Author: Traditionally thought to be James, the Lord's brother
Date: A.D. 48-62
Theme: Faith that works
Key Words: Faith, Riches, Tongue, Pride, Prayer
(Notes taken from The New Spirit Filled Life Bible-NKJV)
"James apparently was an unbeliever during the ministry of Jesus (John 7:3-5).
A post-Resurrection appearance of Christ to him (1 Cor. 15:7) probably led
to his conversion, for he is numbered with the believers in Acts 1:14."
I love this statement in the commentary:
"Of considerable interest is the close parallel between the content of this letter and the teachings of Jesus, particularly the Sermon on the Mount. Although James does not quote any statement of Jesus exactly, there are more verbal reminiscences of the Lord's teachings in this letter than in all of the rest of the New Testament epistles combined. These allusions indicate a close association between James and Jesus and give evidence of the strong influence of the Lord in the author's life."
I like the book of James. It is full of practical teaching.
It is interesting to think about how life was for Jesus, having siblings who did not believe in Him. And what would it have been like for James to have a brother like Jesus? Life might have been a bit weird. Oh well, all's well that ends well.
My favorite verse in James is in Chapter two, verses 12, 13-
"So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment."
No comments:
Post a Comment