Written to the scattered Jewish-Christian communities of his time, James writes with gusto, instructing Christians that authentic faith is that made manifest in life. Real faith is lived out in real life! With only 108 verses – but 54 commands – James shows practically how following Jesus should permeate every aspect of the human experience on every one of our frontlines. Real faith is tested and steadfast. Real faith obeys, loves, works, and speaks. Real faith is humble, patient, and prays. The living out of our faith is not the means by which we are saved but the evidence that we are.  

Context

Author:  Whilst there are a number of people named “James” in the New Testament, the author of the letter is none other than James the brother of Jesus. Whilst James – and all of Jesus’ family – were sceptical of Jesus’ claims prior to the crucifixion (cf. Mark 3; John 7),  James goes on to be the leader of the Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 15) and was martyred in AD62. This remarkable turnaround (noting he identifies himself not as the brother of Jesus, but as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”) is because of James’ own encounter with the risen Lord Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8). The resurrection convinced James that Jesus truly was both the Messiah and Lord.

Date: Somewhere between AD48 to AD62.

Genre: Sharing many features of other letters in the New Testament, James uniquely also reflects forms of biblical wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs) due its concentrated use of pithy instructional statements.

Audience: James does not write to one particular individual or church community, but to the scattered Jewish-Christian diaspora (noting the reference to the symbolic ‘Twelve tribes of Israel” in James 1:1). The letter was intended to be circulated amongst these communities, but of course still holds significant relevance for all Christians.