THE EPISTLE OF JAMES
A Living Faith
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Session
1: Introduction to James--Part
1--James 1:1a
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Approximately twenty years
after witnessing the resurrection of Jesus, James, the brother of Jesus,
gave to history one of the earliest written documents of the Christian
faith. The fact that it may have been written around 50 A. D. makes it
to be an excellent glimpse into the lives of early Christians. With its
emphasis being to the general church as opposed to an individual or a
local gathering of believers, its importance is heightened even more as
a valuable record of early Christianity. The Epistle of James imparts
the fundamental tenets of what it meant to be a believer among the early
followers of Jesus.
The Epistle of James is valuable not only in what it says but also in
what it does not say. There is no structure of polity stressed by James.
His epistle was evidently written before the tentacles of organized
religion even began to make inroads into the simple gathering of
believers. James was concerned with the affairs of everyday living as
opposed to the intricacies of a structured system.
Although the Epistle of James contains powerful, profound preaching,
there is no discussion of great theological issues. Again, evidently,
the letter was penned before there was a need to establish doctrinal
positions in order to curb heretical teaching. James wrote hard hitting
practical applications for Christian living rather than the theological
truths substantiating those convictions.
What a marvelous opportunity to be able to get a sense of the lives and
the times of early Christian thought. In the relatively short epistle of
James, what we know as 108 verses, he parallels the teaching of Jesus,
as recorded in Matthew, nineteen times. Fourteen of those references are
found in the Sermon on the Mount. In fact, there are more parallels to
the teaching of Jesus in this epistle than any other book in the New
Testament. His writings open a window of understanding for those first
few decades following the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The writing of James echoed the ethical teaching of Jesus with such
clarity he eventually would be given the epitaph of James, the Just. He
was called an apostle by Paul. He was recognized as a church leader by
the believers in Jerusalem. He would be revered as a saint by the church
fathers in the generations to come. From the pages of history, the life
of James simply stands out among his peers as an eminent saint and
leader of first century Christianity.
Although James became a devout follower of Jesus, he did not always
believe in his older brother. In fact, the gospels reveal that most of
the family of Jesus evidently held a skeptical view towards His
ministry.
And when he was come into his own
country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were
astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these
mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother
called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man
all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto
them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in
his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their
unbelief. (Matthew 13:54-58)
The members of His own house,
specifically James, did not come to believe in Jesus until he witnessed
the resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus appeared to James, the power of
the reality of the resurrection of Jesus transformed the life of James.
Is it any wonder that the resurrection process then is the essence of
the letter of James. Much like the gospel of John, James sets forth the
great truths of death and resurrection in the first twelve verses. Then,
he spends the rest of his letter giving commentary on those opening
statements.
The Epistle of James does reveal the life and the times of those first
years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It was a time where the
lives of the believers lived, moved, and had their being in their
resurrected Lord. Those truths proclaimed in the Epistle of James can
also transform the lives of anyone who will read with eyes ready to see.
As James said, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him." You, too, as James can forever be changed by coming to
understand, by coming to experience, the resurrection process of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Epistle of James proclaims the power of the
living persuasion.
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Session 2: Introduction to James--Part 2--James 1:1b
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According to the
gospel of Mark which many believe to be the first gospel written, the
first recorded words of Jesus were "The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand . . ." (Mark 1:14). Luke, the historian
of the early church, recorded that Jesus told a group of people who
wanted Him to stay with them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to
other cities also: for therefore am I sent" (Luke 4:43). Luke
further added, "And it came to pass afterward, that he went
throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad
tidings of the kingdom of God . . ." (Luke 8:1). In Matthew’s
account of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus gave the fundamental
principles of the Kingdom of God, he recorded the essence of Jesus’
message with "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after
all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you" (Matt. 6:31-33).
The earliest history of the church began with Jesus showing
"himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being
seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). The history of the church continued
with the followers of Jesus traveling throughout the land
"preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts
8:12). Finally, the record of the early history closed with "And
Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that
came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God . . ." (Acts
28:30-31). The promise of Jesus before His death, "Verily I say
unto you, That there be some of [you] that stand here, which shall not
taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with
power" (Mark 9:1), had come true. The early followers of Jesus were
living and experiencing the Kingdom of God in all of its glory.
It is to the people of the kingdom of God that James addressed his
letter: "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to
the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting." He saw the
followers of the Lord Jesus Christ as the continence or more accurately
the fulfillment of the kingdom of God concealed in the Old Testament.
The physical nation of Israel of the old economy was the type and the
shadow of the spiritual kingdom of God in the New Testament. Although
the followers of Jesus where physical people living in a physical world,
this natural world was not their home for they were not of this world.
They were earthly people living in, by, and through the heavenly
realm--the kingdom of God.
The truth of this simple opening statement, "to the twelve tribes
which are scattered abroad," contains the underlying essence of the
entire Epistle of James. It is the basis of the first twelve verses
which concludes with believers experiencing "the crown of
life"-- the glory of the kingdom of God. The heart of the letter of
James is concerned with the basic manifestation or performance of Jesus
in the lives of people who say they believe--although they were kingdom
saints, they were living as if they were not. The Epistle of James then
closes with admonitions for true believers to help those who were
struggling in experiencing the kingdom of God because they had become to
earthly minded.
When James called the followers of Jesus the twelve tribes, he
joined with other New Testament writers in identifying the church that
Jesus builds as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning
the Kingdom of God. Peter called the believers in Jesus Christ "a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people . . . which in time past were not a people, but are now the
people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10). Paul plainly called those who believed
that Jesus was the Christ the Israel of God: "For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a
new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on
them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God" (Gal. 6:15-16). The
Epistle of James should help us to come to terms with something that
seemed to be so fundamentally simple to the early believers yet is
clouded in complex misunderstanding in much of the visible church
today--experiencing the fullness of the glory of the kingdom of God in
this present world.
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Session 3: The Germination Process of Life--James 1:2-12
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Although it is
recorded that Jesus "did no sin, neither was guile found in his
mouth" (1 Pet. 2:22), it is also recorded that He became
"perfect through suffering" (Heb. 2:10). He knew no sin and
yet He needed to be made perfect. Jesus, without any shadow of
deception, nevertheless found Himself in need of something more
in His life. As the writer of Hebrews stated, "though he were a
Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being
made perfect, he became the author of salvation unto all them that obey
him" (Heb. 5:9). Beyond the issue of sin and deception, or more
accurately, not falling to the temptation to sin and to deceive, the
real issue of the life of Jesus is confronted.
The Author (the cause) of our salvation reveals to us the path to glory,
the path to eternal life, by His own life. Jesus was born, grew to
manhood, interacted with people, was killed by those
people, raised from death, and brought life to those very people. He
brings into focus the struggle that all men encounter.
Jesus said when He was approaching His death, "Except
a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if
it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose
it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life
eternal" (John 12:24). The multi-grain wheat stalk cannot come
forth without the planting of the seed. The new morning comes only after
the midnight. The freshness of new life in a relationship comes forth
only after the perishing of the old existing lifestyles. The
struggle (the planting of the seed, the midnight, and the perishing of
the old existing lifestyles) that every living creature encounters,
brought Jesus to say, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I
say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this
hour." He knew the ultimate challenge of life had come--the
germinating moment of eternal existence.
The early followers of Jesus understood that the
challenge of the germinating process of life was not just something that
Jesus endured in order to become the "author of salvation unto all
them that obey him," but that it is the path
that all men (all of creation) must undergo continually to experience
the eternal life within the husk of the seed coming forth to newness of
life. The germination process is how the temporal, earthly
body experiences the eternal, heavenly Spirit.
For example, plant a tomato seed in the ground. The outer casing or husk
of the seed must rot or decay before the essence of life within the seed
can come forth with tender sprouts of new life. Eventually, the essence
of the seed comes forth from the earth into the heavens producing a full
grown tomato plant. Hanging on the branches of the plant are fully
developed tomatoes. Within each tomato are many seeds. Within each seed
is the same life that was in the seed that was planted in the ground to
start the cycle of life. Although individual tomato plants with their
tomatoes live and die, the essence of life within the seed is eternal.
The entire Epistle of James has as its theme the quest to
experience eternal life. The letter begins with a detailed description
of the germinating process by which all men have the opportunity to
experience the "crown of life" (verses 2-12). The rest
of the letter of James gives commentary on the events that
transpire in his opening delineation of how man encounters eternal life.
James encourages the readers that what they say means nothing unless the
germinating process of life is allowed to produce what it is meant to
produce--the manifestation of eternal life, Jesus Christ, in their
lives.
James is not the only follower of Jesus that emphasized the
germinating moments of life. Peter and Paul knew how crucial the process
of these moments were to having the opportunity to experience the
eternal life of Jesus. Peter said, " . . . add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to
temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" (2 Pet.
1:5-7). Paul proclaimed, "Therefore being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have
access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and
experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto
us" (Rom. 5:1-5). James wrote, "My brethren, count it all joy
when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of
your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work,
that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:2-4).
| Peter |
Paul |
James |
| Faith |
Faith |
Trying of Faith |
| Virtue |
Grace |
Count It All Joy |
| Knowledge |
Knowing |
Knowing This |
| Temperance |
Tribulation |
Various Temptation |
| Patience |
Patience |
Worketh Patience |
| Godliness |
Experience |
Patience's Perfect
Work |
| Brotherly Kindness |
Hope |
Entire |
| Charity |
Love |
Wanting Nothing |
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As God uses the circumstances of life to
bring man to these germinating moments, man continually finds himself at
the judgment seat of Christ. With each moment, his soul is brought into
the balance of "heaven" or "hell." By not resisting
the dying of the old, the judgment of Christ will always bring newness
of life. Refusing or defying what God is doing in these germinating
moments, the judgment of Christ has decreed that damnation of life will
be experienced. You can remain steadfast in peace, without spot, and
blameless, or you can lose your composure, become
unstable, and destroy your own life. It is the challenge of heaven or
hell. It is the challenge of the life we live.
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Session 4: Conception of Death--James 1:13-16
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Although the
journey of life begins with such hope and glory, it soon turns, quicker
for some than others, to despair and shame. Most men, if not all men,
eventually struggle with life because there is mystery in experiencing
perfection--a sense of being fulfilled, lacking nothing, perfectly
sound. Inconceivably, it is the pursuit of life by man that destroys the
perfect life of God already given to man.
James knew the power of the life of God. He was able to distinguish the
germinating process of life ("Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life . .
. ."). James was well aware of these germinating moments of eternal
existence. His entire letter was written to encourage the readers to
experience the fullness of these significance moments of the renewing of
life.
James was also aware of the deadly poison that could be afflicted upon
man by his own mind. He identified the conceiving of death in those who
once were alive ("Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth
sin: and when it is finished, bringeth forth death."). Although
experiencing the perfect life of God is a given fact of life, man often
fails to have that sense of peace, joy, and justice of that life. He
often falls to the temptation that his own mind has the power to produce
that perfecting sense of fulfillment. Failing to pass the reoccurring
tests of the germinating process of the renewal of life, his peace turns
to war, his joy becomes anguish, and his justice inverts to partiality.
Just as James was not the only early follower of Jesus that understood
the germinating process of life, he was also not the only one to write
of the conception of death. Paul wrote, "This I say therefore, and
testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk,
in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have
given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with
greediness" (Eph. 4:17-19). Those who are now "past
feeling" became dead through the process of the vanity of their
mind, the blindness of their heart, the ignorance of their
understanding, and, finally, the alienation of their life from the life
of God.
Peter admonished his readers, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your
mind . . ." (1 Pet. 1:13). Then, in the same letter, said, "Be
sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (5:8). The more literal
translation of that final statement reveals more clearly the conception
of death. The roaring out of control thoughts occupies the thinking of
the unsuspecting, imbibing mind which continually plots until the peace,
the joy, and the justice of the person is totally devoured. Failing the
test of the germinating process of the renewal of life (2 Pet. 1:5-7),
the person has become ". . . blind, and cannot see afar off, and
hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" (2 Pet. 1:9).
The mind’s pursuit of life by its own means has nullified the perfect
life of God which continually dwells within the person.
James simply wrote, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am
tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he
any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own
lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:
and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err [do not
let your mind roam], my beloved brethren" (1:13-16).
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Session 5: Faith that Works--James 1:16-27
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The place could
be any where, the moment could be any time, and the occasion could be
any experience. For temptation always lurks in the heart of man. It is
not the temptation of a proud look, a lying tongue, the shedding of
innocent blood, the panting of wicked imaginations, the running to
mischief, the bearing of false witness, nor the sowing of discord. These
seven deadly sins, as with all acts of sin, are an abomination to the
Lord not because they produce death but because they occur only in a
person who has become dead to spiritual things. These deadly sins come
only out of death after man has fallen prey to the temptation that lurks
in the heart of every man.
At any place, in any moment, and by any experience man can fail to
endure the temptation which he encounters to enable him to receive the
crown of life. Failing to respond appropriately to the germinating
process, the conception of death brings him to the chambers of hell. It
is for this reason James wrote his letter to the people of God which
were scattered throughout the world. His admonition to them was a very
simple be what you say you are. Have a persuasion concerning how to live
life that actually serves you well.
When the storms of life occur, be not as "a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed." Do not wither under the heat of surging
stress, when pressure rises for you to increase your performance. In the
midst of envying and strife, remain stable without partiality. Have a
faith that works.
In every situation in life, the living Word of God implanted within the
heart of man is sufficient for the saving of his soul. The power of that
word must be allowed to perform its function--conquering the mind. For
no man can control the ranting of his thinking out of control. James
admonished his readers:
. . . be ye doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the
word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face
in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh
into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not
a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed
in his deed.
The choice of words that James used
reveals he is not putting the emphasis upon the believer doing but
rather on the power of the implanted word of God. With doers in
"be ye doers of the word" being translated from a word meaning
"a performer; specifically, a ‘poet’," it is the Spirit
that moves on the believer that produces the performance. Just as a poet
is taken outside of himself in his rendition, the believer performs
beyond himself as the power of the word of God works in his life.
Moreover, with the phrase "be ye" being translated from a word
meaning, "cause to be, i.e. to become," the believer actually
becomes the manner of man he is supposed to be by the implanted word of
God. As James said, it is the word of truth that generates the believer’s
life. So, he admonished, "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath." Swift to hear the word of God, slow to engage the thinking
of the mind to speak, and slow to strike out in envying and strife, the
believers assures himself the proper respond in every situation. The
faith he has serves him well. It is a faith that works in life.
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Session 6: Judged by the Law of Liberty--James 2:1-13
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One of the early
followers of Jesus, after observing Him praying, requested that Jesus
would teach them how to pray. In the model prayer that He taught them,
there are three key elements of which all believers should see in their
lives: "Give us this day our daily bread," "forgive us
our debts, as we forgive our debtors," and "lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil." These three key essentials
of the Christian walk coincide with the three noble truths of
Christianity: the good life is by the grace of God, the good life is
through relationships, and the good life is in the innocence of mind.
Correspondently, they are also the essences of the three great mysteries
of the revelation of God: the rational of the Trinity of God, the
expression of the incarnation of God, and the implementation of the
sovereignty of God.
In the outworking of God’s will, He has revealed Himself to man as
God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. He is One
(meaning He is without parts), yet He is Three. The Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons with each of the three
lacking no essential qualities of personality, yet they are not three
separate persons. Their oneness is beyond mere unity of thought,
feeling, or purpose. The three subsist as one without any degree of
compositeness. It is mystery.
Likewise, it was in the will of God to articulate Himself to man by His
divine Word. The Expression of God was incarnate in whom we now know as
Jesus of Nazareth. God came down to man in the form of a man. The
mystery of the incarnation is that although Jesus was the divine
Expression of God He was also a flesh and blood human being. He was
totally God because He was the incarnation of God without any limitation
of divinity. He was also what it means to be human being without any
limitation of humanity. Totally God and totally man, yet He was not two
separate persons, He was and is one.
Finally, the outworking of God’s will for man is that He not only
brought man into existence but He is also the provision by which man
experiences his life. The sovereignty of God does not lack any essential
qualities of provision. Everything that occurs in His creation is the
outworking of His will. God is the provision for all of His creation--He
does all. Yet, man is always held accountable for his thoughts and
actions. Without respect of any person, God rules with sovereign power
(meaning there is nothing that occurs that is not the outworking of His
will) and yet man can only be held in judgment if he has free will. It
is mystery for the free will of man must have its subsistence within the
sovereignty of God.
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Session 7: Mystery of Faith--James 2:14-26
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The first thirty
years of what we now know as Christianity present to us today a truth
that we have virtually negated to a mere doctrinal statement. The
driving force behind the small, insignificance band of uneducated
followers of Jesus that spread their faith throughout the known world
has become to most today an event of history. The earliest records of
their message were written in Greek about a Jewish Messiah who was
executed by Roman authority which ruled over the 1st-century
Mediterranean world. Yet, in all of this diversity, there was a single
reality that not only transformed their lives but has shaped the entire
history of Western civilization.
From Jerusalem to Rome in thirty years was not only a remarkable tale of
rapid expansion across the Mediterranean world, but it was also the
accomplishment of major transitions in its growth. The believers
expanded from the church in Palestine to the church in Syria, Asia
Minor, Greece, and Italy. Culturally, it shifted it base from Jewish
thought to Greco-Roman thinking. The make up of its members went from
predominately Jewish to predominately Gentile. The language of Jesus and
His followers (Aramaic) soon gave way to the international language of
the Roman empire, Greek. Finally, the church moved from its rural roots
to become a urban church. This formation of small communities of
believers throughout the Mediterranean world occurred without a central
organizational structure or even a written, shared text. Without any
political power and often under persecution, the believers nevertheless
permeated the Roman empire by a powerful force that carried them through
the expansion and the transitions.
The earliest literature (the Epistle to James, Paul’s letter to the
Galatians and to the Thessalonians) reveals what was at work in the
lives of those early followers of Jesus. James referred to it as "a
faith that works." Paul, in Galatians, alluded to it as "a
grace that is not frustrated." In the letter to the Thessalonians,
Paul called it simply "the gospel of God." They recorded for
all succeeding generations of believers the uncomplicated yet profound
mystery that transformed the lives of early believers.
Unfortunately, we also see in those early letters the "gospel of
God" beginning to be contaminated by the ways of man. James warned
of the "faith that works" emerging into a faith that was dead.
Paul’s admonition to not frustrate grace eventually was ignored and
believers found themselves not able to live the dynamic life that so
transformed the early followers of Jesus in the 1st-century.
It is that weakening of the gospel of God that makes it difficult for us
today to understand the teaching of James that believers are
"justified by works." Likewise, his statements of "be ye
doers of the word, and not hearers only," "faith, if it has
not works, is dead" and his question, "can faith say
man," are confusing to us because there has been, in most of
Christianity today, a major shift in understanding of what it means to
be Christian. Shortly after the rapid expansion of Christianity
throughout the Mediterranean world, the thinking of the world grew
stronger and stronger from within the church. The errors we see in the
warnings of the Epistle of James and the letters of Galatians and
Thessalonians unfortunately grew to their fruition.
This change in Christianity can be seen in a very brief comparison
between the 1st-century and the 2nd-century
church. Perhaps, the most crucial shift of emphasis was how believers
viewed the Word of God. The early believers saw the Word as that which
was in the beginning with God. The Word, the Expression of God, was not
only in the beginning with God, the Word was God. Most importantly,
however, they understood the Word was made flesh and dwelt among them in
Jesus of Nazareth. Interaction with the Word for those early believers
was interaction with Jesus. In the 2nd-century, interaction
with the Word was becoming interaction with the written text. The theme
of the interaction was shifting not to be of Jesus but was coming to be
about Jesus.
Another essential shift of emphasis in those early centuries was how
believers came to view the preachers of the gospel. In the early
literature, it was the gospel itself shared by the preachers that was
emphasized. The believers were to listen to the preachers because the
gospel which they heard from the preachers would give oversight to their
lives. In the 2nd-century, the believers were to listen to
the preacher simply because he had become the overseer, the bishop, of
their lives. Again, the interaction of the believers with the preachers
was shifting from being of Jesus to being about Jesus.
The third critical shifted of emphasis from the 1st-century
to the 2nd-century was in the liturgy of the meetings of the
church. The early believers came together to share a common meal. This
meal rose out of what we now know as the last supper of Jesus and the
traditions of Jewish commemorative feast days. It was a meal were the
expression, the manifestation of Jesus was actually being experienced
among the believers. Jesus was commemorated by His actually presence. In
the 2nd-century, the meal (soon to become a wafer and a sip
of wine) became a ritual were Jesus was commemorative by remembering
what Jesus did in His death and resurrection. Once again, the liturgy
was shifting from being of Jesus to being about Jesus.
Finally, a major shift of emphasis was occurring in the worship of the
gathered believers. In the early literature of the 1st-century,
the worth-ship of believers were directly connected to the manifestation
of Jesus in their lives. They were channels, conduits, or vessels
through which the Treasure, the Holy Spirit, might come forth to display
the character of Jesus Christ. In the 2nd-century, the
worship of believers became acts of prayers, songs, or deeds done for
and to God. Again, the worth-ship of the believers was shifting from
being of Jesus to being about Jesus.
The Epistle of James and the letters of Paul are made more difficult for
believers today to understand because their entire Christian lives have,
for the most part, been about Jesus rather than of Jesus. We have
reduced the crowing moment of power for the early believers into a
simple creedal statement--I believe in the death and resurrection of
Jesus. We say that if I can believe that Jesus died on the cross for my
sins, I can be saved. We look backward to an event in history to attempt
to experience the good life for today.
It was not so among those early followers of Jesus. The early writers of
Christian literature make powerful claims concerning an experience of
power. "Being saved" for them was not connected to the death
of Jesus (although they knew by their own witness that His death had
occurred) but rather it was directly tied to a personal, transcendent
power that was associated with the Holy Spirit. The early believers
regarded themselves as being participants in a "new age" being
a "new creation." Not the feeble attempt to believe with one’s
mind that he is a new creation but actually experiencing the power of
the resurrected Christ that transformed their lives. Since Jesus was
raised to enter fully into God’s existence and power being now Lord,
He became the life-giving spirit of the believers and was powerfully
present among His followers. He was and is the dynamic power of the true
church.
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Session 8: Fires of Hell--James 3:1-8
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The Epistle of
James addresses the major concerns of the early followers of Jesus. He
began his letter with a lengthy discourse on temptations. He reminded
them of the blessedness of temptations, the reward of successfully
enduring them, where and why temptations occur, the results when they
are not overcome, and how they are successfully conquered. In his
exposition on temptations, he admonished them to be "swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath." He also warned them by stating
"if any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his
tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is
vain." Ultimately, he stated that they must see Jesus being
manifested in their lives during the temptations or they deceive
themselves regardless of their profession of faith.
After the various characteristics of temptations had been clarified by
James, he then moved to the more practical reasons why the failure to
endure temptations could occur. By the use of a very easy to understand
illustration on showing partiality to the rich as opposed to the poor,
James proceeded to reveal the root of the problem for those who keep
failing the test in the trials of life. By the simply fact that one is
showing partiality, he is demonstrating a more severe problem than
having respect of persons. He has made a value judgment on which
relationship will be beneficial to him. It is this act of judgment, the
perceived capability of his own mind to be able to direct the course of
life, that eventually dooms the believer to failure. The believer has
the freedom to make those kinds of judgments but once he does he loses
his freedom and becomes in bondage to the way to hell.
James not only stated that the believer will find himself doing things
that he should not do (having respect of persons) but he will also fail
to encounter what should be experienced. He confesses to be a believer,
to have faith, but his life will not be able to demonstrate the
manifestation of Jesus in his life. He declares his belief that there is
one God who is all powerful but when confronted with the trials of life
he trembles from the anticipation of bad things happening. Instead of
experiencing the Lord of glory who brings heavenly peace the believer
finds himself controlled by the earthly fires of hell. Without the
control of his mind by the actual presence of Jesus in the midst of the
trial, his declaration of faith becomes vain. As James stated, "For
as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also."
Finally, James expressed the crux of the problem. He had previously
stated that the downward path always begins with one being "drawn
away with his own lust." He added that if anyone seemed "to be
religious and bridleth not his tongue . . . this man’s religion is
vain." Then, James simply stated that "the tongue is a fire, a
world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth
the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set
on fire of hell." He would add, "the tongue can no man tame;
it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
In describing the unruly evil of the tongue, James stated that it is
"set on fire of hell." In using this particular expression,
James has referred to the most frequently used term for hell in the New
Testament. There are three distinct Greek words that are translated
twenty-three different times by the one English word hell. The word that
James used for hell, the one time he used the expression, is the same
word that Jesus used eleven out of the sixteen times He spoke of hell.
It is translated in the writing of James and in the teaching of Jesus
from a Greek word that is of Hebrew origin and it has reference to a
valley south of Jerusalem.
In the time of the kings, Ahaz and Manasseh, of Judah, children were
sacrificed as burnt offering to the pagan god Molech in this valley.
Jeremiah prophesied that God would judge this practice and the "the
Valley of the Son of Hinmon" would become known as "the Valley
of Slaughter." By the time of Jesus, the Valley of Hinmon was used
as a garbage dump for Jerusalem. Refuse, waste materials, and the
carcasses of dead animals were taken there to be burned. Fires
continually blazed or smoldered. Smoke from the burning trash rose day
and night. The Valley of Hinmon, gehenna in the Greek, became a graphic
symbol of woe and judgment where the fire is never quenched and the worm
never dies.
According to James, it is this garbage dump that sets the tongue into
action producing "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." The
tongue out of control will always defile the whole body. As James would
later say the weeping and the miseries of this hell shall "eat your
flesh as it were fire."
James took his description of hell even further. He implied that as the
rider turns the horse by the bridle and as the captain turns the ship by
the rudder, the mind turns social interactions by the tongue. The bridle
is controlled by the rider, the rudder is controlled by the helmsman,
and the tongue is controlled by the mind. Out of a mind burning with the
fires of hell the mouth speaks destructive words that offend. It is the
raging fire of "bitter envying and strife" that speaks death
to the body of man. The piercing heat of jealousy and the burning anger
of strife produce the stress that eventually kills.
Jesus said, "And if thy right
eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that
thy whole body should be cast into hell [the Valley of Hinnom (literal
translation)]. And if they right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast
it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy member
should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell [the
Valley of Hinnom (again, literal translation)]" (Matt. 5:29,30).
Jesus is simply saying that it is better to go through life without an
eye or a hand and live in the heavenly realm of the kingdom of God.
Than, even though you have all of your faculties, you spend the days of
your life dwelling in a garbage dump. The thinking that never gets out
of the continual fires of heated conflict and away from the continual
gnawing maggots of bitter envy never experiences the abundant life of
peace, joy, and righteousness in the kingdom of God.
As James would say,
the fires of hell is deadly poison.
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Session 9: Glories of Heaven--James 3:9-18
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Session nine
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Session 10: Friends with the World--James 4:1-5
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Session ten is
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Session 11: Good and Evil--James 4:6-17
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Session eleven
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Session 12: Coming of the Lord--James 5:1-9
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From Israel to
India and from Persia to China, three thousand years of human history
has revealed only two basic approaches to experiencing life. All
attempts to experience the good life will fall into the classifications
of a man centered ideology or a supreme being belief system. In the
final analysis, the well ordered life comes down to a conviction that
man is the measure of all things or that the criterion of all entities
is a Supreme Being.
What confuses this simple arrangement of the two basic strategies for
living is man’s attempt to be religious. A Supreme Being or in the
case of the Eastern mind-set an inanimate order of heaven is used by man
to so arrange his life. God or something beyond man is brought into the
belief system but only as the object of man’s effort. It looks as if
there are now three approaches to life: secular man alone is the answer,
God alone is the answer, and man attempts to use God as the answer.
However, when God or the essence of that which is beyond man becomes the
object, it is still a man-centered belief.
Without hesitation, it can be said that only Christianity in it pure
sense is a God centered belief system. The teachings of Christ can be
made into a religious system but in its originality what it meant to be
Christian was the belief that life is all of God. God is actively at
work even in the details of daily living.
The earliest writings of the followers of
Jesus indicate their belief in a providential God--all things are by
Him, through Him, and of Him. In the final chapters of the Epistle of
James, he contrasts the certainty of the way of God as opposed to the
futility of the way of man. The crux of the problem for man, according
to James, is the seemingly inability of man to wait patiently for the
time and for the season of God’s way. If man will wait upon the Lord,
the manifestation of the invisible God will always be seen in the
visible world.
As the farmer must wait for the harvest to come, those who believe in
the way of God must also wait for the time of this visible
manifestation. This seed-time/harvest for all of the created world is so
prevalent in experiencing life that it is often call simply the
"ways of life" (Psalm 16:11; Acts 2:28). The fruition of the
ways of life, where God makes known His power and His purpose in every
creature, is declared to be the "Day of the Lord" by the
Judeo-Christian Scriptures.
The Day of the Lord is like a two-sided coin. There is only one coin but
it has two sides. The Day of the Lord is a single event in time and
space but there are two facets to the experience. In the analogy of the
Scriptures, the seed-time and the harvest constitute the Day of the
Lord.
The prophet Amos was probably the first to use the phrase, the Day of
the Lord: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what
end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if
a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house,
and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the
day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no
brightness in it?" (5:18-20). Amos is speaking of the judgmental
aspect (the seed must be planted) of this special time of God that
eventually would bring restoration. The physical dependence of man’s
existence must come down.
The prophet Joel gave both the judgment and the restoration of the day
of the Lord. The Lord spoke through Joel and said, " ye shall know
that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and
none else . . . I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth,
blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day
of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in
Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the
remnant whom the LORD shall call. (2:30-32). Those who would call on the
name of the Lord in the midst of this judgment and be restored to
newness of life, would do so because the Lord said, "I will pour
out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days
will I pour out my spirit" (2:28,29). The Lord further promised the
restored remnant, "ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and
praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with
you . . . And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I
am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be
ashamed" (2:26,27).
With Peter quoting the prophecy of Joel to explain what was happening to
the followers of Jesus on the Jewish feast day of Pentecost, he was
understanding that out of the judgment of the nation of Israel was
coming a new nation. The present age of the physical nation of God was
giving birth to a new age. The power, the glory, and the honor of the
new kingdom of God was being experienced. By the Holy Spirit, this new
nation was being infused with the life of God, Jesus Christ. They were
experiencing the Day of the Lord.
Moreover, this principle of the Day of the Lord will occur in the lives
of individuals. Each flower of the rose bush, each tomato of the tomato
plant, each morning of the day, or each appearing of Christ in the
circumstances of life is the fruition of a Day of the Lord.
It is to this end that James wrote, "Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord." Regardless of what is
transpiring in life, a judgment day is coming where those who trust in
their ability to manipulate the material world will be brought to their
knees. They will "weep and howl" for their wretchedness or
miseries that shall come upon them.
Whereas, those who trust in the ways of God at that judgmental moment
will see the morning of a new day, smell the fragrance of a spring rose,
and experience the exhilarating freshness of the coming of the glory of
Jesus Christ in their lives. As James stated in his opening remarks,
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried,
he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them
that love him."
Since there will be many Days of the Lord in the lifetime of a believer,
James admonishes all who can hear what he has to say, "Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth
nigh."
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Session 13: How Then Should We Live--James 5:10-20
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In spite of
technological progress, increased years of life expectancy, and many
other advances for human existence, the future will judge the 20th
century as one of the darkest hours in human history. With two major
world wars, 18 minor conflicts, and 147 other military hostilities
killing 61,000,000 people (42 million soldiers and 19 million
civilians), the past century saw very few days that life’s blood was
not flowing from the veins of humanity. As alarming as the aftermath of
war has been, it pales in atrocity when the 83,000,000 victims of
genocide in the past century is brought to light. The Holocaust of 5-6
million Jews and the recent massacre (1994) of 915,000 people of Rwanda
in 100 days sadly represent a very small number of the total killed
simply because they were of a particular culture or race. Add to that
total 44,000,000 people who died from starvation produced in large part
by man-made famine, the 20th century has a staggering total
of 188,000,000 people killed by acts of aggression.
There is more. Since 1981, the last fifth of the century, there has been
11,700,000 deaths attributed to Aids, since 1970, 29,247,142 legal
abortions in the United States alone, 13,000,000 died from influenza in
1918-1919, from 1900-1999, 3,500,000 died from floods, earthquakes, and
volcanos, and from 1900-1999, 8,500,000 murders have been committed. If
that was not enough, it is estimated (Institute of Medicine) that up to
98,000 American die unnecessary every year from medical mistakes made by
health care professional.
The question could be raised, "Are these the signs of the time for
the soon coming apocalyptical end of the world?" Are these the
answer to the question raised by the early followers of Jesus,
"What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the
world?" Are these signs of the time announcing the soon coming
physical return of Jesus Christ? Many believe they are.
But, are they? Has the past century faced a more difficult time than any
other century?" Has this generation experienced "a great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be?" Are these events so unique that they
are the "beginning of sorrow" that will usher in the end?
Out of the pages of history comes a voice which again staggers the mind
with its tale of another dark hour. There is a distant reflection of the
atrocities of the 20th century, if they are not even more
devastating. It is the 14th century. Again, wide spread war,
genocide, pestilence, and natural disaster destroyed perhaps more people
based upon percentage of population (over 6 billion in the 20th
century to around 400 million in the 14th century). The
terrors of the night once again reek world-wide destruction with the
lives of humanity.
The first part of the century all of Europe was in regional conflict and
feuds. During the middle of the century, the longest war in history
began. The 100 years war between France and England had 185,250
battlefield losses and by its end the population of France had decreased
by one-third. The flow of blood across Europe was bring wide-spread loss
of life.
The Black Death (bubonic plague) in a relative short period of time
spread across the entire continent of Europe and Asia. The people of
entire cities and town died. During the years of 1347-1351, 75,000,000
perished from the disease. The loss of lives has been estimated to be as
high as one-third to one-half of the total population.
Although they did not know the term "genocide," the killing of
innocent people was also prevalent during the 14th Century.
The most notorious was Genghis Khan’s killing of 35,000,000 Chinese. A
conquering Turkic warlord slaughtered an estimate 1,000,000. In 1398,
5,000,000 massacred in India. Thousands of Jews were burned to death as
scapegoat for the Black Death, plus over 140 Jewish communities were
destroyed killing thousands more by the Crusade of 1320. During the
peasant uprising, 7,000 were killed in France and 1,500 were executed in
England. Plus, the warriors of the 100 years war when they were not
fighting for England or France, because they had no others means of
support, plundered the countryside killing and raping.
The visible church was also in turmoil. Debating over the proper
theocratic rule of the church, a Pope was ordained by France as being
the authentic heir of the Papacy. The debate went on for several years
between the Pope in Rome and the Pope in France. Finally, a compromise
Pope was selected. Except the Popes in Rome and France would not give up
their claim as the head of the church. Now, there were three Popes.
While people were dying by the millions, the church kept arguing over
who was the legitimate heir of Peter.
Toward the end of the century, a commission was formed by the church to
study the Scriptures to discern what was actually happening during the
14th century. Since there were so many atrocities (Black
Death, continual wars, peasant revolts, the killing of millions of
innocent people, and over 140 devastating earthquakes), the church
wanted to know if these events were the "signs of [His] coming and
the end of the world." After examining the Scriptures and comparing
the events of the time, their conclusion was that it was the beginning
of the end of the world. They predicted the soon coming of Christ. They
were sure the time had come.
The 14th century passed, as with the 15th and the
16th. Six hundred years have come and gone and once again we
are experiencing similar events and hearing a similar message from much
of the visible church. It seems that down through the ages of time there
has always been certain eras that could only be labeled as dark nights
of the human experience. When these terrors of the night occurred, the
visible church has historically failed to meet the needs of the people.
Often a lollipop is offered (an emotional laden experience, a graphic
description of the suffering of Christ, or a futuristic presentation of
glory and power) to attempt to take the mind of people off of the
hardships of their time. Frequently, a band-aid is provided (challenges
to become all you can be, discovering a purpose for your existence, or
taking a bold plan of action) to try to bring relief to struggles of
life. Very seldom is the final solution given.
In the final ten verses of the Epistle of James, he addressed the issues
of how one should live his life based upon the final solution for all
the terrors of the night. James wrote simple, practical things that
should be seen in the lives of those who find themselves in the human
dilemma--living in a physical world but experiencing life that is not of
the physical world.
Jesus has the capability to save those who find themselves fainting from
the rigors of living life. Jesus can cure the feeble because His kingdom
is not of this world--not of physical things that perish. Jesus can come
into any moment of time, into the darkest of night, and when He comes He
always transforms the mind. He brings the Life that cannot be destroyed
by war, famine, pestilence, or any human suffering: "They that wait
upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings
as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and
not faint."
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