PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS
Dr. Andy Woods
Senior Pastor – Sugar Land Bible Church
President – Chafer Theological Seminary
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Unique characteristics
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Authorship
Biography
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Place of writing
Date
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Purpose
Message
Themes
Unique characteristics
Structure
James 1:1
“1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who
are dispersed abroad: Greetings.”
Acts 1:13-14
“ 13 When they had entered the city, they went up
to the upper room where they were staying; that is,
Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and
Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the
son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one
mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer,
along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus,
and with His brothers.”
Authorship
Father of Judas (not Iscariot)
The son of Alphaeus
The son of Zebedee and brother of John
The half brother of Christ
Authorship
Father of Judas (not Iscariot)
The son of Alphaeus
The son of Zebedee and brother of John
The half brother of Christ
Authorship
Father of Judas (not Iscariot)
The son of Alphaeus
The son of Zebedee and brother of John
The half brother of Christ
Authorship
Father of Judas (not Iscariot)
The son of Alphaeus
The son of Zebedee and brother of John
The half brother of Christ
Authorship
Father of Judas (not Iscariot)
The son of Alphaeus
The son of Zebedee and brother of John
The half brother of Christ
SIMILARITIES WITH ACTS 15
James Acts 15
Greetings 1:1 15:23
Visit 1:27 15:14
Listen 2:5 15:13
Turn 5:19-20 15:19
Being called by God’s name 2:7 15:17
Arguments Against James, the
Brother of Christ, as Author
Does not identify himself as Christ’s brother
Greek is too good
Lack of unanimous acceptance in the early church
Arguments Against James, the
Brother of Christ, as Author
Does not identify himself as Christ’s brother
Greek is too good
Lack of unanimous acceptance in the early church
Arguments Against James, the
Brother of Christ, as Author
Does not identify himself as Christ’s brother
Greek is too good
Lack of unanimous acceptance in the early church
Arguments Against James, the
Brother of Christ, as Author
Does not identify himself as Christ’s brother
Greek is too good
Lack of unanimous acceptance in the early church
Preview
Authorship
Biography
Audience
Place of writing
Date
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Message
Themes
Unique characteristics
Structure
James’ Biography
Half brother of Christ
Initial unbelief (John 7:5)
One of the first to receive word of
Christ’s resurrection (John 20:17)
Post resurrection ministry (Acts 1:14)
Leader of Jerusalem church (Acts 15)
Married (1 Cor 9:5)
Camel knees
James the Just
Martyrdom
Acts 1:13-14
“ 13 When they had entered the city, they went up
to the upper room where they were staying; that is,
Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and
Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the
son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one
mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer,
along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus,
and with His brothers.”
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Authorship
Biography
Audience
Place of writing
Date
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Message
Themes
Unique characteristics
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Audience
Jewish (1:1)
Persecution (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
In Babylon-Mesopotamia or North-Central
Turkey?
Believers (Jas 1:2-4)
Audience
Jewish (1:1)
Persecution (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
In Babylon-Mesopotamia or North-Central
Turkey?
Believers (Jas 1:2-4)
James 1:1
“1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who
are dispersed abroad: Greetings.”
Audience
Jewish (1:1)
Persecution (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
In Babylon-Mesopotamia or North-Central
Turkey?
Believers (Jas 1:2-4)
Acts 8:3-4; 11:19
“3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house
after house, and dragging off men and women, he
would put them in prison. 4 Therefore, those who had
been scattered went about preaching the word…19 So
then those who were scattered because of
the persecution that occurred in connection with
Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus
and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to
Jews alone.”
James 1:1
“1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who
are dispersed abroad: Greetings.”
Audience
Jewish (1:1)
Persecution (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
In Babylon-Mesopotamia or North-Central
Turkey?
Believers (Jas 1:2-4)
Map of Ancient Near East
Map of Ancient Near East
Josephus
Antiquities, 15.2.2
“But when Hyrcanus was brought into Parthia the king
Phraates treated him after a very gentle manner, as
having already learned of what an illustrious family he
was; on which account he set him free from his
bonds, and gave him a habitation at Babylon, where
there were Jews in great numbers. These Jews
honored Hyrcanus as their high priest and king, as
did all the Jewish nation that dwelt as far as
Euphrates; which respect was very much to his
satisfaction...”
Map of Ancient Near East
Audience
Jewish (1:1)
Persecution (Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
In Babylon-Mesopotamia or North-Central
Turkey?
Believers (Jas 1:2-4)
Acts 16:30-31
“and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?’ 31 They said,
‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be
saved, you and your household.’”
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Place of Writing
Jerusalem
Pastor of Jerusalem church
Lived his entire life in Jerusalem
Map of Ancient Near East
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Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
James 2:2
“2 For if a man comes into your assembly
[synagōgē] with a gold ring and dressed in fine
clothes, and there also comes in a poor man
in dirty clothes.”
Date (AD 44-47)
AD 70
AD 62-63
AD 49
AD 48-49
Sermon on the Mt
Primitive congregational worship
(Jas 2:2; 3:1; 5:14)
Jas 1:1 = Acts 8:1-4; 11:19
Acts 8:3-4; 11:19
“3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house
after house, and dragging off men and women, he
would put them in prison. 4 Therefore, those who had
been scattered went about preaching the word…19 So
then those who were scattered because of
the persecution that occurred in connection with
Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus
and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to
Jews alone.”
Order of Paul’s Letters
1. Galatians (A.D. 49)
2. 1‒2 Thessalonians (A.D. 51)
3. 1‒2 Corinthians (A.D. 56)
4. Romans (A.D. 57)
5. Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon,
Philippians (A.D. 60‒62)
6. 1 Timothy, Titus (A.D. 62‒66)
7. 2 Timothy (A.D. 67)
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Occasion
Diaspora (Jas 1:1; Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
Outside of Jerusalem
Without the supervision of an apostle
Without the law
National history
Concerned with practical righteousness
Occasion
Diaspora (Jas 1:1; Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
Outside of Jerusalem
Without the supervision of an apostle
Without the law
National history
Concerned with practical righteousness
James 1:1
“1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who
are dispersed abroad: Greetings.”
Acts 8:3-4; 11:19
“3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house
after house, and dragging off men and women, he
would put them in prison. 4 Therefore, those who had
been scattered went about preaching the word…19 So
then those who were scattered because of
the persecution that occurred in connection with
Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus
and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to
Jews alone.”
Occasion
Diaspora (Jas 1:1; Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
Outside of Jerusalem
Without the supervision of an apostle
Without the law
National history
Concerned with practical righteousness
Occasion
Diaspora (Jas 1:1; Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
Outside of Jerusalem
Without the supervision of an apostle
Without the law
National history
Concerned with practical righteousness
Deuteronomy 28:49-50
“49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar,
from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down,
a nation whose language you shall not understand, 50 a
nation of fierce countenance who will have no respect
for the old, nor show favor to the young.”
ISRAEL'S JUDGMENTS
Division of the kingdom in
931 B.C. (1 Kgs. 12)
Assyrian judgment in 722
B.C. (2 Kgs. 17)
Babylonian captivity in 586
B.C. (2 Kgs. 25)
Occasion
Diaspora (Jas 1:1; Acts 8:1-4; 11:19)
Outside of Jerusalem
Without the supervision of an apostle
Without the law
National history
Concerned with practical righteousness
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Purpose
James wrote in order to show his Jewish-
Christian readers living in the Diaspora
how to achieve practical righteousness
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Message
Practical righteousness is attainable when
believers live by faith and walk by wisdom
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Themes
Hearer to doer
Belief to behavior
Doctrine to deed
The Writer/Apostle of…
Paul – Faith
Peter – Hope
John – Love
Jude – Truth
James – Conduct
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UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
Sermon on Mt Concise
OT High quality GK
Illustrations from nature Proverbs and Amos of the
and daily living NT
Undeveloped Christology Imperatives
Practical Oldest book in NT
Many literary devices Difficult to outline
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JAMES STRUCTURE
I. Faith (James 1:1‒3:12)
II. Wisdom (James 3:13‒5:20)
JAMES STRUCTURE
I. Faith (James 1:1‒3:12)
II. Wisdom (James 3:13‒5:20)
Structure
Faith (1:1–3:12)
Trials (1:2-18)
Obedience to the Word (1:19-27)
Favoritism (2:1-13)
Faith manifesting works (2:14-26)
Tongue (3:1-12)
JAMES STRUCTURE
I. Faith (James 1:1‒3:12)
II. Wisdom (James 3:13‒5:20)
Structure
Wisdom (3:13–5:20)
Wisdom defined (3:13-18)
Spirituality (4:1-12)
Commerce (4:13-17)
Use of wealth (5:1-6)
Waiting for the Lord’s return (5:7-12)
Prayer (5:13-18)
Restoration of the erring brother (5:19-20)
CONCLUSION
Answering Eleven Questions
1) Who wrote it? – James
2) What do we know about the author? – Christ’s ½ Brother
3) Who was the audience? – Believing Jews in the Diaspora
4) Where was if written from? – Jerusalem
5) When was the book written? – A.D. 44‒47
6) What was the book’s occasion? – Practical righteousness
7) What is the book’s purpose? – Achieving practical righteousness
8) What is the book about? – Practical righteousness
9) What is the book’s theme? – Daily living
10) What makes the book different? – Practicality
11) How is the book organized? – Faith and Wisdom