Analysis: BS500 Biblical Interpretation

Name: Jorge Luzar and Shawn Au Tah Wang
Module: BS500 Biblical Interpretation
Date of Submission: 2 Sep 2015 (Mon, 7pm)

Historical Context Paper: James

Authorship
So who is this James who wrote our epistle? Judging by how this James identifies himself at the beginning – “This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!” ‭‭(James‬ ‭1:1‬), we can see that he was well known to the audience then. A further read of this epistle even suggest that this James was a highly respected and a man whom the audience were obliged to obey. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
There are several James mentioned in the New Testament. But there
They also did not have the support of established Christian churches during those dark times. It is also very likely that Peter and Paul were martyred during Nero’s reign. In AD 68, Nero committed suicide. He was the last emperor of the Caesarean line by blood or marriage.

James wrote this epistle to the twelve tribes (James 1:1) that were scattered and living abroad in Rome, Alexandria, Cyprus, and cities in Greece and Asia Minor (Acts 8:1) to encourage them amidst their sufferings.

Overall Purpose Of The Letter
James’s purpose is to encourage and strengthen the scattered Jewish Christians in their faith during those difficult times. The style of this letter sounds more like a preaching of a sermon. Perhaps because of the lack of support of established churches for these scattered Jewish Christians, James purposefully made this epistle sound like a sermon. His purpose is simply to exhort the Jewish Christians and us all in matters of daily Christian living namely, the Christian attitudes towards trials, temptations and life, how to demonstrate the Christian faith and how to live out a consistent Christian life. James urges his people to make the needed changes in their lives and in their corporate
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James‬ ‭1:2-4) In this passage, his purpose is to encourage the Christians and strengthen their faiths in dark times like these. He reminded his readers that God brings difficulties into believers’ lives for a purpose, and that this purpose can only be fulfilled only if they respond in the right manner towards their problems. He also want to tell the readers that by enduring trials and temptations in life, it can bring spiritual maturity such as perseverance. It is also a conviction that the sufferings of the believers is always under the control of God who wants the best for His people. James’s point is that tribulations should be an occasion for real rejoicing as God uses the tribulations of this world to perfect His people and to make them become stronger Christians. He also wished to encourage them in the midst of their sufferings. They must allow endurance to do its work. When endurance is allowed to run its course and reach its goal, the believers will be more mature and complete. James seemed to suggest that sufferings is intended to produce when the believers answer with