Master 274: James 1
I'm going to be teaching on a passage from the book of James in a couple weeks--James 5:1-6. During these weeks of preparation, I figured that I would post a few thoughts as I look at James' letter. When I teach from the Bible, one of my goals is to help people to understand how I'm coming to my various conclusions about the texts. Also, recently, I was asked by a friend of mine about how one goes about studying the Bible.
That's an interesting question. Perhaps you have studied the Bible, even for many years. But have you thought carefully about what you do and how you do it? Could you teach someone how to study the Bible? Could you list for them techniques to use and things to watch out for? Or are you among those who would want to know, Exactly how does one go about studying the Bible? As I look through James and share some of my thoughts, I'll try to say some helpful things about Bible study that will apply generally.
***
Let's begin by looking at just a few verses from the beginning of James.
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…" (1:2)
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." (1:13)
"But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger…" (1:19)
"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." (2:1)
Think for a moment about what these verses mean. What do they mean to you?
You might find this to be an interesting exercise. Or you might find it to be a very dull exercise. After all, it might seem, the meanings of these verses seem to be very straightforward. Each one expresses a command or truth. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." Any person can understand what James has just said there. When you're dealing with tough situations and circumstances, you should have an attitude of joy. Or, you should respond joyfully when confronted with adversity. And you might think: What more is there to study? I understand what James is saying. There may be some work called for when it comes to application. Actually being joyful in the midst of trials is difficult. But as far as understanding the command--that seems very straightforward.
Why is "study" called for and what does it look like? What more should we expect to get from this text than the "obvious meaning"? Doesn't further study put us in danger of seeing things in the text (allegorical meanings, hidden meanings) that aren't actually there?
Rather than answer that question directly, let me lead you on a bit of a journey. We'll begin by looking at James 1:1 and asking questions like, Who is writing this letter? To whom is this letter being addressed? And what is the purpose of this letter?
James' letter opens with these words: "James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings."
Now, who is writing the letter? James. James who? James, the half-brother of Jesus. Of course we wouldn't be able to know this just from reading the first verse. That's why commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and similar resources are helpful. For various reasons, most scholars agree that this letter was written by Jesus' half-brother, James. What else do we know about James? If you go back through the New Testament writings, you'll learn that during Jesus' life and ministry, James (Matthew 13:55) did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, much less the Son of God. He was probably one of those who tried to keep Jesus from teaching because they feared for His sanity. (Mark 3:21) But after Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to James specifically (1 Corinthians 15:7) James had a radical conversion experience and he then went on to become an important leader of the church in Jerusalem. (Acts 12:17; 15; 21; Galatians 1:18-19)
Now let's move to the next question: To whom is this letter being addressed? It's being addressed to "the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad." Now what does that mean? Of course we today can learn from what James has to say, even if he was not consciously directing his remarks at us today. But it's often helpful for understanding what an author says to know the audience to whom he intended to speak. Now James is not addressed to the church in general but to the "twelve tribes." In other words, he's addressing Jews--the people of the twelve tribes of Israel. Further reflection leads us to conclude that he's not speaking to Jews in general but to Jewish Christians.
But then there's that phrase "who are dispersed abroad." Without consulting a commentary, we can narrow down the list of options for how to interpret this. Even prior to the first century, the Jewish people were very familiar with what it meant to be "dispersed abroad." It was not a good thing. Their home--the land of Israel--the promised land--was very important to the Jewish people. But because of their sin and disobedience, God sent the people into exile. In 722 B.C. and 587 B.C., large numbers of the Jewish population were deported to Assyria and Babylon. Around 538 B.C., the people were allowed to return to their land and many did so, but others continued to live in small communities around the Mediterranean. But even those Jews who continued to live abroad, there remained a special affinity for and desire for the homeland. God had set up a special place for them, and to be separated from that was difficult.
This idea of being an exile or alien was carried over into the Christian community. Jesus said of Himself, "I am not of this world." (John 8:23) Of His followers, Jesus said, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (15:18-20) All Christians living in this world are, in a sense, living in exile. Their true home is in heaven with God, but for a time they sojourn in foreign lands. When James then refers to his audience as those "who are dispersed abroad." At the very least, he is addressing people who are familiar with what it means to be exiled and who are "exiles" and "aliens" in the same way that all Christians are exiles and aliens.
But it is also very likely that James is writing to people who are not only dispersed abroad spiritually but are dispersed abroad physically. It may be that he is writing to Jews who have lived their whole lives abroad but are hearing about the message of Jesus and believing it. Or it may be that he is speaking to Jews who used to live in Jerusalem, heard and believed in Jesus, but were scattered by the persecution that took place there. (See Acts 8; 18:1-3) Very likely James has both audiences in mind.
So to whom is James speaking? He's speaking to a persecuted people, people who have been forced out of their homes, out of their jobs, and away from everything familiar because of their faith in Jesus Christ. In many cases, their lives may have been threatened. Some of their relatives may have been imprisoned or even executed. They've had to travel long distances, faced many dangers, and their futures may still be in serious doubt. It might be helpful to think of the refugee camps of our own day where people go to flee political or religious persecution. These are the one's to whom James speaks. And what does he say to them?
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…" (1:2)
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." (1:13)
"But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger…" (1:19)
"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." (2:1)
Do these phrases touch you differently than they did before? When you read, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials," what sorts of trials came to your mind. Maybe you're not dealing with any serious trials right now. Maybe you are facing serious, serious challenges. Maybe you're facing a situation that you thought was tough, but when you now compare it to the challenges that James' audience was facing, you begin to see that your trials are very small by comparison. A bit of study and a bit of context can go a long way toward helping us to see a passage differently. It might not be enough to just read the instruction about considering trials joy and move on to application.
After all, once we've got the context, a host of other questions should come to mind. For instance, "Isn't James being callous in his advice to the Jewish Christians." People who have spent a long time in the church may have been desensitized to this point, but it's an important question to raise. If someone has just lost a spouse to cancer, or if someone's baby dies in child-birth, or if someone's lost all their money to a bogus law-suit, if someone discovers that his or her spouse has committed adultery--is THAT the time to come along and tell them, "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials." If we think about it for a moment, we might start to wonder about whether James isn't a jerk.
But if we're willing to withhold judgment for a few moments, we might stop long enough to wonder: Could it be that James' message actually is very appropriate and very helpful? What is James trying to say here? He's probably trying to give helpful advice and not be an insensitive jerk, so how should we understand what he is trying to say? What would have to be true of James, of his audience, and of God, for his words to really be helpful, instructive, and encouraging? These are some of the questions that get us started on the road of Bible study.
I'll say more as I continue to study this letter and post what I'm learning. Obviously this is just the introduction. Consider looking at the rest of the verses that I listed. And then start reading through the book of James. Think about how your interpretation changes depending on how aware you are of the context and James' audience. And I'll see you next time.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
That's an interesting question. Perhaps you have studied the Bible, even for many years. But have you thought carefully about what you do and how you do it? Could you teach someone how to study the Bible? Could you list for them techniques to use and things to watch out for? Or are you among those who would want to know, Exactly how does one go about studying the Bible? As I look through James and share some of my thoughts, I'll try to say some helpful things about Bible study that will apply generally.
***
Let's begin by looking at just a few verses from the beginning of James.
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…" (1:2)
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." (1:13)
"But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger…" (1:19)
"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." (2:1)
Think for a moment about what these verses mean. What do they mean to you?
You might find this to be an interesting exercise. Or you might find it to be a very dull exercise. After all, it might seem, the meanings of these verses seem to be very straightforward. Each one expresses a command or truth. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." Any person can understand what James has just said there. When you're dealing with tough situations and circumstances, you should have an attitude of joy. Or, you should respond joyfully when confronted with adversity. And you might think: What more is there to study? I understand what James is saying. There may be some work called for when it comes to application. Actually being joyful in the midst of trials is difficult. But as far as understanding the command--that seems very straightforward.
Why is "study" called for and what does it look like? What more should we expect to get from this text than the "obvious meaning"? Doesn't further study put us in danger of seeing things in the text (allegorical meanings, hidden meanings) that aren't actually there?
Rather than answer that question directly, let me lead you on a bit of a journey. We'll begin by looking at James 1:1 and asking questions like, Who is writing this letter? To whom is this letter being addressed? And what is the purpose of this letter?
James' letter opens with these words: "James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings."
Now, who is writing the letter? James. James who? James, the half-brother of Jesus. Of course we wouldn't be able to know this just from reading the first verse. That's why commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and similar resources are helpful. For various reasons, most scholars agree that this letter was written by Jesus' half-brother, James. What else do we know about James? If you go back through the New Testament writings, you'll learn that during Jesus' life and ministry, James (Matthew 13:55) did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, much less the Son of God. He was probably one of those who tried to keep Jesus from teaching because they feared for His sanity. (Mark 3:21) But after Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to James specifically (1 Corinthians 15:7) James had a radical conversion experience and he then went on to become an important leader of the church in Jerusalem. (Acts 12:17; 15; 21; Galatians 1:18-19)
Now let's move to the next question: To whom is this letter being addressed? It's being addressed to "the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad." Now what does that mean? Of course we today can learn from what James has to say, even if he was not consciously directing his remarks at us today. But it's often helpful for understanding what an author says to know the audience to whom he intended to speak. Now James is not addressed to the church in general but to the "twelve tribes." In other words, he's addressing Jews--the people of the twelve tribes of Israel. Further reflection leads us to conclude that he's not speaking to Jews in general but to Jewish Christians.
But then there's that phrase "who are dispersed abroad." Without consulting a commentary, we can narrow down the list of options for how to interpret this. Even prior to the first century, the Jewish people were very familiar with what it meant to be "dispersed abroad." It was not a good thing. Their home--the land of Israel--the promised land--was very important to the Jewish people. But because of their sin and disobedience, God sent the people into exile. In 722 B.C. and 587 B.C., large numbers of the Jewish population were deported to Assyria and Babylon. Around 538 B.C., the people were allowed to return to their land and many did so, but others continued to live in small communities around the Mediterranean. But even those Jews who continued to live abroad, there remained a special affinity for and desire for the homeland. God had set up a special place for them, and to be separated from that was difficult.
This idea of being an exile or alien was carried over into the Christian community. Jesus said of Himself, "I am not of this world." (John 8:23) Of His followers, Jesus said, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (15:18-20) All Christians living in this world are, in a sense, living in exile. Their true home is in heaven with God, but for a time they sojourn in foreign lands. When James then refers to his audience as those "who are dispersed abroad." At the very least, he is addressing people who are familiar with what it means to be exiled and who are "exiles" and "aliens" in the same way that all Christians are exiles and aliens.
But it is also very likely that James is writing to people who are not only dispersed abroad spiritually but are dispersed abroad physically. It may be that he is writing to Jews who have lived their whole lives abroad but are hearing about the message of Jesus and believing it. Or it may be that he is speaking to Jews who used to live in Jerusalem, heard and believed in Jesus, but were scattered by the persecution that took place there. (See Acts 8; 18:1-3) Very likely James has both audiences in mind.
So to whom is James speaking? He's speaking to a persecuted people, people who have been forced out of their homes, out of their jobs, and away from everything familiar because of their faith in Jesus Christ. In many cases, their lives may have been threatened. Some of their relatives may have been imprisoned or even executed. They've had to travel long distances, faced many dangers, and their futures may still be in serious doubt. It might be helpful to think of the refugee camps of our own day where people go to flee political or religious persecution. These are the one's to whom James speaks. And what does he say to them?
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…" (1:2)
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." (1:13)
"But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger…" (1:19)
"My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism." (2:1)
Do these phrases touch you differently than they did before? When you read, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials," what sorts of trials came to your mind. Maybe you're not dealing with any serious trials right now. Maybe you are facing serious, serious challenges. Maybe you're facing a situation that you thought was tough, but when you now compare it to the challenges that James' audience was facing, you begin to see that your trials are very small by comparison. A bit of study and a bit of context can go a long way toward helping us to see a passage differently. It might not be enough to just read the instruction about considering trials joy and move on to application.
After all, once we've got the context, a host of other questions should come to mind. For instance, "Isn't James being callous in his advice to the Jewish Christians." People who have spent a long time in the church may have been desensitized to this point, but it's an important question to raise. If someone has just lost a spouse to cancer, or if someone's baby dies in child-birth, or if someone's lost all their money to a bogus law-suit, if someone discovers that his or her spouse has committed adultery--is THAT the time to come along and tell them, "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials." If we think about it for a moment, we might start to wonder about whether James isn't a jerk.
But if we're willing to withhold judgment for a few moments, we might stop long enough to wonder: Could it be that James' message actually is very appropriate and very helpful? What is James trying to say here? He's probably trying to give helpful advice and not be an insensitive jerk, so how should we understand what he is trying to say? What would have to be true of James, of his audience, and of God, for his words to really be helpful, instructive, and encouraging? These are some of the questions that get us started on the road of Bible study.
I'll say more as I continue to study this letter and post what I'm learning. Obviously this is just the introduction. Consider looking at the rest of the verses that I listed. And then start reading through the book of James. Think about how your interpretation changes depending on how aware you are of the context and James' audience. And I'll see you next time.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 12:15 PM
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