James Journal Entries

Read James 1:1-18 Who was the author of this letter? 2. When did James become a disciple of Jesus? (1 Cor 15:7) 3. What stature did he have in the early church? (Acts 1:13-14, 12:17, 15:13, 21:17-19) 4. To whom was he writing this letter? When? Why? 5. Notice the three themes; hardship, perseverance, and wisdom. What does James say is the purpose for hardship? (James 1:2-3, Romans 5:1-5, 1 Peter 1:3-9)

Read James 1:19-27 1. What is the command in verse 1:21? 2. How do we shed “moral filth and evil”? (See 1 John 1:9) 3. In verses 1:21, 22 and 23, James refers to the “word.” To what does that refer? (James1:18, Jeremiah 31:33-34) How are we to react to that ‘word’ and what are we to do with it? 4. Why does James use such a preposterous analogy in verses 1:23-24? 5. What is the ‘law’ that James refers to in verse 1:25 and why is it perfect?

James 2:1-13 1. How does the world regard the wealthy vs. the poor? 2. Why would first-century believers find James’ concept revolutionary? (Deuteronomy 7:12-14, Joshua 1:8) 3. Is James condemning the wealthy and exalting the poor? 4. Whose side is God on? 5. What is the obvious contradiction in Verse 2:5? 6. How does one inherit God’s Kingdom? (John 1:12)

James 2:14-26 1. In verse 2:14, James speaks of a person having faith without deeds and asks, “Can such faith save him?” Can it? 2. Doesn’t James 2:18 contradict Paul in Romans 3:28 when he writes “man is justified (saved) by faith without the deeds (works) of the law”? How do you explain this? 3. What do you think is the point of 2:19 where James says that even the demons have faith? 4. Was Abraham saved by faith or works? (Genesis 15:3-6, Romans 4:3).

James 3:1-12 1. In Verse 3:1, who was James warning about becoming a teacher? And why? 2. In Verse 3:2, James says, “if anyone makes no mistakes in what he says, he is a perfect man.” Is anyone a perfect man? If not, what is James saying here? 3. James gives four examples of a small thing controlling or overpowering a large one. What are they? 4. Why does he emphasize the negative example of the fire so much more than the positive examples of the horse’s bit or ship’s rudder?

James 3:13-4:12 1. What does James say is the evidence of wisdom in Verse 3:13? 2. How does James characterize ‘earthly wisdom?’ (Verse 3:14-16) 3. How does James describe ‘heavenly wisdom?’ 4. What does heavenly wisdom produce? (Verse 3:18) 5. What does James say is the root cause of fights and quarrels between people? (4:2) 6. What are the two main behaviors that James criticizes in Verses 4:2-3? 7. Can we love both God and the world? What happens if we try to love both? (1 John 2:15-16, also Matthew 6:24)

James 4:13-5:6 1. Here James is again coming back to the subject of wealth and pride. Where had he addressed it previously and what was his focus then? (James 1:9-10) 2. From these verses (4:13-17), do you get the impression that James is opposed to planning? (Proverbs 19:21, 27:1, Job 17:11, Luke 12:16-21) 3. Is James opposed to business success and making a profit? (1 Corinthians 5:6, 1 John 2:15-17) 4. When James speaks of ‘mist’ in Verse 4:14, he is referring to Hosea 13:3. Why? 5. Starting in Chapter 5, James addresses a new audience in a new “tone of voice”. Who is the audience, what is his tone, and why?