Title: James (Jesus' real brother)
Contents
Author of the New Testament - James (Jesus' real brother)
James - the pillar of the church in Jerusalem
1. Personal information
① James means ‘catch the heel’ or ‘follower’.
② The son of Joseph and Mary, the real brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3).
③ The first bishop of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17;15:13;21:18).
④ Presumed to be the author of 'James'
2. Historical background
Mainly active around A.D. 30-62, this period was the time when the early church, which was born with the incident of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, grew explosively and spread from Jerusalem to Samaria, Palestine, and throughout the Roman Empire. At the same time, in the transitional period from the Old Testament era to the New Testament era, various theological issues such as the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, etc. It was a period of upheaval. Also during this period, the Roman Empire was ruled by Tiberius Caesar (12-37 AD), Caligula (37-41 AD), Claudius (41-54 AD), and Nero (54-68 AD). It was a time when the religious persecution of Judaism against Christianity was gradually followed by the political persecution of the Roman Empire. At this time, James, the brother of the Lord, was indeed a pillar of the Jerusalem church, who served as the first bishop of the Jerusalem church, which was the center of the early church at that time (Galatians 2:9,12).
3. Major Life
before the resurrection of jesus
birth
Growing up in Nazareth
Disbelief that Jesus is the Messiah
A.D. 27-30 years
John 7:1-10
witness the death of jesus
A.D. 30 years
Luke 23:49
after the resurrection of jesus
witness the resurrection of jesus
A.D. 30 years
1 Corinthians 15:7
Receive Jesus and experience the Holy Spirit
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Acts 1:14; 2:14
Became the Supreme Leader of the Jerusalem Church
Acts 15:13-21
wrote the book of James
46-49 A.D.
about 1:1
It is said that he was stoned and martyred at a public meeting.
About A.D. 62
4. character
① A person with a stubborn personality who did not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah during his lifetime, but recognized and accepted him as the Lord only after witnessing the resurrection (Matthew 13:57; Mark 3:21, 31).
② As his nickname ‘the one with the camel’s knee’ was passed down through tradition, he completely depended on the Lord’s power and devoted himself to prayer.
③ A person who places great importance on practical acts of faith when looking at the contents of the correspondence he wrote.
④ A person who became very humble after accepting the Lord because he did not refer to himself as the Lord's flesh and blood, but only expressed himself as a 'servant of the Lord Jesus Christ' (James 1:1)
5. Redemption Historical Status
① A person who has proved more than anyone else that Jesus is the Son of God who possesses not only human nature, but also divinity, born of flesh and blood by witnessing to his real brother, Jesus, as the Messiah.
② As the supreme leader of the early Jerusalem church, he who played a bridging role in the period of redemptive history and the transition period from the Old Testament era to the New Testament era, from the Jewish center to all peoples of the world (Acts 15:13-21; Gal. 2:9).
6. Key achievements
① Becoming a witness of the resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:7).
② Acted as the first bishop of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; 21:18).
7. Major Mistakes
① Disbelief in Jesus during his public life (Mark 3:21,31).
8. Assessment and Lessons Learned
① James, who distrusted the Messiahship of Jesus due to the human prejudice and stereotype that he was his brother, did not believe that he was the Messiah until he witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. After that, he lived his life as a thorough follower of Christ. This conversion of James gives great courage to the saints whose families have not yet been saved. In other words, like James, who did not believe in Jesus while he was alive, but eventually accepted the Lord, even if there are family members who do not believe in the Lord due to certain preconceived notions and prejudices, when we continue to pray, the Lord prays for us that one day we will be changed and accepted the Lord This is an example that gives you confidence that you will respond.
② James was able to establish the foundation of the faith of the early church by handling various difficult problems that were piled up in the transition period, which was just transferred from the Old Testament era to the New Testament era, so that he was able to establish the foundation of the faith of the early church by praying to the Lord so thoroughly that his knees became like the knees of a camel. Because it was consistent with life. This really shows what kind of attitude of faith our members should have in order to fully fulfill the mission the Lord has entrusted to us.
③ Judging from the contents of his letters, we can see that James was a person of humility, a person of prayer, and a possessor of practical faith who lived a holy life. It cannot but be said that this is a great challenge to the saints of the modern age, whose knowledge of faith increases day by day, but their life becomes more formal and does not have the fruit of faith. We must keep in mind that true faith does not end with knowing and realizing, but it must be shown for good through a life of obedience to God (James 2:22).
9. Key Scriptures
“And James, Cephas, and John, who were regarded as pillars, knowing the grace that was given to me, also shook hands of fellowship with me and Barnabas” (Galatians 2:9)