James 1:1-27

What *faith should do

James

Ian Mackervoy

The word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

Introduction

1 The writer

James is the writer of the letter. But he does not tell us which James he is. James was a common name and there are several men called James in the *New Testament. He wrote to the *Jewish Christians who had left *Israel to live in other countries. They accepted this letter, so they must have known him. He wrote with such authority that he must have been a leader in the church. Otherwise, he would have said which James he was. Of all the persons with the name of James, two were leaders in the church.

The first of these was James the son of *Zebedee. He was the brother of the *apostle John. He was one of the first to believe in the *Lord Jesus and he was one of the *apostles. *Herod the king killed him in about AD 42 (Acts 12:2). As the letter was later than AD 42, this James could not be the writer of it.

The other leader was James the brother of the *Lord Jesus. After Jesus came back from the dead, he met his brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7). From that time on James believed in Jesus. He became a leader in the church in *Jerusalem until he died in about AD 62. He is the most likely author of the letter.

After the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had children. The Bible tells us the names of the other sons of Mary, the half-brothers of Jesus (Mark 6:3). They are James, *Joses, *Judas and *Simon. There were also sisters but we do not know how many. By this time, it seems that Joseph had died. We believe this because there is no mention of him in Mark 6. The people in their home area knew Jesus as the one who made things from wood. When Jesus left home to teach the people, his brothers did not believe in him. They did not believe that Jesus was the Christ (the *Messiah whom God had promised). (See John 7:5.)

We do not read any more about the brothers of Jesus until after he rose from the dead. Jesus came to Peter first. Then he came to the 12 *disciples. After this, a crowd of more than 500 people saw him. Next, he had a meeting with his brother James (1 Corinthians 15:7).

When Jesus was going up into heaven, he told his *disciples to wait in *Jerusalem. He promised to send the Holy Spirit to them. So, they came together in an upstairs room to wait for the Spirit to come. Among them were Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers (Acts 1:14). It seems that some time after the death of the *Lord Jesus they had come to believe in him.

When the *apostle Peter was in prison, an *angel came and led him out. So, he went to the home where the Christians were praying. He said to them, ‘Go and tell this to James and the brothers’ (Acts 12:17). James had become one of the leaders in the church in *Jerusalem. Some time later the *apostle Paul went up to *Jerusalem to see Peter. He says, ‘I did not see the other *apostles except James the brother of the *Lord’ (Galatians 1:9).

The first Christians were *Jews. They believed that Jesus was the *Messiah that God had promised to the *Jews. They still obeyed all the rules of the *Jewish religion. When *Gentiles believed in Christ, there was a problem. Did they have to obey the rules of the religion of the *Jews? All the church leaders met to decide this question. James was an important man among those leaders. *Barnabas worked with Paul. Paul and *Barnabas told how God had blessed the Gentiles (those who were not *Jews). Then James spoke. He set out the answer to the problem and they sent it to all the churches (Acts 15:12-29).

Some years later, when Paul came to *Jerusalem, he went to James and the other leaders. Many of the *Jews had heard false stories about Paul. They heard that he had spoken against the law of Moses. So, James told Paul how to show that these stories were not true (Acts 21:17-26). Paul did what James said. He went into the *temple with the four men who had made *oaths. They thought that this would show that the stories about Paul were false. However, this did not save Paul from the *Jews. The *Jews thought that Paul had taken a *Gentile into the *temple. And that was against their religion. The *Roman soldiers had to come and rescue him (Acts 21:17-32).

There was a *Jew whose name was Josephus. He was not a Christian. He was the writer of a history of the *Jews. From his books, we learn about the death of James. *Festus, the *Roman ruler in the country of the *Jews, died in AD 62. There was a period of 3 or 4 months before the new ruler, *Albinus, came to take his place. It was then that the high priest of the *Jews, *Ananus II, arrested James the brother of the *Lord. He wrongly accused James of crimes against the law and had him killed. None of this is in the *New Testament but it comes from what Josephus wrote.

From the letter, and from what other people wrote about him, we can get some idea about what James was like. He was a powerful man and a leader in the church. He was a man who loved what was right and good. Even those who did not believe in Christ thought well of him. This was especially true about those who were poor. James was active in support of them. He was against the wicked rich people who did wrong to the poor and the weak. He helped the widows and the children who had no parents. He did what he could for those who suffered wrong. In that way, he showed his trust in God and in Jesus Christ. In all this, he was a man of peace and wisdom. But to the rich, whom he spoke against, he was an enemy. Probably this led to his death in AD 62.

2 The time of writing

For many reasons, the date of the letter seems to be between AD 40 and AD 60. The most likely date is between AD 45 and AD 55. The main reasons for this date are:

• The letter does not mention Christians who are not *Jewish. The first Christians were almost all *Jewish. So James probably wrote it before there were many Christians who were *Gentiles (not *Jewish).

• When *Gentiles became Christians, there were problems about the rules that they were to obey (Acts 15). There is no mention of this, so the letter was of an earlier date.

• The use of the word ‘*synagogue’ (in 1 Peter 2:2 translated as ‘meeting place’) shows that the Christians were still meeting with the *Jews. The date of the letter must be before the Christians had left the *synagogues and had separate meeting places.

• When *Stephen died, the *Jews tried to kill the Christians. So, many of them left *Jerusalem and went to live in other countries (Acts 11:19). *Stephen was the first person that they killed because he was a Christian (Acts 8:58-60). Again in AD 44 there was trouble for the church in *Jerusalem (Acts 12:1). Maybe James is writing to those who had gone away because of these troubles.

3 The purpose and contents

A large number of the Christians had left *Jerusalem and had gone to live in other countries. But the *apostles and leaders of the church did not go. So, these Christians no longer had the day-to-day contact with their leaders. James wrote to help them. He wrote to encourage them to live as Christians should, in the places where they now lived.

What Christians believe must affect what they do. That is the main subject of his letter. He shows how they should apply their trust in God to the problems that they have. Real *faith must be active. That is the key to what he wrote. *Faith that does nothing is not real *faith. So he says that *faith without works is dead.

The plan of the letter of James

Chapter 1

Greeting from James 1:1

Testing builds character 1:2-4

God gives wisdom to those who ask in *faith 1:5-8

Poor and rich Christians 1:9-11

*Temptations and *sin 1:12-15

Good gifts come from God 1:16-18

Hearing and doing 1:19-25

True religion 1:26-27

Chapter 2

Respect of persons 2:1-7

Royal law 2:8-13

*Faith and works 2:14-26

Chapter 3

Responsibility of the teacher 3:1-5a

Danger of the tongue 3:5b-12

Two types of wisdom 3:13-18

Chapter 4

Desires and divisions 4:1-10

Speaking evil and *judging 4:11-12

Planning without God 4:13-17

Chapter 5

Judgement of the rich 5:1-6

Patience until the *Lord comes again 5:7-11

Do not swear 5:12

Prayer in all circumstances 5:13-18

Bring back those who have gone wrong 5:19-20

Chapter 1

Greeting from James 1:1

v1 This letter is from James, who is a servant of God and of the *Lord Jesus Christ. I greet you who are from the 12 *tribes of the *Jews scattered among the nations of the world.

Verse 1 James was the half-brother of the *Lord Jesus. Their mother was Mary but Joseph was the father of James. After Jesus came back from the dead, James trusted in him. He soon became a leader in the church in *Jerusalem. The *apostle Paul talks about him as one of the three top leaders (Galatians 2:9). Among these, he seems to have been the one with the most authority. Both those in the church and those who did not believe in Jesus respected him. *Jewish Christians left *Jerusalem and settled in other parts of the world. The fame of James spread with them. He was such a great man and yet he was humble. He did not write as the brother of the *Lord or as the leader of the church. He just called himself a servant of God and of the *Lord Jesus Christ.

In this, he is a good example to us. If we are anything, it is from God. And there is no cause for us to be proud. He called himself a servant or slave of God and of the *Lord Jesus Christ. He was neither a free man or a hired servant but a slave. The master owned the slaves. And the slaves lived to do what their master told them to do. To James it was an honour to make himself a slave, and to belong to God and to the *Lord Jesus. The *Scripture calls some of the great people in *Israel’s history slaves or servants of God. [See for example Abraham (Genesis 26:24), Moses (Joshua 1:1), David (Psalms 36:1).] James, like them, lived to serve God and the people of God.

Those to whom he is writing are from the 12 *tribes of the *Jews. They live in many parts of the world. These were *Jews who had become Christians. They were probably members of the church in *Jerusalem who went away from there after the death of *Stephen (Acts 8:14; Acts 11:19-20). If this is so, then James had been their *pastor. He is now writing to them to help them and to encourage them as they try to live for Jesus.

James writes to those first Christians who were *Jewish. Some time later, those who were not *Jews trusted in the *Lord Jesus. And then they joined the church. All that James teaches, however, is true. And it is for all Christians. He shows us what God wants us to believe and do. We should all learn from him.

Testing builds character 1:2-4

v2 My Christian brothers and sisters, consider it pure joy when you have all kinds of *trials. v3 You know that, as you overcome these *trials, your *faith will grow stronger. v4 Go on overcoming so that it may work for your benefit. Then you will grow up to be mature Christians. You will be complete and you will lack nothing.

Verse 2 James calls them his brothers and sisters because he cares about them. They are his brothers and sisters as children of God because they trust in Jesus Christ.

They were having many *trials that were hard for them to overcome. These *trials came to them from other people and were a real test of their trust in God. The same word can mean *temptations that come from inside ourselves. It has this meaning later in James 1:13-18. We have to fight the *trials that come to us. We have to be careful not to give in to the *temptations that come from our own desires.

We do not know what the *trials were that these Christians had. They were *Jewish and many people hated the *Jews. They could have shared the things that the *Jews suffered. They believed that Jesus is the *Messiah, so the *Jews hated them. They could have suffered attacks from the *Jews. Having left their homes in *Jerusalem, they had to make new homes in foreign places. At first, it must have been very hard for them to get work and to earn money to live. James does not say what the *trials were. But he says that there were many of them and of all kinds.

*Trials can be a real test of trust in God. But when we meet them with the right attitude, they serve to prove the quality of that *faith. They know that God is the *Lord of all. And they know that he will help them. God has allowed the *trials to come. This is to prove their trust in God and to make their *faith stronger. So when *trials come, Christians can have pure joy. That is because they know that they can overcome the *trials. Each time they overcome they are stronger to fight the next *trials.

Verses 3-4 They must go on in their trust in God, overcoming each test. Then the *trials will achieve the purpose that God has for them. Christians should grow up and be mature in the life that they have with Christ. They will lack nothing. They will be all that God wants them to be. This is the purpose for the *trials. In this life, no person can be perfect, that is without *sin. But one day God will make all those who belong to him perfect. Then they will live for all time with him.

God gives wisdom to those who ask in *faith 1:5-8

v5 If any of you needs wisdom, ask God for it. God is generous. And he is ready to give to all that ask. He will never say that you are wrong to ask. He will give you what you need. v6 But when you ask for something, you must believe. You must believe that God will give it to you. You must not doubt that he will do it. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that the wind drives and blows about. v7 If you are like that, you must not think that you will receive anything from the *Lord. v8 You are unable to make up your mind. And you are not sure in anything that you do.

Verse 5 Those who suffer *trials need wisdom. They need the wisdom to know how to deal with them. It will help them to understand the *trials. And it will help them to decide what they must do. God gives this wisdom so that they can choose to do what is right. They will know how God would want them to live in their troubles. Then they can overcome them all and not give up the struggle.

God alone can give this wisdom to them. All who feel the need of it must ask God for it. He will answer the prayers of those who ask for it. But they must believe that he will give it. God is kind and generous. He gives to them, freely and without limit, all that they need.

God does not blame those who ask. They need never be afraid to ask too much or too often. God is always ready to give to them all that they need. He is never angry with them for their lack of wisdom. He is so often much more ready to give it to them than they are ready to ask for it.

Verse 6 When people ask God for wisdom, they must believe. They must believe that God will hear their prayer. They must be confident that God will do what they ask. Having asked, they must receive the answers. And they must obey what God tells them to do. They must be firm and constant in their trust in God. They must not doubt that God will answer them. And they must not doubt that he is able to do it. God will not answer the prayers of those who doubt.

Those who doubt do not know what to think or expect. James says that persons like that are like the waves of the sea. The wind drives the waves in one way and then another. As the wind varies, so do the waves. The water moves and is never still. It does not settle; it has no rest. Those who doubt are just like that. They are just like waves that the changing wind blows about.

Verse 7 Those who doubt will not receive anything from the *Lord. God will not answer their prayers. We cannot think in two ways at once when we pray. Either we believe with no doubts or we do not.

Verse 8 In the *Greek, James says that persons who doubt have two minds. They are trying to serve God and someone else at the same time. They are not loyal to God alone. They have two opposite opinions in their mind. They cannot choose which is the right one. At one moment, they believe and the next moment, they do not. You cannot depend on them either in their prayers or in the rest of their lives.

Poor and rich Christians 1:9-11

v9 But let the poor brother be glad because God values him. And he will make him great. v10 And let the rich person be glad that he or she will lose everything. He or she will pass away like the wild flowers do. v11 The sun rises and the hot winds dry the wild flowers. They fall and die and lose their beauty. Similarly, while the rich man is busy, he will fall and die like a wild flower.

Verse 9 James wants to encourage the poor people who trust in God. They may feel that they are of little worth because they are poor. But their hope for the future is in God. The word ‘poor’ can mean humble and weak as well as poor in the goods of this world.

They can have joy and satisfaction in the fact that they are rich with God. They belong to Christ and, with him, they have a place of high honour. They are children of God, who owns all things. God has given them new respect and worth. They know that they are of great value to God. So, they can be happy because of that.

They look to the future. Then, what they see should please them. God has chosen them and will raise them up to new life. Then they will no longer be poor and weak. They will receive from God all that he has promised to those who love him. They will be with Christ for all time and they will share with him the riches of heaven.

Verse 10 We cannot be sure whether the rich person is a Christian or not. It is most probable that he or she is. There were poor and rich Christians in the churches then, just as there are today.

Rich Christians must not be proud of what they own. They must not be proud of the power that they have. They must be humble. They must not think that they are better than anyone else. They should know that their wealth and rank mean nothing to God. To God, they are no better than the poor Christians. If the rich persons here are not Christians, they would seem to have a lot to be happy about. But what they are happy about now will be their shame. Wealth and power will be of no value when they die. God will declare them guilty in the day of judgement.

James wrote about the flower of the grass. Grass does not have flowers. Flower of the grass is an expression that means the wild flowers that grow with the grass. In that land the grass and the flowers grow up quickly in the spring. They only last a short time and then they are no more. The colour and the beauty of them die away. The rich person is like these wild flowers. He or she is no more permanent than they are. Like them, he or she will pass away. Life is so brief and not certain. Rich people cannot take their wealth with them to the next world. The flowers in the spring grass drop after their brief life. In the same way, the rich people and their riches will come to an end.

Verse 11 In the land where James lived, the sun was very hot in summer. There was also a very hot wind that blew from the south-east. It came straight from the southern deserts, and it burst on the land like the heat from a fire. In an hour, it could burn all the grass and flowers. Even without this wind, the heat of the sun in summer could be so hot that it would burn them up in a day. There was no doubt that the sun and the wind would come and destroy the flowers. Similarly, the wealth of this world cannot last. The rich person also will die as the flowers do. Both can be alive one day and gone the next. While the rich person is going about his or her business, he or she will die. Then they will be no more. The end will come quickly and without warning.

It is foolish to trust in things that cannot last. We brought nothing with us when we came into the world. We can take nothing with us when we go from here. Like the poor Christians, we must put our trust in God alone.

*Temptations and *sin 1:12-15

v12 God blesses those whose *faith does not fail during *trials. When they have overcome the testing, they will receive the crown of life. That is the life that God has promised to give to all who love him. v13 When *trials come to tempt you, do not say ‘These *trials have come from God.’ Nothing bad can tempt God and God will not tempt anyone. v14 But it is our own evil desires that tempt us. They lead us to do what is wrong. v15 When we do what our evil desires tempt us to do, we *sin. The end result of *sin is death.

Verse 12 Those who overcome the *trials of this life have real joy. They have proved their trust in God. They can look for the blessing that God has promised. This is the crown of life. God will give it to those who love him. It will be that better life that they will enjoy after this life ends. The crown and the life are the rewards that God will give to those who have real *faith in him.

Verse 13 When we fail, it seems to be natural for us to blame someone else. We do not want to be responsible for our own failure. We like to think that we are not to blame. We think that it was not our fault. It must be God’s fault because he is tempting us. This must be wrong. God cannot be the cause of the evil things that men do. *Temptation does not come from God. Evil things cannot tempt God. There is no moral weakness in him. There is nothing in him to which evil things can appeal. God is all good and can have no contact with evil things. He has no desire that any person should do wrong things.

God does test people but not in the sense that is in these verses. He tests to prove them and not to make them fail. God himself tempts no one to do what is wrong. It is not possible that *temptation to *sin could come from him.

Verse 14 The source of the *temptation is in ourselves. The fault is in the desires and the weakness of our human nature. Those who *sin have no excuse for their *sin. It was their own choice and they are responsible for it. Our desires tempt us. They make us want to do what we know to be wrong. The trap for us is our own weakness. That which is not good attracts us. We could refuse to do it. But if we do not refuse we fail and *sin.

Verse 15 When we say yes to the evil desires then we *sin. *Sin starts when we say yes. Then it results in our doing what is wrong. That is also *sin. The result of *sin is death. All who *sin will die. The good news is that God can forgive *sins. God can forgive *sins because Jesus Christ has died for all people.

Good gifts come from God 1:16-18

v16 Do not make a mistake, my dear brothers and sisters. v17 Every good and perfect gift comes down from God the Father. It is he who made the sun, moon and stars. As they change and turn, they throw shadows. But God never changes or turns. v18 He chose to make us his children by his true word. We must be the first among all that he has made.

Verse 16 Here is a warning. We must not think that God sends *temptation to us. It seems that they had made this mistake. They cannot blame God for their own weakness. Each of us is responsible for our own *sins. Only good can come from God and not bad.

Verse 17 All good and perfect gifts come down from above. This means that they come to us from God. He does not send anything that is bad. He does not send the *temptations that lead us to *sin. He sent Jesus to die for us to bring us new life. He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us and in us. He helps us when we have any troubles. He gives wisdom to those who ask for it in *faith. He gives us all that we need and much more.

In the *Greek language, James calls God the ‘Father of the lights’. The *Jews knew God as *Lord of all the powers in the earth and Father of the skies. It means that he made the lights in the sky. And he controls them. These are the sun, the moon and the stars. They show us how great and powerful God is. The light from the sun, the moon and the stars varies but God does not. They move and change. As they turn, they cause shadows on the earth. These may change and turn but God never does. It is not possible for God to change. He is always the same. We can trust him because he is always good and kind to his people.

Verse 18 Of all the gifts from God, the gift of new birth to his children is the best. God chose to make us his children. As a mother gives birth to a child, so God gives life to those who trust in the *Lord Jesus. God makes them his own children. When God made the earth and the sky, he did it by speaking a word. Here he speaks his true word to give the new birth to us. This true word is the good news about what Jesus has done for us. Those who accept that true word with *faith become children of God.

In the *Jewish religion, the first of the fruits belonged to God. They gave to him the first part of the harvest. These Christians, like the first of the fruit, belong to God and are special to him. They were the first fruits of a much greater harvest to come. After them, there would be many more who would receive the word of truth. Of all the things that God has made, Christians are special to him.

Hearing and doing 1:19-25

v19 Hear this, my dear brothers and sisters, we must all be careful to listen. We should only speak when we are sure that we are saying good things. We should not get angry easily. v20 When we are angry, we do not do what God says is right. v21 Therefore, stop doing all those bad things that so easily make you fall. Accept God’s word. He has planted it in your hearts. That word can keep you safe and save your *souls.

v22 But do not just listen to the word of God. Do what it says. If you do not, you will be making a mistake. v23-24 Some people may listen to God’s word, but not do what it says. Anyone like that is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. As soon as he goes away, he forgets what he is like. v25 But the persons who keep looking into the good law of God will be free, if they obey it. They will not forget what they hear. But they will do what it says. Then God will bless them in what they do.

Verse 19 James appeals to these Christians to listen to what he says to them. It is important for them to understand the truth of what he has written. It is important that they hear what he is going to say.

They must always be ready to hear. They must listen to what God has to say to them. Then God will guide them. And he will give them the help that they need for their lives. They should listen and hear when other people speak. Then they may be able help them. Someone who talks all the time will not hear what other people say. It is important to be more willing to hear than to speak. They must not speak too much. They should think before they speak. They need to be sure that what they say is good and correct. They should not allow little things to make them angry. Anger will stop the mind receiving the truth of God. It will cause damage both to the one who is angry and to other people.

Verse 20 Anger does not produce the kind of life that God wants us to have. Angry people do not do what God wants them to do. The anger of man does not help the purposes of God.

God is *righteous. And he demands that we are *righteous too. He has set the standard by which we must live. Human anger will cause us not to live to that standard.

Verse 21 They must put off all evil things and all that is wrong in their lives. It is like taking off dirty clothes before they can put on clean ones. They need a complete change to prepare them for the word of God. They were Christians and believed the good news about Jesus Christ. Now they must change the way that they live. They must be humble and receive all that God has said. As they look into the word of God, they must do what it says.

The word of God is like a seed. It requires clean soil in which to grow. It will take root and establish itself in them as they receive it. If it grows in them, it will change them. It will change them to be more like God wants them to be. They must allow the word of God to have its full effect in their lives. This word of God has the power to save their *souls. They can be certain that, by this word, they will be safe with God. They will be safe with God in this life and in the next life.

Verse 22 To receive the word means more than just to hear it. They must do what the word says. They must hear. But, unless they do what it says, it is of no benefit. It is not true that, by merely hearing the word of God, it will save them. If they think that all they need is to hear the word, they lie to themselves. To hear the word of God and not to obey it is a serious mistake.

Verses 23-24 The word of God is like a mirror. It shows them what they really are like. As they look at what God says, they see themselves with their weakness and *sin. It shows them what God expects them to do. And it shows them how they must change. Those who hear the word of God see themselves in the mirror. What they see in the mirror shows them what they need to do. But the man in this verse goes away. And he forgets what he has seen. He does not obey the word of God.

To listen to the truth, that is the word of God, is not an end in itself. The purpose of listening to the truth is that we should obey it. The word of God shows us how we must change.

Verse 25 In this passage, the word of God and the good law of God are the same. The good law of God is like something that God has planted in the Christians. That law is perfect. That means that it shows the perfect purposes of God. It is the law of freedom, because it can make people free. By this law, they can find all that they need to do what God wants. They should look into this law as if they were looking in a mirror. But they should not be like the man who goes away. He forgets what he looks like. They must remain with that law. And they must do what it says. The word of God becomes a delight as they obey it. They will mature in their experience of God. God will bless those who love him and obey his law. They look into the word of God. They study it and think about that law of God. They do what God asks them to do. God blesses them now. And he promises them a good future that has no end.

True religion 1:26-27

v26 If we think that we are *religious, (that is, doing the things that please God), we must not speak bad words. If we do, we are not right. We will not please God. Our religion is of no use. v27 The religion that God our Father accepts as true and pure is to do good things. It is to visit and help widows. It is to look after *orphans in their need. It is to keep oneself pure from all that is wrong in the world.

Verse 26 It is very easy for people to seem (in their own eyes) to be *religious. They may do what their religion asks in acts of *worship and service. These may be good in themselves. But there is no benefit in them if they do not control what a person says. James uses the word ‘tongue’ in this letter to mean the words that we say. Those people who do not control their tongues may think that they are all right. They think that their religion is good enough. But their religion is mere words. They say things that sound good. But, without good acts, their words are of no use. Their religion is vain and of no use because it fails to please God.

Verse 27 This is not a full description of what true and pure religion is. It does show the kind of religion that God accepts. There must be these two parts to it. There must be a real love for God and a love for men and women. Love always wants to do good things. Religion must be more than words. It must show our love for God in what we do and what we are. An example of that love in action is the care of those who are in need. *Orphans and widows had no help and no-one to look after them. These were the two groups most in need of aid. Pure religion is to go to these to comfort and to help them.

Pure religion has to do with what we are as well as what we do. We have to love God and to please him. He demands that we should be holy, as he is holy. This means that we should keep ourselves from all the moral evil that is in the world. But God does not accept people because of their good works. He accepts them because they have a true relationship with him. And those who know God like this will do good works. He is not only their God but he is their Father. They have become his children by trusting in the *Lord Jesus.

faith ~ belief that something is true; trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.'New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus. It is about the things that Jesus did and taught and about the church.
Jewish ~ people or things that are from the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews; another name for Jacob, the first father of the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Zebedee ~ the father of the disciples James and John.
disciples ~ the 12 helpers that Jesus chose to be with him.
apostle ~ one whom God sends; especially one of the 12 that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. The name that God gave to himself in the Old Testament. He was the One who had made a covenant with the Jews.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
covenant ~ when people agree something together; when God and a person or people agree to a special thing.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Herod ~ a king of the Jews who killed James the son of Zebedee.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Zebedee ~ the father of the disciples James and John.
disciples ~ the 12 helpers that Jesus chose to be with him.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews; another name for Jacob, the first father of the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Joses ~ a son of Joseph and Mary and so a half-brother to Jesus.
Judas ~ a son of Joseph and Mary and so a half-brother to Jesus.
Simon ~ a son of Joseph and Mary and so a half-brother to Jesus.
Messiah ~ God promised the Jews that a special person would come to save them. That person is the Messiah. Jesus is that Messiah but the Jews did not believe it. Messiah is a Hebrew word. It means an anointed person. In the Greek language, the word is Christ.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
anoint ~ to put oil put on someone’s head. This shows that God has chosen the person for a special task.
disciples ~ the 12 helpers that Jesus chose to be with him.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people on earth.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Gentiles ~ people who are not Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Barnabas ~ one of the early church leaders who worked with the apostle Paul.
apostle ~ one whom God sends; especially one of the 12 that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
worship ~ show honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews; another name for Jacob, the first father of the Jews.
oath ~ to make an oath is to use the name of a person, thing or God to witness that what someone says is true.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
Rome ~ the capital city of the rulers at that time. They were the Romans.
Festus ~ the Roman ruler in Jerusalem who died before James was killed.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel.
Rome ~ the capital city of the rulers at that time. They were the Romans.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews; another name for Jacob, the first father of the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Albinus ~ a Roman ruler. He came after Festus and after James, the Lord’s brother, died.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
Festus ~ the Roman ruler in Jerusalem who died before James was killed.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. The name that God gave to himself in the Old Testament. He was the One who had made a covenant with the Jews.
Rome ~ the capital city of the rulers at that time. They were the Romans.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
covenant ~ when people agree something together; when God and a person or people agree to a special thing.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews; another name for Jacob, the first father of the Jews.

'Ananus II ~ the chief priest of the Jews who was responsible for the death of James the Lord’s brother.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. The name that God gave to himself in the Old Testament. He was the One who had made a covenant with the Jews.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
covenant ~ when people agree something together; when God and a person or people agree to a special thing.
synagogue ~ the place where the Jews met to worship God.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
worship ~ show honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Stephen ~ the first person to be killed because he believed in Jesus Christ.
faith ~ belief that something is true; trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.
temptation ~ something that tries to make us do wrong things.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
judge ~ to judge is to do the work of a judge; to test and decide what is right or wrong.
tribe ~ family from one man. The first Jews were the 12 sons of Jacob. The family of each son became one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews; another name for Jacob, the first father of the Jews.
Scripture ~ the books of the Bible.
pastor ~ a church leader who looks after the believers.
believers ~ Christians.
trials ~ troubles and difficulties that come to us.
temptation ~ something that tries to make us do wrong things.
trials ~ troubles and difficulties that come to us.
Greek ~ the language that James used to write this letter.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see; or the mind.
righteous ~a righteous person is right in what he does; or a person whom God says is right.
religious ~ describes a person who believes in a god or gods. True religion is to trust in the one true God. We show it when we obey God.
orphan ~ a child that has no parents alive.
worship ~ show honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
orphan ~ a child that has no parents alive.