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LETTERS OF APOSTLES
to First-Century Churches
Lesson One: James
Theme: Judging
AD 46 |
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Background of People He Wrote |
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��������� On the day of Pentecost, Jews came from around the then-known world to Jerusalem and the Temple to worship, and 3000 ended up becoming Christians (Acts 2).� Then they went back home to spread the good news.� Some dozen years later, James addressed his letter to these Jewish Christians, and requested it be circulated among them. |
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| ����������� James does not specifically identify himself.� There are two prevalent thoughts as to which James wrote it.� Some believe it was the brother of John; however, he was executed "by the sword" [beheaded?] around AD 42 (Acts 12:1-19).� Another James is mentioned in Matthew 13:55 as being the brother of Jesus.� Though John 7:3-5 says Jesus' brothers did not believe in him and even ridiculed him, I Corinthians 15:5-7 says that, after Jesus came back to life, he appeared to Peter, then the twelve apostles, then a crowd of 500, then to James.� What a meeting that must have been!� So, in Acts 1:14 James is listed as a believer along with Mary and the apostles.� In Acts 12:17 after the apostle James had been killed and after Peter escaped prison, Peter sent word to some friends, "Tell James and the brothers" he'd escaped; then Peter disappeared for awhile (Acts 12:17). |
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| ����������� Shortly thereafter, Paul began his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-14).� It was at the end of this journey that there was a council of elders and apostles held in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2) to consider whether someone had to be circumcised in order to become a Christian.� In Acts 15:13, James gave the conclusion of the meeting and recommended they write a letter (actually a short note) of their decision to send around with Barnabus and Silas when they accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 15:22, 27, 40; 16:4). |
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| ����������� The last we hear of James, he is still in Jerusalem at the end of Paul's third missionary journey about 58 AD some dozen years later.� At this time, since the Jews were following Paul around trying to have him executed for blasphemy for declaring Jesus as Lord, James recommended that Paul try to appease the Jews by paying the expenses of some men wanting purification at the Temple.� Paul did, but it just aggravated the Jews even more and he was arrested and jailed. |
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| Of James' death, it appears to have occurred around AD 62 at the hands of the very Jews he had tried so long to appease.� Josephus, a Jewish historian who wrote around 100 AD, records it:� "The high priesthood on the son of Ananias who was also himself called Ananias....a bold man in his temper, and very insolent; he was also of the sect of the Sadducees who were very rigid in judging offenders.� Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road [to take his place as governor]; so he assembled the Sanhedrim of the judges and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law [of Moses], he delivered them to be stoned....Whereupon Albinus...wrote in anger to Ananias and he had ruled [as High Priest] but three months" [Flavius Josephus Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, 9:1). |
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Verses Depicting Theme |
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| 1:1������������������ Don't doubt God |
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| 1:9f����������������� Poor and rich Christians |
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| 1:13���������������� Don't blame God for temptation |
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| 1:19���������������� Be quick to listen, slow to speak |
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| 1:22ff������������� Do judge yourself |
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| 2:1������������������ Don't show favoritism |
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| 3:2������������������ We all stumble |
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| 3:14���������������� Don't be envious and selfish |
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| 4:1������������������ What causes fights is desires battling inside you |
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| 4:7������������������ Submit to God |
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| 4:11���������������� Don't slander each other |
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| 5:7ff��������������� Be patient and don't grumble |
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| 5:19���������������� Bring back those who wander from the truth |
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| James was undoubtedly the brother of Jesus.� Notice how many times he uses the term "brother" when writing Christians everywhere.� How encouraging!� The earthly step-brother of Jesus considered all other Christians his brothers too, no matter who they were or what they had done!� This is family! |
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| 1:9������ The brother in __________________ circumstances. |
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| 1:16���� Don't be deceived, my _____________ brothers. |
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| 1:19���� My dear brothers...be quick to ______________________ and slow to anger. |
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| 2:1������ My brothers, as _______________________ in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. |
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| 2:14���� What good is it, my brothers, if a man ______________________ to have faith.... |
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| 2:15���� Suppose a brother or sister is without _______________________ and daily _____________________. |
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| 3:1������ Not many of you should __________________ to be teachers, my brothers. |
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| 3:12���� My brothers, can a fig tree bear __________________? |
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| 4:11���� Brothers, do not ______________________ one another. |
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| 5:10���� Brothers, as an example of _____________________. |
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| 5:12���� My brothers, do not __________________. |
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| 5:19���� My brothers, if one of you should __________________ from the truth. |
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| 1:1������ This was written just as Gentiles began to be brought into the church.� Although he did not mention the Gentiles specifically, he taught some lessons regarding prejudice.� Therefore, James wrote to Christians among the ________________ tribes scattered around the nations among the Gentiles. |
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| 1:2-3��� If we face trials, should we blame God?� James said this __________________ our faith and develops _______________________________. |
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| 1:5������ When James said we should ask God and it will be given to him.� What is the "it" which will be given?� _______________________ |
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| 1:6������ We should not doubt.� James knew about doubt first hand.� Until Jesus' resurrection, although James had known him all his life, did he doubt Jesus?� (See John 7:5)� _______________________ |
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| 1:9������ Lowly brothers are often in a _______________ position in God's eyes.� Rich brothers are often in a _______________________� position in God's eyes.�� Why is that?� (See 2:5)� ___________________ |
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| ����������� ___________________________________________________________________________ |
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| 1:13���� Who does NOT tempt us?� ___________� Who and what does tempt us? ________________________ __________________________________________ |
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| 1:18���� Can we be born again by relying on what other people say God wants us to do?� God gives us birth through the what?� _______________________� What and who is this?� (See John 3:5, John 14:17, and John 17:17)� ___________________________and ___________________________________________. |
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| 1:22���� If we go to church every Sunday and attend Bible studies in between, we only ___________________ ourselves if all we do is listen and never act. |
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| 1:26���� If we don't control our tongue, our religion is ____________________________. |
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| 1:27���� Living a good life is not the only thing involved in being religious.� Religion just also involve looking after ___________________________ and _______________________. |
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| 2:8������ What is the royal law?� ________________________________________________________________ |
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| 2:10���� If we try to keep one part of the law and stumble in just one point, we are ___________ of breaking it ______________. |
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| 2:14-16� Faith that saves is proven by what?� ______________________� This kind of faith is ____________. |
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| 2:19���� Considering James 2:19, does faith alone save?� _________________ |
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| 3:1������ Who stumbles?� _________________________________ |
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| 3:2������ To be perfect, we have to keep our whole ___________________ in check. |
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| 3:6������ What is the most dangerous part of our body to our souls?� ________________________ |
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| 3:10���� Out of the same mouth people praise and ____________________________. |
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| 3:14-15� Earthly wisdom creates bitter _____________ and selfish ______________________. |
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| 3:16���� What causes disorder in the church and elsewhere?� ______________________________ and _______ __________________________________________. |
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| 3:17-18 �Verse 18 summarizes verse 17.� Such wisdom makes us become what?� ______________________ |
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| ����������� __________________________________ |
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| 4:1-2��� Fights and quarrels even in the church are caused by what?� __________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ |
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| 4:3������ When our prayers are not answered, often it is because we ask with wrong ______________________ ______________________.� (Do we ever pray for a new car, and new house, etc. and not get them?)� |
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| 4:7������ What are the two only ways to make Satan leave us alone?� _______________________ and _______ _____________________________________________________________ |
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| 4:8������ God can only come near to us when?� _________________________________________ |
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| 4:11-12� When we slander people, we are judging them.� We're to leave that to who? ___________________� However, we are to "prove" (approve of) what we and others believe (Ephesians 5:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:21), and to "try" them (1 John 4:1).� The first is being "judgmental," the others is being "discerning." |
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| 4:17���� Anyone who knows the _____________________________ he ought to do and doesn't do it, _________. |
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| 5:3-5��� The problem with rich people sinning is that they ___________________________ their wealth instead of sharing it. |
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| 5:8������ James said the Lord's coming is _________________________.� That was 2000 years ago.� So when people today predict the Lord's coming is near, how do you think we should react? _______________ _____________________________________________________________ |
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| 5:9������ Doing what against each other is sinful?� _______________________________________ |
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5:13-15� Anointing with oil in a religious sense then meant to coronate someone as king (1 Samuel 15:1) or ordain someone into the high priesthood (Exodus 29:7).� What was anointing with oil in the earthly sense?� (See Luke 10:34)?� _____________________________________________________________ |
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| 5:16���� Are we to confess our sins only to priests?� _________________________� Who is "each other"?� ___________________________ |
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| 5:19-20� Is "falling away" or "backsliding" in the Bible?� _____________________ |
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EVENTS AFTER WRITING THE LETTER |
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AD 47:
SYRIA:
Antioch (view)
Acts 15:30-34 Judas/Barsabbas and Silas went on to the province of Cilicia (view) with letter regarding Gentiles.
Acts 15:35 Paul and Barnabas remained here to preach while Judas and Silas were gone.
Gal. 2:1-10 Paul, Barnabus and Titus went back to Jerusalem. There Paul saw James, Peter, and John.
They decided Peter would travel and concentrate on the Jews while Paul would travel and
concentrate on the Gentiles.
PAUL WROTE GALATIANS (Province in today's Turkey)
(Province included cities of Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch) in preparation for his visit within the year. |
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