Tuesday, November 12, 2019

James 4 - 5 NLT


Book of James
Summary of the Book of James
This summary of the book of James provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of James.
Author
The author identifies himself as James (1:1); he was probably the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem council (Ac 15). Four men in the NT have this name. The author of this letter could not have been the apostle James, who died too early (a.d. 44) to have written it. The other two men named James had neither the stature nor the influence that the writer of this letter had.
James was one of several brothers of Christ, probably the oldest since he heads the list in Mt 13:55. At first he did not believe in Jesus and even challenged him and misunderstood his mission (Jn 7:2-5). Later he became very prominent in the church:
1.     He was one of the select individuals Christ appeared to after his resurrection (1co 15:7;).
2.     Paul called him a "pillar" of the church (gal 2:9).
3.     Paul, on his first post-conversion visit to Jerusalem, saw James (Gal 1:19).
4.     Paul did the same on his last visit (ac 21:18).
5.     When Peter was rescued from prison, he told his friends to tell James (ac 12:17).
6.     James was a leader in the important council of Jerusalem (ac 15:13).
7.     Jude could identify himself simply as "a brother of James" (jude 1:1), so well known was James. He was martyred c. a.d. 62.
Date
Some date the letter in the early 60s. There are indications, however, that it was written before a.d. 50:
1.     Its distinctively Jewish nature suggests that it was composed when the church was still predominantly Jewish.
2.     It reflects a simple church order -- officers of the church are called "elders" (5:14) and "teachers" (3:1).
3.     No reference is made to the controversy over Gentile circumcision.
4.     The Greek term synagoge ("synagogue" or "meeting") is used to designate the meeting or meeting place of the church (2:2).
If this early dating is correct, this letter is the earliest of all the NT writings -- with the possible exception of Galatians.
Recipients
The recipients are identified explicitly only in 1:1: "the twelve tribes scattered among the nations." Some hold that this expression refers to Christians in general, but the term "twelve tribes" would more naturally apply to Jewish Christians. Furthermore, a Jewish audience would be more in keeping with the obviously Jewish nature of the letter (e.g., the use of the Hebrew title for God, kyrios sabaoth, "Lord Almighty," 5:4). That the recipients were Christians is clear from 2:15:7-8. It has been plausibly suggested that these were believers from the early Jerusalem church who, after Stephen's death, were scattered as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Syrian Antioch (seeAc 8:111:19 and notes). This would account for James's references to trials and oppression, his intimate knowledge of the readers and the authoritative nature of the letter. As leader of the Jerusalem church, James wrote as pastor to instruct and encourage his dispersed people in the face of their difficulties (see essay, p. 2539).
Distinctive Characteristics
Characteristics that make the letter distinctive are: (1) its unmistakably Jewish nature; (2) its emphasis on vital Christianity, characterized by good deeds and a faith that works (genuine faith must and will be accompanied by a consistent lifestyle); (3) its simple organization; (4) its familiarity with Jesus' teachings preserved in the Sermon on the Mount (compare 2:5 with Mt 5:33:10-12 with Mt 7:15-203:18 withMt 5:95:2-3 with Mt 6:19-205:12 with Mt 5:33-37); (5) its similarity to OT wisdom writings such as Proverbs (see essay, p. 970); (6) its excellent Greek.

Outline
I.                  Greetings (1:1)
                               II.         Trials and Temptations (1:2-18)
A.    The Testing of Faith (1:2-12)
B.    The Source of Temptation (1:13-18)
                                               III.         Listening and Doing (1:19-27)
                             IV.         Favoritism Forbidden (2:1-13)
                              V.         Faith and Deeds (2:14-26)
                             VI.         Taming the Tongue (3:1-12)
                           VII.         Two Kinds of Wisdom (3:13-18)
                          VIII.         Warning against Worldliness (ch. 4)
 .      Quarrelsomeness (4:1-3)
A.    Spiritual Unfaithfulness (4:4)
B.    Pride (4:5-10)
C.    Slander (4:11-12)
D.    Boasting (4:13-17)
IX.         Warning to Rich Oppressors (5:1-6)
                              X.         Miscellaneous Exhortations (5:7-20)
 .      Concerning Patience in Suffering (5:7-11)
A.    Concerning Oaths (5:12)
B.    Concerning the Prayer of Faith (5:13-18)
C.    Concerning Those Who Wander from the Truth (5:19-20)


From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, James
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

James 4 NLT

1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 
2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 
5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 
6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 
8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 
9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 
11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 
12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? 
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 
14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 
15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.


James 5 NLT
1 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 
2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 
3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 
4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. 
5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 
6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you. 
7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 
8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 
9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! 
10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 
11We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. 
12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. 
13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 
14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 
15Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 
17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 
18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. 
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 
20you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
                                                                 

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