• Title Page
• Pentateuch
• History
• Poetry
• Prophets
• Post Captivity Prophets
• Gospels, Acts
• Pauline Epistles
• General Epistles
  • Lesson 56: Hebrews
  • Lesson 57: James
  • Lesson 58: I Peter
  • Lesson 59: II Peter
  • Lesson 60: I John
  • Lesson 61: II and III John
  • Lesson 62: Jude
  • Lesson 63: The Revelation

exhortation which follows (Hebrews 12:1-13), and the warning (Hebrews 12:14-29). The conclusion, speaking more definitely, is confined to the last chapter with its several precepts and admonitions, the loving benediction and the personal requests and salutations.

James

We have now reached that part of the New Testament containing the general or catholic epistles. They are so called because they are addressed not to any particular individual or church, but to the church at large. And yet this is not true of all of them, not true of the one whose study we are entering upon, which is addressed to a particular class of Christians named in James 1:1. This gives an opportunity to remark that this general title, like the headings to the chapters in our English Bible, and the superscriptions in italics at the end of some of the books are not part of the inspired text, and have no authority but that of the human printer or editor—often not to be relied upon, as in the present case.

Who was the author of this epistle? There are three persons named James mentioned in the New Testament. One was the brother of John, another the son of Alpheus, and a third the brother of our Lord. The first named was martyred at an early date in the history of the church (Acts 12), and is not likely to have been the author, because the epistle reveals a state of Christian or church development more advanced than that likely to have been true then. Nor is it likely to have been written by the son of Alphaeus, for nothing is heard of him in the later history of the church, while the James who wrote this epistle is evidently well known and influential, a fact which was; also true, it would seem, of James the brother of our Lord. It is, he, apparently, who presided at the first council of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15), and who is distinguished in other places as a leader, notably in Acts 12:17; 21:18; Galatians 1:19; Jude 1, etc.

A peculiar interest attaches to the fact that, as the brother of our Lord, he did not believe on Him as the Messiah up until the resurrection perhaps. Compare John 7:5 with Acts 1:13, and I Corinthians 15:7. His conversion may have taken place at the time mentioned in the last named Scripture, which, if so, accounts for his presence with the church as shown in the reference to the Acts. Tradition teaches us that he was a particularly holy and