James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, & Jude

The Epistle of James in many respects is a how-to manual for daily Christian living.  Of the one-hundred and eight verses in the Epistle of James, fifty-four of those contain commands.  However, instead of merely commanding believers what they are supposed to do, James also teaches them how to do it.  He teaches them how to profit from trials, how to obtain wisdom, how to overcome temptation, and how to communicate.  Thus, 	James’ goal is to apply the Christian faith to day-to-day living.

LESSON 1: The Servant To The Scattered And Struggling Saints - James 1:1

While no one volunteers to undergo trials and most would do anything to avoid trials, the fact is everyone, especially believers, will face trials.  	These trials will either push believers towards God or push them away from God.  Thus, in James 1:2-4, James commands believers to develop a biblical attitude towards trials.

LESSON 2: Developing A Biblical Attitude Towards Trials - James 1:2-4

Believers need wisdom to navigate the trials with strength and character.  Some may wonder why not pray for strength to endure or even deliverance from the trial.  While believers can undoubtedly pray for strength and deliverance, they first need wisdom from God not to miss God’s purpose in the trial or waste the opportunity for spiritual growth.  As well, wisdom is needed to know how to persevere and endure.  In James 1:5-8, James explains to his readers how to obtain wisdom to navigate trials.

LESSON 3: Obtaining Wisdom To Navigate Trials - James 1:5-8

It appears that James shifts away from dealing with trials in James 1:9-11.  However, for His original readers, poverty and prosperity were the most significant trials they were enduring.  Some believers faced trials associated with their poverty.  Other believers struggled with trials due to their prosperity.  Even today, believers, whether or not they acknowledge it, are being tried in poverty and prosperity.  Regardless of whether one is rich or poor, however, does not matter in times of trials.  Trials are the great equalizer between the rich and poor.

LESSON 4: Trials: The Great Equalizer - James 1:9-11

In James 1:12-15, James sets out to distinguish between outward trials and inward temptations.  While having written, at length, about outward trials, James lays out the rewards for believers who endure them.  He then examines the issue of the inward temptations with which believers struggle.  Notably, James explains the true source of the inward temptations.  Perhaps in understanding the source of temptations, believers will be better prepared to escape them.  As well, by understanding the reward of trials, believers will be better equipped to endure them.

LESSON 5: Outward Trials And Inward Temptations - James 1:12-15

In James 1:16-18, James confronts his fellow believers with the fact that they have been deceived and have fallen victim to temptations.  However, James seeks their highest good and thus explains to them how to how victory over temptations.  He prescribes three steps for believers  to be victorious — avoid deception, affirm God’s goodness, and accept God’s purposes.

LESSON 6: Victory Over Temptations - James 1:16-18

For the remainder of chapter one, James turns his focus to the Word of Truth.  In James 1:22-27, James will encourage his readers to be doers of the Word.  First, however, James teaches, in James 1:19-21, believers how to receive the Word of Truth, which has been implanted in their heart.  Believers receive the Word of Truth by accepting the Scriptures and applying to their lives.

LESSON 7: Receiving The Word Of Truth - James 1:19-21

In James 1:22, James uses the term but (dé) to imply that there is more to do with the Word of Truth.  Listening to the Word is critical to accepting and applying the Word, but it is not enough.  It is not sufficient to just be a mere listener or hearer of the Word.  Believers must be hearers who are doers of the Word.  Thus, in James 1:22-25, James shows that there are two types of hearers.  There are hearers of the Word who are deceived and there are hearers of the Word who are doers.  In his final analysis, James reveals that only those believers who are doers of the Word will be blessed.

LESSON 8: Two Types of Hearers - James 1:22-25

James’ focus in the second half of chapter one is upon the Scripture — the Word of Truth and the Perfect Law of Liberty.  The Word of Truth is the implanted seed, which produces the New Brith.  Having received the New Brith, believers must accept and apply the Word of Truth to their lives.  Unfortunately, some of James’ original readers, and even many believers today, only go so far with the Word of Truth.  Hence, James exhorts all believers not just to be hearers but doers of the Word as well.  Doing the Word means conforming one’s life to the Perfect Law of Liberty.  Now, in James 1:26-27, James provides an application of this truth.  In doing so, James reveals the difference between genuine and false religion.  James’ point is that true religion is doing God’s Law.

LESSON 9: True Religion Is Doing God’s Will - James 1:26-27

Believers are to be doers of the Perfect Law of Liberty.  Previously, James addressed three areas of the Law where believers are weak — in controlling the tongue, caring for the helpless, and constraining oneself against worldliness.  These three examples are not the only requirements of true religion.  The remainder of James’ epistle focuses on these three areas.  Beginning in chapter two, James expands on the issue of caring for the helpless.  In particular, he devotes his epistle to the injustice of partiality.  Some of these early believers were discriminating against the helpless instead of caring for them.  Sadly, many believers today are also guilty showing partiality and discriminating against those whom God has deemed helpless.

LESSON 10: The Injustice of Partiality - James 2:1-13

Already, he has admonished his readers regarding the injustice of partiality.  Now, in the remainder of chapter two, James goes a step further and informs his readers that not only does caring for the helpless prove the worthlessness or genuineness of their religion, it also informs them as to whether they merely profess faith or if they possess faith.  As such, James demonstrates what partiality says about one’s faith in James 2:14-16.  Failure to care for the helpless is evidence that one’s faith is either dead or demonic.  However, those who care for the helpless have living or dynamic faith.

LESSON 11: What Partiality Says About One’s Faith - James 2:14-26

Having fleshed out the issue of caring for the helpless in chapter two, James tackles the next application of God’s Law in chapter three, namely taming the tongue.  Tongue (glṓssa), as used by James, is not referring to the organ located in one’s mouth.  Instead, the term tongue (glṓssa) refers to one’s language or speech.  Previously, James stated in James 1:26, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.”  The term bridle (chalinagōgéō) means to govern, direct, or restrain.  Kurt Richardson states that, “Religion is the external, observable qualities of a life of faith in Christ.”
So the question must be asked, “What does a believer’s speech communicate about their life of faith?”  Just as Jesus judges one’s faith based upon deeds of compassion, so too He judges faith upon one’s speech (Matthew 12:37).

LESSON 12: Taming The Tongue - James 3:1-12

Having explained the necessity for controlling the tongue, James next tackles the issue of wisdom.  His contention is that the words of one’s mouth reveal the wisdom of one’s mind.  Hence, in James 3:13-18, James explores the wisdom behind one’s words.  Suffice to say that what comes from one’s mouth reveals whether their wisdom is hellish or heavenly.

LESSON 13: The Wisdom Behind One’s Words - James 3:13-18

Controlling one’s tongue, caring for the helpless, and consecrating oneself from worldliness are three examples of the external, observable qualities of a life of faith according to James 1:26-27.  In chapters two and three of his epistle, James explored this issues of caring for the helpless and controlling one’s tongue.  Now in chapter four, he dives into the issue of consecrating oneself from worldliness.  As James delves into the issue of worldliness, he sets forth a two-fold risk.  First, worldliness creates conflicts with others.  Second, worldliness creates enmity with God.

LESSON 14: The Risks Of Worldliness - James 4:1-6

How then are believers to overcome worldliness?  James revealed that God gives grace to overcome worldliness.  Since God provides grace to overcome worldliness, James now presents ten commands for believers as the remedy against worldliness in James 4:7-10.  In James 4:6, James quoted Proverbs 3:34 — “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Verse seven begins with submit therefore to God.  The therefore (oun) in verse seven shows that the remedy against worldliness derives from this Old Testament quote.  Since God is opposed to the proud, believers must humble themselves and submit to Him.  Verse ten concludes the remedy with humble yourself, and the Lord will exalt you.  Exalting believers is what is meant by God gives grace to the humble.

LESSON 15: The Remedy Against Worldliness - James 4:7-10

Misusing one’s tongue or demeaning others is rooted in pride, not humility.  It is pride, because to demean someone is to elevate oneself above the other person. Hence, James issues a twofold warning about the danger of demeaning others in James 4:11-12.  First, demeaning others violates God’s Law.  Second, demeaning others usurps God’s authority.

LESSON 16: The Danger Of Demeaning Others - James 4:11-12

Planning without considering the God factor is rooted in pride, in a false perception of self-sufficiency.  Self-sufficiency is just another form of worldliness.  Worldliness says to trust in oneself and believe in oneself.  Scripture commands believers to trust and believe in God.  
Nonetheless, in their self-sufficiency, too many believers fail to consider God in making their plans.  They fail to consider the fragility of life.  Such believers come to a place of failing even to acknowledge God.  As such, they arrogantly boast and brag about their accomplishments.  Failing to consider God in one’s plans results in three sins — the sins of presumption, boasting, and omission.

LESSON 17: Failing to Consider God in One’s Plan - James 4:13-17

Understanding these various Biblical principles regarding wealth will enable believers to glorify God with their wealth and be blessed by God in return.  However, just as worldliness seeps into one’s life through pride, causing believers to make plans without God so to pride can cause believers to use their God-given wealth in a worldly manner.  Money is like a fire.  When appropriately used, fire is beneficial.  Heat provides heat and a means of preparing food.  However, when a fire is used carelessly or wrongly, it can destroy both life and property.  So too, money can be beneficial or harmful depending upon how it is handled.  As such, James sets for three consequences of managing one’s wealth without God — it leads to judgment, injustice, greed, and oppression.

LESSON 18: Managing One’s Wealth Without God - James 5:1-6

In James 5:7-11, he exhorts believers to endure injustice and oppression patiently.  As Hans Küng stated, “Jesus did not set in motion a social/political revolution; what He set going was a non-violent revolution, emerging from man’s heart, from a radical change in man’s thinking, from a conversion.”  James’ exhortation to patiently endure injustice and oppression springs forth from James 1:2-4 — “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

LESSON 19: Patiently Enduring Injustice And Oppression - James 5:7-11

Without a doubt, when James issues a command against swearing or frivolous oaths as a follow up to his commands not to speak against others and not to complain about others, he adopts Psalm 15:2-5 — “He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speak truth in his heart.  He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.”  Note the similarity of themes between James’ epistle and Psalm 15:2-5: speaking truth, not slandering, keeping oaths, not defrauding others, and using money well.  Thus, in verse twelve, James addresses the issue of the power of integrity.   Integrity is powerful because it dictates one’s words and determines one’s judgment.

James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, & Jude

TBC Glassboro Sermons and More