A Commentary on the Book of James

Appendix

What is an Epistle?

The word ‘epistle’ is a transliteration of the Greek word ‘epistolē’,^[1] which refers to a written document that closely resembles a modern-day letter. The New Testament has four major divisions: 1) the gospels, 2) the book of Acts, 3) the epistles, and 4) the book of Revelation. In a quick review we see that the four gospel accounts outline Jesus’ life and His offer of salvation for all people through Him. The book of Acts (the full name being “The Acts of the Apostles”) offers a historical account of approximately the first thirty years after Jesus ascended. At first the book follows the apostles Peter and John, then later we are introduced to Saul who is later named Paul. In that book we also read about the concept of God’s church and the importance of evangelism. During that time many churches were planted, but there were still only a few apostles available to teach, so several of the church leaders wrote letters to help guide these churches, these letters (and some addressed to individuals) were collected and became what we now call the epistles. The fourth section is the book of Revelation, which gives us a look at not only our present condition (chapters 2-3), but also prophecy that extends into the future (chapters 4-22).

There were six epistle writers, Paul, James, Peter, John, Jude, and the author of Hebrews. Each author has a different style, Paul for example, typically opens his epistles with doctrine (the truths about Jesus, salvation, etc.), followed by practical instructions on how to live as a Christian. Some writers, like James, assumes his audience already knows the doctrine and jumps right into practical living for believers. 

It is important to note that each epistle writer is addressing fellow believers. The epistles are to help guide Christians to live for Jesus. As with the entire Bible, every epistle should be thoroughly studied, and the instructions given should also be applied as they are still very much applicable today. The teaching of these epistles will often be in opposition with the ways of the world, which is why it is imperative that each believer to know and follow Jesus. These epistles will help guide believers while they live here on earth during sanctification. 

Faith in…?

All the words in the Bible that relate to faith have in common the theme of believing something to be true. The question that is not answered by these words alone is who or what. Who are you supposed to have faith in? Or belief in what? Having faith alone or having ‘faith’ in ‘faith’ is meaningless, the context of each verse where these words are found must be determined. Remember, not all references to faith in the New Testament refer to salvation through Jesus (something Christians expect to occur after they die), some refer to the need to trust God to fulfil His promises right now, not just when we die. Here is a quick reference to the use of the Greek word ‘pístis’,^[2] (meaning to persuade, believed to be true) in the New Testament:

Belief that God will do or did something: Matthew 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29; 15:28; 17:20; 21:21; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; 11:22; Luke 5:20: 7:9, 19; 8:48; 17:5-6; 18:42; Acts 3:16; 6:5; 14:9; Romans 4:19, 20; 12:6; Hebrews 11:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32-33, 39.

Regarding sins being forgiven (made righteous): Luke 7:50; Acts 6:7; 11:24; 13:8; 14:22, 27; 15:9; 16:5; 17:31; 20:21; 24:24; 26:18; Romans 3:22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31; 4:5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16 (2X); 5:1, 2; 9:30; 10:6, 8; 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17; Galatians 1:23; 2:16 (2X); 3:2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 22, 23 (2x), 25, 26; Ephesians 2:8; 3:17; 4:5; Philippians 3:9 (2X); Colossians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:2; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:22, 39; James 2:14; 1 Peter 1:5, 9, 21.

Referring to both the belief that God will do something and that of being made righteous: Romans 1:5, 8, 12, 17; 10:17; 11:20; 12:3; 14:22, 23 (2X); 16:26; 1 Corinthians 2:5, 9; 13:2, 13; 16:13; 2 Corinthians 1:24 (2X); 4:13; 5:7; 8:7; 10:15; 13:5; Galatians 2:20; 3:5, 7; 5:5, 6, 22; 6:10; Ephesians 1:15; 3:12; 4:13; 6:16, 23; Philippians 1:25, 27; 2:17; Colossians 1:4, 23; 2:5, 7; 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 8; 3:2, 5, 6, 7, 10; 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 4, 11; 2:13; 1 Timothy 1:2, 4, 5, 14, 19; 2:7, 15; 3:9; 13; 4:1, 6, 12; 5:8; 6:10, 11, 12; 2 Timothy 1:5, 13; 2:22; 3:8, 10; 4:7; Titus 1:1, 4, 13; 2:10; 3:15; Philemon 5, 6; Hebrews 4:2; 6:1, 12; 10:38; 11:1, 12:2; 13:7; James 1:3, 6; 2:1, 5; 2:17, 18 (3X), 20, 22 (2X), 24, 26; 5:15; 1 Peter 1:7; 5:9; 2 Peter 1:1, 5; 1 John 5:4; Jude 3, 20; Revelation 2:13, 19; 13:10; 14:12.

Pertaining to the lack or abandonment of faith in Jesus and His ability: Mark 4:40; Luke 8:25; 18:8; 22:32; Romans 3:3; 9:32; 14:1; 1 Timothy 5:12; 6:21; 2 Timothy 2:18.

Sanctification: Being righteous in God’s eyes!

When a believer says ‘yes’ to Jesus they are instantly transformed. While this typically happens without any change notable to the person, God has cleansed them and from that moment on they are saved. God did all the work, there is nothing more needed for salvation. But instead of being completely free from sin (that being disobedience to God, the reason we needed to be saved in the first place), we remain sinners capable of sinning even more. We know that since God has promised us an eternity with Him after we die, we also know that our sin (and all the affects of sin) will be completely removed from us. But what about now?

This is where the epistles, like this one written by James comes into play. We need to be obedient to God, understanding that because we are still sinners, we will often fail. When we stumble we can turn back to Jesus and He will forgive us, wiping the ‘slate’ clean. The apostle John wrote, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10) So, even though we are sinners, we can (and will) be forgiven. 

But what is this period between the moment we are saved and eternity begins, often called ‘sanctification’, all about? The word ‘sanctification’ refers to being set aside from the world for God’s purposes, being made holy. As pointed out above, believers are instantly cleansed, justified by the blood of Jesus, and we are immediately saved from the penalty of sin. But, once again we are faced with the “now what?” question. From our perspective it appears that our sanctification occurs in three phases.

The three phases of salvation are often referred to as the three ‘tenses’, as they are linked to our past, our present, and our future. When someone accepts Jesus as their Savior they are immediately free from the penalty of sin, which is death, or more precisely, the second death, the final destination of all unbelievers. This is revealed in the book of Revelation as the Lake of Fire, another name for hell. We learn about the second death primarily from this book, where John witnessed and recorded a number of end-time events. He wrote, “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15, see also Revelation 2:11; 20:6; 21:8) Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25b) Believers will die only once, as they have been atoned for by Jesus, He paid the full price for our salvation. That is done, nothing you can do (or not do) that can change that status, that is in the past. You are a new creation, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) 

But, we still have a sinful nature, although promised an eternity with Jesus in heaven after we die, we currently have two natures. Our spiritual component has been cleansed, but our body remains sinful. However, this present, dual-natured existence is not without God, He lives in us and gives us the power to resist the power of sin over our lives. During this phase of sanctification we are to listen to and obey God, we are to be His ambassadors here on earth (see 2 Corinthians 5:20). Remember Jesus gave us the Great Commission to carry out (see Matthew 28:18-20) and while we struggle through this life, He is with us at all times. 

When we die, or when Jesus comes to get us, we enter the final and eternal phase when we are completely free from sin, as our old nature will be completely washed away for all eternity. This future event is referred to as glorification, where we receive our glorified bodies. The Bible states that we will be glorified with Christ and that glory will include our bodies. In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul explains both an end-time event for those still alive and what happens to our bodies when we die:

1 Corinthians 15:35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:35-57)

Paul then concludes with advice that is just as pertinent today as it was then, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) With our salvation paid in full, we are to be fully engaged in the work of the Lord! 

New to Christianity or an Unbeliever? Let’s talk!

Many today are looking for the meaning of life. I hear that statement a lot especially from college students. The two-part question of where did we come from, and why are we here, have been the subject of much literature and philosophy. The pursuit of such questions can often lead to some interesting life-styles and world views. Many claim to have found answers, but often when shared with others, lose their impact or slowly fade away. So why is the question about the meaning of life pursued by so many? Is there something in each of us that desires to know the answer? Is there a piece of our psyche (for lack of a better term) missing? Personally, I think there is and that hole in our heart can only be filled by our Mighty and Loving God. Some even say we have a ‘Jesus’ shaped void in our lives and only He can fill it. 

Setting the ‘meaning of life’ question aside for the moment, let’s talk about Jesus. Some of you may have recently accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, while some of you are on the fence. In either case I want to encourage you to learn all you can about Jesus. Sadly, the word ‘Christianity’ has been bantered around to the point that it has lost most of its true meaning, we need to go back to the source and define it from a Biblical point of view. If your definition of a Christian comes from the news media, a television show or from a non-believing neighbor, chances are your definition is inaccurate. However, much of the confusion comes from Christians and churches themselves. Today many churches and denominations have their own dogma, traditions, and unique interpretations. So who, or what, do you believe? But before I can answer that question I need to acknowledge that my own views are not without bias or presuppositions, but I can point you to the only source of truth and that is God’s Word, the Bible. 

Obviously the next question is what does the Bible say about life? The Bible tells us that God created us humans with a free will (the ability to think and decide things on our own). God next gave Adam and Eve some rules, and all they had to do was follow those rules. But they did not, and as a result of that disobedient action mankind inherited a serious ‘disease’, namely sin (a word that technically means missing the mark much like missing the target in archery but in this case missing the mark of being obedient). Sin brought death, pain and destruction into our lives. That may sound like an extreme response but we need to understand that breaking one rule makes us guilty (much like a person is called a criminal after committing a single crime). As a result of sin, mankind was no longer perfect (death was introduced so that we would not live forever in a fallen state). Since we were no longer perfect, we could no longer dwell with God. But since God loves us so much He promised someone special to come provide a way for us to not only dwell with God, but provide us salvation (be salvaged from our fallen state) so that we could live with Jesus forever. Jesus was and is that someone. 

At this point you might want to ask, so what do I have to do to get salvaged? Well the good news is technically nothing, all we need to do is repent of our sins and accept the free gift of salvation from Jesus. It’s that simple! Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus stressed to his readers that there is nothing we can do or purchase to be saved, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) As you can see the Apostle Paul makes it clear that Jesus did all the work. No ritual, protocol, method, tradition, etc. needed! 

So what does Paul mean by the word faith? It means we trust God to keep His promises to us that He will indeed redeem us from our sins and grant us passage into heaven after death. As I pointed out earlier, the Gospel message is simple (by the way the word gospel means ‘good news’), but as we see in life and reading the book of Acts along with the various epistles, is that being a Christian is not always easy. Christians today face ridicule and in some parts of the world they face persecution and death. That is one reason why epistles in the Bible, like the book of James, were written, to help guide and encourage Bible-believing Christians to live a life pleasing to God. 

So how did Jesus provide salvation for us? God’s plan from the very beginning was to send His Son Jesus to live a sinless life among us and die on a cross for us. I know what you’re thinking, there had to be an easier way! Apparently not, Jesus died a miserable death to pay for our sins. Think about it, He died for all of our sins for everybody that ever lived, lives now and for those yet to be born. I am sure He did not get a reduction of pain for buying our sins in bulk. Jesus wants all to come to repentance (read 2 Peter 3:9), His death was and is for everyone. Sadly, not everyone will take Jesus up on His free offer of salvation. 

If you have not heard about Jesus or His incredible offer to free us from the bondage of sin, I recommend reading the gospel of John (it is the fourth book in the New Testament section of most Bibles). The Apostle John was a close friend of Jesus and he tells us plainly why he wrote his book, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31) 

If and when you feel you are ready to give your life to Jesus then you should pray. Prayer is simply a term we use to describe what we are doing when we are talking to God. There is no right or wrong way to pray. When you first pray to God you might want to pray something like this:

Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sin. I turn and repent of my sins right now. Thank You for dying on the cross for me and paying the price for my sin. Please come into my heart and life right now. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to be Your disciple. Thank You for forgiving me and coming into my life. Thank You that I am now a child of Yours and that I am going to heaven. In Jesus’s name, I pray, Amen.^[3]

You may also want to pray that God bring you in contact with another Christian who can help answer some of your questions and get you involved with a church. Don’t let the word ‘involved’ scare you, regardless of what you might know about churches, being actively involved in a church is very important to all Christians especially new-believers. 

Now back to the meaning of life discussion, perhaps now you can see that a life devoted to Jesus is a life with a purpose. As you move closer to God you will see many things in your life change, especially life’s priorities. Again, I am not saying life will be easier, but we need to understand that our life on Earth is only temporary, as Christians we look forward to eternal life after death. I know you must have a lot of questions and perhaps some doubts and that’s okay, try praying to God to help you find the answers you need, and yes He will do that for you (read John 14:26-27). 

There is a television commercial for automotive insurance that claims “everybody knows that!” When we hear Bible verses like “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16) people might respond with a “well everybody knows that,” but there is a huge difference between knowing the words and believing those words. There is no better time to seek God than right now, don’t put it off, life is too fragile!

Reading the Bible

If you are just starting out and have never read the Bible before let me give you a few pointers. First of all there are 66 books in the standard Bible (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament). There are some Bibles that contain more than 66 books, the reason why is unimportant at this time. Most books of the Bible are divided into chapters (some only have one chapter) and then verses (these verses can contain a few words or they can contain several sentences). The breakdown of the Bible into chapters and verses was incorporated many years after the Bible was compiled to aid in teaching and studying. To find something in the Bible each reference first contains the name of the book followed by a chapter number then a colon and then a verse (or verses) number. For example James 1:3 is referring to the book of James, chapter 1, verse 3 and Daniel 9:24-27 is referring to the book of Daniel, chapter 9, verses 24 through 27. In the case of those single chapter books the reference may contain a chapter reference (like Jude 1:2) or just a single number (like Jude 2) both are referring to the same verse, however if you see a single number for a book that has multiple chapters chances are that reference is to the entire chapter. 

The Bible contains an Old Testament and the New Testament. The word covenant (a promise) can also be used in place of the word ‘testament’. The Old Testament encapsulates what I discussed earlier about creation and the subsequent problem of sin while the New Testament calls our attention to the solution of the problem of sin, namely Jesus and how to follow Him. As you learn more about the Bible these concepts will become clear, however I must point out that we can never fully understand or appreciate God’s plan without the Old Testament.

I think I know what your next question is going to be and that is, what is the best version of the Bible to read? Well, the answer is not that easy. First of all, any Bible is better than no Bible. Some versions are easier to read than others. There are a lot of modern versions out there now so if you are concerned about reading ancient English, such as the King James Version, you don’t have to any more (although I still love the KJV). If you need to purchase a Bible I recommend try reading a few different ones at a Christian book store or online^[4] before making a purchase. 

The Bible is also divided into sections so if you choose to read the Bible from cover to cover please understand that the Bible is not always in chronological order. Don’t let that bother you for now, it will be clear later in your study if you choose to do so. Even though the Bible doesn’t require special knowledge or some ‘decoder ring’ (now that really ages me) to decipher it is important to pray asking God to guide you each time you read it. May God truly bless you in this exciting adventure! As pointed out in the Preface, the only way to learn the Bible is to start reading and studying it, so start today!

The Mission

Without a doubt the greatest news for any person is that God loves them so much that He sent His Son to die, so that they can be saved. Think about it, eternal life with Jesus! That has to be the greatest news anyone can hear (that is why it is called the gospel message). As Christians on earth, we are each told to help others find salvation through Jesus. The last few verses in the book of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, are often referred to as the Great Commission. We might consider these verses as our mission statement. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Our priority in life is to serve God, and be willing to share the good news with others. 

But not everyone is willing to listen to the gospel message, let alone say yes to Jesus. Perhaps you are one who is not willing. Hear me out for a moment. God created a perfect world but soon afterward Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Their action of disobedience is called sin, which made God’s creation no longer perfect. Resulting in death and the condemnation of all of humanity to hell. The problem of sin is so serious that it is impossible for any human to fix. So God sent His Son to live a sinless life, suffer, die and to rise to life again so that we can be covered by the blood of Jesus and be saved from our sins. Allowing us to spend eternity in a perfect world, just as it started out being. That may sound strange to our ears, but it is nonetheless true. But many are unwilling to accept the free gift that Jesus is offering.

So why is it so difficult to tell others about Jesus? There a several potential answers, the first barrier is independence. Many view Christianity as some form of ‘leash’ that prevents them from enjoying life. Plus, there are dark ‘powers’ that exist (fallen angels led by the devil, Satan, who will one day be destroyed) that will do just about anything to prevent people from accepting Jesus. Other barriers include not wanting to be accountable to God, had an uncomfortable encounter with a so called “Christian,” or have presuppositions regarding church protocols, the origin of life, etc. But, when weighed against the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus, this life is not only temporary, it is very brief, heaven is eternal! Go and tell! Can there be a greater meaning of life?

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[1] Strong’s Greek 1992.

[2] Strong’s Greek 4102.

[3] Laurie, Greg (1995). Life. Any Questions? Finding Spiritual Meaning on the Fast Track (p. 170) Word Publishing.

[4] There are several online Bibles available most of them allow you to choose the version you want. Some sites even provide a split screen to view several versions at once. Try searching for ‘online Bible’ using your favorite search engine.