Lesson 9: The General Epistles and You
The letters written by James, Peter, John and Jude have helped inspire, encourage and motivate Christians for centuries. What lessons can we learn and how can we apply them in today's world?
In his letter, James used the story of the prophet Elijah as
an example of the power of prayer.
"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that
you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails
much.
"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that
it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six
months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced
its fruit" (James 5:16-18).
God had sent Elijah to warn evil King Ahab of the drought that would come
because of the sins he had led his people into. After the three and a half
years of no rain, God sent Elijah to Ahab again. Elijah told Ahab to call
all Israel together to see a contest between the pagan prophets of Baal
and the true God. Whoever could call down fire from heaven to burn up a
sacrifice would be known to be the real God.
The prophets of Baal did their rituals all day with no answer. Elijah then
poured precious water all over his sacrifice, drenching the wood and altar.
"And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice,
that Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'Lord God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am
Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me,
O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and
that You have turned their hearts back to You again.'
"Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the
wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in
the trench.
"Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said,
'The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!'
"And Elijah said to them, 'Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of
them escape!' So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook
Kishon and executed them there.
"Then Elijah said to Ahab, 'Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound
of abundance of rain.'
"So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel;
then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and
said to his servant, 'Go up now, look toward the sea.' So he went up and
looked, and said, 'There is nothing.' And seven times he said, 'Go again.'
"Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, 'There is a cloud,
as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!' So he said, 'Go up, say
to Ahab, "Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you."'
"Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds
and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel"
(1 Kings 18:36-45).
God answered Elijah's short prayer for fire dramatically and immediately,
while requiring Elijah to pray fervently seven times before sending the
rain. In the end, righteous Elijah's fervent, persistent prayers were very
effective!
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James
The letter James wrote was not to a specific congregation or person, so it
is often called a General Epistle. Since there are four individuals named
James mentioned in the New Testament, we aren't told exactly who the author
was. "But the most likely candidate is the James who was Jesus' brother. He
became a Christian when he saw the risen Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:7) and went
on to become a leader in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13ff.; 21:18)"
(Eerdmans' Handbook to the Bible, 1973, p. 633).
The epistle of James is a very practical "how-to" guide to Christian living
in troubled times, highlighting the need for actions to back up our beliefs.
James says that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). The book gives helpful
advice about a wide variety of subjects, from trials and temptations to treating
everyone with respect, from living faith to the dangers of the tongue, from
patience to prayer and healing.
"In many ways James' epistle resembles Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, loaded
as it is with encouragement and filled with gems to help build Christian character…
"The epistle of James presents many problems to those who hold to the view
that Jesus taught we no longer need to keep God's laws, or that those laws
were somehow abolished at Christ's death and resurrection. But, if anyone
knew how Jesus lived and what He taught and believed, it was James, a member
of Christ's own household.
"James repeatedly upholds the need to keep God's laws, emphasizing the Ten
Commandments. He refers to God's law not as something unnecessary or optional,
but as 'the royal law' (James 2:8). He specifically mentions several
of the Ten Commandments, then calls them 'the law of liberty' (verses
11-12).
"Why that designation? Because James understood that only by obeying God's
laws can mankind experience true freedom—freedom from want, sorrow and suffering,
from the degrading and painful consequences of sin. He encourages each of
us to be a 'doer of the law' (James 4:11) ("Profiles
of Faith: James: Half Brother of Jesus").
What practical advice does James give that sums up several of his
main themes?
James 1:19-20
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,
slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of
God.
The Nelson Study Bible uses this passage as its overall outline
of James:
- Being swift to hear, James 1:21-2:26.
- Being slow to speak, 3:1-18.
- Being slow to wrath, 4:1-5:12.
Our lesson on "Keys
to Good Communication" also expands on these themes.
1 Peter
Peter, the bold and impetuous disciple, had taken seriously Christ's command
to "feed My sheep" (John 21:17) and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, had
become a loving shepherd for the Church. Peter's first epistle was written
to the brethren in the regions that are now northern Turkey. Life was hard
for those brethren as it has been hard for those living in Satan's world through
the ages.
"Peter's pastoral purpose was to help these early believers see their temporary
sufferings in the full light of the coming eternal glory. In the midst of
all their discouragements, the sovereign God would keep them and enable them
by faith to have joy. Jesus Christ by his patient suffering and glorious future
destiny had given them the pattern to follow and also a living hope. Life
in a pagan society was difficult and required humility and submission. The
immediate future for the church was an increase in the conflict with the world
(4:7-18). But God would provide the grace to enable the community of the faithful
to grow into maturity. They must help one another and show loving concern
lest the members of God's flock be injured (4:8, 10; 5:1-2)" (Zondervan
NIV Bible Commentary, Vol. 2: New Testament, 1994, p. 1041).
Peter was focused on the hope of the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment
of the Kingdom of God. "From beginning to end of the letter the second coming
is in the forefront of the writer's mind. It is the motive for steadfastness
in the faith, for the loyal living of the Christian life and for gallant endurance
amidst the sufferings which have come upon them" (William Barclay, The
Letters of James and Peter, Revised Edition, 1976, p. 139).
What warning, instruction and encouragement does Peter end 1 Peter
with?
1 Peter 5:6-11
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced
by your brotherhood in the world.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ
Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and
settle you.
To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
In a world where our enemy, the devil, is always seeking to destroy us, it
is truly comforting to know that the all-powerful God cares for us! He can
use even our sufferings to "perfect, strengthen and settle" us.
2 Peter
When Peter wrote 2 Peter, he knew he was going to die soon: "Moreover I will
be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after
my decease" (2 Peter 1:15). He had important last words he wanted the Church
to remember.
What does Peter discuss immediately after mentioning he wanted them
to remember "these things"?
2 Peter 1:16-18
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His
majesty.
For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came
to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased."
And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the
holy mountain.
"In the next few verses Peter talks about the reality of Jesus Christ. He
talks about the transfiguration of Christ when he, James and John saw Christ
transfigured in His glory (verses 16-18; Matthew 17:1-9). He said that Christ
wasn't a myth, He wasn't a 'cunningly devised fable,' but He was real—real
enough for Peter to give his life for Him. Then Peter adds, 'And so we have
the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines
in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts'
(verse 19).
"What is this 'prophetic word'? He is referring to the return of Jesus Christ,
which will happen when 'the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.'
This also ties in with the transfiguration, when Peter saw Jesus Christ in
His glorified state as He will appear when He returns" ("The
Old Testament in the New Testament").
Peter also warns of false teachers who will try to distract us from focusing
on following Christ and preparing for His Kingdom. "Christians must beware
of false teachers (2:1-22) who deny the imminent return of the Lord (3:3-4)
and live immoral and greedy lives. These teachers are clever and claim scriptural
support from Paul's letters for their views of liberty, but they pervert the
letters and are headed for damnation (3:15-16). The church is to be alert
to error and growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ (3:17-18)" (Zondervan
NIV Bible Commentary, Vol. 2: New Testament, 1994, p. 1063).
1 John
Tradition and the similarity of vocabulary and style with John's Gospel provide
convincing evidence that the apostle John wrote these three letters, though
he does not identify himself in them.
"John writes as someone who knew Jesus, as the Son of God and also as a real
man. Anyone who claims to know God must live as Jesus did (chapters 1 and
2). Christians are the children of God. They have his nature and cannot go
on persistently sinning. Those who believe in Jesus will love each other,
too (chapter 3). In chapter 4 John contrasts the true and the false. 'God
is love,' John declares. 'We love because God first loved us.' Chapter 5 speaks
of victory over the world, and of God's gift of eternal life" (Eerdmans'
Family Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1978, p. 95).
How did John define godly love?
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments
are not burdensome.
"John knew the source of godly love, understood it and practiced it. He realized
that God communicates His love through the laws He gives us, the laws by which
we are to live.
"Jesus Himself said that God's law can be summarized in two great commandments:
Love God with all your heart, soul and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself
(Matthew 22:36-40). John similarly summarized God's very nature and character
when he wrote, 'God is love' (1 John 4:8, 16)" ("Profiles
of Faith: John: An Apostle of Godly Love").
How did John describe godly love and its effects?
1 John 4:18-21
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves
torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him
because He first loved us.
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he
who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he
has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God
must love his brother also.
"John recognized the contradiction in the concept that someone could love
God yet hate his brother. He knew that we humans can distort the concept of
love to make it mean just about anything we want it to mean. But God's love
isn't like that. Godly love always puts care and concern for the other person
first" ("Profiles
of Faith: John: An Apostle of Godly Love").
2 John
"John wrote this letter 'to the elect lady and her children.' This is either
a figurative reference to a church community or a literal reference to a specific
person… The proof is not conclusive for either possibility, so the true identity
of John's audience for this letter probably will always remain unknown. Yet
the message of the letter remains clear: Vigilantly guard against false teachings,
and persevere in the truth" (The Nelson Study Bible, introduction
to 2 John).
Does John continue his theme of love in this letter?
2 John 6
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment,
that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
We show love for God by doing the things He wants us to do. He designed the
commandments to show us how to love. And the commandments are designed to
benefit us if we obey them, which demonstrates God's love for us.
3 John
John wrote this short letter to Gaius, a beloved Christian who set a good
example in serving fellow Christians who traveled through his area. In contrast,
a man named Diotrephes was acting like a dictator and mistreating brethren.
In spite of Diotrephes' opposition, what did John encourage Gaius
(and us) to do?
3 John 5-6
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,
who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them
forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well…
John praised Gaius' example of hospitality and his support of those who were
doing God's work. This love for the brethren is to be a hallmark of God's
Church (John 13:35).
Jude
Jude mentions that he is the brother of James. It seems likely that the James
he refers to is the James who presided at the Jerusalem conference (Acts 15:13),
wrote the book of James and was the half brother of Jesus. If so, why didn't
Jude mention he himself was the half brother of Jesus? Likely his readers
would have known that already, and perhaps it would have seemed pretentious
to mention it.
Jude explains that he had planned to write about "our common salvation" (Jude
3), but "alarming news of false teaching made him pen this short, vigorous
letter with all speed" (Eerdmans' Handbook to the Bible, 1973, p.
644). Jude used many Old Testament references as well as using two references
that appear to be from Jewish apocryphal writings. (Of course, quoting from
nonbiblical sources does not mean that Jude endorsed everything in those writings.)
"Jude is dealing with a situation very like that dealt with in 2 Peter. And
in fact the bulk of Jude's letter is paralleled in 2 Peter 2. The two are
so similar that either one made use of the other, or both drew on an existing
tract which countered false teachings" (ibid.).
"Jude emphasizes the importance of contending for the faith. Error must be
refuted. He warns that God's judgment will fall on the apostates even as it
fell upon Cain, Korah, and Balaam" (The Amplified Bible, introduction
to Jude).
What does Jude advise Christians to do when faced with false teachings?
Jude 20-21
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
We must be building on the body of truth we have been given, praying in the
power of the Holy Spirit and guarding ourselves with the love of God. Through
God's mercy we can receive the salvation and eternal life that Jude had intended
to write about in the first place.
