The Book of James

[Guest shiloh357]

4 hours ago, Neighbor said:

"James a servant of God to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting"   James wrote to Jews his letter opens with that statement.

Might it not be especially effective a sharing even today, just as God intended it to be when He inspired James to write it? If I share of James today, I might be sharing with someone, as  I am led by the Holy Spirit, that will indeed have a history of knowledge of Jews or be a practicing Jew, even though I do not know that at the time. Might that sharing of James along with a personal sharing  of testimony of the gospel of Jesus be the very leading by the Holy Spirit?

Seems to me that in combination with a personal testimony of Jesus as Lord God  and savior some  will be especially moved by James.

It might be that the Holy spirit does want a saved person to use the inspired writing of James today. The person using James may not even know why they are led to do so, but the Holy Spirit will.

So personally I don't think it wise to say not this book but instead that one. As I have stated many times the Holy Spirit had a witness use Job along with their testiomy, and I was soon finding myself born again. That saint was led by the Holy Spirit and had no idea why they were presenting Job at the time.

The Bible says that the natural man cannot receive the things of God because they foolishness to him.  The book of James is not appropriate for us to recommend to unbelievers, as it does not contain the Gospel.   Unlike, the book of John, James is a book on practical Christian living.   It is not going to be useful to an unbeliever. 

The book of John has the clearest presentation of the Gospel and is the most appropriate place to start in addition to the Romans Road plan of salvation.  The ONLY Scriptures we should be sharing with unbelievers are those that pertain to the plan of salvation.

[Neighbor]

6 hours ago, Cletus said:

When i speak to an unbeliever I speak on the first three chapters of genesis, and explain it to them as to why it is important to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and what the fall of man really is.  I speak on the first part of the first chapter in the gospel of John (in the beginning was the Word..) and I explain the significance of the parts of the law... accursed of God is any man who is hung on a tree, and the sacrificial Lamb.  I speak about Gods love for us and the purpose of Christs sacrifice.  I speak on things that have meaning fr Jesus death such as by His stripes we WERE healed and that modern medicine/science claims there are 39 types of categories of diseases in the world now.   that is the basic things i speak about but talk about whatever else may come up using scripture to back it up. if they do accept Jesus i do give council to pray, get baptized by water and fire, and give instructions for living and an intro to how God operates and what He expects from us, as well as reading the bible, assembling with other believers, and getting all the worldly stuff out of their life... 

many non believers do not understand why man needs to be saved, they do not know what they are born into, and they do not realize they are in need of a Great Physician to heal them.  I also like to talk about the pit in the heart that is always wanting to be filled and satisfied but it is never accomplished and that its only Jesus who quenches that thirst. 

unsaved people need the basics, they need milk. 

Amen.

[Neighbor]

12 hours ago, Melinda12 said:

I recommend the book of James is a good one for non believers to read. It's short, very wise and summarizes the teachings of Christ. I think it's brilliant. 

Would fellow Christians agree? Which other book would be good to encourage non believers or new Christians to begin reading? Just to encourage. 

Well Melinda you have used the book of James and have given some concise reasons why.

Might you desire to share more of your encouragement for using James? For instance do you get any feedback from individuals that you have been led to share of our Lord with by the Holy Spirit? I personally will be interested to read more if you  care to share here.

[Neighbor]

53 minutes ago, pinacled said:

After the first 4 books, perhaps proverbs

Sure for all the Bible is the word of God.

The entirety of the Bible is a book of redemption. The whole of the Bible Old Testament and New Testament looks to the redemptive atonement of Jesus the Christ and is profitable to read,  but understanding comes by the Holy Spirit. Seems to me that if one must read John first, that no one could have been be saved until after the middle or end of the second century AD.

 If that were so, I'd have thought God would inspire the Bible to be organized with the scroll of John first then maybe Genesis, but no He didn't have that done.

Guess one might find it interesting and illuminating at this time of signs to start with Isaiah 11. Yet without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the reading of any of the Bible will be of little profit and even less understanding. That to me is why the verbal personal sharing of testimony by a witness of Christ Jesus, a born again saint in Jesus faith,  is the key component used of God to entice the hearer to then heed the specific call by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit calling  individually each person to turn about to  repentance of sin against God and receive ability to understand then the word of God the Bible and the Lord Jesus.

Any witness no matter how weak their testimony may feel to them is powerful, empowered by the Holy Spirit to be that very witness God is drawing to  an unsaved individual. As testimony of that, I share that my brother in law had been saved about 30 hours when he grabbed me and told me of his testimony and then led me to watch the crazy high haired TV preacher that  then had me opening Bibles at random and poking mu finger on a page  to read the answer to my problems.

I didn't read John until long after I had read all of Job , much of Genesis again and Romans. though I had familiarity with  the Bible as a whole from years of working with  pastors and rabbis of many diverse groups each with their own take  on this way and that way that things must be done.

Personally I think that God is far more generous to each of us than most any of us are to each other. I think He has far fewer rules. I do not think He is a trickster- can't say that about  some of the brethren, though I think they each mean well.

So whatever the Spirit leads one to do  is probably the thing to be praying on, working out, reading of in the Bible, and doing-

Edited September 17, 2018 by Neighbor

[Blood Bought 1953]

9 hours ago, shiloh357 said:

The Bible says that the natural man cannot receive the things of God because they foolishness to him.  The book of James is not appropriate for us to recommend to unbelievers, as it does not contain the Gospel.   Unlike, the book of John, James is a book on practical Christian living.   It is not going to be useful to an unbeliever. 

The book of John has the clearest presentation of the Gospel and is the most appropriate place to start in addition to the Romans Road plan of salvation.  The ONLY Scriptures we should be sharing with unbelievers are those that pertain to the plan of salvation.

 

I could not agree more.I regret now that I did not add my thought about the Book of James to my recommendation of the Book Of Romans .I sincerely believe the Book Of James is the LAST place an unbeliever should find themselves .Its always been the go-to Book for legalists, trotting out “ Faith without works is dead “ to negate everything Paul ever wrote.James is referring to Service—not Salvation.James is a great book , but we go to Paul, the Apostle sent to the gentiles, not James for our Doctrine.There are those that have been serious Bible students for many years that struggle with the writings of James and what sometimes looks like contradictions to the writings of Paul.The unbeliever needs to see the clear gospel and accept it with a heart that has softened by The Holy Spirit.There will be plenty of time in the future, hopefully for a babe in Christ to mature to the point that they handle what James penned.

I also think the Book Of Matthew, with the Sermon on the Mound that raises the bar for those that think they dont need a Savior ( if you even “look” at somebody with lustful thoughts you are no better than an adulterer!) is a good place to start reading the Bible.No sense fooling around.Nobody has the desire to be saved until they see that they are lost.THAT is the starting point of true Christianity as opposed to adopting Christianity as your choice of religion among many others because you think you agree with its morality and by following its rules you can make it to Heaven.

[frienduff thaylorde]

23 hours ago, Melinda12 said:

I recommend the book of James is a good one for non believers to read. It's short, very wise and summarizes the teachings of Christ. I think it's brilliant. 

Would fellow Christians agree? Which other book would be good to encourage non believers or new Christians to begin reading? Just to encourage. 

THEY ALL WONDERFUL .   even as a babe I read them all,    THEY ALL GOOD , EVERY last one of them .  and not a one of them contradicts the other .

as their is no different gospel to a jew than to a gentile .   ITS ALL FOOD FOR THE SOUL .     ITS ALL FOOD for the soul .     OH YES its all good for the soul . 

[frienduff thaylorde]

23 hours ago, Yowm said:

Perhaps John or Romans which has the message of the cross by which we are saved. James reads more like the Book of Proverbs to an unsaved person.

And yet it was not written to unbelievers , BUT BELIEVERS .  as was ol warning jude too .

ITS all the bible we love .  every ounce of it.    Not a single letter was wrote to UNBELIEVERS , but to BELIEVERS .    OH that the taste of every book be as HONEY

for from every warning to every promise , OH MY its all good for the soul .   OH , on that note I want empty chairs ,  AS all leap up and praise the LORD .

[frienduff thaylorde]

1 hour ago, Yowm said:

Sure looks like James was written to believers...at least Jewish believers. Let's take a look at Jude...

Yuppers...believers!
 

Everything looks great ,  it looks great ,  till I heard that jewish word .      THE GOSPLE is the same whether we jew or a gentile .

Every single comma in james IS GOOD for the gentile .  HE didn't write it to UNBELIEVING JEWS .  

Believers , same rules apply to all.  the only and as that ol rooster used to say , I SAY I SAY ,   the only thing is meats drinks and days .  Both groups might see this a bit

different .   But yowm as paul A JEW , once said ,   what is days , meats or drinks .    Now ,   WE better never eveah ,  evah ,  and I say ever evah

let those tricky sneaky men , WHO , lets face it , DONT LIKE HOW direct james was ,     say or even lets us believe fOR Even a second , I say a second

that what JAMES said to the jews , DOES NOT APPLY TO GENTILES , cause it do .   men got a way of twisting , I say twisting things .

Sorry if I sounded like that old rooster , but some things get me a wee bit stirred up , and that is putting it rather midly .

 

[frienduff thaylorde]

6 minutes ago, Yowm said:

Maybe you can explain to me then, what James meant by "To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" (James 1:1).

Notice I never said it wasn't written 'for us'.

As I said what gets , I say what gets said to the jew , applies to the gentile believer too .    James did not say a word , I say a word , about meats drinks and days

BUT WHAT HE DID and do said ,  while it was to jews , BABY it applies TO US TOO .     DONT Let them deceive ya yowm . 

I already know WHO each letter was writ  to was writ too.    BUT ,   yeah I say , I say BUT ,    it applies TO ALL BELEIVERS .

ALL .     MEN LIED to us ywom , they told only half truths ,  as satan does .     BUT WE aint gonna buy it ,    right .

no respect of perons don't just apply to a jew ,   IT APPLIES TO ALL , as did that entire LETTER APPLY TO ALL , no matter if it were written to jews or not .

DONT Let them men fool ya ywom .   cause its what they do ,   and its what they do best .    SERIOUESNESS don't fill pews and if pews aint filled ,  MONEY BUCKET AINT EITHER.

 KNOW WHAT I MEAN . 

[frienduff thaylorde]

2 minutes ago, Yowm said:

I'll ask one more time... "Can you explain to me then, what James meant by "To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" (James 1:1).?

 

 

Yowm I done said it was wrote to christain jews .      What I keep saying is ,   IT APPLIES to us as well as them .  That letter is a good for a gentile chrisain

as it was to jewish ones  .   not a single letter in the new testament would not also apply TO US as well.   THAT is the part where men have been a deceiving .

acting like well that don't apply to us .    Well  it does .   Every word james wrote ,  APPLIES TO US even today , whether we jew or not .

That is what I am reminding us .