Context of James

This letter from James was written to the twelve tribes of Israel that were scattered throughout the 1st Century Roman Empire. The author, James, is believed to be the half-brother of Jesus. He wrote this letter in approximately 47–49 AD, which makes it one of the earliest letters of the New Testament. It is also known as the Proverbs of the New Testament because of its poetic language, wise expressions, and short, pithy statements.

The key idea presented by James is that faith without works is dead. This is an appeal for dynamic Christianity. A call to be the type of Christ-follower who lives out what the scriptures say, where actions speak louder than words.

James encourages the early church to be a people of faith, displaying it by feeding and clothing orphans and widows. True faith is backed up by our actions.

We can see ourselves in this letter; it is like a mirror reflecting at us. The call to action is that we demonstrate our faith by performing good deeds.