ExJM1:Introduction to James (1:1)

From Unbeliever to Slave of Jesus and Mega Church Pastor

(many additional footnotes in Word document)

Introduction

Exordium. Today, we begin a study in the book of James. While we will likely find it direct, and its sentences easy to understand, we will also find it nearly impossible to live out. James demands a level of obedience and commitment that most of us will likely find hard to summon.

James does not offer us a comfortable, armchair kind of faith. He requires a faith characterized by perseverance and patient endurance. However, this patience is not passive.

Think of a tree in the middle of a fierce storm. The wind howls, the rain lashes, the ground shakes, yet the tree’s roots hold deep. The tree does not endure the storm by retreating or folding over in surrender, but rather because it is anchored. The storm tests its strength, but it also strengthens its roots. That is the kind of perseverance and active faith James calls us to—a kind of faith that is strengthened in difficulty.

Context. But before we jump into James’ challenging simplicity, we must consider first the author of this epistle. In so doing, we will come to learn that this James transitions from an unbeliever to what he terms himself “a slave of Jesus Christ” and the head of the church in Jerusalem.

In walking through several New Testament passages, revealing the author, we will then be able to draw a few lessons from the life of James. Let’s begin by determining to which James we are referring.

The Setting of the Book

Author: Which James? We will set aside the debates surrounding a pseudepigraphal authorship of James’ epistle. Instead, we will begin with the premise (consistent throughout church history) that the epistle of James was written by someone named James. However, we must still determine which James is the author. Let’s quickly consider three primary possibilities and then conclude which James most likely authored the epistle. (1) Many of us may immediately think of James, the brother of John, and the apostle. However, in Acts 12, Luke unfolds the martyrdom of James the Apostle, which would have occurred prior to the writing of the epistle. (2) Additionally, James the son of Alphaeus followed Jesus as one of his 12 disciples. This James is only mentioned a few times, always in a listing of the disciples (Mt 10:3, Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Ac 1:13). No biblical or historical evidence suggests heightened prominence or authorship on behalf of this disciple. (3) We are then left with the third most likely option—James, the brother of Jesus. As we will see in several New Testament passages (and consistent with early church history), this James appears to take the leading role in the church and is the most likely candidate for authorship of the epistle of James.

Recipients. James begins his epistle by writing, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (Jas 1:1).

Martin, WBC. Two views of the background are possible: (1) in the racial or geographical sense (Mayor, Hort, Chaine) the term Dispersion referred to Jewish people seen as emigres from Palestine and distributed among the hellenistic kingdoms and later throughout the Roman Empire, especially after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in a.d. 70 (see John 7:35 for this sense). (2) The term came also to stand for the remnant of Israel, the true Israel of eschatological salvation (cf. Jer 31:8; Ezek 37:19, 25; 1QS 8.1; 2 Apoc. Bar. 78.5–7; Laws, 48) and in that sense it was appropriated by Christians who laid claim to their status as the “Israel of God” (Gal 6:16; cf. Rom 9:24–26; Heb 3:6; 4:9; 1 Pet 2:9–10).

Jewish Christians. (1) “Twelve tribes” naturally prompts thoughts of the Jewish nation. (2) Up to this point, dispersion would as well have prompted thoughts of the Jews spread throughout the diaspora following Israel’s destruction. (3) John uses “twelve tribes” to refer to ethnic Israel in Revelation 21:12—note however that he adds “of Israel.”

Some challenges: (1) If “twelve tribes” refers to ethnic Jews, then how do we leap to Jewish Christians as the recipients? (2) After the fall of the northern kingdom, only 10 tribes were lost. The twelve tribes would only be reconstituted in a messianic kingdom.

The Multiethnic Church. Doug Moo concludes, “By calling his readers “the twelve tribes,” then, James claims that they constitute the true people of God of the ‘last days.’” Additionally, Peter Davids concludes the following:

Davids, NIGTC. In using the phrase αἱ δώδεκα φυλαί, the author looks on the recipients of the epistle as the true Israel. The church has quite naturally appropriated the title, for it was the work of the Messiah to reestablish the twelve tribes (Je. 3:18; Ezk. 37:19–24; Pss. Sol. 17:28), and Christians recognized themselves as the true heirs of the Jewish faith (Romans 4; 1 Cor. 10:18; Gal. 4:21–31; Phil. 3:3).

My conclusion. In this address, James offers us the first glimpse of the connection of Old Testament Israel and the New Testament church.

Peter offers a similar address at the beginning of his epistle. He writes, “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Pe 1:1).

Later in Revelation, John would write of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, decorated with symbols of the twelve tribes but also the twelve names of the apostles as symbolic of the church.

It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates … and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed …14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Re 21:12–14).

Clearly James was writing to Christian believers, in churches spread throughout the world. (1) He refers to them as “brothers” in the next verse. (2) He’s a servant of Jesus, and throughout the book expects them to walk in a similar pattern of obedience.

At the point of his writing, most of the church would have consisted of ethnic Jews, due to the recent birth of the church in Jerusalem. Likely thousands of believers in Jerusalem at Pentecost spread throughout the world following both the festival they came for but also the following persecution (i.e. Stephen). However, his message would in no way be limited to ethnic Jews and would be applicable to any believer in the church. So, while James may have had in mind thousands of ethnic Jews who had become Christians, the message extends to the multiethnic church.

Biographical Sketch of James the Just

James Rejects Jesus.

Out of his mind. Amid the second phase of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, Mark draws lines between those who support Jesus and those who reject him. The challenge comes in that those who should be Jesus’ greatest supporters (his family, community, and religious leaders) are the one rejecting him. Jesus will use this rejection by his family to teach that true spiritual relationships come not through physical ancestry but a common connection to God—and more specifically with him.

Jesus’ family hears of his increasing ministry, and they set out towards Capernaum to take charge of him (to seize him). Mark reveals that Jesus’ family thinks he “is out of his mind” (Mk 3:21).

James revealed as brother of Jesus. In Mark, we only know that Jesus’ family thinks he’s crazy, but we don’t yet know who is in his family. In both Matthew and Mark, the authors give the names of some of Jesus’ siblings. At one point, when Jesus returned home, he taught in the synagogue and the people of Nazareth were astonished by his teachings, and they ask, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?” (Mt 13:55; cf. Mk 6:3).

Here we learn, Jesus had a brother named James—additionally a brother named Judas who wrote the epistle of Jude.

Not even his brothers believed in him. Even later in his ministry, during the Festival of Booths, Jesus has a conversation with his brothers, in which they pressure Jesus to go to Judea and show off his power. John reveals their misunderstanding of Jesus and writes, “’For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.’ For not even his brothers believed in him” (Jn 7:4–5).

James Encounters Jesus.

Following Jesus’ ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem from Olivet. In Acts, Luke informs us that the disciples went up to the upper room and “were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Ac 1:14).

How did this come about? Not long before, his family, including his brother James, thought he was insane. What happened to transform James from an unbeliever into one “devoting himself to prayer” along with the disciples? Paul informs us of the event in which James was transformed. After laying out the simple gospel, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul outlines some people Jesus appeared to, following his resurrection. He only mentions three people by name—Peter, James his brother, and Paul. Paul wrote, “Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1 Co 15:7).

James Leads Jesus’ Church

Peter’s release and directions (43-44 AD). In Acts 12, following the death of James the Apostle, Herod imprisons Peter. While in prison, an angel comes to Peter and releases him (Ac 12:7). Upon his escape, Peter goes to the house of Mary [the mother of John Mark—the cousin of Barnabas (Co 4:10) and coworker of Paul (2 Ti 4:11)]. Once they processed the drama of his escape from prison, Peter directs them to “tell these things to James and to the brothers” (Ac 12:17).

Paul’s acknowledgement of James’ leadership. Paul acknowledges James’ preeminent leadership and meets with him when he reports back to the church in Jerusalem.

(33-36 AD) In their first meeting, three years after his conversion, Paul goes up to the church in Jerusalem and meets with James.

But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother (Ga 1:19).

(45-50 AD) In another meeting, fourteen years later (Gal 2:1), Paul meets with James, Peter, and John. In Galatians, Paul writes:

and when James and Cephas and John [note James mentioned first], who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Ga 2:9).

(57 AD) Prior to his final imprisonment, Paul journeys back to Jerusalem one final time. Luke reveals that Paul “went in … to James, and all the elders were present.”

When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. (Ac 21:17–18).

Jerusalem Council (49-51 AD). At the Jerusalem Council, Paul and Barnabas “related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles” (Ac 15:12). Following their report, James leads the Council in their response (Ac 15:13), and he offers a judgment for all the churches to follow (Ac 15:19-21).

Lessons From James’ Life

Proximity to the gospel does not ensure belief. James literally grew up with the Messiah as his brother. He observed, firsthand, Jesus earthly ministry and miracles. And yet, he did not believe in Jesus and apparently considered him to be crazy enough to require his own family to come and take him by force. James was surrounded by the Gospel and yet struggled to believe.

Let me offer two points of connection for us this morning. (1) First, older generation don’t expect or assume younger people will inevitably accept Christ just because they have been surrounded by it in your homes or in your church. (2) Second, young people, don’t assume you are a Christian just because you grew up around the gospel or around the church or in a Christian home. Belief is not genetic.

Belief requires an encounter with Jesus. While we can’t be sure about the precise conversion of James, I like to think it occurred at or at least near the moment when Jesus “appeared to James” (1 Cor 15:7).

Similarly, this is likely why Paul, after Jesus appeared to him, “decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Co 2:2). Paul was dramatically transformed when he saw the resurrected Jesus. And, I think James was dramatically transformed when he saw the resurrected Jesus. Therefore, Paul seems to singularly focus on presenting and sharing a crucified and resurrected Jesus.

A point of application: while moralism may produce better-looking religious people, moralism never transforms a persons heart. So then, we focus on proclaiming Jesus, for only when people see Jesus are they truly transformed.

Be careful with your expectations. (1) James struggled to believe in Jesus because Jesus didn’t meet his expectations. While obviously for different reasons than James, we can struggle with the same dynamic. We have expectations for how Jesus (or God) works. We expect him to do certain things, in certain ways, at certain times. When he doesn’t meet up to our expectations, we can dismiss him. “I don’t want to follow a Jesus like that!” Be careful, Jesus rarely fits our expectations.

(2) Additionally, Jesus works in believers very differently. Be careful you don’t hold too tightly to how you expect Jesus to work in you following your conversion.

Some people come to Christ and certain sins are completely gone, while others live the rest of their lives with those same temptations. Some people come to Christ, and God blesses them in amazing ways—position, wealth, relationships, etc.—and others come to Christ and live common lives, with little money, broken relationships, and/or suffering and persecution.

Let me offer what prompted this thought. In our discussion on the author, we mentioned a couple of options: James the son of Alphaeus and James the brother of Jesus. James the son of Alphaeus believed in Jesus before James the brother of Jesus. He walked with Jesus throughout his earthly ministry. He was one of the apostles. And yet, James the brother of Jesus, who didn’t believe and thought Jesus to be crazy, ends up being the one to lead the church in Jerusalem. Why? Maybe James the son of Alphaeus never once struggled with that reality.

But, here’s a reality. We tend to compare ourselves with other believers and wonder why God works in them one way and in us a different way. Jesus directs his church the way he best sees fit—and it is good. We need to check our expectations at the door and simply rest in his sovereign care of his church and us individually.