Lectionary Calendar

Saturday, December 21st, 2024
the Third Week of Advent

Attention!

Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Bible Dictionaries
James, Epistle of

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Search for…

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Prev Entry
James

Next Entry
Jannes

Resource Toolbox

Print Article

Additional Links

Dictionaries

American Tract Society

James, the Epistle of

Easton's Bible Dictionary

James, Epistle of

Fausset Bible Dictionary

James, the General Epistle of

Hastings' BibleDictionary

James, Epistle of

Hastings' NT Dictionary

James Epistle of

Morrish Bible Dictionary

James, Epistle of

1910 New Catholic Dictionary

James, Epistle of Saint
Epistle of Saint James

Smith Bible Dictionary

James The eneral Epistle of

Encyclopedias

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

Epistle of James

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

James, Epistle of

Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia

James Epistle of

McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia

James, Epistle of

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

James, Epistle of

The Catholic Encyclopedia

Epistle of St. James

The Jewish Encyclopedia

James, General Epistle of

Author of, was James the Less, the Lord's brother, one of the twelve apostles. He was one of the three pillars of the Church (Galatians 2:9 ).

It was addressed to the Jews of the dispersion, "the twelve tribes scattered abroad."

The place and time of the writing of the epistle were Jerusalem, where James was residing, and, from internal evidence, the period between Paul's two imprisonments at Rome, probably about A.D. 62.

The object of the writer was to enforce the practical duties of the Christian life. "The Jewish vices against which he warns them are, formalism, which made the service of God consist in washings and outward ceremonies, whereas he reminds them (1:27) that it consists rather in active love and purity; fanaticism, which, under the cloak of religious zeal, was tearing Jerusalem in pieces (1:20); fatalism, which threw its sins on God (1:13); meanness, which crouched before the rich (2:2); falsehood, which had made words and oaths play-things (3:2-12); partisanship (3:14); evil speaking (4:11); boasting (4:16); oppression (5:4). The great lesson which he teaches them as Christians is patience, patience in trial (1:2), patience in good works (1:22-25), patience under provocation (3:17), patience under oppression (5:7), patience under persecution (5:10); and the ground of their patience is that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, which is to right all wrong (5:8)."

"Justification by works," which James contends for, is justification before man, the justification of our profession of faith by a consistent life. Paul contends for the doctrine of "justification by faith;" but that is justification before God, a being regarded and accepted as just by virtue of the righteousness of Christ, which is received by faith.

Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information
Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'James, Epistle of'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/j/james-epistle-of.html. 1897.

Bible Dictionaries James, Epistle of

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Bible Dictionaries
James, Epistle of