179 James: Beyond Belief
Our world is weary of “noun” Christians. It’s looking for “verb” Christians – people who will walk the walk, not just talk the talk. But how can you move to a life that goes beyond belief?
The Bible is filled with counsel toward that end, but one of the most practical texts is the N.T. book of James. We were made for more than “easy chair living.” We were called to a life “beyond belief.” And that is what James addresses in his remarkable epistle.
1. WHO was James?
Most biblical scholars agree that the writer of this letter is not James the brother of John, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples. This James was martyred in A.D. 44, so the timing doesn’t work.
They also don’t believe the author was another one of the 12 – James, the son of Alphaeus.
The person most scholars believe penned this letter is James, the brother of Jesus. Now some religious traditions claim that Jesus did not have any literal brothers, that the brothers mentioned in the gospels (see Matt. 13:53-57) were cousins. However, the Greek word used here means blood brother, not cousin. So, Scripture seems to indicate that after Jesus’ miraculous birth, Joseph and Mary went on to have several other children, including James.
But James and his siblings struggled to believe that their big brother was the Messiah. They thought He’d gone crazy! (see Mk. 3:20-21; Jn. 7:5) So what changed?
Jesus made a special post-resurrection appearance to, of all people, his little brother. And, in light of that, James came to a point of unshakable belief and total commitment.
James rose to a place of prominence. In Gal. 2:9 he’s described as a “pillar” in the church. And by the time we get to Acts 15, he is the leader of the church at Jerusalem.
2. WHEN did he write the letter?
Though there is some debate, many scholars date the epistle from James at around A.D. 48. It is believed that this was the first N.T. book to be written, pre-dating all 4 of the gospels.
3. WHERE was this letter addressed?
James sent this letter to Jewish Christians who had been scattered throughout the Roman world following an outpouring of persecution. He was responding to reports that many were living lives of comfort and compromise. So, as leader of the church, James writes this letter to be shared among the diaspora – and he doesn’t hold any punches.
4. WHAT is the content of this letter?
In short, James asks his audience then and us today, “If you say that you believe as you should, then why do you behave as you shouldn’t?
5. Why should we rise to the challenge?
The answer is seen in how James saw himself. He opens his letter by calling himself “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Greek word he uses to identify himself is “doulos.” Literally, it means “slave.”
The title of “slave” implies:
Absolute obedience.
Total humility
Complete loyalty
Ultimate identity
Far from being a title of dishonor, “slave” was the title by which the greatest figures of the O.T. were known. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were called the doulos of God. So were Job, Moses, and Joshua, as well as the prophets Amos and Zechariah.
By referring to himself this way, James recognized that there was an identity that went beyond being Jesus’ brother or the Jerusalem church’s pastor. He recognized that the greatest name by which he could ever be known was a doulos of the Lord.
Text: James 1:1
Originally recorded on January 17, 2010, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN