In James 2:3, those who leave the poor person standing and neglected are spoken to sternly. However, the problem James has identified is not so much, or not just that believers are neglecting some because they are poor or because they have taken a disliking to them. Rather, the reason that the bias is there… Continue reading James’ issue is not with a bias against the poor
Category: Bible Study
Where is Jesus?
One of the strange things about James’ letter is that Jesus doesn’t seem to be particularly prominent in the epistle. It is perhaps this, as much as discomfort with his take on faith and works which has tended to make it one of the less popular books of the Bible to study or to preach… Continue reading Where is Jesus?
Faith and works, hearers and doers
Central to James’ argument is that living faith results in transformed lives, particularly in the crucible of persecution and suffering. This transformation affects character (1:19-21) and attitudes (2:1-7) because it is about our lives being shaped by love for God and for neighbour (2:8-13). This means that there should also be a change in behaviour… Continue reading Faith and works, hearers and doers
Bitter-sweet
Faithroots Podcast on Revelation 10
Can I choose between faith and works?
James continues to tease out the relationship between faith and works to show that the two go hand in hand together. Having used a practical example, he now uses logic by setting up a hypothetical debating partner. A look at the text (Read James 2:18-26) The hypothetical interlocutor suggests that it is possible for one… Continue reading Can I choose between faith and works?
What does saving faith look like?
“How are you?” It’s a standard greeting but not one we expect a response to. We ask it, expecting the other person to say “I’m fine.” So, what do we do when the other person misses the social cues and gives an honest and reasonable answer to the question? Do we say “Bless you” and… Continue reading What does saving faith look like?
The perfect law
James’ emphasis on practical faith could be mistaken for legalism. How does this fit with the Gospel? Well James now helps us to think about what it means to obey the Law of God, specifically as it relates to favouritism. A look at the text (Read James 2:8-13) The Law is “the royal law” of… Continue reading The perfect law
Partiality
One of the crucial concerns that the New Testament letter writers shared was that church gatherings would be characterised by unity. For Paul, a significant aspect of this was the wiping out of ethnic divisions between Jew and Gentile, for James, the focus was on divisions based on class and wealth. A look at the… Continue reading Partiality
Terror
Faithroots Podcast on Revelation 8-9
Applying Revelation to Israel and Gaza
It’s fascinating that the most read article on Faithroots, even, is the one titled Israel, conflict and end times prophecy. I wonder how many people clicked on the post expecting and perhaps hoping for one of those articles which carefully sets out what how exactly current events are fulfilling Daniel and Revelation. Given that few… Continue reading Applying Revelation to Israel and Gaza
