Today I studied the background of this book to get a feel about who wrote it and the timing of when it was written.
Here's what I learned:
Author
- James is Christ's oldest half brother and brother to Jude
- James first rejected Christ as the Messiah but then became known as James the Just because of his devotion to righteousness
- James is the earliest book written in the New Testament - 44 to 49 A.D.
Just this information is way more than I ever knew. It's so cool to learn fun facts about what your studying!
Background
- James was writing to Jewish people who were dispersed because of persecution
Themes
- James focuses on godly behavior
- He shares his view on justification by faith and adds his own emphasis on spiritual fruitfulness
- He teaches on the law but not that we have to obey to be saved or rules for our life but instead gives us instructions in righteousness for those who are under the grace of God.
Did you know all that about James? It kind of paints a picture of who he was and what he wanted to get across in his letters. What he says throughout his book sounds very practical and important to everyday life. I can't wait to see what I learn as I dig to the scripture he wrote! I know from just the little bit of reading/studying I've done that I'm going to learn so much!
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