This is a draft version of an article I am writing on James. It is not yet finished, but has enough information in it so far that it can be valuable as is until I can finish it. Last updated 3-23-2023
Introduction:
I have been thinking about the book of James for a long time. Specifically I attended a translation workshop on the book, helped Mixtec speakers translate it into Tezoatlán Mixtec and Ayutla Mixtec of Mexico and have checked the book as a consultant in several other Mexican languages. All the preparation, exegesis, study, translating, checking, etc. brought about having a number of questions about the book and its purpose. The most basic issue, and a key to resolving many of the other questions and translating the book accurately, is trying to determine who James’ intended audience is.
Some of the answers to this question of the target audience, and the ways it has affected how I understand James’ purpose for writing this book are significantly different than many commentaries I studied and sermons I have heard. So as a result of helping to translate James into two different Mixtec languages, consulting it in various other Mexican languages and further studies, I will share some of these unique conclusions. If in the end you do not agree with my conclusions, that is of course fine, I just ask that you consider the book from this unique perspective.
Who is James writing to?
As mentioned, a key to understanding the book of James is trying to determine who he is writing to. Who is his audience? Many seem to interpret James as if he were writing like Paul, focusing on Gentiles, specifically Christian gentiles. However the thesis of this paper is that his principle audience is Jews, as he states from the very beginning in 1:1: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Literally he says he is speaking to Jewish people.
Some have taken this phrase as his way of speaking of the “new” Israel, with Christians as the people God has now chosen as His special people. Adding to this interpretation, they say, is that at James’ time, there were not twelve tribes of Israel. Ten had been carried away to Assyria around 720 BC, and only two confirmed tribes are left. However, the fact that James adds, “scattered among the nations” could cover even some people from the “lost” tribes, some of which, though living far away, may still retain some of their Jewishness, and who are still heirs in a special way of the promise God made to Abraham.
Many of the issues James brings up in this book deal directly with the problems that the Jewish people were experiencing as they lived in a Greco-Roman culture. More and more Jewish people, especially those living far away from the religious center of Jerusalem, were moving farther away from the law and the basic moral tenets of being Jewish and were conforming to the world. A prime example of a group of people doing this, even though they were living in the heart of Judea, were the Sadducees, more of a political group than religious who were conforming more to the Greco-Roman culture than being faithful to the law and teaching of Moses.
Much of Paul’s teaching is to keep new Christians from being led away by false teachings and temptations, but the fact is that the same was happening to significant amounts of Jews moving away from the law, especially the moral law, and living like the pagans. The difference between the teachings of James and Paul will be discussed in more detail later, but suffice to say Paul is mainly speaking to Gentiles while James’ message is directed to his fellow Jewish people, focusing his letter on their Jewishness, and not necessarily aiming everything at Christians, specifically Christian gentiles.
James can be viewed as a transition primer, or a bridge from being a “good” Jew to leading them to faith in Jesus. He treats the most basic parts of faith in God, obeying God and living as God taught. James is taking on the misguided idea that just because they are Jews, they are God’s people and saved, without regard to how they live. Like Jesus said in John: “Don’t think that since you are descendants of Abraham, that you will escape.” He wants the listeners to live like God wants, like their ancestors had taught them, without overly focusing on Jesus. Yet!
To get their lives right according to what their Jewish faith teaches, he wants to start with the right foundation. James sets the firm foundation: to follow the two greatest commandments, just as Jesus taught them: “To love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.” It would be nice to see James, part 2, where one might expect that he would get to the main point, writing more directly so that they will realize that Jesus is the fulfillment of all that is in the Old Testament, and guide them to give their lives to Him. Then they would understand, as Hebrews explains, and as Paul shows with many OT prophesies, that Jesus is the only way to become right with God.
In fact, if would be more logical if James came before Hebrews in the New Testament. James prepares them to have a closer relationship with God, to obey Him and to love Him and others, then Hebrews goes “straight to the chase” about how Jess is the whole point of the Old Testament. James essentially wants them to be like the Bereans, to search the Scriptures and find that Jesus is the truth, the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
What are the causes of the problems James addresses?
We can theorize of what influences are affecting the people James is speaking to. If they are living where there are synagogues and significant influences of legalism and the type of issues that Jesus faced with the Pharisee and Sadducees, then the people may be going “through the motions” of obeying the law and traditions outwardly, but not living for God in their daily lives, their hearts being far from him. The more likely scenario would be that these Jewish people are living among the Gentiles and are drifting away and being corrupted by the Gentiles just as had happened to their ancestors. Could they be falling into idol worship and many of the sins that the Gentiles revel in?
In contrast to Paul, who is speaking to Gentiles who grew up doing these types of sins, and who see nothing wrong in doing them, James is speaking to people who theoretically know how God wants them to live, whose law, assuming most know more or less what it says, prohibit all these sins. But quite possibly, because of Gentile influence and sinful natures, they are dabbling in these pagan sins. The Jews are mostly aware that they are breaking God’s laws when they sin like this, while the Gentiles think it is all normal to live such a life.
As a result, James purpose in writing the book is to lead them back to even the most basic teachings of how God wants them to live and to relate to Him. Every single verse in James is directly related to his purpose. With the overall goal of eventually bridging this to faith in Jesus.
“If the several passages referring to Christ were eliminated, the whole epistle would be as proper in the canon of the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament. In fact, the epistle could be described as an interpretation of the Old Testament law and the Sermon on the Mount in the light of the Gospel of Christ” (Unger’s Bible Handbook, p. 783)
Brothers
Related to this question of who James is directing his letter to is the concept of “brothers”, a word he uses at least fifteen times in this short book. (1:2a: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers,”) As a translation consultant, I check what are known as back translations, where someone from a minority language translates the text of the revised and checked translation of a Scripture book “back” into Spanish. For example, a translation in Mixtec may say, “Kúꞌu̱ nda̱ꞌo ini Ndios saꞌa̱ ña̱yuu ndéi ña̱yuú yóꞌo”, and the back translation would be: “God loves very much the people of this world.” I have seen a number of back translation of “brothers” which say, “brothers and sisters who believe in Jesus.” Now this would be okay if it was a letter written by Paul to Gentile Christians, but, is it okay for the book of James which I posit was written to Jewish people, many of whom where not Christians, or at the very least, immature Christians with extremely limited knowledge of Jesus?
It was very common for letters written from a Jewish writer to other Jews to use the term “brothers.” In the New Testament, when one of the apostles is speaking to a group of fellow Jews, it is common to use brothers. In Acts, Peter uses this kind of relational vocative a number of times, for example: Acts 2:14: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem”, 2:22: “Men of Isrel”, 2:29: “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried”, in 3:12 “People of Israel….” 3:17: “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.” 4:8: “Rulers and elders of the people!”
While it is true that brothers is also used in Acts to refer as “Christian” brothers, fellow believers, in the context of James, it seems more appropriate to assume that he is writing mainly to fellow Jews, his people, his brothers (and sisters). James, in Acts 15:13 addresses the Jewish assembly with the following way: “Brothers, listen to me.”
Paul is an interesting case in Acts, for many times he knows that he has a mixed audience, speaking to both Jews and Gentiles. In 14:16, in the synagogue, he starts out saying: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!” Then in vs. 26: “Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles,”. Then as he comes to his “climax” he combines them all by saying, “Therefore, my brothers,”. In Acts 22:1, as he is about to share his testimony in Jerusalem to mainly Jews, he starts out saying: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” And in 23:1, defending himself before the Jewish council: “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” Finally in 28:17: Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,”.
(Proverbs is addressed from 10 on, My son.
Paul compared to James
Paul speaks mainly to the Gentiles in the majority of his letters, with a focus on confronting false teachings, many which come from the Judiazers, and trying to build up the church to maturity. Romans is usually the book many point to where Paul seems to have a mixed audience in mind, trying to explain what God did through Jesus to both Jews and Gentiles, with some sections an obvious message to the Jews, and others to the Gentiles.
In considering how the audience and themes James is focusing on is very different than the isues Paul was addressing, it is valuable to discuss Paul’s message to the Gentiles, since James, as has been noted, is not focusing on the Gentiles, but the Jews. Paul has a two part program when speaking to the Gentiles. First and foremost is to present Jesus as the only way to God, God’s way to become right with Him, the perfect sacrifice for sin who died in our place. While we were yet sinners He died for us. He reconciles us to God, He is our righteousness, the fulfillment of all the OT prophecies. He is the foundation, the most basic part of the message. The only faith that leads us to God and eternal life is in Jesus. Trust in Him!
However, Paul is dealing mostly with Gentiles whose whole life have been the complete opposite of doing God’s will, a lifestyle of abandonment to sin and mostly ignorance or disdain for what God commands, coming out of such a pagan background. Paul knows they need a transformation of the heart and mind, not only to put their trust and faith in Jesus but also the power to live a life pleasing to God. He knows and teaches that this is only possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Because of the radical change needed from their old life to their new life, they also are in desperate need of solid teaching on how to live. Throughout Paul’s letters he has at least twelve lists of three or more sins that his experience with the Gentile people he has ministered to need the most correction. Every such list except for one includes at least three sexual sins (James does not deal directly with sex) , and they all also include many relational sins, how to get along, especially when you have new immature congregations that include both Jews and Gentiles, a significant clash of cultures and backgrounds.
This all is complicated by the Judiaizers, who, also knowing how “pagan” the Gentiles are, thinking that Jesus is not enough, are trying to change their “religion”, from pagan to Jewish proselytes, which include a lot of outward rules and laws like circumcision, food regulations, celebrating the Jewish festivals, etc. They are basically treating Jesus as an add-on to making the Gentiles into Jews. Paul rejects this, of course, proclaiming that Jesus is the one and only way to God, and instead of trying to change their lives by changing their religion, he sets out intensely teaching them, “Now that we have faith in Jesus, how then shall we live via the power of the Holy Spirit?” Thus the 12+ lists of the predominate sins he sees them dealing with as he goes from place to place and new church to new church.
James is coming at this from a different perspective. The main people he is writing to, Jews, are the heirs of God’s promises. They have the background of God’s laws and for the most part know how He wants them to live. However, because of some of the factors mentioned earlier, they have drifted away from His perfect law and instructions, be it because of the flesh or Gentile, worldly influence. So he is asking the people to come back to God, to rebuild that foundation that their people have had since Abraham, and as they do this, they will see the need of Jesus. Not Jesus as an add-on to the law, but as the fulfillment of the law, then One the law has been pointing to the whole time. They of course will also need the Holy Spirit to make them new creatures like everyone else, but James writes as though they do have an excellent foundation from which to start from, and if they understand it correctly, it will help lead them to Jesus, both for salvation, and also for a transformed life.
Another interesting point on is that James, though he mentions the law, does not mention any of the ceremonial laws, like circumcision, food laws, festivals, sacrifices, etc. Paul mentions all these things to the Gentiles, but with the point being that they do not have to perform all these because it is not necessary for them to convert o Judaism, but to put their faith in Jesus, and Paul’s instructions and lists help them to know how to live a life pleasing to God. One might think that James, if he is speaking to Jews, might mention them, but his focus in entirely on relationships, their relationship with God (love God), and with other (love your neighbor). It are these moral aspects of the law that James focuses on.
James focuses on their Jewishness like Jesus did
To help understand the form in which James presents his advice and teaching in this book, and to reinforce the idea that it is directed primarily to Jews, consider how Jesus taught his Jewish audience, what things he focused on and said, several which have been already mentioned. Consider especially how Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, people who were sometimes proud, hypocritical and did not always show love to others, issues James is dealing with in this book. Or how John the Baptist spoke to his Jewish audience, or even Peter in Acts, talking to the Jewish people. In James, while some or even many are Christians, he is not focusing on this, he is focusing on their Jewishness, just a Jesus did with the people He spoke to. James is rebuking the people for actions and attitudes which are very similar to the ones Jesus was concerned with.
The following passages represent a few instances where Jesus rebuked the Jewish people in a similar way in which James does:
Hypocrisy: Say you believe in God but do not follow His commands
Mat. 23:23: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” (Examples in James and/or Proverbs)
Mark 7:6-8: He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.
James 1:22-27, 2:15-17, 3:9-10, 3:14-16, 4:1-6, 4:8, 4:11, 5:1-6
Showing preference
Mat. 23:6: “they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synaogues”;
Luke 14:8-10: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.”
Luke 14:12-14: “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
James 2:1-9, 5:1-6
The concept of faith in James, Paul and Jesus’ teachings
Here is a good place to discuss maybe the most controversial part of James.
2:14-24: What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 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. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
The problem this passage has caused is based on the misguided idea that James talks about faith in the same way Paul talks about faith in his letters. The previous discussion about Jews and their issues (not Christians per se) being the focus of James’ letter and not Gentile Christians, who are Paul’s main target audience, is why it is so important to understand the great difference between the two authors in regards to audience and goals of their letters. If we suppose that James uses his vocabulary the same as Paul does, then we do his book a great disservice.
The faith that James talks about here is not saving faith, it is a faith that in some ways is closer to belief, as he uses the example of the devil “believing in God” but not serving Him. Jesus Himself said similar things to the Jews when He taught, about how they were not really descendants of Abraham because they did not really believe in God nor follow His commands. In fact, he said the father of the Pharisees was the devil. He said things like them tithing but lacking righteousness, of being hypocrites for so many man-made laws that went against the spirit of what Moses taught. They showed no compassion for the poor, the downtroaden, the “sinners.” They travel across the world to make a convert and this person end of much farther from God than they were to start with. He pointed out the big difference between outwardly keeping the law and having a heart that was far from God. This is exactly what James is doing here. Legalistically keeping the law while having a heart far from God, a heart that does not follow the two commands that Jesus focused on, loving God and loving others, is worthless.
The words James are echoing here are not those of Paul and saving faith in Jesus, but of Jesus Himself, of how true love, faith, trust in God will lead us to serve Him and love others. It will affect our actions. We will not just give the law of Moses lip-service, we will obey it as God directs. The faith here is directed to God, not trying to get them to have faith in Jesus (yet!). Have faith in God! Trust Him! Love Him! Act like you are His people! Move His law from your head and lips to your heart and actions! To obey is better than sacrifice!
All this, as already mentioned, is foundational, it is transitional, to move them closer to God, with the assumption being that in his next letter, put all the focus on Jesus! Martin Luther had a problem with this letter apparently because he was reading it as if Paul was writing. He may have thought differently if he had read it as if Jesus were the One talking, Jesus revealing to the people the heart of God and, in many ways, like John the Baptist, teaching to prepare them for the ultimate truth and power of salvation, which was what He was soon accomplish via the cross and the resurrection. When we read James, let us not read it like we are reading Paul writing to Gentile Christians but read it like Jesus talking to fellow Jews, preparing them to have faith in Him.
Prayer in the Jewish synagogue
Assuming this letter is addressed primarily to Jews and their issues and not directed specifically to Christians, each time James mentions meeting together and about what happens in meetings, he is referring to the Jewish synagogue and not the house churches Paul spoke in and to so much, though of course Paul also spent a lot of time sharing in synagogues. In fact, since many included Jews who formerly had spent their time since childhood there in worship, reading Scripture, prayer, etc., these same patterns were adopted in their Christian form in the house churches. We of course know that in Jesus’ time there was a problem in the synagogues of certain proud people taking the best seats and humiliating those they considered less religious. We see this same favoritism and pride happening in the meetings in the book of James, and he firmly rebukes them for this.
Before adopting the word “synagogue” (place of gathering), these “houses” were known as the “place of prayer.” This began around 250 B.C. but in the first century, “place of gathering” began to replace “place of prayer”, but both were in use during the apostolic age.
This brings us to a passage in James where applying this knowledge is basic to understanding the context. James 5:13-16: Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
While everything mentioned is this passage happened in Christian house churches, it also all happened in synagogues. Prayer, singing songs, calling the elders, confessing sin, praying for others. How does James continue after talking about praying for sick people during these meetings? He gives us the example of a Jewish prophet. James 5:17-18: Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. Many other passages in the Old Testament tell of other similar prayers of Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah prayed for king Hezekiah and he was healed, and so many more. So while this passage in James can apply to house churches, it is the thesis of this paper that this scene is taken from a synagogue.
James is very different than other New Testament books
To show even more some of the differences between James, Paul and other (Gentile-directed) letters in the New Testament, below is a chart of some key words used in a number of NT books of similar size, specifically the keyterms Jesus, Christ and Gospel. The number count is based on the occurrences in the more literal King James version:
| Book (KJV) | Jesus | Christ | Gospel |
| Galatians | 19 | 44 | 14 |
| Ephesians | 21 | 53 | 4 |
| Philippians | 22 | 42 | 9 |
| Colossians | 8 | 29 | 2 |
| 1 Thes | 18 | 16 | 6 |
| 1 Tim | 15 | 17 | 1 |
| 1 Peter | 11 | 27 | 4 |
| James | 2 | 2 | 0 |
As noted in the chart, the Jesus and Christ are only found twice in the book of James, and both times together. 1:1: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” And 2:1: “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.”
Note that many other words Paul regularly uses are not in this book. At least three of the non-Pauline books also focus their message in on the Jews. Hebrews speaks directly to Jews, but more directly than James, explaining, like Paul, that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Jewish laws and prophecies. The primary audience of Hebrews is obviously Jewish Christians who are suffering.1 and 2 Peter are similar, speaking encouragement to Jewish Christians who are suffering.
References from the Old Testament
Like Paul, James also uses references from the Old Testament in his teaching and correction. James, in Acts 15 and writing the letters to the Gentiles, states that: “For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” The idea being that at least some of the Gentiles who are converts and God-fearers (i.e. Corelius) know a fair amount of the Old Testament and so it can be used to teach certain truths about God to them as well as to Jews. I have mentioned all the similarities to Proverbs. James also lists a number of Old Testament heroes:
Abraham: Someone Paul talks about a lot, in 2:21-23: “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called Godʼs friend.”
Job: 5:11: “You have heard of Jobʼs perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
Elijah: 5:17-18: “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
Rahab: 2:25: “Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.”
James and Proverbs
Another indication that James is writing with Jewish people in mind is his constant use of terms and ideas of the book of Proverbs. In fact, some have called James the Proverbs of the New Testament. A significant number of the issues the writer of Proverbs addresses are the same issues James addresses. “James is like the book of Proverbs because of its pithy, practical, and pointed counsel regarding the importance of harmonizing one’s walk with one’s talk! Though James is a letter, with its many wise sayings its tone is similar to that of Proverbs.” (f)
Keyterms in James: God (20), Lord (14), faith (16), brothers (15), law (10), Wisdom/wise (7) (3:13-18) Tongue, humble/humility pride/proud, Scripture (4), Religion-Paul does not talk this way. Believe (5)
Truth: James (3), Proverbs (7)
Bless James (3), Proverbs (23)
Proverbs: fear (25), wicked(91) knowledge(40), James know(6)
Anger 27:4, 30:33 and James 1:19-20,
Themes in James, Proverbs, add also from Jesus’ teaching!
Tongue
The tongue is mentioned a lot in Proverbs and James. Besides talking a lot about lying
Proverbs
6:16: There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes,
a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
10:19-20: When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.
13:3 says, “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.”
15:2: “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.”
15:4: “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”
17:20: A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
18:21: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the conseuences.”
18:28: Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
21:6: A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare
21:23: “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of troube.”
25:15: Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
25:23: “As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!”
26:28: A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
28:23: He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.
31:26: She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Also in Proverbs:
Gossip: 11:13, 16:28, 18:8, 20:19, 26:20, 26:22
Lots of verses for: Speak, lips, words, answer
In James:
Tongue 3:1-12
Speak: 1:19, 2:12, 4:11
Word: 1:18-23
Wisdom:
James: 3:13-18
Proverbs 59X
God, Lord
James: 14 times in James
Proverbs: (95 times in Proverbs)
Faith
James:16X
Proverbs: 17X faithful, unfaithful
Love lots in Proverbs, in James, 2X those who love God, X1 love others.
Sin
James 9X
Proverbs: 23X
Relational problems: i.e. anger, favortism
James:
4:1-2: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.” They Humiliate the poor, (“But you have insulted the poor.”) rich mistreat the poor and their workers, condemned and murdered innocent men, Favoritism: ““Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.
4:11 “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.”
1:19-20: My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
2:1-4: My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
3:9: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”
3:14-18 No bitterness and envy in wisdom, peacemakers, impartial, don’t be angry
Add Proverbs relational problems
Anger in Proverbs: (15X) 5:17, 14:4, 15:1, 20:2, 20:16, 21:14, 22:3, 22:24, 27:4, 27:12, 27:13, 29:8, 29:11, 30:33
James 3:2: To say something stupid is the easiest sin to commit, with the least amount of steps to bring it to fruition, it is almost instant. Every other sin needs a few more steps to bring it to fruition. So that is why if a person can top this almost instant sin, they should be able to stop a sin which takes more steps to complete.
Law
James:
1:25: But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
2:8-9: If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
2:10-12: For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
Proverbs
8:15: By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;
28:4: Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.
28:7: He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
28:9: If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.
29:18: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.
31:4-5: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel— not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Jesus:
Mat. 5:17-19: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat. 7:12: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Mat. 12:5: Or havenʼt you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
Mat. 22:37-40: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Mat. 23:23: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former
Mark 3:4: Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
Lk. 6:9: Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
Lk. 16:16: “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
Jn. 17:19: Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
Jn. 7:23: Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?
Jn. 8:17-18: In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
Jn. 10:34-35: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
15:25: But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
Judge
James (5X should not judge, 5X God is judge) 213 (X2), 4: 11 judgment
Proverbs: King should judge fairly (3X), Judgment (=discernment) 15X
Humble/humility pride/proud
Boast
James 4X
Proverbs 3X
Patience/patient (both 4-5X)
James
Proverbs
Evil
James 10X
Proverbs 45X
Mercy about 4 each
Tomorrow
James 4:13
Proverbs 27:1
Prayer
James 5:16
Proverbs: 15:8, 29
Vocatives:
James: 2:20: You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?,
4:4: You adulterous people
4:8: Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4:13: Now listen, you who say
4:14: What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
5:1: Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.
Proverbs: My son(s), others? 1:22, 8:5 you simple ones, 8:4 To you, O men,
Listen… Both have a number of these!
Riches:
Proverbs:
11:28: Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
18:23 A poor man pleads for mercy, but a rich man answers harshly.
22:1: A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
23:4: Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
23:5: Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.
27:24: riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
28:6: Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse. 28:11: A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.
28:20: A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. 30:8: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
James:
1:10-11: But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business
2:5-7: Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
5:1-6: Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
Verses of loving God, then verses of loving others
Sex, lots in Paul, lots in Proverbs, not in James?
Added at the end: Keith Green wrote a pamphlet called “What so great about the Gospel,” saying that until people realize how sinful they are, they will not see their need of Jesus. Maybe that is part of what James is doing. We need to see how far we have gotten from God and His law. Once we do that (and this is what he shows in James), then we will realize our great need for Jesus.
(-Could be used with Muslims.)
{Realm of nature
• Wind-tossed waves of the sea (1:6)
• Withering grass and fading flowers (1:10-11)
• Fire (3:5)
• Fountains of water (3:11)
• Figs and olives (3:12)
• Sowing and harvesting (3:18)
• Early and latter rains (5:7)
• Drought (5:17)} Willmington, Harold L., “What You Need to Know About the Book of James” (2010). . 63. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/will_know/63
The terms religion and religious appear only five times in the entire Bible. Of these
instances, three are found in James’ epistle:
• James 1:26 (twice)
• James 1:27 The usage of religion in 1:27 is the only reference in Scripture where it is used in a
positive way.
Seeing Scripture anew 