Category: James

As a preface to this chapter, I think it’s important to understand who specifically James is speaking of in the first several verses. Otherwise, it may seem as though he is saying that being wealthy is evil. To the contrary, he is referring to a specific group of people. In his study notes on this chapter, John MacArthur explains, “Unlike the believing rich in Timothy’s congregation (1 Tim. 6:17-19), these are the wicked wealthy who profess Christian faith and have associated themselves with the church,…Continue Reading “James Chapter 5” →

1-10 Again, we see in this chapter the directness of James. He pulls no punches, yet as his mentor, Jesus, he says it all with a heart of love for the sinful, unrepentant people he is addressing. He left off chapter 3 contrasting God’s wisdom, with the devilish wisdom of the world. He continues to contrast the way of God with the way of the world in Chapter 4. He begins with several pointed questions. Don’t you know why you continue to argue and fight?…Continue Reading “James Chapter 4” →

1-12 James begins this chapter by commanding the people to be very careful about taking a leadership role. I don’t believe he says this to discourage believers who felt called to teach or preach, but as a way to punctuate the importance of these positions. We know from Matthew 23, that in the days of Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees loved to be esteemed by others. They loved to sit in places of honor, and loved to be called rabbi, or teacher, by others. Yet,…Continue Reading “James Chapter 3” →