James 1:1 — who wrote James, and why it was written

Through James, part 1 · James 1:1

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings." (James 1:1)

Who was James?

The James who wrote this letter is the half-brother of Jesus. Mark records the townspeople of Nazareth asking, "Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?" (Mark 6:3). Jude opens his own letter as "brother of James" (Jude 1:1). His Hebrew name is Jacob.

He grew up in the same house as Jesus, and for a long time he didn't believe. After the resurrection he did — and he became one of the pastors of the church in Jerusalem. You can watch him lead in Acts 12:17, Acts 15:13–21, and Galatians 1:15–20 and 2:9–16. This letter was written early, somewhere around A.D. 44–49, which makes it one of the first New Testament books written.

Two things shaped how James writes. He quotes the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) constantly — he grew up hearing his brother teach. And he quotes Proverbs 1–9 constantly. James reads like a New Testament book of Proverbs: short, practical, and blunt.

Who was it written to?

"The twelve tribes dispersed abroad." James is writing to Jewish Christians who had been driven out of Israel by persecution. Acts tells the story: "On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria" (Acts 8:1). "So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word" (Acts 8:4; see also Acts 11:19).

These were people who had lost jobs, friends, family, and homes because they chose to follow Jesus. They were going through a hard time, and James is writing to encourage them — to give them hope for what's coming eternally, and guidance for how to live now.

Why James wrote

He wanted to warn them about immaturity and guide them to maturity in the Christian life. That's the thread that runs through the whole letter: trials, wisdom, money, temptation, the tongue, faith and works, patience — all of it is about growing up in Christ.

Warren Wiersbe, after twenty-five years in ministry, said the number-one problem in churches is immature Christians. His line was that "too many churches are playpens for babies instead of workshops for adults." James would agree. He isn't writing to make anyone feel better; he's writing to help them grow.

A map of chapter one

There are nine sections in the first chapter, and we'll take them one at a time:

• v. 1 — Greeting
• vv. 2–4 — Growing through trials
• vv. 5–8 — Praying in faith for wisdom
• vv. 9–11 — Glorying in your standing in Christ, not in riches
• vv. 12–15 — Temptation does not come from God
• vv. 16–18 — God is the giver of everything good
• vv. 19–21 — How to live holy
• vv. 22–25 — Doers, not hearers only
• vv. 26–27 — Pure religion

If you're reading along, open James 1 in TheWay Bible app and read the whole chapter once before the next post. It takes about five minutes, and everything James says will land better if you've seen where he's going.

James grew up down the hall from Jesus and didn't believe Him. Years of that. Then he saw his brother alive after a grave, and the first line he ever wrote about Him was servant.

If you've had Jesus around your whole life — Christmas, a grandma who prayed for you, a building you sat in a hundred times and never got saved in — you're standing where James stood. Familiar and lost at the same time. What changed him wasn't more information. It was the risen Christ. He died for sin that was never His, He walked out of that tomb, and He saves everyone who places their faith and trust in Him and Him alone. Nothing about being near it does that. Only Him.

Believer, this study runs seventeen parts and every part of it is aimed at growing you up. So build the habit now, while it's easy. Same chair, same time, five minutes, read James chapter one straight through before the next post goes up. Playpen or workshop — that gets decided with a calendar, not with feelings.

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Through James: Part 1 · Part 2 →