HWANGE CENTRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST

3499 EMPUMALANGA T/SHIP, HWANGE

Contact Details: 0776-767-956
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THE BOOK OF JAMES

Author:  The author identifies himself as James (James 1:1), but not specifically
which James.
 It is widely thought to be James the half - brother of Jesus and leader
of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17: Acts 15:1-21).
 The author of this letter could not have been the apostle James, who
dies too early (A.D. 44).
Brief History of  James was a son of Mary and Joseph and therefore a half-brother to
the Author: Jesus, and brother to Joseph, Simon, Judas and their sisters (Mat
13:55-56).
 James was not a follower of Jesus during the Savior’s time on earth and
even challenged him and misunderstood his mission (John 7:1-5).
 Even after Jesus healed a man who had been disabled for 38 years
(John 5:2-9), fed 5000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish (John 6:5-
14), walked on water (John 6:16-21) and after more than 2 years of
miracles, James is a skeptic.
 James and his brothers didn’t give Jesus the respect due him and it
appears they thought he was not thinking clearly (Mark 3:21) and most
probably wanted him gone from their home (Mark 3:31-35).
 They showed him no honor, which saddened Jesus (Mark 6:4).
 It wasn’t until Jesus’ resurrection and his appearance to James and the
disciples that James finally really understood who his half-brother was
(1 Cor 5:7).
 After Jesus’ instructions recorded in Acts 1:4, James accompanied the
apostles, the women who had followed Jesus, his mother and his
brothers to the upper room, where they prayed and waited patiently
for the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14-15).
 James was present when God sent the Holy Spirit to the small group, at
which point the New Testament church was born (Acts 2:1).
 From Jesus’ resurrection on, James gave himself entirely to God and
soon became an important figure in the early church.
 His role was so important that Peter told others to report to James of
his miraculous release from prison (Acts 12:17; Galatians 1:19).
 Paul called him the ‘pillar of the church’ (Gal 2:9).
 He apparently became the leader of the Jerusalem church, as
evidenced in him making the final decision in Acts 15:13-31.
 The apostle Paul, after his conversion, met with Peter and James
before seeing any of the other apostles (Gal 1:18-19).
 Later we see James advising Paul, and Paul then acting on that advice
(Acts 21:18-26).
Date Written:  Probable A.D. 49, prior to the Jerusalem council held in A.D. 50
Original  First-century Jewish Christians residing in Gentile communities outside
Audience: Palestine (James 1:1).
Purpose:  To expose hypocritical practices and to teach right Christian behavior.
Setting:  After Stephen was martyred (Acts 7:55 - 8:3), persecution increased,

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 HWANGE CENTRAL CHURCH OF CHRIST
3499 EMPUMALANGA T/SHIP, HWANGE
Contact Details: 0776-767-956

and Christians in Jerusalem were scattered throughout the Roman

World. There were thriving Jewish-Christian communities in Rome,
Alexandria, Cyprus and cities in Greece and Asia Minor. Because these
early believers did not have the support of established Christian
churches, James wrote to them as a concerned leader, to encourage
them in their faith during those difficult times.
Key Verse:  “Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good
deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have
good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds’”. (James 2:18)
Outline: 1. Genuine Religion (James 1:1-27)
A. Greetings (1:1)
B. Faith and Endurance (1:2-18)
i. The testing of Faith (1:2-12)
ii. The source of temptation (1:13-18)
C. Listening and Doing (1:19-27)
2. Genuine Faith (James 2:1 - 3:12)
A. Favoritism forbidden (2:1-13)
B. Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)
C. Controlling the Tongue (3:1-12)
3. Genuine wisdom (James 3:13 - 5:20)
A. Two kinds of wisdom (3:13-18)
B. Warning against Worldliness (4:1-17)
C. Warning to the Rich (5:1-6)
D. Patience and Endurance (5:7-12)
E. The Power of Prayer (5:13-18)
F. Restore Wandering Believers (5:19-20)

INTRODUCTION
 The old adage “ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS” is reflected well in the book of
James.
 This book attacks the notion that becoming a Christian is simply a matter of assenting to a
few spiritual truths without experiencing any real change in behavior or thought.
 James addressed several matters in which Christian behavior should reflect Christian faith.
 He discussed pride, discrimination, greed, lust, hypocrisy, worldliness, and slander.
 James used several analogies to show how true faith must evidence itself in good works.
 Because of the book’s emphasis on good works, it is a very practical book regarding the
Christian life.

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