JAMES a study in practical Christian living
by Dr. Lloyd T. Anderson Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church, West Covina Introduction: Meet James One of the most practical books of the Bible is the epistle of James. Some have sought to degrade it, feeling it does not stand strongly enough for the principle of faith alone in Jesus Christ. No less than Martin Luther referred to it as "an epistle of straw." A careful study of this important portion of Cod's Word will show that James and Paul are in complete harmony for the same Holy Spirit inspired them both. James begins very simply by re ferring to himself as "a servant of Cod and of the Lord Jesus Christ." His name was very common among the Jewish people. We have sever al men by that name in the New Testament. The traditional view is that the author was the half broth er of our Lord (Cal. 1:9). As a mat
ter of fact there are six persons in the New Testament called by the name James. In later life James be came the head of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13). James prob ably could have gotten more at tention by vouching for his apost- lic authority than just describing himself as a slave. At the start of Christ's ministry James does not appear to be sympathetic toward Christ and His ministry (Matt. 13:55-58; Mark 3:31; and 6:3). Christ knew what it meant to have members in his own family who rejected Him (John 7:5). We pause to underscore here that Jesus was not the son of Joseph, He was the son of Mary. The Saviour was vir gin born. Other children were born of the union between Joseph and Mary following Christ's birth. After the resurrection of our Lord and before the day of Pentecost we find a different picture. Christ's brothers are seen praying with Mary and the other eleven dis ciples (Actsl :14). The Saviour made
Page 40
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker