Description
Preview
What you get:
- Tips for teaching James in a Bible Study
- About 40 Discussion Questions for James
- Answers and insights for all Discussion Questions
- Atlas of 6 high-definition maps that track James
- 2 Versions: high-resolution; optimized for mobile devices
Sample map in James Leaders Guide & Atlas
James is the Gospel of Do Something
James, whoever he was, writes a little like a man frustrated at getting appointed pastor of the First Church of No Volunteers.
He writes an open letter to “The 12 tribes scattered everywhere…to all of you out there” (James 1:1). Maybe he’s writing to the Jews, or to Jewish followers of Jesus, or to all Christians, with “12 tribes” as a symbolic way of saying they’re now part of God’s people.
Whoever he is and whoever they are, he’s giving them what sometimes reads like an updated version of Proverbs. Both feature wisdom one-liners and short-burst lectures we might expect from a worried parent.
Standout messages:
—Christians prove their faith by doing good things for others.
—Watch your mouth because your tongue can start a fire.
—Don’t treat rich people better than others.
—Stop humiliating the poor.
—Don’t let your natural desires drag you into danger zones.
WRITER
“From: James, who serves God and our leader, Jesus the Messiah” (1:1).
It’s not clear which James wrote this letter, though many scholars lobby for the brother of Jesus.
There are about half a dozen men named James in the Bible story of Jesus. Two of his dozen disciples are named James (Luke 6:14-15). James the brother of John was executed by Herod Agrippa in about AD 44 (Acts 12:2).
James is also one of Jesus’s four brothers, perhaps the oldest, since he is listed first (Matthew 13:55). Many say it was this James who became leader of the Jerusalem church, and who apparently convened the first church leadership meeting (Acts 15).
Jewish historian Josephus (about AD 37-100) reported that the Jerusalem-based Jewish high priest ordered the execution of James “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ” (Antiquities of the Jews, book 20, chapter 9, section 1). Josephus says Jews stoned him to death, in about AD 62. That’s a few years before Nero is said to have ordered Paul beheaded and Peter crucified upside-down.
In addition to James Leaders Guide & Atlas
You might consider the Ephesians Leaders Guide & Atlas
Best resource for comparing other Bible translations: Bible Gateway. This isn’t an ad. It’s a recommendation from the Casual English Bible.
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