Growing Faith

“James the Just,” or James, the brother of Jesus Christ, is believed to be the author of the epistle bearing his name. James was believed to have been a Nazirite from birth (Lockyer, p. 171) and was a “bulwark” for his people. He was often found in the Temple on his knees praying for the forgiveness of the Jews (Bruce, p. 1534), thus giving him the nickname “Camel Knees.” James was the half-brother of Christ (the biological son of Mary and Joseph). Although he did not grow up believing his brother to be the Messiah, Jesus appeared to him after His resurrection (see 1 Corinthians 15:7) (Lockyer, p. 171). James later became the leader of the Church at Jerusalem (Acts 12:17, 15:4–34, 21:18–19; Gal. 2:1–10).

Some scholars argue that James could not have written this letter because the Greek is too polished.  Others believe that James had every opportunity to learn Greek because of the Hellenistic communities in the Galilee region. James noted that his letter was written to the Twelve Tribes (or Jews) of the dispersion (Jam. 1:1). This statement provides specific information about the letter. First, the letter was written to Jews, most likely Christian Jews. Second, “the dispersion” likely refers to the period of persecution, which followed the execution of Stephen in Acts 8:1–4. If James wrote the letter not long after the stoning of Stephen, then it would have been one of the earliest epistles of the New Testament, having been written sometime between A.D. 40–50 and before James’ own martyrdom in A.D. 62 (Bruce, p. 1535). Many scholars believe the epistle was written around A.D. 42.

James was known for his sound wisdom and judgment. His message to the Jewish Christians around the known world was that faith was not expressed in knowledge alone but was to be shared through their works and actions toward others. This came in response to news that factions were arising in new churches. James wanted these new Jewish believers to realize that although their practice had always been to study the Law, it was now time to put their knowledge of God in Christ (the fulfillment of the Law) into practice (see James 1:22).

These passages teach that The Holy Spirit is God and Empowerer. In John 14–16, Jesus shared with His disciples concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit. He told them that He would not leave them alone in this world but would send the “Helper,” the indwelling “Spirit of Truth” or the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16). He would lead every follower of Christ to abide or “remain”—this is the Greek word meno, from the same root word as perseverance—in Christ by keeping His commandments (Jn. 15:4). Thus, His joy would be made manifest in us (Jn. 15:11, 16:20–24).

This is the same joy that James described when he encouraged Christians to endure trials (Jam. 1:2). Just as such trials mature into the fruit of steadfastness, Jesus said, “If you remain in me and I in you, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It is because He is in us and we are in Him that we are able to move through the tests, trials, and temptations of this life, maturing into sound and enduring faith.

James 1:2–3 James addressed those to whom he wrote as “brothers and sisters” (Greek adelphoi), indicating that these were not only his fellow Jews but brothers and sisters in Christ (Bruce, p. 1537). The term would not have been used loosely in that day, particularly among Jews.

James called on those who followed Jesus Christ in faith to consider the end result of “steadfastness” (ESV), or “perseverance” (NIV), in the face of trials. It was a given that Christ’s followers would face difficult conditions and circumstances; many of James’ readers experienced persecution frequently. Rather than allowing themselves to become bitter, however, James instructed them to find joy in the middle of this suffering because their trials would produce steadfastness (Greek hypomonē). A person with steadfast faith will not abandon his commitment to Christ and his faith even when enduring significant trials or great suffering (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5281&t=ESV). Peter further stated that mature faith, developed through such trials, would have value much greater than gold, for it would “result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (see 1 Pet. 1:6–8).

James 1:4 James identified two outcomes of perseverance: perfectness and completeness. “Perfect” in the ESV is translated as “mature” in the NIV and  denotes excellence (see Gen. 6:9), while “complete” denotes fruit without defect (see Acts 3:16, 1 Thes. 5:23) (Bruce, p. 1537). Thus, faith tested by trial would prove itself to be perfect, fully developed, and missing nothing.

James 1:12 James did not refer to a jeweled crown but to a laurel wreath, which was the reward presented to athletes at the end of a competition or to the emperor of Rome (1 Cor. 9:25). Those who persevere through trials as part of God’s family prove their true faith in God; they receive the crown of eternal life (ESV, p. 2392).

James 1:13–15 In verses 12–13, James showed a distinction between tests and Temptation. Though both may be categorized technically as trials, “tests” (translated from the Greek word peirazao) measure the character of a person while “temptations” entice a person to enter into evil or commit sin. Testing leads to blessing, joy, and ultimately eternal life, while temptation leads to heartache and death (ESV, p. 2392)

Temptation, the darker side of trials, is not of God. Because God does not condone nor inhabit any part of sin, He does not entice His children to sin. James emphasized that it is our own predisposition toward sin and evil that, combined with the enemy’s temptation, drags or lures us away into sin (v. 14). James noted that temptation and sin progress in the following way: Evil desire gives way to sin, and sin gives way to death. Trials, which test the measure of our faith, give way to perseverance and are rewarded with eternal life. Temptation gives way to sin, which grows and matures into death.

James 1:16–17 James warned his readers not to be deceived (v. 16) by not recognizing the differences in their trials. The word “good” (from the Greek dosis) denotes the good giving of every “perfect” (from the Greek dorema) gift (v. 17) (Bruce, p. 1538). In other words, there is no gift that God gives that is not perfect. Therefore, trials can be considered as “good gifts” because God uses them to increase the maturity of our faith. God’s character is unchanging—unlike the light of the sun and moon, which move through the progression of the day with “shifting shadows.” God does not shift or change but rather remains constant. This includes the constant giving of good gifts to His people.

James warned his readers of two dangers that all believers will face—trials and temptations. While trials might describe situations that happen to us and create the opportunity to act in ways that don’t align with our faith, temptations usually describe the desires within us that entice us into sin. According to James, whether we face trials or temptations, we should respond to them with joy because we recognize that God can use them to strengthen and mature our faith. His words certainly challenged his readers in the first century and they continue to challenge believers today. We simply aren’t inclined to view life’s difficulties as good things.

As you teach this lesson, encourage students to think about the trials and temptations they routinely face. Today’s world is full of the enticements offered by technology––the Internet, texting, smart phones, movie screens. These enticements, along with the sinful nature within us, combine in their effort to lure us into sinful acts. And what about trials? Often the first reaction to trials in our lives is to question or blame God for disrupting our comfortable life. Encourage students to begin to see the trials they face as opportunities to grow and mature their faith. How can students recognize the differences between the trials and temptations that they face? How will they grow in their faith as they daily make the decisions to turn away from the enticements of sin? How can they learn to react to difficult circumstances with joy—not happiness—because their faith is securely founded upon Christ?