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James Introduction

Having finished our devotional study on Colossians, we now move to a new book. Today, we start our study on the Book of James. Also, this post will mainly be an introduction to the book of James by looking at its authorship, date, recipients, and a general summary of the book. I have provided a significance study on the book of James previously and would suggest that as a primer as well.

Few books of the Bible have been more maligned than the little Book of James. Controversy has waged over its authorship, its date, its recipients, its canonicity, and its unity.

Martin Luther famously took issue with the book of James. He didn’t think it expressed the “nature of the Gospel,” it appeared to contradict Paul’s statements about justification by faith, and it didn’t directly mention Christ. He said James “is really an epistle of straw, compared to these others, for it has nothing of the nature of the Gospel about it.” However, that “straw” is really one that sticks and pricks. James has enough strawy needles to prick the conscience of every dull, defeated, and collapsed Christian in the world. James is able to exhort and encourage, to challenge and convict, to rebuke and revive, to describe practical holiness and drive believers toward the goal of a faith that works. James is one of the most practical books in the NT because it offers instruction and exhortation to Christians who are experiencing problems, as all of us do.

Considered one of the General Epistles, James, like the epistles of Peter, John, and Jude, is an letter addressed not to individual churches or persons but to a larger sphere of believers. The teaching in these general letters complements the doctrine of Paul. Paul emphasized faith; James stressed conduct; Peter, hope; John, love; and Jude, purity.[1]

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Colossians 3:5-11 – Putting off the sins of the old life

While obedience to rules cannot bring salvation, those who are saved ought to live worthy of that salvation. Thus, Paul gives the Colossians instructions concerning proper conduct in verses 5-8. He states in negative and positive terms the kind of life that God wants Christians to live. Although the believers at Colosse were once captivated by the evil practices listed in verses 8, 8, and 9, they were to abandon such practices.

Because we are alive in Christ, we must seek the things that are above. And, because we died with Christ, we must put off the things that belong to the earthly life of past sin. The result is that we can become like Jesus Christ! God wants to renew us and make us into the image of His Son!

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Stop walking in your old self, and live in the brilliant freedom of your new Christian self
  • Check yourself. Are you serving anything other than God? Are you seeking satisfaction in something outside of God? Only God can satisfy and is worth serving.
  • Sanctification is a process. God is at work. Let the Spirit work in you and renew you to become more mature

CLOSER LOOK:

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Colossians 1:24-29 Suffering and Perfection in Christ

Colossians 1:24-29 The mystery of Christ and the perfection in Christ

Paul received a stewardship from God to preach this divine Christ (shown in verses 9-18) who had reconciled the world (vv. 19-23). It was Paul’s ministry, but we, too, are responsible to God to preach Christ.

Paul’s enemies used his imprisonment against him. The Colossian false teachers probably ridiculed Paul and used this as a weapon to fight the truth of the Gospel. But Paul being Paul, turned this attack around and used it to defeat his enemies and to build a closer relationship with the Colossian church. Had Paul compromised with his enemies and stopped ministering to the Gentiles, he could have been spared a great deal of suffering. But he could not abandon his calling just for personal safety and comfort. God had made him a minister, he had been given a “stewardship” (dispensation), and he had to be faithful to his calling (1 Cor. 4:2). It was not a matter of choice: he was called to fulfill the Word of God.

Paul’s special message regarding the Gentiles had to do with what he called the mystery. To us today, a mystery is something eerie and perhaps frightening; but this was not the way the word was defined in Paul’s day. The false teachers used this word to describe the inner secrets of their religions. A mystery is a “sacred secret,” hidden in the past and now revealed by the Holy Spirit (see Eph. 3:1–13).

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (ESV)

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Because of what Christ did, we can expect to share in glory. We must rely on Jesus for our salvation, not on works or rules, but solely on Him who saved us by grace through faith.
  • We are servants of God called to do His will, whether in good times or bad times.
  • Knowing the truth about the power of the gospel and the person of Christ is the believer’s best protection against deception.

CLOSER LOOK:

Verse 24: Paul was rejoicing in this suffering because he was counted worthy to suffer for Christ. Also, Paul was the chosen apostle to the Gentiles and is now suffering because of them. This reconciliation by Christ of Jews and Gentiles to God in one body is a mystery revealed only in Christ. Paul rejoiced that he was able to suffer for them what was still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions. It is important to note, however, that these sufferings had nothing to do with the sacrificial sufferings of Christ on the cross. Only Jesus could die for the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). Paul is not saying that Christ’s death on the cross was insufficient (2:11-15; cf. Rom. 3:21–26; Heb. 10:10–14) or that he was a co-redeemer with Christ. He was speaking not of salvation but of service. Christ’s suffering alone procures salvation (1 Pet 1:11; 5:1; Heb. 2:9). But it is a believer’s privilege to suffer for Christ (2 Tim. 3:11; 1 Pet 3:13–14; 5:9; Heb. 10:32). The word “affliction” (thlipsis) means “distress,” “pressure,” or “trouble” (remember, Paul had plenty of trouble; 2 Cor. 11:23–29).[1] Generally, it refers to trials in life, not the pains of death. Christ does indeed continue to suffer when Christians suffer for Him. He asked Saul (later called Paul) on the Damascus Road, “Why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4) Since the church is Christ’s body, He is affected when it is affected. For the sake of Christ’s body, Paul willingly suffered (Phil. 1:29).[2]

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Colossians 1:3-8 Devotional

May 7 – Colossians 1:3-8

FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF CHRIST

Today, we continue our devotional on Colossians by looking at 1:3-8. The expression “we thank God” occurs frequently in the Pauline Epistles. The term implies both a statement of thanksgiving for what is received from God and an element of praise for God’s character which originated it. Paul’s thanksgiving occurred in prayer. While this may seem obvious, there are some subtleties that are interesting. The passage contains various synonyms for prayer. Together they demonstrate the importance of prayer for Paul. He could pray in times of difficulty, and he could pray in times of joy.

Since Paul often emphasized the activity of prayer, he wanted to share the fact that he actually remembered them in prayer. The joys and concerns of the Colossian congregation meant enough to Paul that he prayed about them. When this is compared with the other epistles, a sizable impression emerges regarding the extent of Paul’s prayer life. He prayed for all the churches. Several factors appear regarding Paul’s prayers. First, they were continual. The church was regularly in Paul’s mind and thoughts. Second, the prayer was directed to God. Finally, the prayers were intercessory, “when we pray for you.”

Let’s take a look at today’s verse:

3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. (NASB)

Key Takeaways:

  • Paul was a man of prayer and so should we be people of prayer.
  • The gospel bears fruit in believers and grows all over the world
  • Saved by grace alone

Closer Look:

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