James condemns the sins of the wealthy (pride, 4:13–17; and robbing the poor, 5:1–6). He then calls for patience in suffering (5:7–11).
James 5:12 It is not entirely clear how do not swear is connected to vv. 7–11. Above all may begin a three-part conclusion to the letter (vv. 12, 13–18, 19–20). Yet it could also refer back to the sins of the tongue and the grumbling of v. 9. Oaths were allowed in Israel, but the person was required to fulfill them. This was especially so because they often involved swearing by God’s name (see Lev. 19:12; Jer. 5:2). James’s ban on oaths builds on Jesus’ in Matt. 5:33–37 (see also Matt. 23:16–22). The point in both cases is that a believer’s word should be enough. This does not mean all oaths (e.g., official oaths) are prohibited.
Echoes of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in James
| James | Teaching | Matthew |
|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | joy amid trials | 5:10–12 |
| 1:4 | exhortation to be perfect | 5:48 |
| 1:5 | asking God for good things | 7:7–11 |
| 1:17 | God the giver of good | 7:11 |
| 1:20 | against anger | 5:22 |
| 1:22 | hearers and doers of the word | 7:24–27 |
| 2:5 | poor inherit the kingdom | 5:3, 5 |
| 2:10 | keeping the whole law | 5:19 |
| 2:13 | merciful receive mercy | 5:7 |
| 3:12 | know them by their fruits | 7:16 |
| 3:18 | blessings of peacemakers | 5:9 |
| 4:2–3 | ask and you will receive | 7:7–8 |
| 4:4 | serving God vs. friendship with the world | 6:24 |
| 4:9–10 | consolation for mourners | 5:4 |
| 4:11–12 | against judging others | 7:1–5 |
| 4:13–14 | living for today | 6:34 |
| 5:2–5 | moth and rust spoiling earthly treasures | 6:19 |
| 5:10 | prophets as examples and patterns | 5:12 |
| 5:12 | against oaths | 5:33–37 |
Leviticus 19 in James
| Leviticus 19 | James | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| v. 12 | “You shall not swear” | 5:12 | “do not swear” |
| v. 13 | “The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night” | 5:4 | “Behold, the wages of the laborers . . . which you kept back by fraud” |
| v. 15 | “You shall not be partial” | 2:1, 9 | “My brothers, show no partiality” |
| v. 16 | “You shall not go around as a slanderer” | 4:11 | “Do not speak evil against one another” |
| v. 18a | “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge” | 5:9 | “Do not grumble against one another” |
| v. 18b | “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” | 2:8 | “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” |
James 5:13–14 There is a pattern in these verses. James begins with those suffering, then addresses the cheerful, and concludes with those who are sick. As used here, “sick” probably refers to physical illness. Elders were pastors and overseers (see Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Pet. 5:1–2). They were leaders in the churches. The wording here suggests that there were multiple elders in the churches to which James was writing. anointing . . . with oil. A symbol representing the healing power of the Holy Spirit to come upon the sick person. in the name of the Lord. It is God, not the oil, that heals.
James 5:15 the prayer of faith. Not the faith of the sick person, but the faith of those praying. James does not require the sick person to exercise faith. The sick person simply asks for the elders to pray. Will save perhaps carries a double meaning: (1) the sick person will be physically healed, and/or (2) the sick person may also experience spiritual salvation, or growth in the blessings of salvation (sins . . . forgiven). This is similar to many of Jesus’ healings in the Gospels. James is not teaching that all illnesses will be healed if people would simply call on the elders, or try to make themselves have enough faith, or pray with enough conviction. Healing, when it happens, is always a gift from God. He is sovereign over all circumstances. Some interpreters suggest that James refers to the promise of the resurrection rather than physical healing. If, in the phrase “if he has committed sins,” implies that not all sickness is connected to specific sins. James seems to expect, though, that some sickness is the result of sin (compare 1 Cor. 11:30).
James 5:16 confess your sins to one another. Sometimes confession in the community is needed before healing can take place, since sin may be the cause of the illness (compare 1 Cor. 11:29–30). Pray for one another is directed to all the readers of James’s letter. He did not expect prayer for healing to be limited to the elders (James 5:14).
James 5:13–18 The Prayer of Faith. Speaking mainly of prayer, James restates some of the letter’s key themes. These include trials and misuse of the tongue. The ultimate way to “tame” one’s tongue (3:8) is to “pray for one another” (5:16).
James 5:17–18 Elijah illustrates how a man with a nature like ours could have a powerful prayer life. The drought recorded in 1 Kings 17–18 was punishment on King Ahab and Israel for idolatry. The three years and six months is probably taken from “in the third year” (1 Kings 18:1) as symbolic of judgment (half of seven; see Dan. 7:25; 12:7).
James 5:19–20 Concluding Admonition. James’s style is abrupt. There is no concluding greeting as in most NT letters. Instead, James calls the community to help those who have fallen into the moral faults described in the book. This closing section acts as a summary of various sins and their solutions.
James 5:20 save his soul from death. Not physical death (see 1 Cor. 11:30) but spiritual death (compare 1 John 5:16–17). Timely help from other believers (see Gal. 6:1; Heb. 3:13) will “save his soul” and bring forgiveness from God if he repents. The one who encourages repentance will cover the many sins of the one who had strayed, because God will forgive someone who repents.
Introduction to James
Timeline
Author, Date, and Recipients
This letter was written by James, the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55) and leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15). It was probably written about A.D. 40–45 to Jewish Christians living outside Palestine.
Theme
Christians must live out their faith. They should be doers, not just hearers, of God’s Word.
Purpose
James’s readers were suffering persecution and living in poverty. They were in social and spiritual conflict. Many believers were living in a worldly manner. James corrects them and challenges them to seek God’s wisdom to work out these problems.
Key Themes
- God is a gracious giver, the unchanging Creator, and merciful and compassionate. He is also a Judge, the one and only God, a jealous God, a gracious God, and a healing God (1:5, 17–18; 2:5, 13, 19; 4:5–6; 5:1–3, 9, 15).
- Wisdom comes “from above.” It enables believers to withstand trials and to have peace rather than divisions among themselves (1:5; 3:13, 17).
- God allows tests and trials (1:2–4), but temptation comes from self and Satan. The required response is patient endurance (1:3, 13–14; 4:7; 5:7–8).
- These trials include poverty and mistreatment by the rich. The poor are the special focus of God’s care. They must be cared for by his people. They must not be taken advantage of or ignored. The wealthy are condemned for pride and for stealing from the poor (1:9, 27; 2:1–5, 15–16; 4:13–17; 5:1–6).
- There is both future judgment and future reward (1:12; 2:5, 12–13; 3:1; 4:12; 5:1–7, 9, 20).
- What a person says has power both to destroy and to bring peace (3:1–4:12).
- Rather than merely hearing God’s word, believers must obey it in their daily actions (1:19–27; 2:14–26).
- Prayer is the proper response to trials, but it must not be self-seeking. It is to be central in all of life’s circumstances, good or bad. God has great power to heal physical and spiritual problems (1:5–7; 4:2–3; 5:13–18).
- James and Paul agree that justification comes only by God’s grace through faith, and that true faith always results in good works. If no works result, there was no justification in the first place (2:14–26).
Outline
- Greeting (1:1)
- The Testing of Faith (1:2–18)
- Hearing and Doing the Word (1:19–27)
- The Sin of Favoritism (2:1–13)
- Faith without Works Is Dead (2:14–26)
- The Sin of Dissension in the Community (3:1–4:12)
- The Sins of the Wealthy (4:13–5:12)
- The Prayer of Faith (5:13–18)
- Concluding Admonition (5:19–20)
The Setting of James
c. A.D. 40–45
The letter of James was likely written to predominantly Jewish Christian house churches outside of Palestine, based on its mention of the “twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1), its distinctly Jewish content, and its focus on persecution and poverty. This would mean it was sent throughout most of the ancient Mediterranean world. The author has traditionally been believed to be James, the brother of Jesus and an early leader of the church in Jerusalem.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | James 1-5
This letter, written to Jewish believers scattered across the known world, was penned by James, likely the younger half-brother of Jesus. Of anyone who heard and saw Jesus' faith in action, it must have been James. James might have seen how his older brother lived a complete life of faith and deeds as the image of God, who is full of mercy and compassion.
James' words are emphatic that faith is dead until we live it out in actions that bring life to us and to others. His letter both encourages and admonishes in the strongest terms to make the point that belief is made alive by what we do.
As we read and study this letter, let our eyes and ears catch every aspect of our lives where our actions should reflect our belief. Here are a few:
- how we speak and listen;
- how we treat others;
- how we persevere through trial;
- how we respond when tempted;
- how we display humility and wisdom;
- how we approach the present and the future; and
- how we pray, confess, and repent.
James writes that the actions of our forefather Abraham completed his faith (James 2:22). James challenges us to follow that example. In the gospel accounts, Jesus is clear that our love for God and our love for others bring about his kingdom (Mark 12:28-34), not just by our words but by how we live them out. Our profession of faith in Jesus is only the first step into a life of abundance—a wholehearted embrace of a faith that's alive, not dormant.
Following the words of one who knew Jesus as a brother, let us be brothers and sisters to one another as we show our faith by our actions. As God's children and saints, this letter helps us to gain a foothold on living the life we were meant to live. Consider, my friends, a life lived out in practicing the faith you profess.
This month's memory verse
"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"
– Revelation 21:5
Discussion Questions
1. What do you know about James, the author of this letter? Why do you think God allowed this letter to be included in the Bible?
2. How do we reconcile James' statement that "faith without works is dead" with Paul's statements on salvation by faith (Romans 3:28)?
3. Find one of the many areas in which James challenges the believers that might have resonance with you today. In what way might the Holy Spirit be teaching, training, correcting, or rebuking you in this season?
4. James starts with an exhortation to consider it pure joy when you face trials (see James 1:2, NIV). How is your faith lived out when trials come?
4. James ends with the power of prayer and helping a sinner to repentance. Why does the letter seem to just stop? Why did his last words in the letter include mention of Elijah's prayer and those who wander from the truth?
5. If you were to write a letter about how your faith is lived out, what would you include?