The Word Is Alive James

1. The Word Is AliveJames Chapter One Narrated by Tony Gillon

2. Chapter One • Summary of Chapter One • James is a servant of Jesus and he writes to predominantly Jewish Christians.

3. Chapter One • Summary of Chapter One • James is a servant of Jesus and he writes to predominantly Jewish Christians. • Believers are to endure trials (vv.2-12).

4. Chapter One • Summary of Chapter One • James is a servant of Jesus and he writes to predominantly Jewish Christians. • Believers are to endure trials (vv.2-12). • Sin is imputed to man, not God (vv.13-18).

5. Chapter One • Summary of Chapter One • James is a servant of Jesus and he writes to predominantly Jewish Christians. • Believers are to endure trials (vv.2-12). • Sin is imputed to man, not God (vv.13-18). • Believers need to hear the Word and put it into action (vv.19-27).

6. Chapter One • James 1:1 – Greeting

7. Chapter One • James 1:1 – Greeting • The church as the new Israel.

8. Chapter One • James 1:1 – Greeting • The church as the new Israel. • In furious anger and in great wrath the Lord uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now. (Deuteronomy 29:28).

9. Chapter One • James 1:1 – Greeting • Hear the word of the Lord, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them again and will watch over his flock like a shepherd’. (Jeremiah 31:10).

10. Chapter One • Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. (Ezekiel 37:20-22).

11. Chapter One • James implies that the true Israel is now also dispersed, away from the Promised Land, and oppressed, but assured of their final gathering to the Lord.

12. Greeting • 1James, a servant of God and of the LordJesusChrist, • To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: • Greetings.

13. Greeting • Although he is the brother of Jesus, James identifies himself as his servant, Greek doulos, which means slave or bond servant, but here it is a title of great honour that acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Christ.

14. Greeting • Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (Continued).

15. Greeting • For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:24-27).

16. Greeting • For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:24-27). • Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him. • (John 5:22-23).

17. A Statue of James in Liege, Belgium

18. Greeting • The twelve tribes: • Probably Diaspora Jews who have come to faith in Christ, historically deported from Israel and Judah by the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively. • It is less likely to be the Jewish Christians dispersed at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom in Jerusalem. See Acts Chapter 6.

19. Greeting • They were most likely in Asia Minor but could have been from any of the nations represented in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

20. Greeting • When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Continued).

21. Greeting • Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galilæans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? (Continued).

22. Greeting • Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judæa and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs — we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:1-12).

23. The map shows the countries represented in Jerusalem at Pentecost

24. Greeting • Greetings uses the Greek word is chairein, which is literally joy be to you. • Despite the persecution and suffering his readers are experiencing, as we will see as the letter unfolds, James calls them to live joyfully.

25. Chapter One • James 1:2–18 - Trials and Temptations

26. Chapter One • James 1:2–18 - Trials and Temptations • All believers are to undergo trials and suffering to test them. • Such trials are good and perfect gifts (v.17) from God. • Believers should avoid temptation to sin. Temptations are never from God.

27. Trials and Temptations • James 1:2–4 - Joy in trials

28. Trials and Temptations • James 1:2–4 - Joy in trials • Trials are designed to produce spiritual maturity and should therefore be counted as a blessing, endured with perseverance and accepted with holy or pure joy.

29. Trials and Temptations • 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

30. Trials and Temptations • 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, • Pure joy, or all joy in some translations, links in with the greeting to affirm that James did mean what he said in the opening address - joy be to you (v.1).

31. Trials and Temptations • Trials, the Greek term peirasmos, are tests that challenge faith.

32. Trials and Temptations • Trials, the Greek term peirasmos, are tests that challenge faith. • Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. • (1 Peter 4:12).

33. Trials and Temptations • Trials, the Greek term peirasmos, are tests that challenge faith. • Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. • (1 Peter 4:12). • Whenever you face trials of many kinds.

34. Trials and Temptations • When trials occur, a believer should count it as pure joy — not meaning mere worldly, temporal happiness which has such a weak meaning, but rather spiritual, enduring, complete joy in the Lord, who is sovereign over all things, including trials.

35. Trials and Temptations • Joy is an attribute that should mark out a true believer from the rest of the world. • You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

36. Trials and Temptations • Joy is an attribute that should mark out a true believer from the rest of the world. • You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6). • Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. (Job 5:17).

37. Trials and Temptations • Happiness is a subjective state. • Consider it pure joy is more of an objective judgement.

38. Trials and Temptations • Christianity teaches men to be joyful in times of suffering. • By suffering in the ways of righteousness, we are serving the interests of our Lord’s kingdom among men, and edifying the body of Christ.

39. Trials and Temptations • 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

40. Trials and Temptations • 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. • Testing of your faith defines the meaning of a trial for the believer. Just as Jesus was tested in the wilderness.

41. Trials and Temptations • The Greek word dokimion denotes a positive test. • These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. • (1 Peter 1:7).

42. Trials and Temptations • The result is perseverance, a life of faithful endurance amid troubles and afflictions. • Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance (Romans 5:3). • That the testing develops, or produces, perseverance is emphatic. It may be compared to v.20, where human anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

43. Trials and Temptations • Stoical apathy and Christian perseverance are very different: by the one, men become, in some measure, insensible of their sufferings; but by the other, they become triumphant in and over them. • Perseverance also means patient endurance, which implies self-discipline, a key attribute in good discipleship.

44. Trials and Temptations • These trials provide the opportunity for the testing that will develop this quality of faith. • The spiritual realities call for joy in the opportunity to learn perseverance.

45. Trials and Temptations • 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

46. Trials and Temptations • Perseverance leads ultimately to perfection, i.e. finish its work. • Believers mature in holiness but are not yet made complete or perfected in it; such perfection will be realised only when Jesus returns. • At that time a believer will not lack anything.

47. Trials and Temptations • You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised (Hebrews 10:36).

48. Trials and Temptations • You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised (Hebrews 10:36). • As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy (James 5:11).

49. Trials and Temptations • For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love (2 Peter 1:5-7).

50. Trials and Temptations • Disciples aspire to the position of spiritual maturity, without the fruit of the sinful nature. • We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you (2 Chronicles 20:12b).