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Chapter1:1-8
Who wrote it? There are 4 James's mentioned in the Bible
1.
James the son of Zebedee and Brother of John Mark (Mark
1:19)
a.
Suffered martyrdom before James was written Acts 12:2
2.
The son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18)
a.
Very unlikely that he wrote it..he is not mentioned much
more
3.
The father of Judas (not Iscariot) Luke 6:16
a.
Was not a recognized leader in the church
4.
The half-brother of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:19)
a.
He was a recognized leader of the Jerusalem church
b.
Very similar to the speech that he gave in Acts 15
When -It is likely that this book was written between
45 and 48 AD. There
is no mention of the Jerusalem council, which James was very active
in, which was established in AD 49. And the book definitely had to be written before AD 62, which
was when James was martyred according to Flavius Josephus. These dates make this book the first New
Testament book written.
To Whom -The 12 tribes scattered among the nations: Judah,
Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtili, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar,
Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Many suggest that the 12 tribes is a metaphor
for all of the Gentile church scattered throughout the Roman Empire.
According to Walvoord and Zuck, It is likely that Peter wrote
to the Jewish Christians scattered to the West and that James addressed
the Jewish Christians to the East, in Babylon and Mesopotamia.
I.
Salutation: 1:1
a.
1 - James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
i.
James literally translated in Greek is Iakobos (Jacob)
ii.
Bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ -devoted/enslaved/subservient
to another to the disregard of one's own interests
II.
Rejoice in diverse trials -Trials
are not to be seen as tribulations but testings. A test is given to see if a student can
pass, not pass out. James
gives sound advice on how to score high on every test.
a.
Attitude in trials (1:2)
i.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter
various trials
1.
cara (Joy) literally means joy, gladness, rejoicing,
or an occasion for rejoicing
2.
James identified with the readers "my brethren" he was lumping himself with them.
3.
Encounter peripipto "to fall into" it is the
same word that is used in Luke 10:30 where the poor man "fell
among robbers." Most people count it joy when they escape
a trial, but James was saying that we should be joyous when we fall
into them.
a.
This noun is specifically referring to external trials,
or tests of stamina, but in verse 13 James uses a slightly different
variation of the noun peirazomai, which speaks of an inner temptation
or trial.
ii.
Question: how can a person find joy in trials?
b.
Advantage of Trials (1:3-4)
i.
knowing that the testing of your faith produces
endurance
1.
ginoskontes -literally "knowing through experience"
James knew that this idea, that tests produce endurance,
would not be a new concept for them
2.
Testing -dokimion only appears in I Peter 1:7 which refers to faith being tested,
and equates it to gold being tested in the fire
3.
this testing truly will develop steadfastness in the
face of difficulties
ii.
And let endurance have {its} perfect result,
so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
1.
Perseverance must finish its work, just as tested and
true faith works to produce perseverance, so perseverance must be
allowed to continue its perfect or finished work to produce the
ultimate by-products of maturity and spiritual fulfillment.
2.
Perfect -teleioi - brought to its end, finished, mature
3.
Complete -holokleroi - complete in all its parts, in
no part wanting or unsound, complete, entire, whole
4.
These words are coupled together to give the idea of
perfected all over ot fully developed in every part.
c.
Trials can be faced with joy because, infused with faith,
perseverance results, and if perseverance goes full-term it will
develop a thoroughly mature Christian who lacks nothing. He will indeed be all God wants him to be.
d.
Assistance for
trials
a.
V. 5 But
if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
i.
The giving God - tou didontos theou
ii.
Wisdom - sopias - supreme intelligence,
such as belongs to God
iii.
Knowledge - ginosko - to be sure or
understand
iv.
Gives - didomi - of one's own accord
to give one something, to his advantage
v.
Generously - haplos - simply, openly,
frankly, sincerely
vi.
Without reproach - oneidizo - not grudgingly
vii.
James understood that the readers would
need wisdom, not just knowledge to get through these trials, and
he recommended getting it from the one who would give it generously
and without a grudge
b.
V. 6-8
But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts
is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything
from the Lord, {being} a double-minded man, unstable in all his
ways.
i.
God's provision has some prerequisites
1.
He must ask in
Faith - Pistis
2.
without any doubting
- diakrinomenos - to be at variance with one's self, hesitate, doubt,
vascillating
3.
Walvoord and Zook:
"He dare not come to God like a wave of the sea, blown [horizontally]
and tossed [vertically] by the wind."
4.
not double minded
- dipsychos - two-souled
5.
Unstable in all
his ways - akatastatos - unstable, like an unsteady staggering drunk
ii.
The answers from God requires on assurance
in God
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