A Guide for Faith

James 2:14 KJV 1900

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James did not believe that works save us. Rather, he pointed out that without works, our faith isn't worth much. In fact, without some evidence

Measurable Response of a true, saving faith, that faith is dead. Words are empty. The students will rely on God's The book of James serves as a reminder that good works wisdom and strength to respond will accompany true faith. James took a practical approach, by faith to truths in James. directly addressing specific problems that faced his audience and that still face Christians today.

Option 1—Make Your. Choice

Write each letter—A, B, C, and D—on a separate piece of paper to create 4 signs. Attach each sign to a different wall or area.

Read each James Quiz question and its choices from resource 41 -RI . Students stand near the sign corresponding to the answer they think is correct. Reveal the correct answer (in bold) before moving on to the next question.

Discuss the activity.

ASK: Which of the quiz answers were most interesting or surprising to you?

ASK: How were you influenced by those around you as you chose your answers?

Did you choose answers according to what you really thought, according to what others chose, or a combination?

ASK: Can you think of a time you made a choice in life based on what others did rather than on what you thought was right?

What happened as a result?

4. Transition to the Bible lesson.

The believers to which James wrote were letting the world influence their choices rather than following the truth of God's Word. James wrote to encourage these believers. His letter provided practical guidance for living out the faith in an unbelieving world. In this course, we will study the book of James and learn how to apply his words to our own lives as we try to put our faith into action.

The Author

Written probably between AD 48 and 50, James was one of the earliest written of the New Testament books and may have been the first. The author of the letter provides only his name for identity, but other Scriptural evidence reveals more about him.

His identity

James 1:1 KJV 1900

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

James referred to himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. The omission of any other credentials suggests that James and his readers knew each other well. His audience would not have needed further identification.

Matthew 13:55 tells us that James was the name of one of Jesus' half brothers. Since James's name occurs first, he was likely the firstborn of Mary and Joseph's children. It is James, the half-brother of Jesus, who undoubtedly wrote the epistle of James.

James was an unbeliever during the days of Jesus' earthly ministry (John 7:5). In fact, though Mary understood the uniqueness and mission of her Son (John 2), Jesus' half-brothers, including James, believed Him to be out of His mind (Mark 3:21).

ASK: How do you think growing up with Jesus hindered His brothers' belief in Him as the Christ? They probably viewed Him simply as their "older brother" and may have resented Him for being such an obedient boy.

Although a part of Jesus' biological family, James did not become a believer and member of His spiritual family until after Jesus' resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:3 KJV 1900

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1 Corinthians 15:4 KJV 1900

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:7 KJV 1900

After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

ASK: How do you think James was affected by his personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus? James most likely finally understood Who Jesus is. He no doubt placed his faith in Jesus and began his spiritual walk with God at that time.

James's encounter with the risen Christ apparently transformed his life, for he was soon considered an apostle and emerged as a leader in the church of Jerusalem (Gal. 1 :19; Acts 1 5:13).

ASK: How might being the half-brother of Jesus have influenced James as he wrote his book? Perhaps James remembered Jesus' behavior growing up and fully appreciated what it means to be like Christ in daily living.

James's experience reminds us that Jesus becomes our brother when we enter God's family. Through faith, we become God's adopted sons and daughters and, thus, spiritual brothers and sisters of Christ.

His integrity

James could have made several claims in order to establish his credentials. As Jesus' half-brother, he knew more about Jesus' personal life than perhaps anyone else. But he made no reference to being a blood relative of Jesus. He did not " name-drop." Instead, he exalted the Son of God with pure joy, unpolluted by selfish interests or claims.

Neither did James refer to himself as a church leader or as an apostle although others certainly considered him as both. James valued his ministry more than a title.

James made none of these claims but humbly referred to himself only as a doulos, which means bondslave, or servant. Even in a simple letter greeting, he reflected his main purpose of serving his Master, Jesus Christ.

The ancient historian Eusebius recorded one man's testimony to James's integrity. From his writings, we learn that James developed callouses from long hours spent on his knees in prayer and thus earned the name "Old Camel Knees." Kneeling on the stone floor of the temple or in his residence, the selfless James, like Jesus, likely prayed more for those the Lord had put under his charge than for himself. When believers in Jerusalem were ravaged by poverty and hunger (2 Cor. 8), he prayed for their needs to be met. And when matters of spiritual concern arose, he sought the mind of God (Acts 1 5). For this great righteousness, he was also called "James the Just.

ASK: Compare your prayer life to that of Old Camel Knees. Do you pray more for others or for yourself?

His impartiality

Approximately 20 years after the death, resurrection, and ascension of

Christ, James participated in an important meeting called the Jerusalem

Council. Some of the Jewish Christians of the early church believed that Gentiles should follow the rituals in the Mosaic law in order to join the fellowship. When disagreements arose over this opinion, the Council convened with the goal of solving the problem.

As the moderator or president of the meeting, James carefully listened to the evidence. He allowed for debate, then summed up the matter and stated his verdict in Acts 1 3—21 .

James had already chided his readers about showing partiality and favoritism in his epistle, written prior to the Jerusalem Council. Clearly,

James accepted all individuals who knew Christ as Savior, whether they were Jew or Gentile, rich or poor.

In this case, James knew that the Gentile Christians had been saved through true faith and did not need to follow the old Jewish law for salvation. But he proposed a solution that would promote fellowship between the Jews and the Gentiles.

Ask: What personal opinions might lead us to make spiritual judgments of others today? Some opinions might include those about hair or clothing style, food choices, use of time.

Ask: What can we learn from James in this regard? James teaches that true Spirituality is not keeping a list of rules or traditions. True spirituality is from the heart and shows itself in good works.

Genuine faith breaks down ethnic and economic barriers. All in Christ should be accepted as members of the same family. Efforts should be made to keep believers unified in faith. Jame’s verdict at the Council matched the message in his epistle.

His Incorruptibility

James never wavered in his commitment to Christ. He refused to recant his faith even though he knew it would cost him his life. James died a martyr’s death, as did all of the other apostles except John.

James 5:10–11 KJV 1900

Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

The Epistle

James’s letter is often called “The Proverbs of the New Testament.” Just as the book of Proverbs offers practical advice and wisdom for a godly life, his letter offers the same about living out the Christian faith. James challenged his readers to live by the truth found in God’s Word and not to give in to the pressures of the world. His words, still relevant today, have been used by the Holy Spirit to challenge generations of believers throughout church history to “show their faith.”

The target audience

In addressing his audience as the "twelve tribes" who had been scattered, James referred to the twelve tribes of Israel. He was comparing the scattered Israelites during exile to the scattered Jewish Christians. According to Acts 8, great persecution broke out against the believers in Jerusalem following the death of Stephen, and they were forced to flee. This scattering of the church became known as the Dispersion.

DISPLAY: Resource 41 -R2. This map of the ancient Mediterranean world shows the area throughout which these early Christians settled.

It is to Christians scattered from Jerusalem that James most likely wrote. If so, James was writing to people he knew and loved. He had pastored them in Jerusalem, prayed for them in their dispersion, and now 41-R2

was writing to them with a shepherd's concern. James wanted these beloved believers to experience the same radical change Jesus had made in him.

Acts 8:1–4 KJV 1900

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

ASK: How did God bring good out of the persecution of the Jerusalem church? The scattered church went everywhere preaching the word.

Luke noted that everyone from Jerusalem fled, "except the apostles. " The last count of the church's size in the beginning verses of Acts 4 was about 5,000 men. If Luke were counting heads of households, the church had experienced incredible growth in a very short time. The flight of these believers created a great number of "instant missionaries" as they went everywhere preaching the Word (Acts 8:4). The term translated "preaching" is the term from which we get our term "evangelism." Everywhere they went they announced the good news of Jesus Christ.

James's letter, beginning with a reference to trials and difficulties, would strike home in the hearts of those who had suffered for their faith. They had been forced to leave all they knew and loved to preserve their lives and protect their families. James wrote to encourage them to keep on, 📷to stay true, and to do right.

ASK: How do you think these severely persecuted believers had the courage to proclaim the word boldly in their new homes? They believed the spreading of the gospel message was more important than their personal safety or comfort. They dedicated themselves to sharing God's good news and were empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The themes

With an overarching theme of faith, the letter addressed several topics relevant to the lives of the readers. you explain the three for each section a hint of what content reveals an dearly loved. James Spirit.

personal walk of faith (sessions 2-4). James confronted the reality of trials and temptations in his readers' lives and warned about doubting God and of bitterness against Him. He challenged believers to be doers of the Word.

ASK: What does it take to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer? A doer of the Word must examine his or her life in light of Scripture and purposefully a//ow the Spirit to guide and empower change in his or her life.

The second part of the book discusses subjects involving the public testimony of one's faith (sessions 5—8). James gave instruction regarding proper treatment of others, both saved and unsaved. He emphasized that speech as well as actions give witness to a true, living faith.

DISPLAY: Major Themes in James poster. As main sections of James, point out the key passage Use the Faith in Action! poster to give the students will be covered in each of the three sections.

The book of James has a simple structure, and its earnest letter written by a pastor to believers he wrote from his heart under the guidance of the Holy

First, the epistle addresses topics related to the

ASK: How should the public testimony of one's faith relate to that person's personal walk of faith? The two should match, and persona/ walk should support public testimony.

In the third part of the book, James confronts sin in the lives of his audience (sessions 9-13). The world had become a glaring influence, affecting their dispositions and decisions. The book concludes with a strong warning that failure to repent of willful sin may lead to a premature death at the disciplining hand of God.

This New Testament "book of Proverbs" challenges the Christian to a life of wisdom rather than folly. When we apply its principles, our lives will clearly show it. A pure religion is public, not just private. Obedient Christians put their faith into action.