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James

Objective: 

  • Trials vs Temptations
  • Partiality
  • Faith and works
  • The Tongue
  • Heavenly wisdom
  • Lustful desires
  • Worldly richess

Resources:

Reading:

  • James 1
  • James 2
  • James 3
  • James 4
  • James 5

Key verse(s):

"Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" James 2:18

Comments:

  • The Catholic Epistles are Seven
  • Catholic = Universal
  • The Catholic Epistles differ from the Pauline Epistles as they were not sent to specific persons (Timothy - Titus) or Churches (Galatians - Romans) but sent to Christians in the world
  • The Author:
    • He is James, the son of Alphaeus
    • One of the twelve disciples
    • He is the brother Jude/Thaddaeus/Lebbaeus (Author of the other epistle)
    • He was known as the Lord’s brother as his mother was a sister to St. Mary the Virgin, the wife of Clopas, which means Alphaeus in Aramaic
    • The first Bishop of Jerusalem (Acts 15)
    • He headed the Council of Jerusalem in 51 AD (Acts 15)
    • He was ascetic and used to kneel during prayer until his knees became like those of a camel
  • The epistle is written to the Christians all over the world to encourage them to endure trials and to offer practical spiritual applications
  • Ch.1
    • V.1-2: We should be joyful when we are facing trials because these are our crowns in heaven
    • V.3: Trials produce patience and strength in life
    • V.5: Asking God for wisdom will definitely be accepted by Him as He loves these requests and will provide "Liberally"
      • Bad requests: money, revenge, power
      • Good requests: wisdom, love, patience
    • V.9-10: God will reward the poor. As they suffered on earth, they will be rewarded in Heaven
    • V.11: If the rich do not depend on God and do not endure trials happily, they will perish like grass burned by the sun
    • V.12-13: Sometimes we may think that God makes us fall into sin (Why did God put this person in my day to make me lust or get angry?)
      • St. James is explaining that these thoughts are false and the sins are coming from our bad feelings/thoughts
        • Hate -> Getting angry at someone
        • Lustful thoughts -> lead to sin
    • V.14-15: Progression of sin
    • V.19: We should be fast to hear the word of God and slow to speak lest we sin
    • V.22-24: Man should be a doer of the word. If a man knows that he is struggling with a certain sin and hears God's word without doing an action, he is alike a person looking at the mirror without fixing himself.
  • Ch. 2
    • V.1-13: At this time, people were under persecution. Some used to honor the rich more in Church so they could protect them if they were persecuted. St. James is encouraging them to honor the poor and rich equally and to rely on God. The poor are rich in spirit and faith.
    • V.14-26: Faith without works is dead
      • Faith and works are equally important, and BOTH are required to enter the Kingdom
      • We can't do good works without believing in God and His commandments
      • We can't say we believe in God and His commandments without doing His works and showing our faith in action
  • Ch.3:
    • V. 1-11: St. James provides simple and practical examples to show much much power is in the tongue
    • V.13-18: 


Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

  1. Ho

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

 
  1. "I a
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