The General Epistles, Part 1

I've just had two weeks of teaching ABC by WebEx two hours a day for two weeks, Monday through Friday, so I'm in a teaching mode and we have Bible study. So if you ever wanted to take a class at Ambassador or at ABC, what we're going to do, in times like these, you think, well, let's talk about what else can we say about what has happened this week with regard to how terrible it is, how awful it is, the suffering that's going on. And we surely don't want to minimize that, but how are we going to be able to survive in the days, the weeks, the months, years that lie ahead? It will be through God and Jesus Christ, through their spirit, that our weapons of our warfare are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. That's what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, long about verse five or six. The weapons of our warfare are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds, and we need to be spiritually prepared. And what I am launching here today will be the General Epistles, so that we will have a definite focus on the Bible studies each month when we have the Bible study format. Now, the General Epistles are called the General Epistles because they are universal. That is, they are for everybody. If you would, turn to James. We might eventually get to verse one before we're through here today. But we have a lot to say about the background of James and about the General Epistles, and we want to master the General Epistles. Now, some people think that the General Epistles are the milk of the Word. Far from it. The beginning steps, as Paul enumerates in Hebrews chapter 6, the basic doctrines of the Church, repentance from dead works, faith toward God, baptism laying out of hands, resurrection, judgment, let us go on to perfection. Going on to perfection cuts across all of those. Like if you list those first six, repentance, faith, baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection, judgment. Perfection begins and continues this going on to perfection, going on to maturity all of our lives. The book of Romans, we had a Bible study, and I gave handouts here. It's been maybe a year ago on mastering the book of Romans. Because if you master the book of Romans, to a large degree, you've mastered much of Paul's epistles. And so, the general epistles, to a large degree, have to do with the application of the way the air matters. It is the meat of the Word. It is what is so desperately needed today. If we were to do a structure of the Bible, and too bad I don't have a blackboard or whatever. But if you draw a v like this, rather large v on your notepad, I would encourage you to do that right now.

We're going to diagram the structure of the Bible. At the bottom of that v, you want to put law. The first five books of the Bible, law. Law is like the anchor. The way the air matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith stem from that. Then the next one, on top of law, the prophets began to expound the law and expand it. Then the writings on top of that. Then the Gospels, the life and teachings of Christ. Then the Acts and the Epistles, Paul's Epistles, Paul's Epistles. Then the General Epistles, and then Revelation. So the very anchor, law, prophets, writings, Gospels, Acts and Paul's Epistles, General Epistles, and Revelation.

Well, I don't know if you want to mark James or not. Go to Luke 24, please. Luke 24. After Jesus Christ had been resurrected, he appeared to the disciples at least three times. This is one of the main ones in which it says, he opened their eyes of understanding. We see here the tripartite division of the Old Testament, just as I have noted to you. This is Luke 24, 44.

In the Psalms concerning me, then he opened the eyes of their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. So he began to expound. So once again, this structure, law, prophets, writings, Gospels, Acts and Paul's Epistles, General Epistles, and Revelation. How the expansion goes out of the magnification of the law and the application of it. And the General Epistles, once again, the meat of the Word.

The General Epistles contain the meat and the spiritual application of the law of God. The main reason they're called General Epistles is that they contain information that pertains to everyone in the faith. There are no exceptions. We're obligated to make a courageous stand regarding God's Word. The General Epistles can be best characterized in this way, going on to perfection through faith, hope, and love. Once again, the General Epistles can best be characterized in this way, going on to perfection through faith, hope, and love. If you turn to 1 Corinthians 13 in verse 13, Paul expounds in 1 Corinthians 13, the greatest thing that is to become as God is in verses 1 through 3. Then he describes love, and then he concludes 1 Corinthians 13, 13, and now abides faith, hope, charity, these three. But the greatest of these is love, agape, spiritual love.

The four authors of the General Epistles—there are four authors of the General Epistles. We have, first of all, James. Then we have Peter. Then we have John. Then we have Jude. There's something unique about each one of them with regard to what they emphasize. James focuses on faith and obedience.

James focuses on faith and obedience. John focuses on the meaning of true love.

Like with James, we go back to James focusing on faith and obedience, where he says that faith without works or obedience is dead. Or, John, we might summarize with the 1 John 5.3, for this is the love of God that we should keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. Peter focuses on hope and trust in God. Jude focuses on earnestly contending for the faith that was once delivered.

Peter was a courageous man, a strong man. He stood by the Word of God, even knowing from the mouth of Christ that he would be martyred for doing so. He encouraged us to put our faith, hope, and trust in God. The Apostle John suffered tremendous persecution. He was exiled onto the Isle of Patmos. He was imprisoned. Yet he continued to preach the love of God until he died.

Jude encourages us to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered. So you could, to some degree, summarize the general epistles by earnestly contending for the faith once delivered, going on to perfection through faith, learning how to love as Christ gave commandment—I'm going in reverse order—living by hope and going on to perfection through faith and obedience.

In James chapter 1 and verse 1, James, a servant of God—the word servant here is doulos, D-U-L-O-S, and it means bond slave. So James, a bond slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes, which are scattered abroad, greeting.

Now the question of to whom did he address this epistle? Was it addressed to the twelve physical tribes of Israel? It says the twelve tribes scattered abroad. But Israel as a nation rejected Jesus Christ as a nation. However, the first Christians were Jews. You recall that in the early days of the Church, the apostles went out preaching in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost, and in Acts chapter 3 and 4, and you come up to 6, and they select deacons. In chapter 7, one of these deacons named Stephen gave such a powerful sermon, convicting the Jews to the point that they killed him. Then in chapter 8 of Acts, they were scattered abroad. Philip went up into Samaria and preached, and many were turned to God by the preaching of Philip. So the fact here that James starts with a servant of God, a bond slave of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. Of course, anybody who would read would have access to it. But more specifically, when we begin to read this and really read it verse by verse and expound upon it, you'll come to see that this is not for those who are faint in the faith. And it has to do with going on to perfection through faith.

Now we're going to look at several verses here. We're going to thumb through the entire epistle before we begin our verse by verse exposition.

One of the great themes that we've already mentioned going on to perfection through faith in James. So look at, we're not going to expound right now. We're going to give an overview of the many aspects that are in this epistle under three main broad categories. One of going on to perfection through faith. That's the first one. Look at James 1.4. James 1.4, but let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing. Look at verse 17.

Look at verse 25.

Look in chapter 2, verse 22.

See you have faith wrought with his works, and by works or obedience was faith made perfect. Now look at chapter 3, verse 2.

For in many things we offend all, if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. So we see here one of the this theme that I'm talking about going on to perfection through faith. Now here are some of the keys to going on to perfection. Now remember, we're going to come back and we're going to expound verse by verse, but to try to get a total feel of this epistle. It is one of the most important works in the whole Bible. Of course, when the Protestant Reformation came along and Martin Luther nailed his however many theses to the church door at Fittenberg, eventually, of course, the big hallmark was by faith only. By faith only. No works. The Catholic Church taught works, and you had to be a member of the Catholic Church. They had to administer the sacraments in order for you to have salvation. So Luther, in his study of James, finally said it was an epistle of straw and he wanted to throw it out of the Bible. It is far from an epistle of straw. It's mighty steel, the strongest fiber you could ever have in the spiritual sense if you really understand the whole of it. So this is some of the keys to going on to perfection. That's what we're talking about now. In verse 2 of chapter 1. Chapter 1, verse 2, we're getting a feel. My brethren counted all joy, kara, joy, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit, counted all joy when you fall into different trials. I just about haven't arrived there.

And it really takes maturity to arrive there.

Verse 4, but let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect in tire of wanting nothing. These are keys to going on to perfection. Verse 5, if you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally and abrades not and it shall be given to him. So true wisdom comes from God. In verse 12, Blessed be the man that endures trials, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the eternal hath promised to them that love him. Verse 17, realize that every good and perfect gift comes from God. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights with whom he has no variableness neither shadow of turning. Verse 21, Wherefore lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness, here's one of the keys and the whole thing of going on to perfection. This word meekness in the Greek is prautes, p-r-a-u-t-e-s. If you don't know the meaning of that, you must know it. Prautes means, in essence, a perfectly teachable heart and receive with a perfectly teachable heart the engrafted word which is able to save your lives.

The next one.

I'll skip this one back in verse 13.

Let no man say when he is tempted or tried, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man.

I think I've read that one.

Have a perfectly teachable heart. God does not tempt us with evil. We're tempted away when we're drawn by our own lust, and we're going to thoroughly expound and explain that.

Verse 22, be you doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Verse 27, pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep yourself unspotted from the world. In chapter 2, verse 1, my brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, as worded awkwardly, it better rendered you don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, if you have respect of persons. God is not a respecter of persons.

So, if you want to go on to perfection, you must not be a respecter of persons.

In verse 22, we've already read this in conjunction with going on to perfection through faith. Verse 22, see you how faith wrought with his works and by his works for obedience was faith made perfect.

In chapter 3, verse 2, we've already read, control your tongue. In chapter 4, in verse 2, you lust and have not, you kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain, you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. You have to pray to God according to his will. In verse 4, you adulterers and adulterers know you not, that friendship of the world is enmity with God, whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. So love not the world or the things that are in the world.

In verse 6, but he gives more grace, divine favor, whereof he said, God resists the proud but gives grace unto the humble.

In verse 7, submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

In chapter 5, in verse 12, but above all things, my brethren, swear not at all, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath. And what we're talking about swearing here is not what we're talking about when we say curse words, even though you're not supposed to do that and take God's name in vain, but it has to do with an oath of I'm going to do such and such apart from God. But let your yes be yes, your no-no, lest you fall into judgment. In verse 14, Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church. Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. We're going to have, when we come to that verse-by-verse exposition, we're going to have quite a discussion in looking at the meaning of all of these words and also Isaiah 53. Then, in verses 16, Confess your faults one to another.

And this is a big topic with regard to confess your faults. You don't go around necessarily telling people that I have done this sin or that sin. It is in view of verses 14 and 15, pray for one another that you may be healed. So this word, faults, has to do with the need for prayer in which others can be praying for it. But if you have committed or done something wrong, you don't necessarily go tell everybody, I've sinned and done this or that of the other. You have to confess your sins to God. You may need help in that. More about that when we come to the verse by verse exposition of it. It is misapplied and misunderstood.

Right, the next thing is verse 20. Let him know, and this has to do with exercise, judgment, mercy, and faith. Let him know that he who converts, and the Greek word here for converts is epi-strafo, E-P-I-S-T-R-E-P-H-O, E-P-I-E-P-E-S-T-R-E-P-H-O. It means to turn about.

If you're able to turn one about, get his attention. The center from the air of his way, you shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins. The way you hide a multitude of sins, you love the person so much that you're willing to exercise judgment, mercy, and faith. If you begin to get a feel of this book of why that it is the weightier matters of the Lord is the heart and core of Christian living. Now, the other broad category, the signs of intellectual assent to the truth without faith compared to true faith and obedience. So you have this comparison contrast of intellectual assent to the truth versus faith and obedience to the truth. So go back to chapter 1 verse 8.

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

He might have intellectual assent to the truth. In chapter 2 verse 1, if you're a respecter of persons, verse 2, if there come unto you assembly a man with a gold ring and goodly apparel, and there come also a poor man and vile raiment, and you favor the one that is dressed well over the one that is not dressed so well, you may have intellectual assent to the truth, but you are not a doer of the truth.

In chapter 1 verse 22, being a doer instead of in verse 23, for it may be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass. So you may have intellectual assent to the truth, but you're not a doer of the word.

Verse 25, but who so looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deeds. So if you're a forgetful hearer, you may have intellectual assent to the truth, but not a doer. Verse 26, a form of religion accompanied by an unbridled tongue.

In chapter 2 verse 10, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. So selective obedience. I'll do this, but I won't do that.

And to a large degree, one of the most important verses with regard to this is verse 19. You believe that there is one God, you do well. The devils also believe and tremble, intellectual assent to the truth, but refusing to obey.

In chapter 3 verses 6 through 12, misuse of the tongue. In chapter 3 verses 15 and 16, envying and strife, which is a summary of Satan's wisdom.

Chapter 4 verses 1 through 3, unanswered prayer.

And verse 4, love of the world. Intellectual assent to the truth, but not really with it.

Now we go back to chapter 1. James, a servant of God, a bond servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes, which are scattered abroad. You see the word church in here? It talks about obedience. It talks about faith. It talks about calling for the elders of the church. Doubtlessly, this is directed to the church universal. Now the Jews had been scattered abroad from the days of the judges. The Danites made shifts and took trips.

Of course, Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians, the tribes to the north. The Babylonians took Judah into captivity. Some returned, not all. So there were many diasporas that is scattering abroad of the Jews physically.

We want now to identify which James this is, because there's a lot of controversy with regard to which James of the Bible is this. According to tradition, it is James the Lord's brother. And so we're going to look at five men who are named James in the New Testament. Let's go first of all to Mark chapter 3. Mark chapter 3, and hopefully by the process of elimination, looking at the scriptures, we will identify the one, James the Lord's brother. In Mark chapter 3 and verse 17, Jesus selects his disciples, I mean his apostles. They are also disciples. And James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James. And he surnamed them Boanergies, which is by interpretation or translation the sons of thunder. So James and John are brothers. Peter, James, and John were the, I would call them, the three leading apostles in the early days of the church.

Now we go to Acts chapter 12. Time after time, it was Peter, James, and John. Peter, James, and John went to the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter, James, and John are mentioned in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter, James, and John are mentioned early on in the book of Acts.

We notice here with regard to this particular James in Acts chapter 12, because he was very prominent, and Herod was greatly persecuting the church in those early years, and he killed James. In Acts chapter 12 verse 1, now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church, and he killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. So this particular James did not write the epistle. One of the leading apostles in the early days of the church, the brother of John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, one of the sons of thunder was killed by Herod. Now we go to Luke 6 and verse 15. Luke 6 and verse 15 will identify another James in Luke chapter 6 and verse 15. Luke 6 verse 15, once again listing the 12 apostles at Jesus' name, Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus.

So James the son of Alphaeus. There are only a few references to this James and no evidence that he wrote the epistle. So we say he did not write the epistle.

Now we look at verse 16.

And Judas the brother of James and Judas is Cariot, which also was the traitor. And Judas the brother of James, and so there were two Judas, one is Cariot, and Judas the brother of James.

This is the only mention of this James. It is doubtful that he is the author of the epistle. Now we go to Mark chapter 15. Mark chapter 15. And see if you're taking a class for credit and you're going to be graded, A, B, C, D, and all of that.

It makes a lot of difference, doesn't it? If you're just sitting there knowing that you're not going to be tested on this, the only test you're going to have is in life. And the only real one who's going to be evaluating you in the sense is God and Christ. See, I will never know if you really master the book of James. The only way we know to some degree of what we master is, says, by their fruits you shall know them. To really master the Bible takes a lot of work.

I hope you realize how much work it takes to just do what we've done so far. To identify these various aspects. But when you put all of this together, and you get the real feel of what the Scripture is all about. In Mark chapter 15 and verse 40, there were also women looking on afar off. This is at the scene of crucifixion, Jesus Christ on the stake, among whom was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the Less. And the less means the younger, and of Joseph and Salome.

Now this is the only mention of James the Less. Now we go to Mark chapter 6 and verse 2.

And Mark chapter 6 and verse 2. Now the Catholic Church has done everything it can possibly do to try to refute that James is the Lord's brother, or anybody is the Lord's brother, or that he had sisters, because they tried to maintain the, quote, perpetual virginity of Mary. And it's amazing to read some of the arguments that they pose, trying to show that James the Lord's brother was really his cousin. That's what Jerome did. One of the early Church Fathers took off on this tangent of trying to prove that James, that is referred to here, was a cousin. So we're in Mark 6 and verse 2.

Mark 6 and verse 2.

And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From where has this man these things? Where did he get this? And what wisdom is this which is given unto him that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Jesus Christ didn't go to rabbinical school. He didn't go to the university.

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph, and of Judah and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. So here it calls the names of his brothers and says, And his sisters.

But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. So initially, his brothers and sisters were not with him at all. But at the crucifixion in John 19 25, they're standing there. We've read one scripture there about Jesus on the stake. We'll look at this one in John 19 25 that they were there. That is the family. His mother was there, and apparently some of the brothers and sisters were there as well in John 19 and verse 25.

Now they're stood by this cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophus, and Mary Magdalene. So his mother there, it is assumed also that some of the others were there with him as well. That is, of the family.

In Acts chapter 1, so this verse here indicates that his mother was a believer. Now we go to Acts chapter 1, and after Jesus Christ had ascended back to heaven in the first part of Acts chapter 1, Jesus told the disciples to go back to Jerusalem and to wait there. And apparently they were in the quote, the upper room, and we talked about the upper room recently in a sermon, to wait until they received power from on high, the Holy Spirit. So in Acts chapter 1 verse 13, and when they were come in, they went into the upper room where abode both Peter and James and John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew. Verse 14, I'm sorry, I've got to read all of this. And John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, the son of Alphaeus, Simon, and Judas, the brother of James. These all continued with one accord and prayer and supplication with all the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. Now that word, Greek word, that is translated brethren there can, and most often it is used for a literal descendant. It can apply to like, we are brethren in the faith, or we are brothers in the ethnic or national sense that you might use this. Virtually all the commentators will say and scholars that this is referring to Jesus's physical brothers, his family. So apparently they have now been converted. In 1 Corinthians 15 verse 7, in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 7, Paul gives here some evidence of those who saw Jesus Christ after his resurrection.

In 1 Corinthians 15 verse 4, and that he was buried and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that he was seen of more than 500 brethren at once. Here's where it's used, brethren it's used in the collective sense, of whom the greater part remained of this present.

But some are falling asleep. After that he was seen of James, then of all the apostles.

Now we go to Acts 12 in verse 3. So by the process of elimination it says that it seems that the only logical James to write this epistle, this controversy is still going on among scholars to this day of who wrote the epistle, but by far the majority conclude that it was James the Lord's brother. We're going to add some additional evidence to this.

In Acts chapter 12, we read the first two verses where James the brother of John had been killed by Herod. And in verse 1 says, Herod had set out to vex certain ones in the church, and he killed James. Now you come to verse 3, and because he saw it please the Jews, he provided further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread, and when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternarians of the soldiers to keep him, intending after Pasha, the old King James says Easter, the the Greek word is pasha, which should be translated passover, intending after Passover to bring him forth to the people. Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

And when Herod would have brought him forth, and really they were going to go through, it seems like sort of a mock trial the way they did Jesus, and turn him over to the people and for him maybe to be crucified or killed, but the night before he was to be brought forth, God supernaturally intervened, and he loosed the chains and all of that, and Peter was able to escape.

He went to the place where they had been praying and pouring their heart out to God that Peter might be released. But when Peter came, verse 13, and as Peter knocked on the door of the gate, a damsel came to Harken named Rhoda, and when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate, and they said unto her, You are mad!

But she constantly affirmed that it was so. Then they said, It is his angel. So they'd been praying for it, but they didn't really believe it would happen, I guess. But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Now this verse 17, But he beckoning unto them with a hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, and he said, Go, show these things unto James and to the brethren.

So Peter was anxious to get this to James, and this James is undoubtedly James the Lord's brother, because in verse 2, James, the brother of John, had been killed, and he departed and went into another place. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers what was become of Peter, because they like went to sleep, and Peter walked out of the prison.

Now we come to Acts 15, and the word had gone out, that is, the gospel had been preached to the Gentiles in different places. It had been revealed to Peter when he went to the house of Cornelius that the Gentiles should be grafted in as well and receive the Holy Spirit. And Paul and Barnabas had been preaching to the Gentiles and not requiring them to be circumcised, whereas the Jews were saying they need to be circumcised according to the law of Moses to be justified. So they held this big conference to settle this issue, and who presided over this conference? Presiding over this conference was in Acts 15, 13, and after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, "'Men and brethren, listen to me.' Simeon had declared how God at the first had visited the Gentiles and take out of them a people for his name," as in Acts 10, when he went to the house of Cornelius.

And to this agreed the words of the prophets as it is written, and I gave a sermon on this some time ago of building the tabernacle of David. After this, I will return here. James is quoting from Amos chapter 9, verses 7-8, long and there. After this, I will return. We'll build again the tabernacle of David, which the tabernacle of David in spiritual terms is the church, which has fallen down. I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up that the residue of men might seek after the Eternal in all the nations upon whom my name is called says the Eternal who does these things.

So James presided over the meeting and made the decision. In Galatians chapter 1 and verse 19, Paul talks about going up to Jerusalem that he makes sure that he was not running in vain, that what he was preaching was correct.

So he goes up to Jerusalem, and it's recorded here in Galatians 1 and verse 19, But other of the apostles saw I none save James the Lord's brother. So according to this, James was an apostle. None of the other apostles I saw except James the Lord's brother. Now you look at chapter 2, verse 6, But these who seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were, Makes no matter to me God, except so man's person, For they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.

Verse 9, And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, Perceived the grace which was given unto me, They gave to me in Barnamos the right hand of fellowship, That we should go unto the ethnos, which sometimes is translated Gentiles, Ornasians, and they unto the circumcision.

Verse 11, But when Peter was come to Antioch, and Antioch was up north, Antioch edged there of Syria, I would stood him face to face because he was to be blamed, For before that certain came from James, down at Jerusalem at headquarters. James was a devout Christian, but James also continued to keep the ceremonial law and go to the temple.

I repeated, so it's not a sin to do that. James did. And we'll see more about James. James is one of the most inspiring persons in church history.

But when certain came from James, the headquarters apostle, pastor general, if you will, He did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, He withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

In Acts 21, what I just said about James continuing in the Jewish tradition and going to the temple and all of that, we see this clearly here in Acts 21. When Paul came to Jerusalem, James implored him. James implored him to go through the Washington oblation so that the Jews would not blame him. So in Acts 21, verse 17, And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly, and the day following, Paul went in with us unto James, who is the, I would call it pastor general, the one who was presiding, maybe the presiding apostle, and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the nations by his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law. And they are informed of you that you teach all the Jews, which are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, seeing that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither walk after the customs. Well, I mean, why would James bring this up necessarily? Well, he wanted them not to attack Paul, and wanted Paul to remain in favor. They'd already made the decision.

Verse 22, What is there for the multitude must each come together, for they will hear that you are come. And of course, I guess when the multitude came together, you would have those who were not Christians as well. Do therefore this that we say to you, we have four men which have a vow on them. Them take, purify themselves, purify yourself with them, and be at charges with them that they may shave their heads, and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning you, are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly, and keep the law. And that is the ceremonial law at that point.

So it was not a sin. And of course, you can also go to 1 Corinthians, and here we get pretty deep, with regard to what Paul writes, that the onus is always on those who have knowledge. So if it's not a sin to do something, and if it will save others from being offended, then go ahead and do it.

So we see this in 1 Corinthians 8.

Meat sacrificed to idols. Some were not eating meat sacrificed to idols, because it violated their conscience. Paul came along and said, the meat is nothing, neither is the idol, but if I cause my brother to offend by eating meat, I'll not eat meat as long as the world stands. 1 Corinthians 8, verse 7, Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge, for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour, eat it as a thing offered unto an idol, and their conscience being weak is defile. But meat commends us not to God, for neither if we eat, or we not are we the better, or are we the worse. But take heed, lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes the stumbling block to them that are weak.

Verse 11, And through your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died. But when you sin so against the brethren, then Paul takes this all the way to sinning, and wounds their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat makes my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother to offend. So the onus is on those who have knowledge, and if it causes the brother to offend, don't do it.

Eusebius in Church history, Eusebius writes quite a history of, it's called Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius, and he talks about James.

Or he writes about James, and I'm going to read some of this.

But the Jews, after Paul had appealed to Caesar, and had been sent by Festus to Rome, frustrated in their hope of entraping him by the snares they had laid, turned themselves against James, the brother of the Lord, to whom the episcopal seat at Jerusalem was committed by the apostles. Once again, he was presiding there. The following were their nefarious measures, also against him. Conducting him into a public place, they demanded that he should renounce the faith of Christ before all the people. But contrary to the sentiments of all, with a firm voice and much beyond their expectation, he declared himself fully before the whole multitude and confessed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, our Savior and Lord. Unable to bear any longer the testimony of the man who on account of his elevated virtue and piety was deemed the most just of men, they seized the opportunity of licentiousness afforded by the prevailing anarchy and slew him.

Now, the account of exactly how they slew him— I'm reading now from William Barkley's commentary on the general epistles. So the aforesaid scribes and Pharisees set James on the pinnacle of the temple and called to him, O you the just, to whom we all ought to listen. Since the people is going astray after Jesus, the crucified, tell us what is the door of Jesus? And with a loud voice he answered, Why do you ask me concerning the Son of Man? He sits himself in heaven on the right hand of the great power, and shall come in the clouds of heaven. And when many were convinced and gave glory for the witness of James, and said, Hosanna to the Son of David, then again the same scribes and Pharisees said to one another, We were wrong to permit such a testimony to Jesus. But let us go up and cast him, that is James down, that through fear they may not believe on him. And they cried out, saying, Ho ho, even the just has gone astray. And they fulfilled the scriptures written in Isaiah, Let us away with the just, because he is troublesome to us. Therefore they shall eat the fruits of their doings. Accordingly they went up and cast the just down, and they said to one another, Let us stone James the just. They began to stone him, since he was not killed by the fall. But he turned and knelt down, saying, I beseech you, Lord God, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And so, as they were stoning him, one of the priests of the sons of Rakab, the son of Rechabim, mentioned by Jeremiah the prophet, cried out, saying, Stop! What are you doing? The just prays for you. And a certain one of them, one of the fullers, a laundryman, taking the club with which he pounds clothes, brought it down on the head of the just. So he suffered martyrdom, and they buried him there on the spot near the temple. A true witness has he become both the Jews and Greeks that Jesus is Christ, and immediately a vespatian besieges them.

So James died somewhere around 66 AD. Josephus says 62 AD, but the siege of Vespatius was 66 AD, and just before that, he was killed. You get somewhat of a flavor of this man. James, the Lord's brother, one of the greatest witnesses ever recorded with regard to what true Christianity, true faith, and courage, all of that is about. Now we go to James 1. James chapter 1. Hopefully we have somewhat of a feel of the epistle, somewhat of an acquaintance with the man.

The fact here, some criticize, some of the commentators say, well, if he was an apostle, why didn't he say, James, an apostle of God and Christ? Well, it shows his humility and him not claiming. Jude is also a brother of Jesus Christ, and if you look at how Jude begins his, you don't have to turn there. I can read it for you before you get there. In Jude, he begins, Jude, the servant, bond servant of Jesus Christ, brother of James, to them that are sanctified. And Jude identifies himself as a bond servant and a brother of James. They do not go out and say, oh, I am brother of Jesus Christ.

But some say, oh, well, if he weren't an apostle, he'd have said it there.

Verse 2, My brother encountered all joy, C-H-A-R-A, kara, one of the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5.22, when you fall into different trials, porasmos, P-I-R-A-S-M-O-S. To come to that point where you've encountered all joy when you fall into different trials, you are indeed going on to perfection. You are maturing in the faith, knowing—and the reason is, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. Now, this patience is not just a passive kind of thing. You endure it with patience, and during the time of enduring, you're doing everything you can. It's the saying of, you do everything you can as if it depends on you, and you pray and obey and do whatever you can as if it depends on God. And you notice the verse 4 that goes with it, but let patience have her perfect work. Let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire. And the word entire means whole, complete, wanting nothing.

Now, how can that be so?

The reason that can be so is that if you have come to this point, you know that whatever trial comes on you, that God will deliver you, no matter what the situation or the circumstance. So you endure it patiently during this period of time in which you're crying out to God and trying to resolve the trial to end or whatever it might be.

You're doing everything you can, and also at the same time, you're praying to God that it will work out. And you know that it will. Oh, your pleasure. Look at Ephesians chapter 6, the whole armor of God. In Ephesians chapter 6, we talk about the evils that are going on in this world today, and we see it so much. The violence in the world and all the things that are happening to the sons of men.

And basically, the world doesn't even admit that a devil exists in the demons. The devil doesn't make you do it, as we shall find out later in the epistle of James, but he can sure test and try you. And we read here in Ephesians 10, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness's world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So the devil is, to a large degree, orchestrating events. You know, before the end of this age, it says in Revelation 12, verse 10, that the accuser of the brethren is cast down. He goes out with great fury. Verse 11 talks about, And they overcame him by the word of their testimony, and by the blood of Jesus, And they loved not their lives until the death. Satan goes about trying to destroy the church of God.

You look at verse 16, Above all, taking the shield of faith, Wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Now, how is that so? Once again, if you have this shield of faith, knowing and know that you know that no matter what happens, God is going to deliver you, whatever that trial is, you'll bear it patiently, you'll be whole, you'll be complete, wanting nothing, and the devil cannot get a toehold on you. See, the four great enemies of faith are ever there to war against you. And we're going to turn to each one of these. The four great enemies of faith, and they all feed off one another, in Matthew 6, Matthew 6, and verse 30.

Jesus Christ talks about, in verse 25, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or drink or put on your body. He talks about how he clothes the fowls of the air, the lilies of the field.

Verse 30, Wherefore if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, tomorrow is cast into the oven, just a very temporary life existence, but yet God is aware of his creation, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith.

So he concludes, verse 34, Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought of the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is evil thereof.

What to do? Verse 33, Seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you. So anxious care, wondering whether or not God will deliver. But if you know and know that you know, and you have on the shield of faith, you can bear it patiently, and patience can have its perfect work. You'll behold, entire, wanting nothing. My brethren counted all joy when you were tested in this way. Matthew 8. Matthew 8, verse 23, Second Enemy, And when he was entered into his ship, his disciples followed him, and behold, there was a great tempest in the sea. And so much that the ship was covered with waves, but he was asleep. And when his disciples came to him and woke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish. And he said unto them, Why are you fearful? O ye of little faith, so fear. It says in Revelation 21 that the fearful are outside of the new Jerusalem. Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. In Matthew 14, the third great enemy of faith, Matthew 14, verse 22, Matthew 14, 22, And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples, urged them, pushed them, shoved them, whatever, get in the ship and go to the other side. He sent them altitudes away. And when he had sent them altitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray. And when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves. For the wind was contrary, angry. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the water. And when the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit. And they cried for fear. But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. Peter answered and said, Lord, if it be you, bid me come unto you on the water. And he said, Come. When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. He walked on the water. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt? Anxious care, fear, doubt. And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

Now in Matthew 16, the fourth grade enemy, verse 5, And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Of course, Jesus was speaking spiritually, and he was talking about spiritual leaven. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. And when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, Oh, ye of little faith, why reason you among yourselves, because you brought no bread? So human reasoning apart from God, anxious care, fear, doubt, human reasoning, they all feed off each other. Now James is saying, which go back there now, when you are in a trial, let patience have its perfect work, that you may be whole, entire, wanting nothing.

And that word wanting, better translated, the Greek word is leopo, L-E-I-P-O, means lacking. Lacking nothing. You are whole, you are entire, you are complete, you are at peace, you like nothing.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, gives to all men liberally, and abrades not, and it shall be given him. A lot of people talk about how that James draws a good bit from the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs 8, wisdom is personified.

If you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. There is wisdom from above, and there is wisdom of this world. They are also contrasted in James 3. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering. The word wavering here means doubting, nothing doubting. Don't separate, don't be double-minded. Well, maybe he will, maybe won't.

But let him ask in faith nothing wavering, for he that wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed.

For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

So if we have on the whole armor of God, if we have above all things, take the shield of faith, we will be able to withstand whatever the devil can throw at us. Maybe eventually, all of us can come to the point—I know I haven't fully come to the point of verse 2—of counting it all joy when you fall into different trials.

In some ways, I'm a crybaby, and I won't out quit.

And I would imagine a lot of us do. And on the other hand, God doesn't want us to be wallowing in our sorrows or trials and continually having a pity party. So coming to the maturity that James is talking about here, you can begin to see that this is the meat of the Word. So we have a start here on the book of James. We have learned a good bit about the author himself. We have done an overview. In some ways, we have said the theme is going on to perfection through faith. We have seen some of the keys of going on to perfection. We're going to discuss those as we're beginning here. We have gone to some of the verses that compares and contrasts intellectual assent versus true faith and belief. Hallmark verse is, the devils believe and tremble. But know you, O vain man, don't you know that faith that works is dead.

So we have a start here on the book of James. There's a lot here. And in the interim, of course, this is April. We'll be back in here in May. So I hope we will really begin to focus now on going on to perfection through faith. And as we go through these general epistles, if we can internalize what's in here, I guarantee you we will be ready for anything that the devil can throw at us because we will have the spiritual weapons to stand and defeat anything that he can send our way.