Living
Victoriously
by Louis Bartet

NEW TESTAMENT
The Epistle of James

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"The Attitude of A Servant"

(James 1:1)

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: greetings. (NKJV)

I. THE AUTHOR – "James."

A. HIS RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS

    1. A brother of Jesus (Mt. 13:53-58).
    2. Jesus spent time with his family after the miracle at Cana (Jn.2:12).
    3. At the first he did not believe in Jesus (Jn. 7:2-5).
    4. He along with other members of his family followed Jesus around (Mt. 12:46-50).

B. HIS CONVERSION

    1.     He was one of the first individuals Jesus talked to after His resurrection (1Cor. 5:7).

    2.     He was in the Upper Room (Acts 1:14).

C. HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE JERUSALEM CHURCH

    1. Paul called him a pillar of the Church (Gal. 1:19; 2:9).

    2. When Peter was rescued from prison, he told his friends to tell James (Acts 12:17).

    3. He played an important part in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:13-21).

    4. Paul saw James when he visited Jerusalem in Acts 21:17-18.

    5. The presence of disciples sent by James to Antioch affected Peter's behavior (Gal. 2:11-13).

D. HIS DEATH – He was martyred in A.D. 62, in the city of Jerusalem. Josephus notes that the martyrdom of James was one of the reasons for the destruction of Jerusalem (divine justice). In spite of his influence in the early Church, James chooses to identify himself as the servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. THE ATTITUDE – "a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." The term translated "bondservant" is the Greek term "doulos." It was used to describe those on the lowest rung of the social ladder. A doulos was someone who was forced to do the will of another or one who gave himself up to the will of another. The lowliest slaves were prisoners who worked the state owned mines and lived in the worst of conditions. The next notch up the ladder was the agricultural slave who hardly fared much better than those who worked the mines. The slaves that topped the list were the household slaves. They were often given oversight of the home and made responsible for the care and education of the family children. Many were rewarded with freedom for faithful service. Some were adopted by childless owners and became heirs to their master’s estate. Even so, Romans did not view slavery as something to be coveted and would never seek to be known as servants. Christianity laid hold of the term doulos and used it as a term of honor. This servitude wasn’t the result of bondage, coercion, or duress, but of choice. Not all believers are called "servants" or "handmaids." These terms were used to describe those who legitimately lived to serve their MASTER.

A.     A BONDSERVANT OF GOD – This choice of identity is something any God fearing Jew would have respected. Abraham was known Moses was a servant of God (1Ki. 8:53). God called Isaiah "My servant" (Is. 20:3). The prophets were called servants of God (Jer. 7:25).

B.     A BONDSERVANT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST -

    1. It declares the deity and superiority of Jesus. The contrasting terms are "servant" and "Lord." James is clear about who Jesus is and who he is.
    2. It implies devout obedience -
    3. It implies unselfishness -
    4. It implies humility – More than anything this title implies humility, a characteristic that is essential to servanthood and is exhibited in the fact that James calls himself a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and not the brother of Jesus.

III. THE AUDIENCE – "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." James was writing to Jewish Christians who had been scattered by the hot winds of persecution.


Acts 8:1-4 (NKJV)

1Now Saul was consenting to his [Stephen’s] death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. 4Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

The term translated "scattered" is from a Greek term meaning to scatter or sow like seed. The relocation of these persecuted believers made them strangers and pilgrims in a foreign place. As Jews, the Gentiles would reject them and as Christian Jews, their own countrymen would reject them. The enemy’s objective was the destruction of the Church, but God’s plan was the spread of the gospel.

The content of James’ letter indicates that most of these believers were poor and that many were oppressed. In addition to external oppression they were experiencing internal problems. Church members were competing for offices within the Church. Many were failing to live what they professed. Word wars and worldliness were threatening to destroy this dispersed Church.

James did not tell them how to make the world go away.  Instead he called them to maturity! In spite of all the blessings God has bestowed on His people Spiritual Maturity remains one of the Church’s greatest needs. Warren Wiersbe wrote:

"Too many Churches are playpens for babies instead of workshops for adults. … After a quarter century of ministry, I am convinced that spiritual maturity is the number one problem in the American Church."

In dealing with spiritual maturity James gives us five characteristics of a mature believer.

  • They are patient in testing (1:1-27).
  • They practice the truth (2:1-26).
  • They exercise power over their tongue (3:1-18).
  • They are peacemakers, not troublemakers (4:1-17).
  • They respond to trouble prayerfully (5:1-20).

All of this begins with an attitude of servanthood.

CONCLUSION

Servanthood is essential to Christian maturity and is afforded great privilege.

Acts 2:18 – And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His slaves, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His slave John.

(C) 2001, by louis bartet, all rights reserved.