Too many have reached a point where the faith they once possessed in such strength is a hollow shell. Questions have flooded their minds. What produces faith in God? How do some men lose, or err from, their faith?
A little reflection helps us see people stumble during hard time, times of temptation, because of prejudice, a loose tongue, earthly thinking, lust, judging brethren, failing to seize on the power of prayer and no one reaching out to help. James deals with each of these potential faith draining problems. He uses simple terms to lay out the pattern for a life strong in faith. Many of his words seem to elaborate on the Lord’s instructions from the sermon on the mount.
The author identifies himself as “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1 NKJV). The father of Judas, not the betrayer, was named James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). James the son of Alpaeus, also known as James the less either because he was younger or shorter in stature, was one of the Lord’s apostles. His mother was Mary, one of the women at the foot of the cross, who was also the mother of Joses (Matt. 27:56). Neither of these is well enough known to have written an epistle authored by someone only identified as James.
James the son of Zebedee, brother of John, was one of the three Jesus often took apart with him (Matthew 17:1; 26:36-37). He was killed by Herod Agrippa I, who died in A.D. 44 (Acts 12:1-2, 20-23). It is not likely he lived long enough to write this epistle. The author must have been James, the half-brother of Jesus.
“During Christ’s public ministry, his brothers ‘did not believe in him’ (Jn. 7:5). But Jesus made a post-resurrection appearance to James (1 Cor. 15:7), and his skepticism was transformed into faith. James became a ‘pillar’ in the early church (Gal. 2:9; cf. Acts 15:13ff)” (Jackson 515).
James became an early leader in the church. Peter told those assembled in Mary’s house to inform James and the brethren of his miraculous release from prison (Acts 12:17). James made the suggestion at the Jerusalem counsel which was finally agreed to as the wisest course (Acts 15:13-22). At the end of the third missionary journey, Paul went in with his companions and delivered a report to James, with all the elders present (Acts 21:18-25). Paul also referred to James as one who seemed to be a pillar in the Jerusalem church (Galatians 2:9).
He did not rely on his physical kinship with our Lord to get a hearing. James calls himself "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." The Greek word doulos, translated servant, describes one born into slavery. We are born into Christ by baptism and should be his slave since he gave his blood to buy us (Romans 6:3-4, 16-18; Acts 20:28; Titus 2:14). Woods says the word means, "one ‘who gives oneself up wholly to another’s will,’ serving to the complete disregard of one’s own selfish interests."
The twelve tribes scattered abroad must be Christians, since James uses the word brethren nineteen times. They could be Jewish converts who were scattered throughout the world after the death of Stephen (Acts 8:1-4). However, it seems more likely James was addressing all of spiritual Israel. The kingdom was taken away from fleshly Israel (Matthew 21:43; Romans 9:8).
We conclude James must be speaking to Christians who were Gentiles as well as Jews (Galatians 6:15-16). God now looks on the inward circumcision of the heart instead of the outward circumcision of the flesh (Romans 2:28-29; Philippians 3:3). The children of promise are now Abraham’s seed in Christ (Galatians 3:7, 16, 26-27, 28-29). Christians are a holy nation, the people of God (1 Peter 2:9-10).
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