The context of James

I have come to believe that it is of the utmost usefulness to understand the context of a book of the Bible before you study it. Many references and points that the authors make can make so much more sense if you understand who the author is, who he is writing to and what they were going through.

It is widely agreed that the book of James was written by James the half-brother of Jesus. It is interesting to note that James did not even believe in the divinity of Christ until he saw that Christ had been resurrected from the dead. If you look at when James was martyred it becomes apparent that the book of James is most likely the first book of the New Testament to have been written. So it is also good to remember that this is the book that was written closest to the time and life of Christ. Because of this we see James using many concepts and ideas that Christ directly talked about during His ministry.

James was a powerful and influential figure in the early church; essentially leading the church of Jerusalem. So when he writes, he writes with authority. The book is not written as a letter, as many of the other New Testament books are, but as a sermon. There are commands and imperatives all throughout the book. 

It is written to Jewish believers that have been scattered abroad. It is also very important to remember that the early church was very heavily persecuted, so remember as you read that the people who this was written for were being beaten down for their faith.