James Preview
The book of James, written by the half-brother of Jesus, is often considered to be one of the most practical and applicable books in all of the New Testament. James is thought to have not been a believer during Jesus’s life and earthly ministry (John 7:5), but came to believe in Jesus after seeing his resurrected body. From there, he converted and became one of the believers of the church in Jerusalem.
This book, thought to have been written around 45 AD, is potentially the earliest New Testament book written. It was penned before the Jerusalem Council in 49 AD, which affirmed that the Gospel and salvation were available to both Jews and Gentiles, where James himself gave an impassioned speech.
Throughout this book, there is a call from James for Christians to live according to the truth that they claim to believe. The idea of a Christian living a misaligned life, where you say one thing and do another, was absurd to James. Over the course of these five chapters, he consistently calls his readers back to the idea of living faithful, holy lives. Pastor and scholar Chuck Swindoll says this about the book:
“The pages of James are filled with direct commands to pursue a life of holiness. He makes no excuses for those who do not measure up. In the mind of this early church leader, Christians evidence their faith by walking in certain ways and not others.”
As we read this book as Christians in the 21st century, the call is the same for us today. Oftentimes, even inside the church, there is a tendency for Christians to put on a facade and say all of the “right” things on Sunday mornings, but then live in an inconsistent manner throughout the rest of the week. There is, however, a different way to live–a way where we put legs to what we say we believe and our faith is moving.
As we begin this book, take great notes. Highlight the words that seem be repeated or stick out most to you. Commit some of them to memory. Most importantly, ask God to grow your understanding of Him as begin this journey together.
Read James 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be matureand complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human angerdoes not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Go Deeper
This chapter, like each chapter in the book of James, has several different movements and topics that are discussed. Because of the nature of this book, scholars have considered it to be like a New Testament version of Proverbs and a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, which Jesus preached in Matthew 5-7. In this chapter, James covers everything from withstanding suffering, resisting temptation, the importance of being slow to speak and become angry, why we should do what the Word of God says, and the importance of caring for widows and orphans. If that feels like a lot to keep up with, you’re not wrong!
This chapter could be best summed up by re-reading verse 22: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” The original audience James was writing to had grown up under the Law of the Old Testament. They would have heard the Scriptures and learned them. They would have sat under the teachings of a rabbi. All of the temptations were there for them to go through the religious motions and regurgitate the “right answers” when they needed to. But that is not authentic Christianity.
Pastor David Guzik of the Enduring Word commentary says this about the point James is making:
“It was common in the ancient world for people to hear a teacher. If you followed the teacher and tried to live what he said, you were called a disciple of that teacher. We may say that Jesus is looking for disciples: doers, not mere hearers. Jesus used this same point to conclude His great Sermon on the Mount. He said that the one who heard the word without doing it was like a man who built his house on the sand, but the one who heard God’s word and did it was like a man whose house was built on a rock. The one who both heard and did God’s word could withstand the inevitable storms of life and the judgment of eternity.”
As we read this today, why are we to live in the way that James calls us to? There is nothing compelling about something fraudulent or inauthentic, but a genuine Christian who lives in a way that’s different and counter-cultural stands out. They’re no longer a consumer or someone going through religious motions, but instead are a person living by faith. As we go about our day to day, let’s do it with a clean slate and the freedom to live as a devoted follower of Jesus.
Questions
What stuck out most to you on your first read through this chapter? Why?
If someone were to audit your life today, would they say you are living by faith or going through the motions? Why?
Think about all of the opportunities you will have to interact with others this week. How can you put legs to your faith this week?
Watch This
Check out this overview of the book of James from The Bible Project!
Leave a Comment Below
Join the Team
Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email hello@biblereadingplan.org.
8 thoughts on “James Introduction + 1”
Talk is cheap and the reality of that “talk” is how you live your life, not just at church, but the rest of the days. My words from God this year is steadfastness and trust. To surrender my will to Him in all things with quietness (be still) and to trust His strength with steadfastness. Isaiah 30:15 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling,
I want/desire/need to be willing. To be a hearer of the word that is the doer of that Word. To live differently before this world.
God thank You for Your steadfastness in my life. May my life be different this year in that I do not just turn on the TV or look at social media to numb myself. God help my endurance do its complete work, so that I am more mature and complete, lacking nothing as in verse 4. Thank You that I turn to You in pray, in reading Your Word when I think about chilling. Thank You that I can become a more effective disciple of Jesus. Thank You that I be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Thank You for serving You every minute of every day of 2024 in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!
The subtitle for this chapter in my copy of scripture is “Genuine Religion.” Religion is not synonymous with faith in Christ. What should mark believers is genuine, faith not fakes/frauds but authentically living out the teachings of scripture on a daily basis. We have 24 hours gifted to us to showcase the Savior, through whatever comes our way. The difficulties, sorrows and broken places are perfect opportunities to persevere and point to Jesus. I’ve heavily leaned upon v5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” I will again as 365 new days are gifted to us in 2024. I desperately need practical discernment to navigate decisions. It starts with knowing the word of God before we can implement it. I’m so thankful for the BRP and the accountability and community it provides. Happy New Year!
Amen
If anyone can help me – i have a question. James would have been obviously close since they were raised together as half siblings – my confusion is when most pastors emphasize the roman road for salvation-“ believe and thats it saved- nothing else”— But when I read Jesus offering salvation in His words in the gospels, He explains to “count the cost” and gave us examples of those who believed but lacked a full devotion such as the rich man who did believe! Are we on Sundays being misled by not requiring in the decision to believe- to also include there is a full devotion heart and does have a cost (some countries very life is now at stake and here we have so many divided loyalties to elaborate spending & excess) so as Jesus shares the weeds – we understand the threat to our lives now by the enemy? Shouldnt leaders pastors maybe share more than one scripture by paul to believe and thats it?And part 2 – are we showing freedom now as really hey whatever u do is fine and covered instead of sharing the freedom is really emphasized as freedom from these man made religious laws and traditions?
Such tough but important questions!
The Go Deeper from tomorrow’s reading on James 2 may help:
“How do you know if you have real faith? Look at the fruit. James says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (v. 17). Our works are the fruit of our faith. Faith without action is a useless faith. Martin Luther once said, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”
“We do not have to work FOR our salvation, we work FROM our salvation” (emphasis added mine).
We are not saved by our good deeds, but our good deeds prove we have a saving faith.”
Hope that helps!
So many good instructions in this chapter. James immediately reminds us to be joyful in our struggles because it strengthens our faith. While the words seem to be common sense, it can be difficult when we’re in the muck and mire. But GOD! He is there in our hard times as well and we need to remember that. But the one that truly stuck with me is verse 19, “everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger”. These are blatant instructions for those of us following Christ and I felt convicted as I read that. Am I doing these? Or are my words/actions reflecting something other than God?
Happy New Year to everyone, as I have learned more about James and his story I look for new things that I overlooked or that God places on my heart that he did not before …in Chapter1 it is not just read do!
One (of many!) reasons I LOVE BRP is the broader perspective and deeper understanding of God’s Word only found as I consider Scripture in context— i.e., one complete chapter at a time.
I recognize many familiar, favorite verses in this passage — quoted and preached, recited and remembered. I smile as I recall the games we came up with to help our 10-year-old Bible Drillers memorize verse 19. (Believe me, we were determined to ensure our almost-middle-schoolers committed to heart that reminder about being “quick to listen and slow to speak!” 😉)
I’ve offered prayers of thanksgiving to the Father and giver of “every good and perfect gift” (v. 17); I’ve offered even more desperate prayers to help me understand how I can possibly “consider it pure joy” (v. 2) as I face particularly difficult trials.
And I’ve celebrated more times than I can count that God called my husband and I to an intimate decision with Kingdom impact. As parents of an internationally adopted child — an orphaned daughter — verse 27 has always held deeply personal significance:
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress ….”
Until this reading, though, I did not know there’s a “part B” to that verse: “AND to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Wait—that was there all along? How did I miss it? And oh, how I need it!
All this to say, as much as I’ve loved specific verses in James 1, I confess that, until this reading, I only knew them in part — and so had no idea how MUCH I was missing! How can I ever fully understand, enjoy or apply so much truth apart from the ENTIRE Truth?
Resolving to read more thoroughly and consider more thoughtfully, that I may understand more fully!
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
-2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
-1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV