Study of James
Lesson # 1
Greetings
Introduction
As we begin the study of this book let us look carefully at the beginning greetings
and see some lessons from these simple statements. Greetings from a man who simple calls himself James, so well known that he needs no other title or identification.
1. A servant of God & the Lord Jesus Christ
a. With the exception of the book of Jude, James is the only NT writer to identify
himself by the term slave without any other qualification.
1) When Paul identifies himself as a slave, he adds the title of apostle
2) However, James goes no further than to call himself a slave of God &
the Lord Jesus Christ.
b. Four implications in this title
1) Implies absolute obedience
a) A slave knows no law but his masters’ word.
b) A slave has no rights of his own.
c) A slave is the absolute possession of his master & is bound to
give him absolute & unquestioned obedience.
2) Implies absolute humility
a) Here is a man who not of his privileges, but of his duties, not of
his rights but of his obligations.
b) A man who has lost himself in the service of God, literally
denying himself & saying yes to God.
3) Implies absolute loyalty
a) Here is a man who has no interest of his own but is totally
pledged to God. What he does he does for God.
b) His own profit & preferences do not matter. He is loyal to God.
4) Yet it also implies a certain pride.
a) Being a servant of God is not a title of dishonor but of honor.
b) Look at the great men of the OT
Moses was known as a servant of God – 1 Kings 8:53
Joshua & Calab also known this way – Num.14:24
Abraham, Isaac & Jacob known this way – Deut.9:27
Job known this way – Job 1:8
Isaiah known this way – Isa.20:3
Prophets distinctively known this way – Amos 3:7; Jer.7:25
2. Greetings
a. This is the way ordinary Greek letters opened. Very unusual – Paul always used
the Christian greeting “grace & peace”
b. This method of greeting only occurs twice in the NT
1) Letter Claudius Lysias (Roman officer) wrote to Felix – Acts 23:26
2
2) Letter issued after the council in Jerusalem – Acts 15:23
c. This is interesting because James is the one who presided over that council –
Acts 15:13
3. To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations
a. Scattered – (dispora) – technical word for Jews who lived outside Palestine. All
the Jews who for some reason or another lived outside the Promised Land.
b. This dispersion was important in the spreading of Christianity
1) All over the world there were synagogues & allowed Christians to
begin spreading the news about Jesus.
2) It meant that all over the world there were people who were familiar
with the OT & knew of the promises of God.
3) In God’s providence He was giving the gospel a point of contact in
almost every city & town in the world.