The book of James (June 2023)

The teaching of James very closely reflects key aspects of the Sermon on the Mount.  As the leader of the Jerusalem church, James wasn’t so much teaching or explaining new theological concepts as he was reminding these early believers of truths they already knew from the teachings of Jesus Himself and the apostles and getting into their business a little with his upfront, to the point style of writing. 

A central theme to James is this idea of “perfection”, a word that is used 6 times in the book and is also translated as “mature” and “complete”.  His point is that God wants us to live whole lives of integrity, where what we believe and adhere to as follower of Jesus and the Word of God is completely reflected in our actions.  He warns against being “double minded” or literally, “double-souled” two different times. (James 1:8 & James 4:8)