Readings:
1 Chronicles 1-3
Proverbs 30
James 1

1 Chronicles 1-3

We begin reading two new books today, one of them being the epistle of Saint James that we’ll get to later, and the other is the book of 1 Chronicles. This book, and it’s second part, runs concurrently with the events recorded in 1 & 2 Kings. Since we covered all the events that take place in these two books (1 & 2 Chronicles) already, my comments will be much more limited and only pointing out some extras that the author includes in these books but not in Kings.

Whereas Kings was writing mostly in the days of the kings in question, Chronicles was written after the exile and doesn’t spend as much time on the northern kingdom after the post Solomon split. This book is much more concerned with preserving the remnants that God saved and brought back, and focusing on the religiously significant history of the kingdom of Judah. This is the reason for the focus on genealogy in these first few chapters, they want to preserve their people as distinct and with a written historical record to reference in the future.

James 1

This epistle to the early church was written by a man named James, but exactly who that man was is a hotly contested question. There were two people named James among the apostles, one was the brother of John the son of Zebedee, and the other was the son of Alphaeus. But many scholars don’t believe either of these men wrote this letter, they contend that it was written by a man named James the Just. This third James was traditionally held to be a righteous early follower of Jesus who went on to become a bishop in the early church and according to Josephus, he was martyred by being thrown off the roof of the temple.

Then there are a few Bible scholars who say that James the Just was just another way to refer to James the lesser (the son of Alphaeus). So it’s safe to say we’re not really sure who this James is, but apparently he was a respected leader of the early church and was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write a letter that became part of the New Testament scriptures.

This letter is written as much for encouragement as it is instructions. James is telling them that trials and tribulations are either coming or perhaps already upon them and that they will endure and overcome them through the grace of God. He also instructs them in several ways, the first of which is to have faith and not doubt.

James tells them, and us too, to be doers of the word and not only hearers. This is the general theme of the letter, that if we know what we are to do and then sit back and fail to do it, we’ve helped no one and not kept the commandments of Christ. We’re introduced here to faith in action, where we go out and do the things Jesus told us to do, not because we’re “earning our salvation” but because He told us to do them and we listen to our master’s voice. “If you love me you’ll keep my commandments” is one of the things Jesus told his disciples before his passion, and the number one commandment is to love God and one another. This is how we remain in him like the parable of the branches and the vine. It all works together in a harmonic arrangement like a symphony.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
1 Chronicles 4-6
Proverbs 31
James 2