James -- who wrote the Letter or Epistle of James -- was a
practical man. He had seen hypocrisy -- in himself, in the
Pharisees, in everyday Christians -- and he would have none of
it. His letter to the early Christian churches is practical and
convicting. He talks about heart Christianity worked out in
actions. He discusses love and then insists that Christian love
can just say compassionate words to the hungry -- love must feed
them.
James was Jesus' brother, a son of Joseph and Mary. During Jesus'
ministry he was a skeptic, but eventually he became the lead
pastor of the Church at Jerusalem and help set the tone for the
entire emerging Christian movement.
Luther called James' Letter "a right strawy epistle"
since it didn't present the gospel as clearly as Paul's letters
that he favored. But I've found it a right convicting epistle,
which God has used to help me cut through my self-deception and
take seriously the matter of being a disciple of Christ.
James: Practical Christianity is suitable for personal
study. But the discussion questions, inductive study questions,
and Readers' Theater choral readings make it ideal for small
groups and Adult Sunday School classes. Preachers and teachers
will also find a lot of their word study research done for them,
with a number of illustrations and insights on communicating the
meaning of the letter.
You can study it week-by-week in our free
online Bible study. But you might like to have the whole
study, either printed out from an e-book or purchased in print
form, to help you keep all your notes in a single place. Why
don't you order a copy. The price is right!
Life of Jacob
James -- who wrote the Letter or Epistle of James -- was a
practical man. He had seen hypocrisy -- in himself, in the
Pharisees, in everyday Christians -- and he would have none of
it. His letter to the early Christian churches is practical and
convicting. He talks about heart Christianity worked out in
actions. He discusses love and then insists that Christian love
can just say compassionate words to the hungry -- love must feed
them.
joyfulheart.com
Christmas Incarnation
