are we there yet

A study of the book of James really begins with the book of Acts. James begins by addressing believers who have been scattered abroad (traveling beyond the borders of Palestine), “to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (James 1:1). Upon determining which James writes the book of James (I’m pulling for Jesus’s half-brother! ….read 1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 2:9 and Acts 15:13-22), the next discussion hinges upon the recipients of James’ authorship. The book of Acts helps to give insight into this group of people who, having been scattered, are now needing to hear encouragement from one of their church leaders back home in Jerusalem.

Beginning with our Lord’s ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, to the thousands being added to the church “daily” in salvation, creating the need for delegated leadership and becoming a rather potent movement in Jerusalem and her surrounding regions, the first several chapters of the book of Acts begin with a bang of activity by no small proportions! What begins to take shape cannot be ignored for very long by authorities, and so arrests are made along with threats to leadership, miracles take place around nearly every paragraph of text and the church continues to thrive. The first seven chapters depict a newly inaugurated church planted in the power of the Spirit with few limitations for their success in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus as Messiah. They are preaching and people are receiving!

Not until chapter 8 does the camera begin to pan back, taking in a larger landscape of reality, “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1). The stoning of Stephen (Acts 7) ignites a reaction against the believers and fuels an evacuation from Jerusalem. At the helm is a man named Saul, described as smiling at Stephen’s stoning and “ravaging the church…” (Acts 8:3). In God’s good providence, Saul is converted to Christianity in Acts 9, though the persecution continues (and thereby the scattering also). Four chapters later, King Herod Agrippa I kills James the son of Zebedee, one of the apostles (but not believed to be the author of the book of James), and he chases after Peter, arresting him with intent to kill him by the end of Passover Week. (Herod never gets his chance, by the way, because God is awesome, and rescues Peter in the middle of the night in a totally God-is-awesome-coolest-way-to-rescue-someone kind of miraculous moment. Take a minute to read about it in Acts 12:1-19.)

With this backdrop in mind, James writes his letter to those scattered abroad trying to encourage them in their recently-converted belief in Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. The methodical advance of the Gospel into the world begins with a scattering and persecution only a couple decades from its inception. The scattered ones are directly involved in carrying the Gospel into the greater world beyond the borders of Israel. Luke observes, “Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews” (Acts 11:19).

[ You can almost hear their children asking, “Mom, are we there yet?” ]

It is highly probable that James is writing with the understanding that Gentiles have yet to be converted. As a result, his letter adds a Jewishness to Christianity that is unique. By the time of Paul’s writings –Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, etc.– he will incorporate theology of a fully bloomed Christian faith that speaks to a wider Jewish and Gentile audience.

Paul will write later to the church in Rome, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (the Greek = Hellenists, meaning people of Greek language and culture, i.e. gentiles). Read Luke's further comments in Acts 11:20-21 to gain understanding for the advance of the Gospel Message.

In application we ought to remember the book’s historical timeframe as well as the original audience to whom James writes, who invariably advances the Gospel as a result of fleeing. All that flows from the pen of James sharpens our appreciation for his message of encouragement to them, ensuring our own perseverance today for the cause of Christ.

Think about it like this, my friends, trials of all sorts can be met with the kind of joy that comes from knowing Jesus, because deep down you know that the testing of your faith produces Christlike steadfastness. But allow this kind of testing-that-produces steadfastness to have its full impact, so that you might become holistically mature believers who lack nothing of the Faith once delivered.

James 1:2-4 (my own paraphrased translation)