In the Sacred Scriptures, there is a letter in the New Testament written by James. The thing is, no one is really sure which James.....
James was a common name during the time the New Testament was written, and there were several men named James in the New Testament itself.
Here is what IS known about this letter called James in the New Testament:
1. This was a letter written to Jewish Christians, a Jewish segment that had left Jerusalem and Israel and now lived in other lands.
2. This particular letter was widely accepted, which indicates the writer of this letter referred to as "James", was obviously well-known at the time.
3. The content of this letter contained instructions...which would indicate he was a leader with the Early Christian church. If this had not been so, the introduction would have included an explanation of who exactly this writer was.
Understanding the premise of this letter written by James, it is most likely this letter was written by James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus actually had contact with his brother...after His Resurrection, and from this meeting James the brother of Jesus never questioned as to who Jesus truly is...at least there are no written documents saying otherwise.
1 Corinthians 15:7 reads: "...He then spent time with James, and the rest of those commissioned to represent Him...".
Historians indicate this letter seems to date back to the very early beginnings of the Early Christian church, most likely around 45 A.D....which would have been approximately 15 years after the Lord Jesus had been crucified.
Four distinct reasons about this letter, the way it was written, and in this time frame are:
1. This letter does not refer to Christians who were not Jewish.
2. This letter does not mention about the movement of Christ among the Gentiles, nor does it have any mention of how Gentiles were to follow after Christ...a people of a non-Jewish culture. This was the first of numerous major controversies that had erupted on the birthing of the Early Christian church.
3. The use of words like "synagogue" indicates Christians at the time this letter was written were still quite attached to the Jewish culture and way of life. Therefore this letter was written before the Early Christian church had spread from meeting in the outer courts of the synagogue to meeting in private homes.
4. When Stephen was stoned to death in Jerusalem for his Christian faith. many of the local Jews turned against the believers in Christ within their own culture, forcing "Christian Jews" to not only leave Jerusalem, but Israel as well. By the time of this letter, many believers in Christ of the Jewish faith were now living in other lands and countries.
The real purpose of this letter seems to be gathered in this thought: the sect of Jewish people that have chosen to believe Christ Jesus as the True Messiah...the One they have been waiting for to come...now lives in the hearts of men. As a result, their daily lifestyle is deeply influenced by the teachings of Christ.
Now, these early Christians were exemplifying a faith in the God of Israel through the life of His Dear Son, Christ Jesus, and this new found faith must be real...and active.
One of the key notes addressed in this letter is having a faith that does nothing...both to the believer and to those around them. "Faith that does nothing...that is to say faith in the Lord Jesus that does not add any value or have any influence to the daily lifestyle of a believer in Him...is not real faith. Therefore, faith that has no work to show for it...is dead."
Finally, James is indicating in the following verses...when we as believers in Christ Jesus practice and learn to overcome our adversities in daily life by trusting the new-found Christ, we then become stronger as believers and are able to withstand even greater adversities that may await us.
A Gleaning from James 1:2-4
" Give this some serious thought...ponder this over and weigh it out in your own minds: When troubles surround you, when you are enveloped in various trials and situations, when daily challenges are facing you from every side, and when evil is about you...no matter which way you turn: Consider this a great opportunity to receive great joy...a pure joy...a full joy...that comes from the very heart of the One you have committed your lives to.
And here is why:
When you are under pressure, and your very trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is being tested and "under fire", it is in these very times your "true colors" come out into the open.
These very difficult times are a welcome...why?... because your trust and faith in Him has the chance to grow, bring into your lives an endurance, and a willingness to do what is commanded of us...despite the difficulty staring at us. It is during these times in our daily routines that patience finds it home in our hearts, even though the success we hope for...is delayed. Patience, when brought to fruition through our faith in Him, causes us to remain steady and stable, as we go through these various testings...the testings of our faith.
It is equally important to recognize when encountering such opportunities: Don't try and look for ways out...prematurely! Allow these times in your life to grow and produce within you a determination, a tenacity, and a staying power that will be fully developed...through the trials of your faith...in Him!
For it is during these very challenging times you will discover something about yourself, in living a new life in Him, and you will achieve a completeness within...without defects...and the reality...of needing nothing. It is also to be noted it is during these difficult times we are able to develop a single-mindedness...in Him, for we now have in our hearts and attitudes...the very same heart and attitude as the One who came for us...that being our Lord Jesus Christ!"
James was a common name during the time the New Testament was written, and there were several men named James in the New Testament itself.
Here is what IS known about this letter called James in the New Testament:
1. This was a letter written to Jewish Christians, a Jewish segment that had left Jerusalem and Israel and now lived in other lands.
2. This particular letter was widely accepted, which indicates the writer of this letter referred to as "James", was obviously well-known at the time.
3. The content of this letter contained instructions...which would indicate he was a leader with the Early Christian church. If this had not been so, the introduction would have included an explanation of who exactly this writer was.
Understanding the premise of this letter written by James, it is most likely this letter was written by James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus actually had contact with his brother...after His Resurrection, and from this meeting James the brother of Jesus never questioned as to who Jesus truly is...at least there are no written documents saying otherwise.
1 Corinthians 15:7 reads: "...He then spent time with James, and the rest of those commissioned to represent Him...".
Historians indicate this letter seems to date back to the very early beginnings of the Early Christian church, most likely around 45 A.D....which would have been approximately 15 years after the Lord Jesus had been crucified.
Four distinct reasons about this letter, the way it was written, and in this time frame are:
1. This letter does not refer to Christians who were not Jewish.
2. This letter does not mention about the movement of Christ among the Gentiles, nor does it have any mention of how Gentiles were to follow after Christ...a people of a non-Jewish culture. This was the first of numerous major controversies that had erupted on the birthing of the Early Christian church.
3. The use of words like "synagogue" indicates Christians at the time this letter was written were still quite attached to the Jewish culture and way of life. Therefore this letter was written before the Early Christian church had spread from meeting in the outer courts of the synagogue to meeting in private homes.
4. When Stephen was stoned to death in Jerusalem for his Christian faith. many of the local Jews turned against the believers in Christ within their own culture, forcing "Christian Jews" to not only leave Jerusalem, but Israel as well. By the time of this letter, many believers in Christ of the Jewish faith were now living in other lands and countries.
The real purpose of this letter seems to be gathered in this thought: the sect of Jewish people that have chosen to believe Christ Jesus as the True Messiah...the One they have been waiting for to come...now lives in the hearts of men. As a result, their daily lifestyle is deeply influenced by the teachings of Christ.
Now, these early Christians were exemplifying a faith in the God of Israel through the life of His Dear Son, Christ Jesus, and this new found faith must be real...and active.
One of the key notes addressed in this letter is having a faith that does nothing...both to the believer and to those around them. "Faith that does nothing...that is to say faith in the Lord Jesus that does not add any value or have any influence to the daily lifestyle of a believer in Him...is not real faith. Therefore, faith that has no work to show for it...is dead."
Finally, James is indicating in the following verses...when we as believers in Christ Jesus practice and learn to overcome our adversities in daily life by trusting the new-found Christ, we then become stronger as believers and are able to withstand even greater adversities that may await us.
A Gleaning from James 1:2-4
" Give this some serious thought...ponder this over and weigh it out in your own minds: When troubles surround you, when you are enveloped in various trials and situations, when daily challenges are facing you from every side, and when evil is about you...no matter which way you turn: Consider this a great opportunity to receive great joy...a pure joy...a full joy...that comes from the very heart of the One you have committed your lives to.
And here is why:
These very difficult times are a welcome...why?... because your trust and faith in Him has the chance to grow, bring into your lives an endurance, and a willingness to do what is commanded of us...despite the difficulty staring at us. It is during these times in our daily routines that patience finds it home in our hearts, even though the success we hope for...is delayed. Patience, when brought to fruition through our faith in Him, causes us to remain steady and stable, as we go through these various testings...the testings of our faith.
It is equally important to recognize when encountering such opportunities: Don't try and look for ways out...prematurely! Allow these times in your life to grow and produce within you a determination, a tenacity, and a staying power that will be fully developed...through the trials of your faith...in Him!For it is during these very challenging times you will discover something about yourself, in living a new life in Him, and you will achieve a completeness within...without defects...and the reality...of needing nothing. It is also to be noted it is during these difficult times we are able to develop a single-mindedness...in Him, for we now have in our hearts and attitudes...the very same heart and attitude as the One who came for us...that being our Lord Jesus Christ!"
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