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The book of James has been accepted as a part of the
canonical literature since the earliest days of the church. There has been some
doubt, however, over precisely which James wrote this book. The issue turns
upon the perpetual virginity of Mary. If you believe in that, then you hold
that this was written by James son of Alphaeus. All the rest of us believe it
was written by James, the brother of Jesus.
The purpose of the book is quite clear: it is the wisdom
literature of the New Testament. It occupies a place parallel to that of the
book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. Indeed, the letter was not written for
the church in general but for the Jewish people who had been dispersed from
Jerusalem. The best efforts of history indicate that this was written just
before the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. It is a book to be taken in
small bites.
Downloads: James (PDF,
Kindle or
e-pub formats)
Order paper copy
here.
| James 1:1-17 |
Every Good and
Perfect Gift - How the Christian is supposed to
react to the trials of life. |
| James 1:18-27 |
The Tongue
- How the control of the tongue is essential for the true
Christian life. |
| James 2:1-13 |
Law of
Liberty - The transition from the law of the Old
Testament to the law of liberty. |
| James 2:14-25 |
Faith
and Works - The classic reconciliation between
faith and works. |
| James 3:1-12 |
Learning to Teach - Restriction on the number of
teachers and the importance of the teacher's life compared
to his teaching. |
| James 3:13 -
4:12 |
Wisdom and the Law - A survey of wisdom and its
use; including the question of judging others. |
| James 4:13 - 5:6 |
The
Sin of Omission - The mist that is man, the sin of
omission and the humble state of the rich. |
| James 5:7-20 |
While You Are Waiting - Instructions for the
Christian to follow while waiting for the return of Christ. |
An earlier version of this series may be found
here.
