The Epistle of James Theology

Theology: The Epistle of James

The Epistle of James: Theology

Compile profiles of James the Just and his churches

James' Profile

James the just is first mentioned in Matt 13: 55, where he is described as the oldest of Christ's younger brothers. The gospels mention that throughout Christ's ministry, James and his three brothers did not give Jesus, their half-brother, the respect He deserved (John 7: 3-5). They thought that Jesus was mad (Mark 3: 2). This saddened Jesus, who declared in Mark 6: 4 that a prophet is never welcome in his own house and among his relatives.

The next time we see James is after Jesus' resurrection in the Book of Acts, then he and his brothers convinced that Christ indeed was the Messiah (Acts 1: 14). He is part of the group of believers praying in the upper room in Acts 1: 14 (Aust, 2003). Jesus' appearance to James (mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15: 7) made him one of the earliest witnesses to Christ's resurrection, and probably had a hand in James' change of heart. His acceptance of Christ in Acts marked the beginning of his career in ministry. He becomes the overseeing pastor of the Jerusalem church (Aust, 2003). So important is his role in the church that Peter reports to him about his miraculous escape from prison (Galatians 1: 9; Acts 12: 17), he makes the final ministerial declaration during the annual conference (Acts 15: 13-21), and Paul after his conversion, meets with him before meeting with any other apostle (Galatians 1: 18-19). In his ministry, James advocates for the need to have faith that God will deliver, to pray for Godly wisdom, and to abstain from sin because sin culminates in death (Aust, 2003).

James exhibited some character traits that Christians need to emulate. First, he lived a life of prayer, spending hours each day in prayer. Secondly, he practiced what he preached -- he encouraged people to pray and exemplified the same in his own personal life (James 5: 17-18). Thirdly, he proved his faith through his works (James 2), and was ready to face persecution and even death for his faith. He was the first of the 12 to be martyred, and it is only his martyrdom that is mentioned in the N. T. (Acts 12: 2). Moreover, he was humble, often describing himself as a servant of Jesus Christ as opposed to as a close relative (James 1: 1) (Kendall, 2011).

James' Audience

The narrative setting in Acts 8 gives the view that James' preaching was targeted at an audience of Jewish upbringing, who having just adopted the Christian faith, were experiencing severe persecution from Gentile leaders. They had lost their possessions, and had been driven from their homes, with no normal source of income. As such, they faced hardship, poverty, anger, sorrow, loneliness, confusion and fear, particularly after witnessing the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7). James sought to encourage them in the face of adversity, and to strengthen them to remain faithful in their Christian living. He preached that wealth affords little protection against death, and the rich eventually fade (James 1: 9-11). The most important thing, therefore, was not obtaining or owning earthy wealth, but seeking spiritual completion and eternal life (1: 12).

Question 2: Give your analysis of James' sermon in 4: 1-12 (Conflict in the church)

James preaches that conflict in the church occurs because Christians have failed to please God. In James 4: 1, he teaches that conflict in any institution is caused by internal competing desires. We allow our sinful desires control us, losing God's affection in the process (James 4: 4). We yearn for influential positions in the church, but use the same to commit evil. We become friends of the world, and thus, God's enemies. In order to solve conflict, we need to go back to pleasing God, which begins with being humble, submitting to God, resisting the devil, and putting God above self. It is only through being humble that we are able to confess our sins before man and God.

Question 3: examine James' poetical language in 4: 1-12. Comment on how he used it to address the church conflict