The Epistle of James

This is the earliest inspired epistle in the New Testament, written around A.D. 45. At that time, the Church was predominantly comprised of Jewish believers; Gentiles were just beginning to be saved and added to their number. As far as the apprehension of the full truth of Christianity is concerned, the Church was in a period of transition. Believers at that time had not entered into a full understanding of the faith that they had embraced, largely because the Apostle Paul's

"fold" into the full light and liberty of Christian privilege and service in His "flock" (John 10:16).



Hence, these Jewish Christians were, understandably, still very much attached to their synagogues and the Jewish order of things found there. They clung tenaciously to the Law of Moses (Acts 21:20), not knowing the heights of the heavenly position, calling, and destiny of the Church. They viewed themselves as a faithful and enlightened remnant of the Jewish people (i.e. Dan. 11:35; 12:3) who had new hopes for the nation, centered in the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel's Messiah. Their hope was to see the kingdom of Christ established on earth according to the teaching of the Old Testament Prophets. This, they believed, would happen shortly.



In the simple-to-understand outline that author Bruce Anstey employs in his commentaries, this Outline on James meets those same expectations- clear and easy to read- with cross-referencing of Scripture.