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CHAPTER 1
Lesson One
OVERVIEW
If you are like most people when you receive an important letter, you probably read it straight through first to see what the writer has to say in general. After that, you may go back to examine particular sections more closely. This is just the way to study a biblical letter. In this lesson, you'll take a broad overview of James's epistle to lay the groundwork for detailed study in future lessons.
1. James is an elder of the church in Jerusalem, a man who knew Jesus well during His earthly life and who saw Him after His resurrection. As a Christian in some distant province of the Roman Empire, you have probably never met James. Still, he cares enough about you to send some of the truths he thinks are crucial to Christian life. Read his letter through at one sitting. If possible, read it twice in different translations. Say some of it aloud to hear how it sounds. You may want to keep questions 2 through 6 in mind as you read, but wait until afterward to write answers.
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2. What are your first impressions of this book? (For instance, how is it organized — tightly, loosely, with one unifying theme, without connections between topics ...? What is James's tone — humorous, harsh, friendly, dry, passionate, humble, arrogant, authoritative? How does he feel about his readers and his topics?)
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3. Repetition is a clue to the ideas a writer wants to emphasize. What words and ideas does James repeat?
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4. Think of a short phrase or sentence that can serve as a title for each section of the letter. (The divisions below are suggestions. Feel free to change them.)
1:1 _____________________________________________
1:2-18 __________________________________________
1:19-27 _________________________________________
2:1-13 __________________________________________
2:14-26 _________________________________________
3:1-12 __________________________________________
3:13-18 _________________________________________
4:1-10 __________________________________________
4:11-12 _________________________________________
4:13-17 __________________________________________
5:1-6 ___________________________________________
5:7-12 __________________________________________
5:13-20 _________________________________________
5. How would you describe James's purpose(s) for writing this letter? (Is he teaching doctrine, exhorting someone to action, giving warnings or rebukes, telling about himself, offering personal comfort or encouragement ...?)
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6. Some people find no single theme in this letter, while others do see a theme running through all his words. What phrase or sentence would you use to summarize what James is saying?
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7. If you haven't already read the Introduction on pages 9–12, do so now.
8. After reading the letter and the Introduction, what are some of the questions that you would like to have answered as you delve more deeply into James's epistle? (Your questions can serve as personal objectives for your study.)
9. Did your overview of James suggest any areas of your life that you want to work on during this study? If so, jot them down, along with any plans you already have to deal with them. Take each one to God in prayer, asking Him to show you His priorities for your application and to give you His strength to become what He desires. If any of James's words have convicted you, confess your failings to God.
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For the group
This "For the group" section and the ones in later lessons are intended to suggest ways of structuring your discussions. Feel free to select what suits your group and ignore the rest. The main goals of this lesson are to get to know James's letter as a whole and the people with whom you are going to study it.
Worship. Some groups like to begin with prayer and/or singing. Some share requests for prayer at the beginning, but leave the actual prayer until after the study. Others prefer just to chat and have refreshments for a while and then move to the study, leaving worship until the end. It is a good idea to start with at least a brief prayer for the Holy Spirit's guidance and some silence to help everyone change focus from the day's business to the Scripture.
Warm-up. The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, to get comfortable with each other, and to encourage a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each group member hopes to get out of your group — out of your study of James, and out of any prayer, singing, sharing, outreach, or anything else you might do together. Why do you want to study the Bible, and James in particular? If you have someone write down each member's hopes and expectations, then you can look back at these goals later to see if they are being met. Allow about fifteen minutes for this discussion so that it does not degenerate into vague chatting.
How to use this study. If the group has never used a LifeChange study guide before, you might take a whole meeting to get acquainted, discuss your goals, and go over the "How to Use This Study" section on pages 5–8. Then you can take a second meeting to discuss the overview. This will assure that everyone understands the study and will give you more time to read all of James and answer the overview questions.
Go over the parts of the "How to Use This Study" section that you think the group should especially notice. For example, point out the optional questions in the margins. These are available as group discussion questions, ideas for application, and suggestions for further study. It is unlikely that anyone will have the time or desire to answer all the optional questions. A person might do one "Optional Application" for any given lesson. You might choose one or two "For Thought and Discussions" for your group discussion, or you might spend all your time on the numbered questions. If someone wants to write answers to the optional questions, suggest that he or she use a separate notebook. It will also be helpful for discussion notes, prayer requests, answers to prayers, application plans, and so on.
Invite everyone to ask questions about how to use the study guide and how your discussions will go.
Reading. It is often helpful to refresh everyone's memory by reading the passage aloud before discussing the questions. Reading all of James may take some time, but the effort will be rewarded. Have a different person read each chapter, using the tone of voice he or she thinks James would have used. Try to make the letter sound like a living person talking.
First impressions. If members don't understand question 2, ask how James's letter is like and unlike ones they write, or like and unlike a sermon, advice from a father, an essay, one of Paul's letters, and so on. Some aspects of style that you might draw attention to are:
1. Picture words ("like a wave of the sea," "like a wild flower," "ships," "a great forest is set on fire," etc.) rather than abstract words (such as "faithless" or "brief")
2. Lots of commands and exhortations stated in simple, blunt sentences
3. A tone of authority
4. James's affection for his readers ("brothers and sisters," "dear brothers and sisters")
The character of the author is an important part of understanding a letter. Ask someone to tell what he or she knows about James and the circumstances in which he was probably writing.
Some people dislike to give any attention to the human author of inspired Scripture because this seems to denigrate its divine authority. If necessary, explain that this series takes the view that just as Jesus was fully God and fully Man, so the books of the Bible are eternal messages from the Spirit of God and messages from particular men in particular times and places. Just as Jesus' humanity and divinity are both essential to His mission and nature, so the humanity and divinity of the biblical books are both important. When we discuss James as the writer of this letter, we are in no way denying divine inspiration.
Compare your answers to questions 3 through 6. You might also look together at some outlines of James in study Bibles or commentaries. Remember that there is no one right way to title a passage.
Questions. Give everyone a chance to share questions about the Introduction and the letter. It is good to clear up any confusion as early as possible. However, don't answer any questions that deal with specific passages. Write those down and let the group answer them when you get to the passages.
Application. If application is new to some group members, you might make up some sample applications together. Choose a paragraph or verse and think of how it is relevant to you and some specific things you could each do about it. Share your answers to question 9. If there is real confusion about application, see the Study Skill on page 40.
Wrap-up. The group leader should have read lesson two and its "For the group" section. At this point, he or she might give a short summary of what members can expect in that lesson and the coming meeting. This is a chance to whet everyone's appetite, assign any optional questions, omit any numbered questions, or forewarn members of possible difficulties.
Encourage any members who found the overview especially difficult. Some people are better at seeing the big picture than others. Some are best at analyzing a particular verse or paragraph, while others are strongest at seeing how a passage applies to their lives. Urge members to give thanks for their own and others' strengths, and to give and request help when needed. The group is a place to learn from each other. Later lessons will draw on the gifts of close analyzers as well as overviewers and appliers, practical as well as theological thinkers.
Worship. Many groups like to end with singing and/ or prayer. This can include songs and prayers that respond to what you've learned in James or prayers for specific needs of group members. Some people are shy about sharing personal needs or praying aloud in groups, especially before they know the other people well. If this is true of your group, then a song and/or some silent prayer and a short closing prayer spoken by the leader might be an appropriate end. You could also share requests and pray in pairs.
Study Skill — Overviews
You will probably find overviews enormously helpful when you study books of the Bible on your own. You can use this lesson as a model for your own overviews. Include the following steps:
1. Read the whole book at least once, preferably at one sitting. (This may be hard with long books.)
2. Jot down your first impressions, such as the author's tone of voice, his attitudes toward his readers and himself, how he organizes his message, and how he presents his message (stories, pictures, instructions, descriptions of people or events, poetry, logical reasoning, etc.).
3. Sketch a broad outline of the book by giving titles to major sections. (You can compare your titles to those in some study Bibles, handbooks, and commentaries.)
4. Write down as many repeated words and ideas as you can find. (Of course, don't bother with words like the or and.)
5. Decide what you think is the author's purpose for writing.
6. State what you think are the themes of the book — the main ideas that the author is trying to get across.
Study Skill — Application
In 1:22 James writes, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." In other words, application is an essential part of Bible study. Every lesson of this study contains both "Optional Applications" in the margins and at least one open-ended application question after the interpretation questions. Application will often require some time for thought, prayer, planning, and action. You may want to discuss the passage with someone else to help you decide how to apply it. You'll be looking for specific ways to do what God's Word says.
Some questions to ask yourself are "What difference should this passage make to my life? How should it make me want to think or act?" At times, you may find it most productive to concentrate on one application, giving it careful thought, prayer, and effort during the week. At other times, you may want to list many implications a passage has for your life, plan to memorize and meditate on the passage during the week, and look for ways to apply it. Choose whatever strategy is most fruitful.
Don't neglect prayer. As John 15:1-5 points out, you can't do what the Word says unless you are living intimately with Christ and drawing on His power. Go to God for guidance about what to apply and how, for strength to do what He says, for forgiveness when you fail, and for thanksgiving when you succeed.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "James"
by .
Copyright © 2009 The Navigators.
Excerpted by permission of NavPress.
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