Workers
For Jesus Online Bible Study
The Book of James
Timeline of the Bible
God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood,
but saves Noah and his family.--- God chooses Abraham and his
descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons
who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in
Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan.
---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges
lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead
of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides
into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.--- The people of Israel and Judah
continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians
and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and
Judah.--- The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia.--- When Persia defeats the
Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's
Temple in Jerusalem again.---
Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called
Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans
take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins
his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A
Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.---
►Christianity spreads. ---
◄This
book of the Bible happens during this timePaul write letters to Christians in other
places.In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed
again.
People who study the Bible feel that 7 different men named
James could have written this letter. But most of them feel
that this James was the half-brother of Jesus. He was not a follower
of Jesus until after Jesus' resurrection. Bible scholars feel
that James was writing to Jewish Christians before 62 A.D. According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, James was killed
by stoning in 62 A.D. The Book of James gives practical advice for Christian
behavior.
James 1 - 5
Our faith is tested in times of trouble.
When we pray, we should ask God in faith.
We should hear God's word and obey it.
Christians should treat rich and poor people the same.
The most important law in the scriptures - love others as you love
yourself.
If you break one of God's laws, you break them all.
A person with faith does good deeds and has good behavior.
Faith is dead if it does not produce good works.
It is important to control the tongue and not say bad things.
Peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and will harvest justice.
Do not brag about what will happen tomorrow. Our lives can
disappear very fast.
James 1
Wisdom and faith
This letter is
from James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. The letter is for the
12 tribes of Israel that are scattered in all parts of the world. I, James,
send greetings. [1] James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve
tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brothers, when you have a
lot of temptations, you should be happy. When your faith is tested, you grow
more patience. [2] My brethren, count it
all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that
the trying of your faith worketh patience. If you continue to be patient,
you will grow as a Christian and have perfect peace. [4] But let patience have
her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
If any of you are not wise, ask God for
wisdom. God gives many gifts to all men. He will not be angry with you for
asking. He will give you wisdom. [5]
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Everyone should pray to God and
have strong faith. If faith is not strong, it is weak like a wave in the ocean
that the wind controls. [6] But let him ask in
faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed. A person with weak faith should not expect anything
from God. A man who has weak faith is not stable and strong. [7] For let not that man think that he shall
receive any thing of the Lord. [8] A double minded man is unstable in
all his ways.
Poor people and rich people.
Poor people should feel blessed by God. Rich people
will become low. They will fade like wildflowers that wilt when the sun comes
up. [9] Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is
exalted: [10] But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the
flower of the grass he shall pass away. [11] For the sun is no sooner
risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof
falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich
man fade away in his ways.
Temptation and sin
People who go through
suffering and continue to have faith
will be blessed. They will receive the crown of life that God promises to
everyone who loves Him. [12] Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Don't ever say that God tempts
you. God cannot be tempted, and He cannot tempt you with evil. You should
not tempt anyone else either. [13] Let no man say when he
is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man: We are tempted by our own evil desires. If we do not
say no to temptation, we will sin. The punishment for sin is death. [14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn
away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived,
it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
This is true: every good and perfect gift comes
from God above, the father of lights. He doesn't change. He is always
good. He made us with His true word. We are his special creations. [16]
Do not err, my beloved brethren. [17] Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. [18] Of his own will
begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of
his creatures.
We must listen and obey God. So, my loved ones, everyone
should listen before they talk. You should be slow to get mad. If you are
mad, you cannot do God's work. [19] Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: [20] For the wrath of man
worketh not the righteousness of God. Don't be filthy sinners. Be meek and good. You will
receive God's word that can save your souls. [21] Wherefore lay apart all
filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the
engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Don't just hear God's word. Do
what God's word says to do. If you just hear God's word and don't do anything
that He
says, you are like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. He sees
himself and then walks away. He forgets what he looks like. [22] But be ye doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. [23] For
if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding
his natural face in a glass: [24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth
his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But, if you look at God's
perfect laws, you won't forget them. You will do what they say to do. [25]
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he
being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed
in his deed. If
any of you pretends to obey God, but says bad words, he is only fooling himself.
His religion is for nothing. [26] If any man among you seem to be religious, and
bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is
vain. Anyone
who has true faith and is not a sinner will keep clean in the dirty world.
They will help orphans and widows. [27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is
this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world.
James 2
Treat all people well.
My brothers, if you have faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, you must treat all people fairly. [1] My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory, with respect of persons.
Maybe two men come to your meetings. One man is rich and wears gold and fancy
clothes. The other man is poor and wears old clothing. [2] For if there come unto your
assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a
poor man in vile raiment; You might tell the rich man to sit in a good place,
but you tell the poor man to stand up or sit in a bad place under your feet. [3] And ye have respect to him that weareth
the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to
the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: If you do that, you are not
being fair. You are judging people with your evil thoughts. [4] Are ye
not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Listen to me, my
beloved brothers. God has given rich faith to poor people. They will inherit
God's kingdom that He has promised to the people who love him. [5]
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in
faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? [6] But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw
you before the judgment seats? Don't the rich people talk bad about Jesus? [7] Do not they blaspheme that worthy
name by the which ye are called?
You will do well if you obey this law from the
scripture: Love your neighbor like you love yourself. If you treat some people
better than other people, you have broken the law and sinned against God. [8] If ye fulfil the royal law
according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do
well: [9] But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are
convinced of the law as transgressors. You might obey most of the laws, but break one law.
That means you are guilty of breaking them all. [10] For whosoever shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. A person may say it is wrong
to commit adultery and wrong to kill. If he kills someone else, he is also
guilty of adultery. He is guilty of
breaking the whole law. He is guilty of breaking the whole law even if he does
not break any other laws. [11]
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou
commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. Speak and act like
someone who will be judged by Jesus' law of freedom, not condemned by the old
laws. Mercy will be shown to
people who have been merciful. Mercy is more important than judgment. [12] So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of
liberty. [13] For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath
shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
It is important to show faith
by doing good work.
My brothers, what good is it if a man says he
believes in God, but doesn't do anything good. Can he be saved by faith by
itself? [14] What doth
it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can
faith save him?
Someone might be hungry and doesn't have clothes to
wear. One of you might tell them to go in peace, but you don't give them
any food or new clothes. What good is that? [15] If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of
daily food, [16] And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye
warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are
needful to the body; what doth it profit? Faith without works is dead
faith.
It is no good to say you have faith but you don't do anything to show your
faith. [17] Even so faith, if it
hath not works, is dead, being alone.
A man might say that you have
faith and he has works. He wants you to show your faith without good works, and
he will show you his faith with good works. [18] Yea, a man may say, Thou
hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will
shew thee my faith by my works. You believe there is one God. That is good, but
even the devil and his demons believe there is one God. They shake with fear. [19] Thou believest that there is one
God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. You worthless man, don't you
know that faith without works is dead? [20] But
wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Back in Genesis 22, God asked Abraham to
sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar.
God spoke to
Abraham one day. He told Abraham to take Isaac and travel to the
mountains in the area of Moriah. God told Abraham that he was to kill
Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering (burn him on an altar as a gift
to God). Abraham took Isaac, and they traveled to Moriah as God had told
him to do.
Abraham got everything ready for making a sacrifice.
Isaac asked him where the lamb to be sacrificed was. Abraham told him
that God would provide the lamb.
Abraham put Isaac
on the altar and was getting ready to kill him. But an angel of the
Lord told him to stop. This had been a test by God to see if Abraham
would obey him totally without asking questions.
Abraham's faith became real when he
made Isaac an offering on the altar.
[21] Was
not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son
upon the altar? Do you see how his action showed his faith. His
action made his faith perfect. [22] Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and
by works was faith made perfect?
Rahab
was a prostitute who lived in the city of Jericho. She helped the
Israelites when they were getting ready to attack the city of Jericho.
She hid the Israelite spies. This was in Joshua 2.
That showed that the scripture was true. The
scripture said that Abraham believed God, and his faith made his righteous and
good. He
was called the Friend of God. [23] And the scripture was fulfilled
which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. You can see how action
shows a man's faith. It is not just faith by itself. [24] Ye see then
how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Also, Rahab the prostitute showed her faith with
actions. [25]
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received
the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
A body that doesn't have the
spirit in it is dead. In the same way, faith with no works is dead, too. [26] For as the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 3
The power of words
My brothers, don't all try to be teachers.
Teachers will be judged harder. [1] My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the
greater condemnation. Many times, we do things that hurt others. A man who
can learn to control his words and his tongue is a perfect man. He can learn to
control all of his actions. [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. You know
that we put bits in horses' mouths to make them obey us. We can turn the whole
horse around if there is a bit. [3] Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may
obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Even big ships are controlled
by a small rudder even if they are very big and hard winds are blowing to push them. [4] Behold also the
ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are
they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even though the
tongue is little, it can do very big things. Look how even a little fire can
make a big fire. [5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! The tongue is a fire. It is
small compared to other parts of the body. But the tongue can make the whole
body dirty and cause big trouble. [6] And the tongue
is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it
defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set
on fire of hell. Every animal, bird, and fish can be tamed by man. But
the tongue has never been tamed. People say bad words that are evil and full of
poison. [7] For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of
serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: [8] But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly
poison.
With our mouths, we bless God the Father. With the same mouths, we curse other
people who are made in the image of God. The same mouths say blessings and
curses. My brothers, it should not be like this. [9] Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith
curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. [10] Out of
the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought
not so to be.
Can a fountain put out sweet water the same time as bitter water? Can a fig tree
make olives? Can grape vines produce figs? No fountain can put out salt water and
fresh water. [11] Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet
water and bitter? [12] Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive
berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and
fresh.
Are you a
wise man? Show your wisdom by doing good works without bragging. [13] Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let
him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. If you are feeling
bitterness and hate, don't tell other people how good you are. You are just tryting
to make yourself look good. [14]
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not
against the truth. Trying to do that is not from heaven. That action is
from the devil. [15] This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is
earthly, sensual, devilish. Feeling jealouy and hate will make confusing and
evil work. [16] For where envying and strife is,
there is confusion and every evil work. Wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, peaceful,
gentle, and full of mercy. It will have good actions that are true and fair. [17] But the wisdom that is
from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full
of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Peaceful people
will do good things that make peace. [18]
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 4
Selfishness and greed cause fighting.
Where does
fighting with each other come from? Fighting and wars come from people who want
to be selfish and take everything. [1] From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence,
even of your lusts that war in your members?
You want something you don't
have and can't get. You fight a war and kill other people. But you still
can't have what you want. You did not ask for it. [2] Ye lust, and have
not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye
have not, because ye ask not. You ask God for things, but you don't receive what you
want. That is because you ask for the wrong things. You ask for selfish things. [3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye
ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
God's spirit is in us.
You people who commit
adultery, don't you see this is wrong? If you are friends of the world and do
sinful things, this makes you an enemy of God. [4] Ye adulterers
and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with
God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Don't you believe
the scripture that says we have God's spirit in us and that God wants to be
faithful to Him? [5]
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us
lusteth to envy? God gives more grace. He says that God is against
people who brag on themselves. He gives grace to the humble people. [6] But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Obey God. Do not obey the
devil. The devil will leave you alone if you do not obey him. [7] Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Keep close to God,
and He will keep close to you. Sinners, clean your hands. Make up your minds and
make your hearts pure. [8]
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be sad and cry instead of
laughing. Joy will turn to sadness. [9] Be afflicted, and mourn,
and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Be humble to God,
and He will lift you up. [10] Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you
up.
Obeying God's laws.
My
brothers, don't say bad things about other people. If you talk bad about others
and the law, you are judging the law. You are not obeying the law if you
are judging the law. [11] Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh
evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and
judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but
a judge. There
is only One who gives the laws. He is the only One who can save and who can
destroy. Who are you to judge other people? [12] There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to
destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
You might say that you know what you're going to do tomorrow or the
next day or the next year. But, you don't know if you will be alive
tomorrow. Our lives are like vapors. We are here and then gone fast. [13] Go to now, ye that
say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year,
and buy and sell, and get gain: [14] Whereas ye know not what shall be
on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a
little time, and then vanisheth away. You should say what you will do in the future if it is
the Lord's will. [15] For that ye ought to say,
If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. Bragging is evil. If you
know what is right and don't do what is right, it is sin. [16] But now ye
rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. [17] Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
James 5
Warning to rich men You rich men, cry
and howl because bad things will happen to you. [1] Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall
come upon you.
Your money makes you bad. Your clothes are eaten by moths. [2] Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are
motheaten. Your
gold and silver is diseased. They will rust and will eat your flesh like fire.
You have kept saving up your money in the last days. [3] Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them
shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye
have heaped treasure together for the last days. You haven't been paying the
men who worked in your fields. They have cried, and the Lord has heard
them. [4] Behold, the hire
of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by
fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears
of the Lord of sabaoth. While you have lived here on the earth, you have taken
everything you wanted. You have condemmed and killed good people who did not
fight back against you. [5] Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth,
and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. [6]
Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Be patient and wait for the Lord to
return.
Brothers, be patient while you wait for the Lord to come back. Farmers are
patient watching for their crops to grow. They are patient and wait for the
rain. [7]
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience
for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. You should also be patient.
The day that the Lord comes back is coming soon. [8] Be ye also
patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Don't be mad at
one another, brothers, or you will be condemned. See, the judge stands by
the door. [9]
Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the
judge standeth before the door. The prophets are good examples of having patience
during bad times. [10] Take, my brethren, the prophets,
who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction,
and of patience. People who are patient will be happy. You have heard
about how Job was patient during his bad times. In the end, the Lord was
merciful and had pity on him. [11] Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye
have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the
Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Do not swear. Honor your word.
My brothers, this is most
important. Do not swear by heaven or earth. Do not swear or take an oath. Let
your yes mean yes and your no mean no. If you don't, you may be
condemned. [12] But above all things,
my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any
other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into
condemnation.
Pray for sick people.
Are any of you suffering? You should pray for help. Are any of you
happy? You should sing praise songs. [13] Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any
merry? let him sing psalms. Are any of you sick? You should call for the leaders
of the church. They should pray over you and put special holy oil on you
in the name of the Lord. [14] Is any sick among you? let him call
for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord: Prayers by faithful people will save sick people. The
Lord will raise them up. If any have sinned, the Lord will forgive his sins. [15] 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. Confess your faults to one another. Pray for one
another so that you will be healed. Prayers by a strong Christian will do
a lot of good. [16] Confess your faults one to another, and pray one
for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous
man availeth much. Elias (Elijah) was a strong believer. He prayed for it
not to rain. It did not rain ont the earth for 4 years and 6 months. [17] Elias was a man subject to like passions as we
are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the
earth by the space of three years and six months. Elias prayed again, and it
started raining. The food grew on the earth. [18] And he prayed
again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Brothers, if any
of you are sinning and another person converts you, let him know that he
has saved your soul from death. You will live forever because all of your sins
will be forgiven. [19]
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; [20]
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way
shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
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