Trials and Tribulations in James 1:12-18
Trials and Tribulations in James 1:2-18
The Epistle of James is one of the books of the New Testament that deals with the Christian character and how to deal with daily Christian life. The author of James identifies himself in the opening verse as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”. Many speculated that the author was the attributed to the apostle James, brother of John and the son of Zebedee. The text refers to present persecutions and the time of writing is consistent with the persecution in Jerusalem during which the apostle James was martyred and put to death by Herod (Acts 12). There seems to be evidence that the author was the other James, the son of Alpheus and the half-brother of Christ. He was also one of the twelve apostles.
I will in this paper attempt to expound on the trials and tribulations in James 1: 2-18. After research and study, I have found that in the first eighteen verses James is teaching Christians how to conduct themselves when under the cross. He is giving comfort to Christians who are under the oppression of temptation and trials. He pronounces that blessings and rewards are assured to those who endure their trials and afflictions as the walk throughout this Christian life. James also points out that all of those sins that bring sufferings and the temptations that men endure are not created by God. God cannot be the author of sin; he is the author of all that is good. James is allowing us to understand in these verses that we will endure trials and we will endure tribulations. As Christians our trials and tribulations works for a purpose and not just as a punishment in our life. This concept should help us even today to know that our suffering is purposeful and that God rewards us for bearing our own cross as Christ bears his cross. As we break down these verses let us look at who James was writing to. This will give us an understanding of the message.
In the first verse James
The Epistle of James is one of the books of the New Testament that deals with the Christian character and how to deal with daily Christian life. The author of James identifies himself in the opening verse as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”. Many speculated that the author was the attributed to the apostle James, brother of John and the son of Zebedee. The text refers to present persecutions and the time of writing is consistent with the persecution in Jerusalem during which the apostle James was martyred and put to death by Herod (Acts 12). There seems to be evidence that the author was the other James, the son of Alpheus and the half-brother of Christ. He was also one of the twelve apostles.
I will in this paper attempt to expound on the trials and tribulations in James 1: 2-18. After research and study, I have found that in the first eighteen verses James is teaching Christians how to conduct themselves when under the cross. He is giving comfort to Christians who are under the oppression of temptation and trials. He pronounces that blessings and rewards are assured to those who endure their trials and afflictions as the walk throughout this Christian life. James also points out that all of those sins that bring sufferings and the temptations that men endure are not created by God. God cannot be the author of sin; he is the author of all that is good. James is allowing us to understand in these verses that we will endure trials and we will endure tribulations. As Christians our trials and tribulations works for a purpose and not just as a punishment in our life. This concept should help us even today to know that our suffering is purposeful and that God rewards us for bearing our own cross as Christ bears his cross. As we break down these verses let us look at who James was writing to. This will give us an understanding of the message.
In the first verse James
Bibliography: The Bible, King James Version Believer’s Bible Commentary. William MacDonald and Art Farstad. Nashville;Atlanta;London;Vancouver : Thomas Nelson Publishers. Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Walter A. Elwell, Ph.D. and Philip W. Comfort, Ph.D. Tyndale House Publishers, 2001. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 10 Oct. 2006. Grace Online Library, 20 Nov. 2006.