The Gospel in
James
Belief that Behaves!
Rhome van Dyck, Th.M. S. Jonathan Murphy, Ph.D. Vanessa van Dyck, M.Ed., M.A.[BS]
Field Notes a journal of exploration and discovery
The Gospel in James: Belief that Behaves! Field Notes Copyright Š 2015 Sacra Script Ministries Published by: Sacra Script Ministries 2001 West Plano Parkway, Suite 1010, Plano, TX 75075 www.SacraScript.org Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of Sacra Script Ministries. 0315.1
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The Purpose of Sacra Script __________________________________________
In the book of Acts chapter 8, Philip was prompted by the Holy Spirit to catch up with an Ethiopian eunuch reading from Isaiah 53 in his chariot. Philip asked the eunuch if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch replied, “How could I unless someone explains it to me?” The experience of the eunuch is common to most people. Just like Philip, Sacra Script’s goal is to explain Scripture in light of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Sacra Script creative team includes gifted pastor-teachers and biblical educators. We seek to explain the Bible within the context in which it was written and help you learn the necessary skills for application. We have also designed exercises and study questions to help you remember and respond to what you have learned so that your Bible study does not end at information but transformation. We have carefully included many different tools to help you understand God’s Word. These Field Notes include detailed written explanations, outlines, word studies, pictures, notes, illustrations, maps, and timelines in order to capture the meaning of the text in its ancient context. As a result, this book is part guide, part atlas, part Bible dictionary, part history, and part student workbook. Whether you have never opened the Bible or are seasoned in the faith, these Field Notes provide integrated learning of the Bible. Our resources also include an Expedition Guide for pastors, teachers, and facilitators which utilize additional notes, references, and teaching aids. Video and audio versions designed to better engage visual and auditory learners are also available. Lastly, a digital version guides the student through the biblical text online or through a variety of media technologies. At Sacra Script our prayer is that through the study of God’s Word and the aid of the Holy Spirit you would come to comprehend and apply the Bible. God gave us his word so that we can understand his will. He wants us to be informed about, and involved in, his plan for the ages. This plan for the ages is a gospel plan; it is good news. The gospel is that eternal life with God is made available by God. It is offered only through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection alone satisfies God’s wrath toward sin. You can receive God’s forgiveness and be assured of eternal life by trusting in Jesus Christ. This is good news. This is the gospel, and all of Scripture points to it.
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This book is a testimony to God’s faithfulness working through his people. Without our team of supporters giving to the work of the Lord, this book would not have been written. Our prayer is that this Bible study may be helpful in explaining the meaning of James and showing the beauty of our Savior. We hope that regardless of the language it is translated into, whether it is printed or in digital form, it will serve the body of Christ for years to come. May God use these words to build and edify his Church for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Table of Contents
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I. How does this book work? Keys to your Field Notes Understanding the design The art of active learning Old and New Testament scrolls Maps for James
vii x xi xii xiv
II. Survey the Land Field study 1: Christians struggle to live out their beliefs James background Discoveries
1 11
III. Excavate the Site Field study 2: Respond to life God’s way James 1:1–18 Discoveries
17 29
Field study 3: The gospel bears fruit James 1:19–2:13 Discoveries
35 47
Field study 4: Faith and works go hand-in-hand James 2:14–26 Discoveries
53 65
Field study 5: The gospel bears practical fruit James 3:1–4:12 Discoveries
71 83
Field study 6: Wait for Christ by living God’s way James 4:13–5:20 Discoveries
89 101
IV. Analyze the Find Field study 7: Believe in Christ—behave like Christ James in Scripture Discoveries
107 117
V. Toolbox Glossary
123
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How does this book work? Field Notes
Introduction
Keys to your Field Notes
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Welcome to your Field Notes on James. You are about to embark on a journey of discovery. Your destination is Christianity scattered throughout the Roman Empire in the first century A.D. In order to be ready for your exploration of this book, we highly recommend you spend a few minutes understanding the way your Field Notes work. This book serves as a guide to the ancient biblical text as well as a journal for your discoveries along the way. Let’s get started.
Studying the Bible Studying the Bible is much like heading off into an unknown land to dig around the ruins of an ancient civilization. You need to know where to dig, what you are discovering, and what is important about what you find. This book will guide you on a journey of ancient discovery: the discovery of the meaning of the biblical text.
A Field Study Your Field Notes are divided into individual field studies. Each Field Study is designed to take a minimum of 30 minutes. The content of the Field Study takes around fifteen minutes to read, and the remaining time is for the Discoveries. This includes discussion questions, exercises, and activities which provide over an hour’s worth of interaction if so desired. The exercises are designed for you to choose the ones that are most helpful for you or your group.
This Bible study follows the metaphor of an expedition, or a quest in search of biblical and theological discovery. Your Field Notes contain three specific parts which correspond to the three steps used in an ancient dig. Each step will help you in the process of understanding and applying God’s Word to your life. Each Field Study begins with learning the content and meaning of the text, followed by a section called Discoveries, which includes discussion questions, exercises, and activities to apply the text to your life. Let’s begin by understanding the three steps.
Step one: Survey the land The first step to making a discovery is a comprehensive survey of the land, notating everything that is around. In your Field Notes, the site is the biblical book we will study. This inspection helps us to better understand the characteristics of the terrain. With regard to the Bible, our survey helps us see the function of a book as part of the grand
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How does this book work? Introduction
Field Notes
story of Scripture. We see all the general aspects that provide us the information we need to appreciate the significance of the text once we start our excavation. Our survey requires the right tools: a compass to know in what direction we are going and a map to understand the lay of the land. Our biblical survey will explore issues related to the historical background of the book, date of composition, author, and intended audience. We will also learn the significance of the book in the Bible, its literary style, and the necessary information for a detailed understanding. Essentially, we will learn all we can to understand what the original audience already knew when they received the writing. This way, as we read the biblical text, we will be closer to thinking the same thoughts as the original audience, and therefore have the same understanding they did. This guides us in correct interpretation.
Step two: Excavate the site Once we have surveyed the general details of our site, that is, of the book of the Bible we are studying, we proceed with a series of excavations of the land. This will mean hard work with the pick and shovel and sometimes delicate work with a brush or cloth. We will divide the book into units of thought generally composed of a few verses and in some cases, a few paragraphs that make up a single Field Study. We will dig into the details of the biblical text in order to unearth its treasures.
Discoveries Each Field Study ends with several pages of Discoveries. These are questions and exercises to help you remember and apply what you have learned from the biblical text. Discoveries have been designed to meet all learning styles. We learn by seeing, by hearing, and by doing. There are questions to discuss, exercises to write down, correlation between various biblical texts to make, and activities to do. They are provided to create the most effective learning experience for you.
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We will use specific tools to discover the truth and significance of each passage. In most cases, the following elements will be the tools of our trade: •
An outlined spacing analysis chart of the text. This tool will help us ask and answer the question, how is the text arranged? We will focus on how the author structured the biblical text under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The arrangement of the unit we are studying is fundamental to discover the author’s thought and purpose. It will help us to discern patterns, contrasts, emphases, progressions, conflicts, and arguments.
•
An explanation of what the passage says. Here we will ask several different questions pertaining to our particular text. We will begin by asking, what are the key terms? We will examine key terms and phrases, identifying those elements in the passage which contribute most significantly to its meaning and message.
Field Notes
How does this book work? Introduction
We will then consider the question, what is the explanation? Within this section, we may ask a question like, what about the culture? where we will consider cultural issues that enlighten us on the original audience of the text. If necessary we will ask, what about the geography? or what about the history? The Christian faith is a historical faith and therefore bound to time and space. Images, ideas, and cultural practices are all bound to a geo-location which reveal to us the richness of the treasure that lies beneath the dirt. •
A historical contextual summary of the significance of the text. After using all of these tools, we are finally ready to take the treasures we discovered and summarize them. In this section, we answer the question, what is God saying? Our response will present a brief summary of our findings and conclusions. Many times, this section will also provide us with other biblical examples that further help our understanding and reinforce the lessons we have learned.
•
A summary of the practical implications of the discoveries of our excavation. We finish every excavation answering the question, what does God want? The purpose of these Field Notes is to encourage explorers to grow in their faith and live by it. Such faith is not alive unless the treasures we excavate become realities in our daily lives. We will provide for you some of the major principles discovered, along with particular suggestions for practical application. These suggestions are aids which will help you explore additional implications that may apply more significantly to your particular life story.
Step three: Analyze the find Once you have completed digging through the biblical text, it is time to put down your tools and analyze what you have found. The Bible is God’s revelation to humanity and is one grand story of his love for us. It is important that we analyze each book of the Bible in light of the rest of Scripture. Here is what you need to consider: •
The place of this book within the biblical story. Here we answer the question, what does this book of the Bible contribute to the entire story of Scripture? God wants us to learn about his nature and his character, and his plan for the ages, and each book of the Bible contributes to this understanding. This is why all of God’s Word is valuable. It reveals the gracious nature of him who pursues us.
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How does this book work? Introduction
SAMPLE PAGES This is the sidebar containing optional information to compliment and explain content from the main section.
This is the title bar showing the title, key theme, and the Field Study number.
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Survey the Land
Obadiah
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A family conflict became a long war of nations
What is the background to our story? Nabateans The Nabateans were an ancient Semitic people who took over the land of the Edomites. They settled and built the city of Petra beginning in the 4th century B.C. and resided there during the four hundred years between the times of the Old and New Testaments.
The prophecy of Obadiah begins in the geographical area known today as Petra, meaning rock, within modern day Jordan. The Nabateans carved their rock buildings at Petra over 100 years before Christ. This was the land of ancient Edom before the ruin announced by Obadiah came upon them. God’s curse fell upon the Edomites because of the way they treated Israel. Yes, those were times of constant war among the nations, but Edom and Israel were not merely neighbors. They descended from the same family; in fact, from brothers—twin brothers! God’s anger came upon Edom because Edom did not help his brother in the day Israel was attacked by a foreign power. On the contrary, as Obadiah will reveal, Edom sarcastically celebrated the enslavement of Israel. Would you like to have a brother like that?
Todd Bolen, www.BiblePlaces.com
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A family conflict became a long war of nations
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If we fast-forward our story, the book of Exodus tells us that 450 years after Jacob and Esau, the Israelites are living as slaves in Egypt. God sent Moses to deliver Israel from slavery and lead them on an exodus, a journey out of slavery, into the Promised Land. The fastest roadway between Egypt and the Promised Land was called the King’s Way. It crossed right through Seir, the land of Edom. Even Moses pleads with Israel
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Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “This is what your brother Israel says: You know all the hardships that have experienced. How our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there a long time. The Egyptians treated us and our fathers harshly, but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent a messenger and brought us out of Egypt. Now we are here at Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through any field or vineyard, or even drink water from a well. We will travel along the king’s highway and not go to the right or the left until we have passed through your territory.” But Edom said to him, “You will not pass through here, or we will come out and attack you with the sword.” The Israelites said to him, “We will go along the main highway, and if we or our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot, nothing more.” But he said, “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. So Edom refused to allow them to pass through their territory, so Israel turned away from them.
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several centuries later, the bitterness of Esau against Jacob was still present in their descendants. The book of Numbers1 describes how Moses requested permission from the king of Edom to pass through his land. Moses assured the king that the Israelites would not depart from the main road and even offered to pay for the water they might use. The Edomites refused; they still remembered how Jacob stole the blessing of 1400
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The relationship of this book to Christ. God’s Word centers on the Lord Jesus Christ. His work of redemption opens up access to eternal life with God for those who believe. This is the gospel, the good news of Scripture. Our focus here is, how does this book point to Christ?
When using these Field Notes, please keep in mind the following principles:
1193 Greeks destroy Troy Time of the judges
Providence Lithograph Company, 1907
Genesis 25:27–34 B.C. 2000
hen the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the fields and he was famished. And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am starving!” (That is why he was also called Edom.) But Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; what good is a birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went on his way. So Esau despised his birthright. 1.
The culmination of the story. Finally, we answer the question, how does the story end? This helps us to understand each book of the Bible in light of the grand narrative.
Our Field Notes have been purposefully designed to enable you the explorer, to learn and apply more effectively the lessons of each passage you excavate. We strongly encourage you to invest some time in understanding the functionality of the design. This will greatly help your study and will make it more rewarding and enjoyable.
God told Rebekah before the twins were born that the oldest son, Esau, would serve Jacob, the youngest. This was contrary to tradition. The fulfillment of this prophecy began when, as young adults, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a cup of red soup. Take a look:
The Treasury at Petra
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Understanding the design
The quarrelsome story of these twins begins in Genesis chapter 25.1 Here the Bible explains that Jacob and Esau were born to Rebekah after a period of almost 20 years during which she could not have children. After Isaac prayed for his wife, Rebekah was finally able to conceive. She was pregnant with twins. Their father Isaac was 60 years old!
This treasury at Petra was created by the Nabataeans in the land that once belonged to the Edomites. Notice how red the rock is.
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• The notes are designed to provide as much relevant information as possible in an efficient way. You may not be able to study everything in one sitting, but you can know there is a wealth of information available for you in a single place. Come back to the study as often as you like and learn something new. • Feel free to focus your attention in any of the different sections of the page and/or the sections of Field Notes as a whole. Everyone learns differently. Learn and apply that which best suits your learning style and your particular needs and interests, but challenge yourself to try something new. • The main column of each page provides you with the essential content of the lesson. If you have limited time, we encourage you to focus your attention there. The items in the side margins are complementary to the main text and can be skipped if the material is already known. • Blank spaces are provided in the margins. Use them to record your thoughts, observations, and questions. Make your own notes from the field.
Field Notes
How does this book work?
The art of active learning There are several things that you can do to help yourself learn new material. This is especially true with the Bible, so we have outlined five basic steps to help you engage in the learning process. 1. Come prepared. Begin by asking God for wisdom, humility, and dependence on the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. Pray, “Open my eyes that I might see the wonderful things in your law” from Psalm 119:18. Read with a pen or pencil in hand for marking the text or taking notes. Read aloud at times. This will help you engage your eyes, ears, and voice in the reading process. 2. Preview the text. Regardless of what you are going to read, quickly previewing the text will prepare your mind for what you are going to encounter. Look for a basic outline of the thought, the structure, and the key terms and concepts. 3. Mark the text. Use intentional, deliberate markings that fit your learning style. This will help you engage your mind in what you are reading and activate your memory. Here are some suggestions: • Identify lists of related ideas or topics. Itemize the list in the margin. Galatians 5:16–17 is a good example of a listing text. • Mark key words and phrases. The questions you ask from the text will guide you to key words or phrases. Repetition and contrast also point out key elements of the text. • Identify relationships. Mark logical relationships like therefore, so that, or in order to. Mark temporal relationships such as before, after, the next day, or immediately. Notate contrasts like but or however, and correlations like if-then or either-or. Also highlight conjunctions such as and or or as well as purpose statements like for this reason. 4. Make notes. Constantly summarize your ideas, write questions, repeat key words, use colors and symbols, and note references. Use your pen or pencil as a pointer so you will not lose your place. Find as many answers as possible to the six basic questions that unlock the content and meaning of a text: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Describe your thoughts completely, but be brief. 5. Summarize, paraphrase, or outline the text. Write a paragraph, sentence, or phrase to summarize what you have read in your own words. Reread the passage, paying attention to your markings and notes in the text so you will remember what you have read.
Introduction
Colors and Symbols Use a consistent color and/or symbol code that works for you. • Color parts of speech—Use colors for nouns, pronouns, verbs and prepositions. • Color themes—Use colors for key themes like God, faith, love or sin. • Color relationships—Use colors for temporal or logical words like before, therefore, so that, or if-then. • Use Symbols—Mark important concepts or characters with icons: God – triangle Love – heart Jesus – cross Repentance – U-turn Law – tablets • Use arrows—indicate logical or temporal relationships. Mix colors and symbols as needed but keep it simple and consistent.
Asking Questions Who—is talking, is being spoken to, is acting, is obeying, is disobeying, is thinking, and is feeling? What—is happening, is the lesson, must you avoid or imitate, is being said, is not said, did the person do, does the subject feel or think? When—did this happen, will this happen? Where—did it happen, is it happening, will it happen? Why—did things happen, was something said or not said, was an action taken or avoided? How—did things happen, will they happen, is the teaching illustrated, are conflicts caused or resolved?
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Old Testament Scrolls
Law
History
Poetry
Major Prophets
Minor Prophets
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New Testament Scrolls
Gospels
History
Paul’s Letters
General Letters
Prophecy
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How does this book work?
Field Notes
Introduction
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Survey the Land James
Christians struggle to live out their beliefs Field Study 1 Previewing James 1:1–18 Christian Living 1:19–2:13 Responding to the Gospel 2:14–26 The Gospel 3:1–4:12 Responding to the Gospel 4:13–5:20 Christian Living
Introduction Field study 1
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Why should we study James? Christians misbehave. It is a tragic reality and all too common. It is not just that Christians fall into sexual sin, murder, or idolatry. Bad behavior need not be so extreme. Sin can be much more undetectable, excusable, and harmless… or so we think. It is loose lips, indifferent hearts, bad attitudes, or simply cozying up too closely with a world that opposes God. These too are sinful and our churches are filled with Christians misbehaving in many subtle ways. Bad behavior is not only about what you do, but what you do not do. A passive Christian is a misbehaving Christian. A half-hearted believer is a sinful believer. These are double-minded individuals moving back and forth between Christ and the world. Wavering in faith or being inactive for Christ is as much a rebellion as engaging in willful sin. God does not want us to live the Christian life in a passive or half-hearted way. He wants our exclusive loyalty shown in active obedience. God did not save us just to leave us as we are. He wants more for us than to indulge in entertainment, be indecisive in our faith, and wait for Christ’s return. He wants us to believe in and behave like Jesus. Genuine faith in Christ is active and practical. It affects how we talk, how we spend our time and money, how we plan, how we wait, how we react, how we deal with hardship, how we treat people, how we live life—it affects how we behave. Genuine Christian faith is lived out in every way.
Pilgrim’s Progress The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come; Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream is a classic Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and published in 1678. This twopart narrative centers around the main character Christian who journeys to the Celestial City. Along the way he meets Mr. Facing-Both-Ways who is trying to live life facing both Christ and the world, which illustrates the very inconsistency James addresses.
The Roman god Janus The ancient Roman mythical god Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions. He is usually depicted with two faces illustrating how he looks to both the past and the future. It serves as a good visual display of Mr. Facing-Both-Ways from Pilgrim’s Progress.
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This is precisely the call of James to Christians: behave as you believe. There are no excuses. For many readers, James connects works to faith in an uncomfortable way. The reformer Martin Luther went so far as to label the book of James “an epistle of straw” before retracting the 1700 A.D.
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Field study 1
Epistle of Straw Luther stated, “In a word St. John’s Gospel and his first epistle, St. Paul’s epistles, especially Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, and St. Peter’s first epistle are the books that show you Christ and teach you all that is necessary and salvatory for you to know, even if you were never to see or hear any other book or doctrine. Therefore St. James’s epistle is really an epistle of straw, compared to these others, for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.” (Martin Luther, Preface to the New Testament, 1522)
Cain Killing Abel Cain sacrificed to God with an evil heart, but Abel’s sacrifice was given by faith and was rewarded as righteous (Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:11–12).
James
Christians struggle to live out their beliefs
comment. However, James explains something that Luther initially failed to note in his words. Genuine faith is inseparable from the works of faith. We cannot divorce how we live from what we believe without raising questions about our belief. To separate the two creates suspicions of being an imposter. Perhaps we are uncomfortable with James because we are comfortable with a double-life, even if we will not call it that. If anything, the book of James is a bossy epistle because its pages keep telling us what to do, which makes us uncomfortable. We do not like to be told what to do especially if what we are told to do pushes us out of our comfort zone. James boldly calls all who believe in Christ to behave like Christ.
What is the background to our story? The struggle to commit fully to God in both word and deed goes back to the beginning of mankind. Generations of God’s people have attempted to change the boundaries of what God expects of them for their own personal convenience. Some just live out faith in a halfhearted way, wavering in and out of confidence in God depending on their mood. Others sit back, deaf to a corrupt world groaning in pain. Some even flirt with worldly pursuits, sugarcoating their selfish desires with religious words as if God gave them permission to sin. A brief survey of biblical history shows that our problem with split loyalties is ancient. God’s people have always justified their misbehavior. Consider the first family to ever walk with God. Adam and Eve doubted God even though they walked daily with him. They wanted the benefits of his blessing without total obedience to his voice.1 Their son Cain took a double-life to a new w llevel. evel. In theory, he believed that God deserved worship, but his actions were disconnected from Genesis 4:6–7 the attitude of his heart. He The LORD asked Cain, murdered his brother Abel in “Why are you angry? Why cold blood because God did not is your face sad? If you do look with favor on Cain’s inferior what is right, will you not be sacrifice. accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching
Josep Vergara, 1726–1799
Further down history’s timeline at the door; it desires to have you but you must subdue it.” in the age of the patriarchs, we encounter men of faith who failed to commit fully to God as well. Abraham, Isaac, andd Jacob h I J b waveredd iin their allegiance to God. They believed in God yet struggled to behave as he desired.2 In that era Abraham’s nephew Lot, is a striking example. B.C. 2000
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Likewise, the entire history of God’s people Israel is the story of split-loyalties. Generation after generation wavered in their faith and failed in their devotion to their Lord. God had called Israel to live in keeping with his own character, so that the world would be attracted to him. He told and showed them what to do through the Law,, the festivals,, and the system of sacrifices. These instructions y were to guide their lives in faith to him.4 However, as a Exodus 19:5–6 nation, Israel failed to do God’s And now, if you will indeed will. These people of faith obey my voice and keep my misbehaved in both extreme covenant, then you shall be my and passive ways. Overall, treasured possession among all they failed to live in a way that the nations, for all the earth is reflected a genuine belief in mine, and you will be to me a God. kingdom of priests and a holy
Pieter Schoubroeck, 1595–1607
He tried hard to live both ways, receiving God’s blessing by choosing the best land only to pitch his tents near the wicked men of Sodom. Lot was a man of faith, yet he completely embraced the arms of the world.3
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Even after repeated warnings from the angels that the Lord had sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot still wavered in evacuating his family. His wife’s fluctuating faith resulted in her own loss of life when she disobeyed the angel’s orders and looked back, only to become a pillar of salt.
nation...
The portrait of Israel’s doublelife tookk different fforms. SSome were lik like King Saul. His heart was lif changed by God, but his faith waffled from day to day.5 It ruined his life and defaced the reputation of the God whom he represented as King of Israel.6 Others were like Eli, the High Priest who was called to guide and instruct God’s people in holy devotion to their Lord. Yet, Eli got fat sitting around ignoring the corrupt plight of the hurting people he was to aid and serve.7 Lastly, there were those like King Solomon. He wavered in devotion to God because his heart enjoyed the lusts of the world, especially foreign women.8 A tottering faith, uncaring hearts, and a longing for a taste of the world plagued the history of God’s people. Israel lived a doublelife—a little bit of God and as 1 Samuel 13:13 much of the world as possible. Samuel said to Saul
Saul becomes king 1050 David becomes king 1010 1220? Period of Judges begins
‘You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment that the LORD your God gave you... 950
800 930 The kingdom divides
971 Solomon becomes king
John Singleton Copley, 1780
3. Genesis 13:11–13, 19:1–38; 2 Peter 2:6–8 4. Exodus 20:1–26; Leviticus 1–7; 23 5. 1 Samuel 10:9 6. 1 Samuel 9–31 7. 1 Samuel 4:18 8. 1 Kings 1–11 1250 1100
Eli and Samuel Eli demonstrated a clear lack of godly discernment in accusing Hannah of being drunk as she cried out to God for a son in 1 Samuel 1:9–14. However, he showed godly wisdom when the Lord was audibly speaking to his young protégé, Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:1–10.
650 722 Northern kingdom falls to Assyria Southern kingdom falls to 586 Babylon and the temple is destroyed
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Juan de la Corte, 1630–1660
Field study 1
Solomon Meets the Queen of Sheba This painting shows Solomon’s massive and ornate palace. His opulent lifestyle and unending lust for women led his life away from God and to ultimate ruin.
The story is remarkably similar in the first century A.D. in which the New Testament was written. There we witness God’s people struggling with exclusive allegiance and active obedience to the Lord. Jesus’ own disciples often n failedd ttoo behave in a manner Matthew befitting of 26:56 Christ. ...Then all the disciples deserted The him and fled. portrait of the early church presented in the epistles also exposes the ongoing theme of followers of Christ not living according to Christian beliefs. This is evident in the many failures of the church in Corinth which was marked by divisions, jealousy, strife, immorality, and worldliness.1 The New Testament also highlights the double-life of many individuals including Demas who deserted Paul because he loved this present world.2 It is therefore evident that James does not write to address a rare problem but a universal one which is still present today. God’s people have wavered in half-hearted commitment to him throughout history. James may be a bossy epistle but it is also a necessary epistle for today. Let’s explore what God says in this great book.
The Death of Ananias
Who wrote this book? The author of this letter simply identifies himself as James, the servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. He must have been so well known in the early church that no further clarification on his identity was necessary. He must have held such universal respect across the early churches that his first name was James 1:1 enough to assert James, a servant of his authority.
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, 1515–1516
In Acts 5:1–11, Ananias and Sapphira desired the appearance of complete devotion to God. They sold a piece of property and claimed to give the full amount to the apostles. However, the Holy Spirit revealed that they had held a portion back for themselves. Their wavering devotion cost them their very lives.
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God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora: Greetings.
Jesus begins his ministry 28–30? Jesus is crucified and resurrected 30–33?
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Two of Jesus’ twelve disciples were called James. The first is James, son of Alphaeus3 who is also known as James the Younger.4 He is simply too unknown in the New Testament to write a letter with such authority and without need to qualify his identity further. The other disciple is James the son of Zebedee who was the brother of John.5 He was killed in A.D. 44 before this letter was likely written. Other options are James, the half-brother of Jesus,6 or even another James unknown to us in Acts 12:1–2 history since this name was very Now, it was about that time popular among Jews in the first that King Herod laid hands century A.D.
Why James and not Jacob? The names James and Jacob are originally the same Jewish name. The Greek term used in verse 1 is closer to Jacob but this book is known in English as James. It may simply be that James was the more common of the two versions of the name in English. However, some suspect that King James I may have influenced the choice of James over Jacob. It was during his reign (1566–1625) that the King James Version was produced, which became the most influential English Bible translation.
on some who were part of the church to hurt them. He put to death James, the brother of John, by the sword.
In the book of Acts, there was a James who rose to become an important leader in the Jerusalem church. This James was the half-brother of Jesus and would later be known as James the Just. He is the most likely author. This is the only James that was well known and respected by the churches across the Roman Empire. He chaired the famous Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. The meeting settled the question of whether Gentiles had to become like Jews to be Christians. Because of his important and respected position, James wrote the council’s decision as a letter to all the churches.
A half-brother of Jesus? Matthew 1:18–25 declares that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin by the work of God and that she was not united sexually with Joseph until after Jesus birth. The Gospels tell us that once Jesus had been born, Joseph and Mary had other children (Mark 3:31; 6:3; John 7:3). These are Jesus’ half-brothers and half-sisters.
James and the other half-brothers actually did not believe in Jesus during his earthly ministry.7 James only became a follower after witnessing Jesus’ resurrection.8 It seems he was also the brother of Jude, the author of the New Testament book with the same name.9 James was the most prominent leader in the first church in Jerusalem10 and interacted regularly with the apostle Paul.11 Finally, James was also well known outside of church circles in the first century A.D. according to the secular historian Josephus.
James “the Just”
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Matthew 10:3 Mark 15:40 Matthew 10:2 Matthew 13:55 John 7:5 1 Corinthians 15:6–8; Acts 1:14; Galatians 1:19 Jude 1 Acts 12:17; 15:13; Galatians 2:1–14 Act 15; 21:18; Galatians 1:19; 2:9, 12 60
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Public Domain
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The first reference to James being called the Just is by early Christian chronicler Hegesippus (110–180 A.D.) While all of his writings are lost, the early church historian Eusebius (260–340 A.D.) quotes Hegesippus who said of James, “After the apostles, James the brother of the Lord surnamed the Just was made head of the Church at Jerusalem.” Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine, Chapter XXIII, 4. 90 100 A.D.
John writes Revelation 95–96? Pompeii and Herculaneum are 79 destroyed by Vesuvius eruption
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Quality Greek from a Jew? The quality of the text of James in the original Greek is very good on several literary levels. How is this possible if James was an uneducated Jew brought up in the remote region of Galilee? Many Galileans were bilingual knowing both Greek and Aramaic. Moreover, James probably received help from Greek speaking Jewish Christians in Jerusalem when composing this work. Josephus, the famous first century A.D. Jewish writer also admits to receiving help writing in Greek so it seems this was a common practice (Against Apion 1.9).
The Stoning of Stephen
Bartholomeus Breenbergh, 1632
The first major persecution of the church happens with the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:54–60. This begins the scattering of believers, including James’s congregation from Jerusalem.
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What was going on n at the time? The early church faced many hardships. In Acts 8, we see the beginnings of physical persecution from the Jewish authorities who crucified Christ. The churchh in Jerusalem scattered. Yet initially, despite hardship, Christians were united in self-sacrificial love and kindness toward one another.1 As persecutions increased into the A.D. 40’s, more Jewish Christians were ree dispersed across the Roman spreading n Empiree sp spr reading the gospel goospell of Jesus Christ as they went.2 Economic omic strains straain i s and a famine that tormented the whole Roman world under the reign of Emperor Claudius throughout the A.D. 40’s only increased assed e the persecution. Food was in very short supply and tension was always high. Times were very Acts 7:59–8:1 tough. Unpopular people like As they were stoning Jewish Christians would certainly Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, have felt the strain of finding receive my spirit... On that work and food on foreign shores. day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem,
By calling Christians to behave in and all except for the apostles, keeping with genuine Christian were scattered throughout faith, Judea and Samaria. James implies that these scatteered were thesee scatter ed believers r wer e e no longer responding well to the trials they faced. The portrait that emerges of the early church is an ugly one. We see a Christian community persecuted and scattered among the nations. It could not hold its tongue, did not treat people well, and did not prioritize Christ over the desires of this world. These Christians may have believed in Christ but struggled to behave like Christ. It is as if they did not care enough to obey their Savior. It was a Christian church 20
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Acts 2:42–47; 4:29, 32–35; 5:17–18 Acts 8:4 30 40
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immature in the faith. The hardships of life molded the attitudes, values, and behavior of Christians according to the pattern of the world instead of Christ. Tough times can do this! Such skewed living exposed something that concerned James about the authenticity of their faith.
Acts 11:19–21 So those who had been scattered because of the persecution connected with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch speaking the word to no one except to Jews. But there were some of them, from Cyprus and Cyrene who came to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number believed and turned to the Lord.
Therefore, James saw a faith problem in Christian misbehavior. No believer’s behavior should be inconsistent with the model of Christ’s life. Difficulties will test the character and reality of our faith. Trials reveal the loyalties of our heart, but they need not bring out the worst in us. They can refine our faith in Christ, deepening our devotion to God. In calling for belief that is consistently lived out, James simply calls for a full-fledged dedication to Jesus, the object of our faith.
Who was the audience?
James refers to his readers as “the twelve James 1:1 tribes in the Diaspora.” The Diaspora was James, a servant of simply a Jewish way of referring to the God and the Lord Jesus world outside of geographical Israel into Christ, to the twelve which many Jews were scattered. It was tribes in the Diaspora: the lands of the Gentiles or non-Jews. Greetings. The twelve tribes was also a common Jewish way of referring to themselves because, like provinces or states, Israel was originally composed of twelve tribes descending from the sons of Jacob.3 As the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, James had seen persecution disperse his congregation across the Roman Empire. Many likely had abandoned most of their possessions to flee for safety. Furthermore, Jews had previously been exiled and scattered among foreign nations because of God’s discipline centuries earlier. Many of these dispersed Jews returned to Jerusalem every year to celebrate Jewish festivals like Pentecost. Acts 2 indicates that many of these pilgrims became Christians when the Holy Spirit was poured out and Peter preached the gospel. After the feast was over, they took the gospel back to their homes in foreign lands, long before Paul’s missionary journeys.
The Diaspora There were many Jews scattered among the Gentile nations as a result of God’s discipline. Assyria’s invasion of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. and the seventy-year Babylonian exile in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 17; 25) are two examples. Most Jews never returned to their homeland after exile. They either assimilated into the foreign cultures or maintained their own Jewish identities abroad. The Jewish synagogue was key to keeping Jewish culture alive on foreign shores. By the first century A.D., the Diaspora had become a technical category in the Jewish mindset referring to the Jews scattered outside Israel.
James’s letter is addressed specifically to all of these Jewish Christians living outside of Israel. In the early days of Christianity, the majority of Christians were ethnically Jews. Many were still meeting in Jewish 3. Genesis 49:1–33; Exodus 1:1–7 50 60 49? Jerusalem Council
62 James martyred 50–52? Paul’s second missionary journey 52–57? Paul’s third missionary journey
70 70 Temple is destroyed
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James repeatedly addresses his readers through the affectionate Christian term brothers (James 1:2; 2:1; 3:1; 4:11; 5:7). His message intends to persuade genuine Christians to live out their faith. But in the process of addressing the issue, James accepts that the absence of appropriate Christian living may speak of a deeper problem: the absence of genuine faith among some of them.
synagogues in the Diaspora regions.1 So, it would be quite natural for James to write to Christian churches using Jewish terms. Gentiles were not excluded from becoming The Coming of the Holy Spirit Christians, but the book of Acts shows In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit comes while Jews from the Diaspora are celebrating the gospel initially Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. Thousands of Jews become believers in Jesus and returned to their foreign countries as Jewish Christians. spread out both geographically and ethnically through Jewish people.
Jean II Restout, 1732
Are they really Christians?
When did this happen? Outline of Acts 1. The Gospel spread among Jews (Acts 1–8) —Jerusalem 2. The Gospel spreads among Jews and Gentiles (Acts 8–11) —Judea-Samaria 3. The Gospel spreads among Gentiles (Acts 11–28) —End of the earth
First book written? James was probably the first book written in the New Testament. The first Christians were primarily Jewish, which is why James addressed Jewish Christians scattered across the Roman world. B.C.
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The book of James was written early in the New Testament period, at a time when the church was still primarily composed of Jewish believers. For this reason, James refers to the Christian meeting place as a synagogue, quotes the Law as a basis of appeal,2 uses Jewish technical labels,3 and employs Old Testament characters as examples.4 A Jewish audience would be familiar with all of these things, whereas recently converted Gentiles would not. An early date is also likely in light of what James does not say. He does not address key issues that the church would struggle with once more gentiles came to faith. These matters included Christian teachings on salvation, the nature of Christ, and the sacraments. James did not even hint at issues relating to the Jewish-Gentile Christian controversy in A.D. 49 or restrict his own use of Jewish customs and language. The Council of Jerusalem in A.D. 49 affirmed that Gentile converts did not have to take on the Jewish practices of circumcision, dietary regulations, and Jewish festivals to be followers of Christ. Since James presided over the meeting, he surely would have mentioned something in his letter if the council had already occurred. In light of these factors, the book of James was probably written in the mid to late A.D. 40’s, before the Council of Jerusalem and before the church had become primarily Gentile. 1. 2. 3. 4.
James 2:2 James 2:8–13 James 1:1 James 2:24–26; 5:11, 17 20
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How should we read this type of book? We must grasp four crucial issues before we work through the book of James. Having some knowledge of these things will give us a foundation that will be helpful once we pick up the shovel and dig into the text. First, consider the type of literature of James’s writing. There is no doubt the book is recorded and passed on to us in the form of a letter because it is introduced with the mention of author, recipients, and a greeting.5 Before there was audio and video technology, the natural transmission of a message to multiple places was to write it down and mail it. However, this letter was special in that it was written to be read aloud in public gatherings. The book is written for the ear not the eye, and so it is to sound like a speech or sermon to its recipients. The skill of the person reading it aloud was to capture the persuasive force of a speech and not a letter. The quick and confusing shifting between topics would have been smoothed out by the voice, pauses, and general skill of the speaker presenting it. Therefore, James is a hybrid between a letter and a sermon or speech that was intended to be circulated around many churches rather than just one congregation. Listen to James as you read it aloud. The second issue to understand is that the epistle of James is presented as a wisdom book. James resembles many of the Jewish wisdom books such as Proverbs in the Old Testament and Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon, which are not in the Bible. Jewish wisdom books were highly practical by providing guidance for godly living. In them, wisdom was presented as advice on how to live before God and man in light of mankind’s future accountability to God. Wisdom is the use of knowledge in the decisions and choices of life. It is a gift of God. These wisdom books are packed with vivid imagery and focus their attention on themes such as speech, responsibility to others, and worldliness. This is why James is an extremely practical book, abundant in vivid imagery.
The Date of James Scholars are not in agreement on the date of James. Some believe it was written at the end of the first century or into the second century A.D. This rules out James the Just as the author, adding the ethical problem of someone using his name for authority. Others believe James is writing to correct a misunderstanding of Paul’s teaching on faith without works. This is possible and would make it a later work. However, Paul was teaching long before he wrote a book like Galatians. There is no need to assume James only knew of Paul’s teaching after Galatians. Moreover, James could simply be raising a common objection to faith without works with which Paul also dealt with in another way. The faith and works discussion does not need to be limited to just these men.
Mount of Beatitudes This mountain, known as the Mount of Beatitudes, with the Sea of Galilee in the background is the traditional site where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.
5. James 1:1 6. Matthew 5:1–7:29 50
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Todd Bolen, www.BiblePlaces.com
Thirdly, James’s words are actually the voice of Jesus. It is Jesus’ teaching that permeates this book. What James says reiterates the words of Jesus, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount as captured by Matthew.6 Both Matthew and James, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 80
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Talking like Jesus The content James presents resembles Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7. But the style James uses to communicate also imitates Jesus. Like Jesus, James uses hypothetical scenarios or parables (1:23; 2:2–4), beatitudes (1:12), illustrations of Old Testament heroes (2:22–25; 5:11), curse pronouncements (5:1), and proverbs (4:6). James teaches like his older brother, Jesus.
Outline of James Christian Living in a Worldly Setting 1:1–18 Responding to the Gospel 1:19–2:13 The Gospel: A Faith That Works 2:14–26 Responding to the Gospel 3:1–4:12 Christian Living Versus Worldly Living 4:13–5:20
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wrote down what they remembered hearing from Jesus. Therefore, the instructions and views in James are actually Jesus’ practical wisdom for our godly living. Lastly, James’s overarching concern is with Christians living double lives. The theme of double-minded Christians living with one foot in the world and another in Christ’s kingdom runs throughout this letter. Not only does he criticize split loyalties in the lives of believers, he questions the authenticity of their faith. One cannot hide loyalty to Christ simply because times are tough. Treat this study as a warning and an opportunity for reflection and examination. Something is wrong if our faith in Christ does not result in works of faith.
Why did God give us this message? Like the Jewish diaspora of the past, churches scattered around the world today still struggle with consistently living out their belief in God. Here are a few applicational thoughts to consider as you evaluate whether your church is behaving as it believes. It begins by digging a little into your own heart. Believing the right truth demands bbehaving ehaving the right way Christians have practical responsibilities before God. The letter of James is a call for us to behave in light of our belief. Our faith is incomplete if it stops at just knowing Christian truths. If this is the case, such faith is suspect. Consider how active your own faith really is. It is good to believe truth, but such belief is incomplete if it does not affect your actions.
Chameleons
Chiswick Chap, 2011
Chameleons are a type of lizard that have the specialized ability to change colors to blend into their surroundings. James addresses the many believers who try to look like the world in which they live.
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Do not try to live for God and the wo world orld Too many Christians try to live with split loyalties. These chameleon Christians change their colors to suit the current environment. When faith becomes tough or inconvenient, they just blend into the background and wait for time to pass. In the world, there is a competitive market for the loyalties of the heart. Splitting your allegiance is not an option in the Christian life. Take time to think through whether you are trying to live for both God and the world at the same time.
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Discoveries
Field study 1 Notes, Observations & Questions
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Now that you have completed the survey into the rich soil of James, it is time to consider what you have learned. Choose the questions that are most helpful to you or your group.
Connecting with the community These group questions are designed to help you apply what God wants from you. When applicable, think of these questions not only as an individual but also in terms of your family, your community, your nation, and your church. 1. The letter of James is a call for us to behave in light of our belief. How does your faith in Christ show itself in your everyday life? How do you live in obedience to God’s word when times get tough? How can you be sure that your faith is not just an intellectual one? 2. Why is it important to study the biblical, historical, and theological background of James before reading the text of this epistle? 3. Review the section, “What is the background to our story?” Out of the different biblical and historical examples of disobedience given, which one do you find the most disturbing? Why? 4. Think about the last few years of your life. If you have been a Christian during this time, what ongoing changes have you seen in your life, that have moved you closer to Christ? If you cannot determine any change, what does that suggest about your faith? 5. Why is behaving like a Christian essential to the message of this letter? What things or circumstances in life affect your behavior and why? What can you do to behave more like Christ as James exhorts believers to do? 6. How did persecution from the Roman Empire affect the new church in the first century? How does persecution affect the church today and how might present day believers benefit from the letter of James?
For more information about how to use our Discoveries section go to www.SacraScript.org
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7. James presided over the Council of Jerusalem. What was it about? Why didn’t he mention its decision in his letter? How does this knowledge help scholars figure out the date in which his letter was written? 8. If you were or have been displaced from your home and your country because of persecution for your Christian faith, what struggles would you or do you have in living out what you believe? Would it be harder to live out your faith on foreign soil rather than in your own country? Why or why not? 9. After reading this introductory Field Study, what is the most important reason to study this New Testament letter? 10. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing a little and 10 representing a lot, rate your present knowledge of the book of James. At the end of Field Study 7, you will have another opportunity to evaluate your knowledge in light of what you have learned. 1 2 a little
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Probing deeper These exercises are for your continued study of some of the key issues in James. They will require you to look at other passages beyond the text of James and should to be thought of in terms of yourself, your family, your community, your nation, and your church. 1. Explain the relationship between the books of Acts and James. Why is it helpful to refer to Acts when beginning a study of James? 2. Read through the life of King Solomon in 1 Kings 1–11. What caused Solomon to stray from the wisdom and knowledge that God had given him? What were the consequences for Solomon living a life that did not reflect his stated belief and trust in God? 3. Who was the James? Read the following passages: • Matthew 13:55 • Mark 6:3 • 1 Corinthians 15:7 • Galatians 1:19; 2:9, 12 • Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18
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What can we learn from James’s life as an unbeliever who was the younger step-brother of Jesus and became a key leader in the early church?
Notes, Observations & Questions
4. When James wrote his letter to the twelve tribes in dispersion, there were many Jews living outside the borders of Israel. Read 2 Kings 17:1–41, which describes Assyria’s invasion of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. Then read 2 Kings 25:1–30 describing the Babylonian captivity and seventy-year exile in 586 B.C. Why did God allow these events to happen? What can we learn from God’s discipline of Israel? With some of these dispersed Jews becoming believers while living in Gentile lands, how did God use the dispersion for his own glory?
Bringing the story to life Learning biblical geography helps us to understand the context of the Bible. Locate each of the following features on the map and label them. See the map on page xiv at the beginning of your Field Notes for help. • Countries and Regions: Cyprus Cilicia Lycia Palestine Phoenicia Syria •
Cities: Antioch Arvad Byblos Jerusalem Kition Ptolemais Salamis Sidon Tripolis Tyre Ugarit
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Daily devotions We need to respond daily to God’s word in order for it to take root in our lives. These four disciplines of Bible reading, journaling, memorizing, and praying will help us take what we have learned and transform our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. Bible Reading Preview James by reading through the entire book. If you are able, read the entire book each day until you begin Field Study 2. This will prepare you to learn James and help you to better retain its message. Journaling Journaling is another way to help us apply what we are learning. We remember more when we respond to what we have read by writing. Each day, journal your thoughts on your own struggle with living for both God and the world. Memorizing the key Part of learning the Bible is remembering what the Bible is about and where to find things. Memorizing the key phrases will help you to better understand and apply the key points of each book. Commit to memory the key phrase for James, which is:
Christians struggle to live out their beliefs Prayer As we learn the word of God, it is essential that we communicate with him through prayer. Commit to praying throughout the week either alone or with others, asking God to help you identify areas in your life where you are allowing society to negatively influence you. Write your own prayer or use this as a sample prayer: Dear Gracious God, What a great privilege it is to study your word and be taught by you about the godly way to live. Our prayer as we begin this journey through the book of James is that you would open our eyes and ears to you. We realize that growing in an understanding of your will should deepen our walk with you. Help us dig through this study attentive to your wisdom and determined to be obedient to your voice. In the precious name of our Savior Jesus Christ, amen.
Preparing to excavate This section will prepare you for the next Field Study. The biblical text is laid out with a wide margin so you can mark the text with
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questions, key terms, notes, and structures. The verse markings have been removed so you can read it without predesignated sections. The spacing helps you see how the lines are related. Before you read Fill in the chart below with what you already know about the book of James. This exercise will help you learn and remember as you encounter new information. Fill in the What I have learned section after you have read the text.
Reading knowledge chart What I already know
While reading... Review the guidelines on The art of active learning section, page xi at the beginning of your Field Notes for some suggestions on reading, learning, and marking the text effectively.
What I have learned
What is the problem that James is addressing?
What is James saying about the problem?
After you have read Summarize the text in your own words in the following space provided. This process will help you to understand and internalize the word of God.
Jam e s 1 : 1 – 1 8
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ames, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora: Greetings.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you fall into various kinds of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance accomplish its perfect work, so that you may be perfect
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James
Christians hristians tians struggle gg to live out their beliefs f
and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God—who gives generously to all without reproach—and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind. For that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. The brother of humble circumstances should take pride in his exaltation, and the rich man in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of grass. For the sun rises with burning heat and dries the grass; its flower falls and its beauty is destroyed. So also the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who endures under trial because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and dragged by his own desire. Then when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. He willed to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Summarize the text here
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Excavate the Site James 2:14–26
Faith and works ggo hand-in-hand Field Study 4
James 2:14–26 Field study 4
Previewing James 1:1–18 Christian Living 1:19–2:13 Responding to the Gospel 2:14–26 The Gospel 3:1–4:12 Responding to the Gospel 4:13–5:20 Christian Living
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How is the text arranged? Our excavation has arrived at the most well-known passage of the epistle of James. What you will study in this section is what this book is most famous for and has caused men like the Reformer Martin Luther great unease. Here James’s single focus is on responding to the gospel or declaring that true religion works. In this study, he shows why it is essential for Christians to produce works of faith. Take some time to read and meditate on the text we are about to dig through, following the structure provided below:
Section
James 2:14–26
Bible Text
A Dead Faith (2:14–17) Proclaimed faith without works is dead
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What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that kind of faith save him?
Example
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If a brother or sister is clothed poorly and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but does not tend to their physical needs, of what good is that?
Proclaimed faith without works is dead
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So even faith by itself is dead if it does not have works.
A Fake Faith (2:18–26) Objection First response
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But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works.
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Faith and works go hand-in-hand
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Section
Bible Text
Second response
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Third response with examples
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Abraham Believes God In Genesis 15, God makes a covenant promise to Abraham that one day he will have his very own son. Even though Abraham and Sarah had tried to have children for years and had grown old, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
James 2:14–26
You believe that God is one. You do well; even the demons believe, and shudder!
But do you want evidence, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working together with his works and faith was perfected by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them off by another way? 26 For just as the body without the breath is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
James 2:14–26 is divided into two parts, which helps in our examination. In the first section, James uses an example to stress his point that claiming to have faith without works is useless or dead. In the second section, he responds to an objection that genuine faith is inseparable from works of faith. Both parts help us understand James’s call to an active faith that is lived out daily.
What is this passage saying?
James Jacques Joseph Tissot, 1896–1902
What are some key terms and phrases? Take some time now to study and understand the following key terms, phrases, and concepts. Sometimes biblical authors use the same words in very different ways so it is important to understand the meaning of the word within the context it is being used. These key terms will be very useful in following the significance of this central section of James. B.C. 2000
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Meaning of Key Terms
Key word or phrase
Meaning and significance
Faith (2:14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26)
James uses the word faith to refer to several different and paradoxical types of faith. It is very important that this is clear in order to understand what James does and does not say. 1. Self-proclaimed faith (2:14–18) This is a verbal profession of faith without an actual love of the Savior. To say one has faith but not be able to show it outwardly means that this type of faith is dead. It is dead in actions because it is dead within. This is not saving faith in the eyes of God. 2. Intellectual faith (2:19) This is the type of faith that simply means one believes certain truths about God. It is rational acknowledgement without heart transformation. This is the type of faith that demons possess. A self-proclaimed faith without works of faith may simply be an intellectual faith since these can overlap. Neither of these types of faith is saving faith in the eyes of God. 3. Genuine faith (2:10–26) This is a proclaimed and intellectual faith that pours out into works of faith because God has transformed the heart. This faith is genuine and therefore finds expression in daily life. It is a living faith within and so it is alive outside. This is saving faith in the eyes of God.
An Illustration of True Faith
Selfproclaimed faith
Genuine faith
Intellectual faith
These distinctions must be clear as we encounter the word faith throughout James and elsewhere in Scripture. Works (2:14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26)
In these verses, James qualifies what he means by works through the examples he employs. Works are: • Active and practical expressions of compassion and help toward needy people (2:15–16) • Active and sacrificial surrendering of what we love most in obedience to God’s desires (2:21) • Acts of hospitality toward God’s servants in loyalty to God despite the intrinsic dangers (2:25) We have also seen from previous verses that caring for orphans and widows (1:27), watching your speech (1:26), living a holy life (1:27), and not showing favoritism (2:1) all help explain what James means by works. He teaches that works are the behaviors expressing the royal law of “loving God and loving people.” Works are practical and often charitable acts of obedience to God that are produced in the life of those who possess genuine, saving faith.
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Faith and works go hand-in-hand
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Key word or phrase
The apostle Paul was an expert communicator and his letters are filled with examples of good writing and speaking techniques. Like James, Paul used the diatribe style. In Romans 9:19–21, Paul uses both rhetorical questions and a hypothetical conversation with an objector:
‘You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault?” For who resists his will? But who are you, O man, who answers back to God? Shall what is molded say to the molder “Why did you make me like this?” Does the potter not have the right to make from the same lump of clay a vessel for honorable use and another for common use?’ B.C.
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Meaning and significance James states that Abraham was justified by works and not by faith alone. This has caused huge debates within Christianity for centuries because the apostle Paul states that man is justified by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:15–16). For now, it is necessary to layout the relevant meanings of this term that are important for our study of James. The term justify can be used in different ways to mean different things. The first meaning of justify is to declare righteous or innocent. This is how the term is used in a legal context as a verdict is passed or pronounced on a person. Paul uses this definition. The second meaning of justify is to prove or show that a person is righteous. It is not a declaration of innocence but a demonstration of innocence. Distinguishing between these two meanings is important to the broader discussion between James and Paul for they are using the same term but not in the same way. James speaks about how Abraham demonstrated his faith by offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God.
Justified (2:24)
The Master of Diatribe
Meaning of Key Terms
Two types In James 1, two types of Christians were identified. One was of Christians maturing while the other was wavering in the faith. Toward the end of James 1, two types of Christians emerged again. There is the one who verbally professes faith and the one whose verbal profession of faith is displayed in active obedience. Up to this point, the assumption has been that all these types of Christians are genuine Christians. Doubt is now added. James begins to insinuate that there is a type of Christian that may not actually be a genuine believer at all. One who makes a verbal profession of faith without works may not actually possess genuine saving faith. By the end of James 2, three categories of people emerge: genuine Christians who are maturing in Christ-likeness, genuine Christians who are immature, wavering, and not growing, and self-professing Christians who are not genuine at all.
What about the culture? James used a well-known and respected style of argumentation known as diatribe. It was a style of communication that used techniques such as asking rhetorical questions, using multiple analogies, or introducing real or hypothetical objections. It was a common way of arguing a point more forcefully because it brought clarity, thoroughness, and interest to the topic. It was also very effective in engaging the intended audience. Note how James asks multiple rhetorical questions to hook his listeners into this passage. See also how he introduces a hypothetical conversation in 2:18: But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works” 20
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James introduces an argument to be able to address objections to his point. Introducing and carrying on a conversation with a real or madeup objector allows the reader to listen in on a dialogue and understand the subject from different angles. James is an engaging communicator.
The Structure of James 2
James 2:1–13
James 2:14–26
General Point (2:1)
General Point (2:14)
Scenario (2:2–4)
Scenario (2:15–17)
First reason (2:5–6a)
Response to first reason (2:18)
Second reason (2:6b–7)
Response to second reason (2:19)
Dead Faith
Third reason (2:8–13) (quoting Biblical Law)
Response to third reason (2:20–26) (quoting Biblical characters)
James wants readers to feel nauseated by a dead faith. Invoking death is a powerful way to speak of a useless faith. A dead corpse connotes tragedy, despair, stench and much more. First century Jews would associate coming into contact with what is dead as rendering them unclean religiously (Numbers 5:2). Consider the priest and the Levite who ignored the man left for dead in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37. A dead faith is intended to be disturbing.
What is the explanation? Let’s now excavate into this text a little deeper. Keep in mind the different types of faith that James is talking about as we work through these verses. (14) A Dead Faith (2:14–17): James begins by asking what good faith is without deeds. He does so to make the main point that there is no benefit in the type of faith, which is all talk and no action. This type of faith questions whether it is genuine at all. It is useless and not the type of faith that saves one before God. To claim to have faith does not mean one actually has genuine saving faith. James is rightly suspicious of such professions that do not spill over into works of faith. (15–16) James presents a hypothetical scenario probably rooted in a real situation he is aware of, to highlight how useless a profession of faith is without action. He brings a needy person before an individual who claims to have faith. The needy person lacks the very basics of life. He or she is not looking for luxuries but the necessities of clothing and food. Now, the one who claims to have faith may sound like a Christian in wishing the needy person the blessing of peace, warmth, and food but such inactive and unhelpful concern is superficial and worthless. The needy person remains in need despite coming before one who claims to have faith in the Ultimate Provider. This is hostility cloaked in sympathy ridiculing the needy individual with useless well wishing. This unmoved individual can claim to love God and love people but without a faith that clothes and feeds the needy, that profession is without merit. Therefore, James returns to reiterate his main point in a 50
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Useless well-wishing It is easy to detect the insult in saying to a hungry and under-clothed person, “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed.” The phrase go in peace was a common way in which Jews, and then Christians, wished God’s blessing upon one another when they greeted or said farewell (2 Kings 5:19; John 20:19). To call for God’s blessing upon a needy person whom you are choosing to ignore is to make a mockery of that needy person and of God. 90
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Demons certainly believe in God. They believe in eternity, judgment, and hell. Demons believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God through whom judgment will come (Mark 3:11; 5:1–20). They believe the Statements of Faith of most Christian churches. Demons are orthodox—they have true beliefs. This should be a warning to many. Just like demons, it is possible to believe the right truths and not be a genuine Christian exhibiting saving faith.
Breath of Life This section ends with another powerful analogy, breath of life. Many Bible versions have the term spirit rather than breath in 2:26. Both are legitimate translations, but to a first century audience, death would be understood as the absence of breathing. Just as breath is a sure sign of life in a body so works testify to a living faith.
Is Paul the Fool? In 2:20, James refers to his hypothetical objector as a foolish person. Some try to suggest James is referring to the apostle Paul. This is simply unfair and untrue. Paul and James are not opposed in what they teach, and James is not engaging in a hypothetical conversation with Paul. B.C. 2000
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Faith and works go hand-in-hand
different way. There is no benefit in the type of faith that is all talk and no action because a professed faith without deeds is an imposter, or a fake. A Fake Faith (2:18–26): In the first part of verse 18, James introduces (18) a potential objection to his main point that a self-professed faith without works of faith is most likely fake. He introduces an imaginary person to raise the objection he seeks to discredit. The objection is that someone can have faith and someone else can have works suggesting that it is possible for a Christian to have one without the other. James counters this objection in three ways. The first response to the objection that faith and works can be separate occurs in the remainder of verse 18. James challenges whoever believes this to prove it, knowing it is impossible to do so. How can bel someone prove faith without works when it can only be w Three Types of Faith proven through works? We need to see the evidence but we 1. Faith-claim: all talk and no walk cannot look into anyone’s heart. 2. Mental-faith: all mind no heart James however, can show his 3. Genuine faith: all one’s being faith because of his works. (19) The second response to the one claiming faith and works are divisible is found in verse 19. James accepts that it is possible to separate faith from works only if one’s faith is not genuine saving faith. He consents to the existence of a type of faith that is nothing more than an intellectual acceptance of a truth. That type of faith, however, is not saving faith. A person can have a head knowledge of the central foundational teachings or creeds of the Old Testament and only be exhibiting the type of belief in God that demons have. This is worse, however, because the demons actually The Shema: God is One do something with that Shema is the first word in Hebrew from Deuteronomy 6:4–5 knowledge—they physically which states that God is one. This fundamental truth was tremble. held by James’s readers and is still affirmed daily by godly Public Domain
A Demonic Faith
James 2:14–26
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Faith and works go hand-in-hand
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objector who claims faith and works can I (Jesus) tell you that people be separated comes in on the day of judgment will verses 20–26. Here, have to give account for every James invokes two careless word they speak. For Biblical examples in by your words you will be order to prove that justified and by your words faith and works are you will be condemned inseparable. Before we look at the two examples, note how verses 20 and 26 escort the reader in and out of these illustrations. The way these verses encase the Abraham and Rahab examples leaves no doubt to the point James is making through these illustrations.
Matthew 12:36–37
(21–24) The first illustration in verses 21–24 is that of Abraham. Jamess calls his readers back to the story of the father not only of the Jewish nation but also of all those who possess genuine faith.1 James is not concerned here withh how w Romans 4:16 one becomes a Christian because he has already For this reason it is by faith in order that it may be according acknowledged he is writing to grace and guaranteed to all to Christian brothers. His Abraham’s offspring—not only to concern is with the results of those who are of the law (Jews), genuine faith within those but also to those who are of the who are already believers. faith of Abraham, who is the This is basic Christian living. father of us all...
The Binding of Isaac The binding of Isaac was considered by Jews as the greatest expression of Abraham’s love for God. All James highlights in the use of the example is that Abraham’s faith in God was demonstrated outwardly through obedience.
1. Genesis 12–22 1250
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Caravaggio, 1603
Abraham and his wife Sarah longed to have children but had grown too old. In Genesis 15, the Lord promised Abraham descendants like the stars in the sky and Abraham believed. It would be 25 years before their beloved Isaac was born. When Isaac was a young boy, God called Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Abraham obeyed and ultimately Genesis 15:6 God intervened to Abram believed spare Isaac’s life. the LORD and he James argues that credited it to him as Abraham’s offering righteousness. 950
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A Friend of God James states that Abraham was God’s friend from a common Jewish understanding, not directly as a quote from the Old Testament. It was a well-known way of describing God and Abraham’s relationship. For example, in the second century B.C. Jewish writing, the Book of Jubilees 19:9 notes that heavenly tablets record that Abraham was the friend of God. It is likely this Jewish understanding comes as an allusion to Scriptural passages which refer to Abraham as God’s beloved such as Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7.
Patriarch and Prostitute Why does James pick Abraham and Rahab to illustrate the relationship between faith and works? Perhaps it was because they are on opposite ends of the social spectrum in the eyes of the first century Jews: man—woman Jew—Gentile ruler—prostitute However, they are equal before God because of their faith. It may be a subtle suggestion that anyone between these two opposites who has the same living faith is accepted by God. Perhaps it is because both of these individuals expressed their living faith through a practical act of hospitality avoiding the favoritism presented in James 2:1–13 (Genesis 18; Joshua 2). B.C. 2000
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of Isaac was a work or action that showed Hebrews 11:17 that his faith in God expressed years earlier was genuine.1 Authentic faith grows into By faith Abraham, the fruit of works in the Christian life. The when he was tested, type of faith that saves is inseparable from offered up Isaac... the works of obedience it seeks to produce.2 Abraham’s faith was not merely a professed faith because it expressed itself through his obedience. Rahab is presented as the second surprising (25–26) illustration.3 Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who came to believe in the God For the LORD of Israel after hearing about him. Her act of your God is God in receiving and heaven above and on the earth below. hiding the Hebrews 11:31 Israelite spies By faith the in Jericho who were sent in by Joshua prostitute Rahab did as well as sending them off away from not perish with the danger proved the genuineness of her disobedient because faith in God. Rahab’s faith was shown she welcomed the spies. to be authentic through the actions it produced.
Joshua 2:11
What is God saying? The truth that genuine faith is inseparable from works of faith is not unique to the book of James. ames. God hhas as repeatedly communicated this truth to us throughout Scrip Scripture. pture r. The Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4–5 is the most famous Old Testament creed summarizing God’s law. w. Itt teaches that genuine faith ith toward God is something ng expressed through one’ss entire being. In the New w Testament, John the Baptist called for those who had repented before re God to produce fruit 1. Genesis 22:1–18 2. Ephesians 2:8–10 3. Joshua 2:1–24; 6:1–27 1700
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in keeping with this repentance.4 Likewise, the apostle Paul reminds us that he along with James, John, and Peter were eager to express their faith in Christ practically through remembering the poor.5 Paul repeatedly calls for obedience of faith throughout his letters.6 Peter also addresses believers as those set apart by the Spirit for obedience and John calls for Christians to walk in the light because those who say they live in God must walk as Jesus walked.7 It is no surprise then that James’s teaching here comes from Jesus Christ himself. Jesus taught that fruit would provide the evidence to identify both genuine and deceptive faith.8 He even gives the feeding and clothing of those in need as examples of the practical expressions of the genuine faith that receives reward.
Wall the angels with him, then he will sit on
his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people from one another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you in or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’
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hen the Son of Man comes in his glory, and
Rahab and the Two Spies In Joshua 2:10–11, Rahab explains that she had heard of how God dried up the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape Egypt. Her knowledge of the acts of God led to her confession that he is the God in heaven above and the earth below.
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James 2:14–26
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James versus Paul
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Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1633
James mes and Paul have been unwittingly thrust into a theological battle for f r centuries. fo centuries James declares, “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24) whereas Paul states, “a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). While these verses might seem to contradict one another, together they present a clear picture of salvation. The key to resolving this controversy is to understand that these verses cannot be stripped from their contexts. Paul and James have different agendas and write into different situations dealing with different problems. They have intended very different meanings even though they are using the same words. Paul uses the term justified to mean a declaration of righteousness before God. James uses justified in the sense of a demonstration of righteousness through The Apostle Paul Paul wrote Romans that a person is justified by faith works. Paul’s concern has to do with how one becomes a Christian or how one is apart from the works of the law. justified or declared righteous before God. James is concerned with the evidence of righteousness, which justifies genuine Christian belief. Paul explains how we enter the Christian life through a faith union with Christ, while James shows the reality of possessing a Christian life given the union with Christ. Moreover, by works Paul means those acts of the law through which a person sought to enter into a relationship with God such as circumcision, Sabbath keeping, and keeping food laws. James is talking about works, which are often acts of love. They are outward expressions of a living faith, which affirm the inner faith that granted right standing before God in the first place. Paul presents God’s truth that faith alone saves. James presents God’s truth that the kind of faith that saves never comes alone but is intended to produce observable fruit. James would agree that according to Paul’s use of justified, Abraham was justified long before he went to sacrifice Isaac. Paul also clearly teaches that James’s use of justified is inseparable from genuine faith (Romans 1:5; Ephesians 2:8–10; James ‘The Just’ 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Titus 1:16–2:1). Most, if not all of Paul’s letters are structured James wrote that a person is justified by works and according to doctrine and duty, or how to live the Christian life in light of Christian not by faith alone. truth. Correct belief or orthodoxy is incomplete without correct behavior or orthopraxy. Paul’s call for Christians to fulfill James 2:24 Romans 3:28 the law of Christ in Galatians 6:2 in living by Justified Displays righteous standing Declared righteous in standing faith working through love (Galatians 5:6) is Works Expressions of genuine faith A competing partner to saving equivalent to James’s call for Christians to faith fulfill the royal law (2:8) or to be justified by Faith Faith-claim Saving faith works of faith and not faith alone (2:24).
James 2:14–26
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Martin Luther’s initial disregard for the letter of James has become infamous because of his belief that it lacked the gospel. Luther’s call to faith alone struggled to appreciate James’s words on the importance of works. Yet, Luther’s introduction to his 1522 commentary on Romans could pass as a paraphrase of James. Here is what he says concerning genuine faith: Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Anyone who does not do good works in this manner is an unbeliever... Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace, so certain of God’s favor that Martin Luther it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge Martin Luther (1483–1546) was a German professor of theology who became the dominant figure in of God’s grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all beginning the Protestant Reformation. creatures. The Holy Spirit makes this happen through faith. Because of it, you freely, willingly, and joyfully do good to everyone, serve everyone, suffer all kinds of things, love and praise the God who has shown you such grace. Thus, it is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat and light from fire. (Translated by Robert E. Smith for Project Wittenberg 1994)
What does God want? We are now at the place where we need to think through what God wants us to do with this passage. Here are a few thought provoking points for you to apply to your life. A profession of faith without accompanying works is likely a fake faith This statement is cause for some soul searching. Works of faith go hand in hand with genuine belief. If there are never any practical expressions of faith in our lives then that is cause for alarm. This is not an attempt to guilt us into doing things for God. That would be unnecessary because living for God will flow out of one who has genuine belief in him. However, this fact is supposed to jolt us into some inner reflection to test our hearts and see what type of faith resides there. A deedless faith always needs attention. Either it is the symptom of a dead and ultimately false faith, or it is the manifestation of sin in the life of a genuine believer. Either way, a response of repentance on our knees is essential. Let’s begin our soul-searching by asking ourselves if anyone would know by our actions whether we have genuinely trusted in Jesus Christ. From ourselves, we must ask
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James 2:14–26
Faith and works go hand-in-hand
others who confess Christ as Lord who are close to us whether their actions reflect genuine faith. Christian duty does not end with wi wishing ishing people well Christians are to do more than wish people’s struggles away. Stating that our thoughts and prayers are with you is not genuine Christianity. Our duty is to provide more than emotional sympathy for hurt and pain. Belief in God yields practical compassion. However, God understands our limitations. He is not asking us to do more than we can possibly do. However, honest limitations are no excuse for laziness. We must open our eyes to people’s struggles around us, ask our neighbors or pastor about who is in need, go to a local police station, contact a local charity, or talk to a local politician to find out about social problems in your city. Turn feeling sorry for others into much more. Help them. Fake faiths produce dead churches James uses death to describe a useless faith that is not genuine. This is a disturbing word picture and is powerful because it jolts us. Something that is dead is characterized by coldness, stiffness, unresponsiveness, and lifelessness. Death is sad, tragic, and disturbing as one’s spirit is separated from his or her body. Yet, too many Christian churches today are rightfully described as such and that is very troubling. If there is no warmth, change, activity, and life in our churches, there is a problem that needs to be addressed. It is either a fake church, or a genuine one in need of help to change. James writes to churches encouraging them to live out their faith. Perhaps they might even begin with a Bible study of James.
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Discoveries
Field study 4 Notes, Observations & Questions
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Now that you have completed your third excavation into the rich soil of James, it is time to consider what you have learned. Choose the questions that are most helpful to you or your group.
Connecting with the community These group questions are designed to help you apply what God wants from you. When applicable, think of these questions not only as an individual but also in terms of your family, your community, your nation, and your church. 1. What is the difference between a self-proclaimed faith, an intellectual faith, and genuine faith? How can someone who has a self-proclaimed faith or an intellectual faith become someone with genuine faith? 2. James calls us to have a faith that results in works. What is a specific work of faith that James illustrates in verses 15–16? James uses the examples of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac and Rahab’s willingness to hide the spies as works of righteousness. In light of these examples, what works of righteousness can you do? 3. Have you ever encountered a person with a dead faith? How did you know his or her faith was dead? According to the illustration used by James in verses 15–16, what is the practical result of dead faith? What can you do this week to demonstrate a living faith? 4. James uses Rahab as an illustration of righteousness in James 2:25. Read Psalm 87:1–7. What does the psalmist say about Rahab? What can we learn from this Psalm about those who acknowledge the Lord? 5. James use of Abraham and Rahab as examples of righteousness tend to draw strong emotions. Abraham is the father of the Jews who was asked to sacrifice his son. Rahab was a Gentile prostitute who betrayed her countrymen by hiding the Israelite spies. She ends up being in the family line of Jesus according to Matthew 1:5. Why might James being using such different people as examples of righteousness? What should our strong emotions produce in light of these two examples?
For more information about how to use our Discoveries section go to www.SacraScript.org
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Field study 4 Notes, Observations & Questions
James 2:14–26
Faith and works go hand-in-hand
6. James states that even the demons believe that God is one and shudder. Read the account of Jesus casting out the legion of demons in Mark 5:1–20. What can we learn about demons specifically by what they say to Jesus in this story? 7. James states that the idea of a fake or phony faith produces deadness. Have you ever been a part of a church that could be described as dead? According to James, how does a dead church become a living church? Come up with several examples from James that could help a church produce a vibrant, living faith.
Probing deeper These research exercises are for your continued study of James in connecting key ideas with other Scripture. They require you to look at other passages beyond the text of James and need to be thought of in terms of yourself, your family, your community, your nation, and your church. 1. James reminds his audience in verse 16 that if you wish a blessing on those who need the basics of life without meeting their needs, it is worthless. Years earlier, Jesus told his disciples that meeting the needs of those with the least, was the same as meeting Jesus’ needs. Reread this account in Matthew 25:31–46. Why does Jesus identify with the hungry, thirsty, lonely, sick, and imprisoned? What then is the result of our faith both individually and as a church? 2. Just like James in James 2:24, the apostle Paul also clearly teaches that a person of genuine faith demonstrates their righteousness through works of faith. Read the following passages by Paul: • Romans 1:5 • 1 Thessalonians 1:3 • Ephesians 2:8–10 • Titus 1:16–2:1 How would you summarize what Paul is stating in these passages? According to Paul and James, what does genuine faith always produce? Why? 3. Read the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac in Genesis 22:1–19. What does God say about Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in Genesis 22:12? What are we supposed to learn about righteousness in light of the extreme example of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son? 4. Read the story of Rahab in Joshua 2:1–24 and 6:1–27. From Joshua 2:9–11, why did Rahab hide the spies and betray her own
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countrymen? From Joshua 6:25, what was the result of Rahab’s act of faith? In light of James’s illustration of Rahab in James 2:25, what are we to learn from Rahab’s faith?
Field study 4 Notes, Observations & Questions
Bringing the story to life James is calling us to actively love people by helping them. Find people around you who are struggling and help them in whatever way you are able. If possible, help as a group so that more people are involved. Ask a neighbor or pastor about who is in need. Go to a local police station, contact a local charity, or talk to a local politician to find out about social problems in your city. Find a way to live out your faith this week by doing more than just wishing people well.
Daily devotions We need to respond daily to God’s word in order for it to take root in our lives. These four disciplines of Bible reading, journaling, memorizing, and praying will help us take what we have learned and transform our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. Bible Reading Each day, read James 2:14–26 until you begin Field Study 5. This will help you to learn and retain the message of God through James. Journaling In Deuteronomy 17, God stated that the first thing a king was supposed to do is write out a copy of the Scriptures for himself so that he would learn to fear the Lord. Journaling Scripture is another way to help us learn. We will remember more if we respond to what we have read by writing. Write out James 2:14–26 from pages 52 or from your own Bible into a journal word for word. Once completed, journal your thoughts each day on how you can live out your faith as you read James 2:14–26 in your own Bible. This will reinforce the learning of Scripture and help you to better retain its message. Memorizing the key Part of learning the Bible is remembering what the Bible is about and where to find things. Memorizing the key phrases will help you to better understand and apply the key points of each book. Commit to memory the key phrase for James 2:14–26, which is:
Deuteronomy 17:18–19 When he [the king] sits on the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll, approved by the Levitical priests. It must be with him, and he must read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and carefully keep all the words of this law and these decrees
Faith and works go hand-in-hand
We would love to see what you created for Bring the Story to Life. Email us at: discoveries@SacraScript.org
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Field study 4 Notes, Observations & Questions
James 2:14–26
Faith and works go hand-in-hand
Prayer As we learn the Word of God, it is essential that we communicate with him through prayer. Commit to praying throughout the week either alone or with others, asking God to help you love people with more than words. Write your own prayer or use this as a sample prayer: Almighty God, At times, your Word confuses me. There is so much to know, and so much to try to get my head and heart to accept. I thank you for speaking to me in this passage of Scripture. I thank you for the examples of Abraham and Rahab that help me see your truth. I do pray that you will help me grasp the importance of my duty as a believer. Change my heart Lord. Open my eyes to the needs around me. Do not let me hide behind good sounding, yet illegitimate excuses. Help me help people see you. I love you Lord. Lead me into areas in which I can show you my love in practical, visible ways. I ask these things in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, amen.
Preparing for the next excavation This section will prepare you for the next Field Study. The biblical text is laid out with a wide margin so you can mark the text with questions, key terms, notes, and structures. The verse markings have been removed so you can read it without predesignated sections. The spacing helps you see how the lines are related. Before you read Review the key terms from Field Studies 2 through 4 to insure you remember all of them. This will help you to follow the message that God is communicating through James’s letter to those scattered among the nations. The key terms: • From Field Study 2 are on page 19–20 • From Field Study 3 are on page 37–38 • From Field Study 4 are on page 55–56
While reading...
Which key terms and definitions have been particularly helpful in understanding the message of James? Why?
Review the guidelines on The art of active learning section, page xi at the beginning of your Field Notes for some suggestions on reading, learning, and marking the text effectively.
After you have read Summarize the text in your own words in the following space provided. This process will help you to understand and internalize the word of God.
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ot many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because
Notes, Observations & Questions
you know that we who teach will incur a stricter judgment. For
we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body as well. Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, then we can direct their whole bodies as well. Look at ships too. Though they are so large and driven by strong winds, they are steered by a small rudder wherever the desires of the pilot direct. In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body that can boast of great things. See how a small fire sets a huge forest ablaze! And the tongue is a fire—a world of evil among the parts of our bodies. It corrupts the entire person and sets on fire the course of his life for it is set on fire by hell itself. Every kind of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by man. But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessings and cursing. My brothers, this should not be! Can a spring produce both fresh water and salt water from the same opening? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and so lie about the truth. This type of wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers plant seeds of peace and raise a harvest of righteousness. What causes conflicts and what causes quarrels among you?
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Field sstudy 4 Notes, Observations & Questions uestions
James 2:14–26
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Is it not this, that your desires battle within you? You desire something and you do not have it, so you kill to get it. You covet something and cannot obtain it, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask. When you ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you can spend what you receive on your own pleasures. You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hatred toward God? So whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture speaks without purpose saying that God yearns jealously over the spirit he made to dwell within us? But he gives more grace. Therefore, Scripture says “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter turn to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. Brothers, do not speak against one another. He who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges the law. And if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge—the one who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Summarize the text here
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