This project is dedicated to my loving wife, Rachel, who models the characteristics of biblical womanhood and is a constant source of encouragement and support. NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary PNTC Pillar New Testament Commentary. SBJT Southern Baptist Journal of Theology TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentary WBC Word Biblical Commentary.
James' clear reliance on the wisdom literature, along with his integration of Jesus' teaching into short applicable words of truth, challenged me as I continued to pursue the Lord. It is for these reasons that James' letter was the centerpiece of this project. My parents, Kermit and Virginia Kinsley, faithfully modeled a life for the Lord Jesus.
I am also grateful to the staff and elders of Faith Bible Church who gave me the financial support and encouragement I needed to complete this project. Being part of a church that values the gospel and the proclamation of God's Word has been one of the greatest blessings of my life.
INTRODUCTION
This is where biblical theology plays an important role in the preaching of God's Word - it is the bridge between the historical, systematic and applied worlds of the Bible. It is assumed that faith is the starting and ending point of God's work in the life of the individual, while James actually tells us otherwise. However, both agree that there are many allusions to the letter of James in the works of the early church fathers.
The believers are then encouraged to bring life with their tongues, as evidenced by the life-giving power of the Word of God. Man cannot serve the prince of this world (John 14:30; 2 Cor 4:4) while at the same time paying homage to the Lord of the universe. James tells his readers that the direct result of trials and endurance is the perfection of the believer.
When James wants to talk about the Old Testament law (or one of its commandments) he simply uses νόµος. The tongue is often compared to a catastrophic fire in the writings of wisdom literature. To summarize this further, a friend of the world is also one who strives to find fulfillment in the things of this earth.
This leads James to his direct condemnation of the ambiguous friend of the world. Calling God's people "adulterers" is not unusual in the biblical text and is often found in the message of the major and minor prophets. The apostle John writes similarly: "For everything that is in the world - the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life -.
21 The author of Proverbs points out that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 9:10). However, James is not alone in elevating the position of the one who mourns. Meanwhile, believers should wait patiently for the Lord's compassion and mercy.
James, along with the other New Testament writers, uses the Greek word παρουσία (parousia) to designate the Lord's second coming. McCartney, the term is generally used in the Greek language outside of the Bible to refer to. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), sv.
This can be clearly seen in the desert journey of the Israelites after they fled from Egypt.12 As God's people.
CONCLUSION
While James was the first epistle of the New Testament to be written, this does not mean that he is without influence from other New Testament sources. As a discourse on Kingdom life, Jesus' sermon laid the groundwork for James' further elaboration on what it looks like for a believer to allow their faith to influence the way they live in the world around them. From the way one speaks to the way one acts, Christ has called believers to a new life of Kingdom living to the glory of God.
While it may be easy for a believer to accept their faith, a faith that is adopted and not lived out is ultimately a faith that is forgotten. In the end, James serves the reader of God's Word well, since believers are called to be "doers of the Word and not just hearers" (James 1:22). Preaching and Biblical Theology.” In New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring the Unity & Diversity of Scripture, edited by B.
Nuwe Testament Teologie.” In Dictionary of the Later New Testament & It's Developments, geredigeer deur Ralph P. Biblical Theology.” In New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring the Unity & Diversity of Scripture, geredigeer deur B. Saved by Faith [Alone]’ in Paulus versus ‘Saved by Faith Alone’ in James.” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 4, no.
This project is a series of seven sermons on the book of James which seeks to expound selected scriptures in light of biblical theology. James was an extremely effective communicator who used vivid illustrations to make his point that the Christian faith is a working faith. While salvation for Jacob was dependent on faith, true saving faith is evidenced through the fruits of a believer's life.
Through constant use of the wisdom literature and Jesus' teachings from the Sermon on the Mount, James shows the reader of this letter that faith was never meant to be an isolated ideology in a believer's life. Therefore, the call of the believer is to hear the word of God and live their life in submission to him, because without works, faith is empty of all life.
