by R. Fawkes

Created on: June 22, 2007

The Epistle of James has long been renowned as a book of mere do's and don'ts regarding Christianity. With over sixty imperatives in its petite real estate, it's not difficult to understand why so many have come to this conclusion. However, when taken hand in hand with the letters from Paul, the book of James enables us to better understand our freedoms in Christ while at the same time defining our lives as proper Christians. Covering topics ranging from legalism and partiality to determining the real source of evil, James' epistle is an all-around handbook to the Christian life the way it should be lived out. Not surprisingly, however, misunderstandings and misinterpretations abound, especially when it comes to living out one's faith. Through the book of James, we will discredit, demystify, and deflate common perceptions surrounding this epistle as well as inquire into how our lives really should be lived as Christians.

Some little-known facts about the life of James give us some insight into his epistle. One surprising truth is the relationship of James to Jesus Christ; they were half brothers, but James did not believe Jesus was the Christ until after His resurrection. Consequently, he became one of the strongest and most devoted followers, later becoming the leader of the Jerusalem church and earning the respect of the Apostle Paul. Lies and mysteries surround the legend of James, but this much we know for certain: his epistle was written no later than 62 A.D., contrary to popular opinion that it was penned in the early second century, because he was martyred by King Herod in 62 A.D. Obviously, this makes it difficult to date his epistle as being written any later. Another common misconception involves James versus Paul. James' epistle stresses works through faith in the life of Christian so much that it seems to contradict Paul's letters, which focus more on salvation by grace and not works. The proper approach, of course, is to realize that Paul's epistles oftentimes define the life of a new Christian, and James steps the faith up ten steps further. He makes the assertion that faith without works is dead, thus reasoning that if you can't see Jesus in the life of a so-called Christian, perhaps He isn't there at all. So it's time for self-examination as we delve into the book of James to find what sincere faith is really all about.

Any Christian who believes he or she has all the faith they need hasn't read the book of James. Unlike Paul, whose introductions

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