James

James is the fifty-ninth book of the Bible. It is traditionally attributed to James, the brother of Jesus, who became the leader of the Jerusalem church after the resurrection and was killed around AD 62. The letter is generally dated to the 40s or 50s AD, which would make it one of the earliest New Testament writings. It is addressed broadly "to the twelve tribes scattered abroad," meaning Jewish Christians dispersed across the Roman world.

The letter is unusual in style. It does not develop a sustained argument; instead, it moves quickly between short practical exhortations on a wide range of topics. The closest parallels in the Bible are the wisdom books of the Old Testament and the teaching of Jesus, particularly the Sermon on the Mount.

James addresses the testing of faith, partiality toward the rich, the controlling of the tongue, the difference between godly and worldly wisdom, the danger of selfish ambition, the source of conflicts among believers, the misuse of wealth, the importance of patience under suffering, and the practice of prayer. A famous passage argues that faith without works is dead, using Abraham and Rahab as examples.

The book ends with practical instructions: anointing the sick with oil, confessing sins to one another, the power of prayer, and the importance of bringing back a wanderer.