The Epistle of James Theology Essay

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Theology: The Epistle of James

The Epistle of James: Theology

Compile profiles of James the Just and his churches

James' Profile

James the just is first mentioned in Matt 13: 55, where he is described as the oldest of Christ's younger brothers. The gospels mention that throughout Christ's ministry, James and his three brothers did not give Jesus, their half-brother, the respect He deserved (John 7: 3-5). They thought that Jesus was mad (Mark 3: 2). This saddened Jesus, who declared in Mark 6: 4 that a prophet is never welcome in his own house and among his relatives.

The next time we see James is after Jesus' resurrection in the Book of Acts, then he and his brothers convinced that Christ indeed was the Messiah (Acts 1: 14). He is part of the group of believers praying in the upper room in Acts 1: 14 (Aust, 2003). Jesus' appearance to James (mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15: 7) made him one of the earliest witnesses to Christ's resurrection, and probably had a hand in James' change of heart. His acceptance of Christ in Acts marked the beginning of his career in ministry.
He becomes the overseeing pastor of the Jerusalem church (Aust, 2003). So important is his role in the church that Peter reports to him about his miraculous escape from prison (Galatians 1: 9; Acts 12: 17), he makes the final ministerial declaration during the annual conference (Acts 15: 13-21), and Paul after his conversion, meets with him before meeting with any other apostle (Galatians 1: 18-19). In his ministry, James advocates for the need to have faith that God will deliver, to pray for Godly wisdom, and to abstain from sin because sin culminates in death (Aust, 2003).

James exhibited some character traits that Christians need to emulate. First, he lived a life of prayer, spending hours each day in prayer. Secondly, he practiced what he preached -- he encouraged people to pray and exemplified the same in his own personal life (James 5: 17-18). Thirdly, he proved his faith through his works (James 2), and was ready to face persecution and even death for his faith. He was the first of the 12 to be martyred, and it is only his martyrdom that is mentioned in the.....

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"The Epistle Of James Theology", 25 January 2016, Accessed.2 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/epistle-james-theology-2156434