Background:
OCCASION, AUDIENCE, DATE & AUTHORSHIP
James Who?
What’s some of the basic background information we need to keep in mind as we pick up James?
In this video, we’re going to talk about the debate around the author of the book (which James!?), the possible dates for when the book was written, the author’s likely audience, and primary purpose in writing.
Before watching the video, think for a moment about which James you think might be the author of this book, and who do you think he was probably writing to?
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Which James?
There’s been some debate about who the author of James really is. This, in turn, has led to questions about whether it should be included in the New Testament canon of Scripture. All New Testament books need to be connected to an eye-witness of Jesus. If James is written by someone other than an eye-witness, or is a collection of sayings from James, Jesus’ half-brother, from after his death, then you can see why some scholars would raise questions about James’ inclusion in the canon. However, what is clear is that this is a church leader with some important things to say to Jewish Christians and the early Christian movement, and the historical emphasis has held that the author being an eye-witness of Jesus.
"James? The brother of Jesus? What would your brother have to do to convince you he was the Son of God? James' recognition of his brother as his Lord may be the best argument for the deity of Jesus."
Test Yourself
Answer
Talk it Through
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1.2 – Modern Conflicts
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The problem of our society now a days are people are selfish, it’s all about “ME”. People are sensitive but the book of James encourages us to put our trust in God. Reminded us to totally dependent on God.
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I see several conflicts, but I think the strongest conflicts within the church today are political conflicts, especially after the pandemic. Everything has become so highly politicized, and everyone, including church organizations, are expected to hold certain political beliefs or risk being ostracized – this goes both ways. I think it can be difficult for people to step outside of themselves and understand that it isn’t realistic for everyone to share the same opinions, and that it is far more important for us to love and serve those around us than it is to fully agree with them. That being said, I also do believe that we should look to the Bible when considering our political stance, as we should with anything else, and hold true to that. Not everything in life or in the church needs to be political, but God’s word is where our truth comes from. The way that we show others the truth isn’t through coercion, it’s through introducing them to the transformative power of Christ.
I’ve encountered several false teachings in the church, but my biggest point of contention is the emergence of new age teachings and the hybridization of these teachings within the church. Manifestation, divination, energy healing, etc, are being repackaged as Christian theology and it grieves me. It seems almost as if the folks falling into it aren’t even aware that they’re being deceived.
Also, I’m not sure if this is necessarily a false teaching or just me being a bit picky, but I struggle with seeing so many churches tend towards watering down the Gospel or only preaching the “feel good” parts of Christianity. Yes, there is a lot to celebrate and to feel good about, but when we only focus on these pieces of the Bible, we miss so much of the meat of the message.
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