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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