Book by Book 4: John to RevelationSample

There are a few men named James in the Bible. A likely James to have written this book is one identified as Jesus' brother in Matthew 13:55. He was a leader in the church of Jerusalem. It is one of the earliest books in the New Testament, which is why it is written to Jewish Christians. At this early date, virtually all Christians are of Jewish descent.

In this chapter, James says some difficult things like rejoicing when we go through hard times and the need to control our tongues. These are both examples of living what we say we believe.

Neither of these examples comes easily to people. Our reactions to difficult times are more likely to be complaining, and somehow it’s easier to control our behavior than our words. Living what we believe goes beyond the obvious things in our lives. Our speech and reactions in situations show who we really are.