May 31, 2014 Part
2 Book of James
Introduction
Jas 1:1-6
NKJV James, a bondservant of God and of
the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:
Greetings. (2) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall
into various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience. (4) But let patience have its perfect
work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (5) If
any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and
without reproach, and it will be given to him.
(6) But let him ask in faith,
with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed
by the wind.
Let’s do a short review
This Epistle of James
was written by James who was the half-brother Jesus and the
son of Mary and
Joseph.
We read that Mark 6:3
tells us that Jesus had 4 half-brothers and 2 or more sisters.
Additional information about Mary having more than one
son. May church groups say these were
Joseph children from a prior marriage life and Joseph was in his 90’s at his
time.
Mat 1:18 NKJV Now the
birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to
Joseph, before they came together,
she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:24-25 NKJV Then Joseph,
being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took
to him his wife, (25) and did
not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
This
verse tells us that Joseph did not have relations with Mary before Jesus birth.
Jesus might have been only a couple of years older than
James. Jesus was around 33 when He died and James was probably around 31 at the
time.
Mat
2:13 NKJV Now when they had departed,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying,
"Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there
until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy
Him."
John 7:5 tells
us that James was an Unbeliever before the resurrection:
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor 9:5 that James probably
did have a wife and called him a Pillar of the church.
We learn that James was a man of great authority within
the Body and leader of the Jerusalem council.
The Book of James was probably
one of the earliest New Testament books written as early in the
50’s and before 62 A.D.
Question asked: Why
was James killed? Annas the Younger,
illegally arranged for the execution of James in A.D. 62.
(he saw how his father did it)
James was converting too many people to be
followers of Jesus. When the Jewish Leadership failed to kill Paul, since
he appealed to Rome, they turned against James.
They took James to a public place, and
demanded that he should renounce the faith of Christ before all the people, but
James with a firm voice declared and confessed that Jesus Christ was the Son of
God, our Savior and Lord.
Unable to hear any more testimony, they
seized James, took him up to a wing of the Temple, cast him down, then stone
him and beat him with a club.
Question: Why was James
allowed to go into the Sanctuary?
He alone was allowed to enter the sanctuary
whenever he wanted to
Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron, cousin to Mary, it is also possible that Mary has lineage to Aaron. Then
James could have lineage to Aaron because of Mary, and this could be why James
was allowed to go into the Sanctuary. Saying
Mary and Elizabeth were sisters.
Luke 1:5
NKJV There was in the days of Herod, the
king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was
Elizabeth.
Luke 1:36
NKJV Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative (cousin) has also conceived a son in her
old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
Pick up where we left off.
Theme of the Book of James
James gives advice in this letter to help his readers
live for Christ in faith.
A Living Faith:
evidenced by righteous living and godly
behavior. And religion in the high sense of devoted
service for others as the outcome and proof of faith.
James teaching in this Epistle is being
practical Christian ethics, rather than doctrinal
James stress upon practical Christian living,
and reflects in its style and in its frequent references to the Sermon on the
Mount. This Epistle is notable for moral
and ethical teaching for the Church body.
Chapter 1:
Victorious Faith
Chapter 2:
Manifested Faith
Chapter 3:
Controlling and Energizing
Faith
Chapter 4:
Submissive Faith
Chapter 5:
Patient and Expectant Faith
The nature and character of God; Day-to-day
behavior as Christians.
Faith (as the starting
point for the Christian);
Faith is throughout this whole book and Deals with, The nature of Faith;
What is faith?
Eph 2:8-9
NKJV For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9)
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Heb 11:1
NKJV Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.
This verse states what the nature of all true
faith is and is a description of what faith does for us.
Substance or
confidence: We read and hear the
promises of God which we hope for, as future in fulfillment, making them
present realities to us.
Things hoped for: It makes things hoped for as real as if we
already had them, and it provides unshakable evidence that the unseen,
spiritual blessings of Christianity are absolutely certain and real and brings
the future within the present and makes the invisible seen.
Hoped for: Heb 6:18-19 NKJV that by two immutable things, in which it is
impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for
refuge to lay hold of the hope set
before us. (19) This hope
we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters
the Presence behind the veil,
Faith includes knowing, believing and
following the Will of God.
How do we received faith, Paul tells us in
Rom 10:17 NKJV So then faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
Something to think about. It is good to read the Scriptures, just
reading it, to get an overview. But when
you study the Scriptures, it is good to read the section you are going to
study, then read aloud the first verse, then look at what is in the verse and
what it says. We will many times read
over a verse and not really see some of the interesting statements. These are where we find these little golden
nuggets that are hidden within the verse.
As we know, the Holy Spirit will lead us in all truths.
Let’s start with verse 1 in James 1:1-12
Victorious
Faith
Jas 1:1 NKJV James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
“A servant”
- James knew Christ
after the flesh
and as a brother no more: he honors Him as Lord and Messiah and links His name with that of God the Father.
Whatever doubts he may have once had, they are gone now.
So we see, the skeptic James who did not
believe Jesus before the resurrection, became a servant of the Lord Jesus. And
James wasn't ashamed to say so. You
notice that James puts God and the Lord Jesus on the same level
as equals.
Greetings: 5463. chairo, khah'ee-ro; to be
"cheer"ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; be well:--farewell, be
glad, God speed, greeting, hail, joy (-fully), rejoice.
Almost all the other Epistles within the
first 3 verses of Chapter 1 will have “Grace to you and peace” in it. James does not use it.
It is also a message
for
us, just as Paul’s letters written to Gentile Christians are also for
all believers.
“To the Twelve Tribes”
– James is a Jew writing to the
Twelve Tribes. This term has cause
more arguments among Christian and non-Christian groups and the term, Lost 10
tribes. This is two big of a subject to cover here, we can add subject this
down the line as a study. I find it very interesting, especially looking
at the Scripture references.
Mat
10:5-6 NKJV These twelve Jesus sent out
and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and
do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
(6) But go rather to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat
15:24 NKJV But He answered and said,
"I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Luke
22:30 NKJV that you may eat and drink at
My table in My kingdom, and sit on
thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
Act
9:15 NKJV But the Lord said to him,
"Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles,
kings, and the children of Israel.
Jas 1:2 NKJV My brethren,
count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Brethren:
adelphos, ad-el-fos'; means a brother (lit. or fig.) near or remote.
James
addresses the readers as brothers 15 times in this short letter and chides them
in brotherly love.
When God’s
people are called
upon to pass through great
trials, it is not evidence of God’s displeasure.
“Temptations” or trials here does not
refer to being
tempted to sin,
but rather the testing of faith.
Temptation:
peirasmos, pi-ras-mos'; a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience
[of evil],
Jas 1:3 NKJV knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience.
Patience:
hupomone, hoop-om-on-ay'; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance,
constancy:--enduring, patience, (waiting).
The purpose
of suffering; preparation for ministry. If we say we are
Christian or Believer and have the Holy Spirit living in us, we are in
ministry of our Lord, Jesus. If one professes to have faith in the Lord he can depend upon it that he will be put to the test sooner or later.
Suffering or trials helps us to have empathy for others what they are
going through and how we can help them.
When we
receive the Holy Spirit, living in us, our eyes are open to many things and the
Holy Spirit will direct us to live godly lives as Jesus lived. Paul tells us:
2Ti 3:12
NKJV Yes, and all who desire to live
godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Even when we pray to ask that these health problems, for
example, be removed, God might not do it right away. Let’s look at Paul.
Paul asked the Lord three times to
remove a physical problem. The Lord did not remove it, but gave Paul the grace
to bear it.
2Co 12:7-9
NKJV And lest I should be exalted above
measure by the abundance of the revelations,
a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me,
lest I be exalted above measure.
(8) Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it
might depart from me. (9) And He said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
Speculations
was his eye sight suffered after being blinded. We know God promise to heal us
sometime when He thinks is best.
We should not become discouraged when
going through trial. We already know that no problem is too great for our
Father. Some problems in life are never removed. We must learn to accept them
and to prove His grace sufficient.
The bottom line is we realize that problems
strengthen our character.
To Be Continue
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