JAMES and the Paradox of Prosperity. 1
Introduction The epistle of James is the first of the so-called General epistles (the traditional name given to the seven New Testament letters that were not written by the Apostle Paul; unlike Pauline letters, these are named after the author rather than the audience) and perhaps the first New Testament letter to be written. James was written in the “Wisdom-literature” tradition of the Old Testament to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the world. The book is concerned about practical aspects of Christian conduct, and what faith looks like when it is lived out in everyday life, among everyday people, doing everyday things; fittingly, it has been dubbed the “Proverbs of the New Testament” by some. Like Proverbs, many subjects are discussed in this epistle and among the key subjects is poverty, wealth and the believer’s attitude to both. There are five passages in the epistle that deal with this specific concern of James: 1: 9-11 , 1:26-27 , 2:1-9 , 2:14-17 and 5:1-6 . Dr Ryrie