James

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JAMES

45 AD

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”  2:26

Author: James
Written From: Jerusalem
Sent To: Jewish people living in gentile lands who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah

Purpose: Stir believers onto growth and maturity.  They can not have true faith or correct doctrine without it changing their lives and producing good works.

Theme: True faith is an active faith that produces a changed life and good deeds.

Basic Outline:
These are the things true faith should produce:

• 1:2-12, Perseverance in Suffering
• 1:13-18, Understand the Doctrine of Temptation
• 1:19-27, Hear and Do the Word
• 2:1-13, Application of Love to Others
• 2:14-26, Good Deeds that Assist Others
• 3:1-12, Speak in a Godly Way
• 3:13-18, Think with God’s Wisdom and Have God’s Attitude
• 4:1-12, Live at Peace with Others by Avoiding Worldly Desires and Attitudes,
• 4:13-17, Trust God not Your Own Will or Ability
• 5:1-6, Care for People more than your Wealth
• 5:7-11, Patience and Perseverance
• 5:12, Truthfulness and Trustworthiness
• 5:13-18, Prayerfulness
• 5:19-20, Help others produce these same indicators of an true and active faith

Memorable Verses:

• “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of may kinds.” 1:2
• “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ ” 1:13
• “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” 1:17
• “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” 1:19
• “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive ourselves. Do what it says.” 1:22
• “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” 2:5
• “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right.” 2:8
• “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?” 2:14
• “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” 2:19
• “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” 2:24
• “We who teach will be judged more strictly.” 3:1
• “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” 3:2
• “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” 3:16
• “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?” 4:4
• “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” 4:7
• “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” 4:8
• “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’ ” 4:15
• “You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.” 5:5
• “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” 5:8
• “If any one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” 5:14
• “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” 5:16

Greek Words:

• peirasmoV – peirasmos – trial, temptation, 1:2, 12.
• ‘upomonh – hupomone – patience, enduring, faithful endurance, 1:3, 4; 5:11.
• ‘upomenw – hupomeno – abide, endure, patient, suffer.  It means to bear with victorious endurance, not passively but with blazing hope of future triumph, 1:12; 5:11.
• dokimoV – dokimos – tried, tested, approved, approved after having been tested, 1:12.
• diyucoV – dipsuchos – double-minded or double-souled from diV dis meaning “twice, again” and yuch psuche meaning “heart, life, mind, soul.” 1:8; 4:8

Healthy Doctrine:

• Active Faith
• Good Deeds
• Christian Character

James’ Checklist for Active/Living Faith

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Trials – your faith will be tested. Seek and trust God.

1:2-12

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Sin – dealing with temptation from sin nature

1:13-18

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Doing the Word – hear and do the word

1:19-27

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Love – treat others fair and not in judgment 

2:1-13

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Good Deeds – do good to assist others

2:14-26

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Speaking – speak in a godly way

3:1-12

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Thinking – think with God’s Wisdom and Attitude

3:13-18

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Live at Peace – done by avoiding worldly desires

4:1-12

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Trust God – not your own will or ability 

4:13-17

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Wealth – care for people more than your wealth

5:1-6

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Patience – wait for the Lord in life and in suffering

5:7-11

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Truthfulness – always be truthful and trustworthy

5:12

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Prayerfulness – pray when in trouble, happy or sick

5:13-18

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Multiply – help others produce these same indicators

5:19-20

FIRST PETER

62 AD

“Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though
something strange were happening to you.”  4:12

Author: Peter
Written From: Rome
Sent To: Churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia

Purpose: Give guidance to believers concerning how to live in this temporal world in the midst of suffering and persecution

Theme:  Hope in God while suffering in the world as a believer

Basic Outline:

• 1:3 - 12, Our salvation and inheritance
• 1:13 – 2:3, Our responsibility to be holy
• 2:4 – 12, We are a spiritual house, a chosen people of God but aliens in this world
• 2:13 – 3:12, We are to submit to the established authorities and live in harmony in all areas: government, business, families and among believers
• 3:13 – 4:6, Principles of suffering and Christ’s example of suffering
• 4:7 – 5:9, Christian conduct for living, for suffering and for service

Memorable Verses:

• “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil of fade.” 1:3,4
• “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing.” 1:10, 11
• “Even angels long to look into these things.” 1:12
• “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times.” 1:20
• “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” 1:23
• “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” 2:5
• “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” 2:9
• “Submit yourselves for the Lords’ sake to every authority instituted among men.” 2:13
• “Do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil.” 2:16
• “. . . if any of them do not believe the word they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.” 3:1
• “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives.” 3:7
• “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 3:13
• “. . . made alive by the spirit through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison.” 3:19
• “Since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude.” 4:1
• “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 4:10
• “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” 4:12
• “Serve as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 5:2, 3
• “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 5:6
• “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 5:7

Greek Words:

• pascw – pasko – suffer, 2:19, 20, 21, 23; 3:14, 17, 18; 4:1, 15, 19; 5:10.
• paqhma – patheema – suffering, 1:11; 4:13; 5:1, 9.
• klhronomia – kleronomia – inheritance, 1:4.
• ’apokaluyis – apokalupsis – appearing, coming, manifestation, revelation, be revealed, 1:7, 13; 4:13.
• sarx – sarx – carnal, flesh, 1:24; 3:18, 21; 4:1, 2, 6.

Healthy Doctrine:

• Suffering
• Persecution
• Evangelism
• Satan
• Priesthood of each believer
• Marriage
• Spiritual Gifts

Lessons in Suffering from First Peter

1:6

• Trials demonstrate the genuineness of our faith

4:12-19

• When suffering we fix our hope on the grace revealed when Jesus comes, not on the world.  Thus, we are free to be obedient and holy.

2:19

• Our example was Jesus who suffered unjustly so we can endure our suffering being conscious of God and his deliverance.

3:8-13

• Though it is rare, when we suffer for doing good we remain hopeful so others will see the difference.  We do not fear but trust God.

4:16

• All mankind suffer, but the suffering of a believer is temporary.