Who was James?
There are 4 “James” in the New Testament and 2 of them are among the 12.
James’ Use of the Old Testament
The New Testament is our divinely inspired commentary on the Old Testament. When studying a passage, it’s often helpful to see how other biblical authors understood it. Here is James’ use of the Old Testament in his letter.
James Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study
James: The Gospel in Shoe Leather
If I could sum up James, in one verse, it would be Luke 6:46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” The central question of the book of James is: Are you living what you claim to believe?
Prayer and rain: Does God answer prayer?
Why should I have confidence that God answers my prayers? According to James, I have confidence that my prayers will be answered because of who is answering my prayer, not because my prayer is perfect, powerful or articulate.
12 What James Really Teaches About Prayer, Spiritual Weakness, and Healing (James 5:12-20)
The main theme of James is that faith devoid of works is not real faith and won’t save anyone. The Reformers used the language: “we are justified by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone.” Faith that is alone is one devoid of works.
11 How James Warns the Rich and Encourages the Suffering (James 5:1-11)
In 5:1-11, James begins the conclusion of the book which is a call to repentance. As he calls for repentance, he returns to his 2 main examples of the kind of change repentance should bring about in our lives. Our speech and they way we handle wealth.
Questioning desire
Desires play a key role in the life of faith. The question is how we handle our desires and whether we are willing to listen to what God says about them.
10 Draw Near to God (James 4:7-17)
Fights and quarrels among believers are symptoms of a deeper problem of leaning on earthly wisdom rather than seeking God’s wisdom.
09 What Causes Fights Among You? (James 3:13-4:6)
Operating with earthly wisdom comes easy and naturally to us. We have to seek God to gain godly wisdom. How, then, do we gain it?
08 Should You Be a Bible Teacher? James on Motives, Maturity, and the Tongue (James 3:1-12)
Since Bible teachers presume to explain the word of God to others, James warns them to seriously consider the responsibility before seeking the job.
07 What James Means by ‘Justified by Works and Not by Faith Alone’ (James 2:21-26)
James 2:21-26 is the second half of the “problem” passage where it appears that the Apostles James and Paul disagree about how we are justified. The key to resolving the apparent contradiction is context. James and Paul are addressing two different questions.
About the Author
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.