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Scripture Passage	Exegesis	Application	Bibliography
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Exegetical Issues:

1. Letter overview: What elements of the epistle of James conforms to the ancient epistolary form?
Identify these by their technical name from the list and then from the outline of James. Then describe each of these items.

 

Letter Element	In James?
Praescriptio	.
Proem	.
Body of Letter	.
Conclusio	.

2. Letter overview: How is the literary genre of James identified?
Identify the individuals/commentators who adopt one of the stances listed below. Summarize their discussion.

Hellenistic Diatribe:
 
 
 

Jewish Wisdom Literature:
 
 
 

3.  Praescriptio:
Identify the three elements of the praescriptio in James 1:1.

 

Element	Write out appropriate portion of James text by each element.
Superscriptio:	.
Adscriptio:	.
Salutatio:	.

To other General Epistles:
 

To the letters of Paul:
 

4.   Superscriptio:
List both the personal name identification and the title identification of the sender of the letter:

Personal Name:

Title:
    Compare the above translations.
    Which translations use the term 'servant'?
    Which translations use the term 'bondservant'?
    Which translations use the term 'slave'?

Identify James by:

a. A concordance search of the NT for the word 'James':
Click on here for online concordance search. Then copy and paste the results below.
 

b. Some some Bible Dictionary discussions of the word 'James.'  Then copy and paste the results below.

Smith's Bible Dictionary:
 

Catholic Encyclopedia:

Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible:

c. Summarize your findings on the following:
Possible historical identity of the composer of this document.

Possible time, place, occasion for the composition of this document.
 

5.   Adscriptio:

a.  Compare the above translations to note similarities and differences.

b. Who are the 'twelve tribes'?

c. What was the 'dispersion'?
     Compare this term to an identical one in 1 Peter 1:1
 

     Summarize the main points of the article 'Dispersion' in the online Easton's Bible Dictionary.
 
 

6.   Salutatio:

a. Identify the wording of the Salutatio in James 1.

b. Compare the wording in James to those in the other General Letters.

c. Compare the wording in James to those in the letters of Paul.

d. Compare the word in James to Acts 15:22-29  and to Acts 23:25-30.

James 1:1 (NRSV):
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings [caivrein].
 

Acts 15:22-29 (NRSV):
22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, 23 with the following letter:

The brothers, both the apostles and the elders,
to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia,
greetings  [caivrein].
24 Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, 25 we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.

Acts 23:25-30 (NRSV):
25 He wrote a letter to this effect:
26 "Claudius Lysias
to his Excellency the governor Felix,
greetings  [caivrein].
27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but when I had learned that he was a Roman citizen, I came with the guard and rescued him. 28 Since I wanted to know the charge for which they accused him, I had him brought to their council. 29 I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him."

10 Do not receive into the house or welcome [caivrein] anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; 11 for to welcome [caivrein] is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.

7.   Overview of the Body of the letter:

a. Survey the sketching out of the letter body in terms of key topics/themes.
 

b. Copy then paste Douglas Moo's discussion of the 'theology of James' in the online Baker's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Then reflect on his findings.
 
 
 

Application of the Text:

1. What is the relevancy of the concept of "servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" to Christians today?
 

2. What does James' use of conventional methods of expressing his ideas (letter, sermon) suggest to you about sharing your religious faith? Especially, in comparison with other NT writers.
 

For Further Study:

See the Bibliography listing for James under Bibliography, especially Individual Volumes and Articles.
 

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