A Youth Worker's Commentary on James

A Youth Worker's Commentary on James

One reason for writing these books is that most curriculums that are now available for youth leaders and their students are just skimming the books of the Bible (example: 4-12 lessons on the Gospel of John that do not go beyond the surface of the text). We are talking about writing books that would have the entire Biblical text printed in each book. Books that actually go deeper into the meaning of the text. We are thinking of dozens of word and character studies, with many fascinating historical and personal stories, followed by in depth thought provoking questions. This series of books will include insights and observations not usually covered in typical commentaries. David Nystrom (PhD, University of California at Davis) is Professor in Residence at Western Seminary, Sacramento Campus. He is a specialist in Roman social history and in the New Testament. Dave is the author of dozens of articles and two books, The NIV Application Commentary : James , and The History of Christianity . Les Christie (DMin, Trinity International University) is a national speaker and youth ministry veteran. He chairs the youth ministry department at William Jessup University, in Rocklin, California where he has taught the Gospel of John for the last 15 years, and is also an adjunct professor at Western Seminary. Les is the author of more than a dozen books, including Awaken Your Creativity and When Church Kids Go Bad . A Youth Worker's Commentary on James By LES CHRISTIE, David Nystrom ZONDERVAN Copyright © 2013 Les Christie and David Nystrom All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-310-67034-6 Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................7INTRODUCTION (AND HOW TO USE THIS BOOK)....................................9Introduction and Greeting (James 1:1)......................................17Trials and Temptations (James 1:2–8).......................................29Poverty and Wealth (James 1:9–11)..........................................47The Crown of Life (James 1:12).............................................55Temptations and Their Source (James 1:13–15)...............................59The Father of Lights (James 1:16–18).......................................67Speak Without Anger, Receive the Word in Humility (James 1:19–21)..........73Hearing without Doing Is Worthless (James 1:22–25).........................83Pure Religion (James 1:26–27)..............................................91Favoritism Forbidden (James 2:1–13)........................................95Faith and Deeds (James 2:14–26)............................................109Taming the Tongue (James 3:1–12)...........................................123Two Kinds of Wisdom (James 3:13–18)........................................143Submit Yourselves to God (James 4:1–10)....................................157Judging Today (James 4:11–12)..............................................173Boasting About Tomorrow (James 4:13–17)....................................179Warning to Rich Oppressors (James 5:1–6)...................................187Patience and Suffering (James 5:7–11)......................................197Do Not Swear (James 5:12)..................................................209The Prayer of Faith (James 5:13–18)........................................215The Forgiveness of God (James 5:19–20).....................................231BIBLIOGRAPHY...............................................................237 CHAPTER 1 Introduction and Greeting James 1:1a 1a James, a servant of God and of the Lord JesusChrist, Most letters from antiquity and in the New Testament aregenerally familiar in tone. They also follow an establishedpattern or order: 1. The name of the sender; 2. The name of the recipient; 3. A word of greeting, usually a blessing or the expressionof a desire for good health; 4. The body of the letter; 5. The closing. Like other examples in the New Testament, James hasaltered slightly the standard formula by adding theologicallyimportant terms and including in his opening a summaryof the main themes of the letter. The letter begins with a claim to be written by James(Matthew 13:53–55; Acts 1:12–14; 15:12–21; 1 Corinthians15:3–8; Galatians 1:19; 2:7–9). As we have seen, there is noviable reason to doubt that James the brother of Jesus isthe source for this letter. It is, however, remarkable that James does not beginby saying he is the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ and aleader in the Jerusalem church. It could be that James is ahumble person, referring to himself simply as a "servant"( doulos ). There is little agreement among the commentatorsas to his intended meaning. Perhaps it is best toexplore the full range of possibilities. Doulos was the common Greek term for "slave,"although it could also be translated as "servant." Our understandingof this term is heavily and unfortunately colored bythe experiences of recent history, a model that bears almostno resemblance