 Good morning. Sorry, we're starting a little late. Shall we just begin with the word of prayer? Would anyone be willing to pray for us? Dear Heavenly Father, thank You Lord, thank You for the strength of this morning. Holy Spirit Father, Lord, You guide us, lead us. I send each and every one Lord, give us wisdom and knowledge. We will be able to understand Your Word of God. Lord, You talk with us through Your Word of God, through the man, through the something in His hands. We will know His wisdom. You will be able to teach us. So I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank You. So just to talk a little bit about our schedule. I think we will be done on April 22nd, which will be the last week of your classes on Monday. So I'll post the exam on that day and give you all until Saturday to finish. So April 22nd and then you'll have till I think the end of the week, which is 27th April 27th. So you'll have about five days to finish your exam. So today we're going to look at, I thought we'll do the book of James and Jude, so that next week we can do 1st and 2nd Peter on Monday and then 1st, 2nd, 3rd John on Thursday. So today we'll do James and Jude and also for Thursday's class next week, 1st, 2nd, 3rd John. We'll do that more as a discussion. I won't teach those three books. So what I'm going to ask you to do is to read all three books. Okay, 1st, 2nd, 3rd John. I'll cover the background or all of that. If you want to read that from the textbook, then great. You can read that as well. But to at least read those three letters and come prepared to just do a, we'll do a discussion in class on those three letters. Okay, so that'll be next Thursday, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John. Okay, let's begin with the book of James. Just sorry, I think the connection just dropped the internet connection. Yeah, we're back. Okay, so let's begin with the book of James. So an introduction to the book. The book basically is very practical. So it's talking very much about how do we live our faith practically? And I'm sure you've heard many, many sermons preached on the book of James. So you're familiar with the content of it. But as we look through the book, that is something to keep in mind. The author for the book as per tradition is James, the brother of Jesus. And why we can also come to that conclusion is because he doesn't give any description about who he is. If you remember in the Gospels, when Jesus chooses his disciples, there's a James there, right? And usually when there's a common name like that, there will be an addition to the name to distinguish them from other James. So we see, let me just see, so there's James the lesser, who's the Apostle James. Okay, so here he's not given that kind of description, which means that he was someone who was so prominent, he didn't have to say who he was. So that's why it's believed that this is Jesus's brother James. So what do we know about him from Scripture? We know from John 7 that Jesus's brothers didn't believe him at first. Let's just read that John 7 verses 3 to 5. Someone can read that for us. John 7 verse 3, Okay, so we know that Jesus's brothers didn't believe in him while he was ministering on earth. But if we read from Acts 1.14 about all the believers who had gathered to pray before the Pentecost, they gathered to pray in the upper room. It's mentioned that Mary and Jesus's brothers were also part of that group. So it was only post Jesus's resurrection that his brothers came to faith in him. And so James also, like the rest of the brothers, came to faith during this time. We'll just read 1 Corinthians 15, 3 to 8. Someone can read that for us. It'll just show us where it is and how it is that James actually came to faith. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3 to 8. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3 to 8. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 3 to 8. Well, I deliver to you as of fast importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. That he was worried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. And that he appeared to first, then the 12th, then he appeared to more than 500 for this at one time, most of whom are still alive. Third, some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one, ultimately one, he appeared also to me. Okay, so we see here the account of how James came to faith in Jesus. It was because the resurrected Christ appeared to him. And then we don't know about the other brothers, but probably through James, the rest of the brothers also came to faith. So, apart from this, we know that after he came to faith, he began to lead the church in Jerusalem. And we see that in various places where Paul is recording his travels. And he says, every time he went back to Jerusalem, he reported to James and the elders of the church. So, James was one of the main leaders in the church. We'll just read one of those accounts from Acts 15, 13 to 21. Someone can read that for us. Acts 15 versus 13 to 21. Can I read, sister? Yes, please. Go ahead, sister. Acts 15, 13 to 21. And after they had become silent, James answered saying, Men and brethren, listen to me. Simon has declared how God at the first visited the gentiles to take out of them a people for his name. And with this, the words of the prophets agree just as it is written. After this, I will return and will rebuild the turbanacle of David, which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins and I will set it up so that the rest of the mankind may seek the Lord. Even all the gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who does all these things. Known to God from eternity are all his works. Therefore, I just that we should not trouble those from among the gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled and from blood. For Moses had throughout many generations, those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogue every Sabbath. Thank you. So this is an example of the meetings that were being held where James was presiding as the overseer of the church in Jerusalem. And so this is where Paul and Barnabas go back to find out should the gentiles be circumcised and James gives this judgment on behalf of all of the elders in the church. So James was also known as the camel need because he was known for praying on his knees. So this is more from outside of scripture. We were looking at what we know about James from scripture itself. But outside of scripture, he was someone who was known for praying on his knees. And so his knees had become tough like a camel's knees. He's also known as James the just. So we read from outside Jewish writers that he was highly esteemed by people in Jerusalem, especially by the poor. And you'll see that as you read the book that James is very focused on the poor versus the rich, how the rich are exploiting the poor. And so this is something that was part of his life that he cared about the poor in the city. He was admired for his devotion to God and he spoke against the rich very openly. This is why a lot of the priests who were in power, who were in places of authority and in the higher classes opposed him. And he was put to death by the high priest, Annan is the second in 62 AD. But after he was put to death because the people were so, he was so highly esteemed by people, they actually made a big noise about him being put to death and the high priest was removed from his position as high priest. So this letter we know from chapter one verse one is written to Jewish Christians scattered among the nations. If we read Acts 8, we know that persecution started in Jerusalem and the believers moved to other parts of the Roman Empire because of the persecution. So it's possible that he's writing to all of these Christians who have moved away because of the persecution. So a little bit of the background to the book. There was a lot of the Roman Empire was mistreating Jewish, the Jews in many ways. They had taken a lot of their land and so a lot of the farmers had lost their land basically. They didn't have a land to grow crops on, they didn't have a way to earn a living. So they ended up working for the rich, working on their lands as daily laborers which meant that they didn't have a sustainable way of living. They didn't know if they would have work every day. They could only work in certain seasons when it was the harvest season they would have work and they could earn money. So they were suffering financially and also they were paying high taxes. So this led to a lot of animosity between the rich and the Jews who felt that Jews should not side with the Romans. So there was this kind of animosity between the priests and the zealots. This finally ended up in the revolt which was led by the Jews in AD 66 and led to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. So this was the situation that James was writing in that there was this kind of tension between the rich and the poor, between the rulers and the lower class and he addresses a lot of that. He writes a lot against the rich and against the exploitation of poor in this book. The book was definitely written before AD 62 because that's when James is believed to have been put to death. So possibly even as early as 41 to 50 AD and most probably in Jerusalem because as far as we know James was in Jerusalem post his coming to faith he served in Jerusalem itself. So we'll read two of the key verses from James chapter 1 verse 15 and 226. Someone can read those verses for us. James 1 verse 15. Then when did you ask has? I'm sorry I think there's some problem with the internet connection to my laptop. Could you for those online you'll just tell me I'm not sure when the call exactly dropped off. But maybe we'll just continue from where we stopped. If you'll miss something, we'll have it recorded on the video. Oh, actually it won't be recorded on the video as well. Yeah, if you can just tell me where we store where I got disconnected for those online. From the key words, ma'am. At the key words, is it? Yeah, key words. Okay, okay, thank you. Let me just check how much we covered since then. Okay, so we'll just continue. Okay, we looked a little bit at the differences between Paul and James writing. All of this is in your textbook so you can go back and read this. But basically to say that Paul emphasizes works. Paul says there's justification by faith, not by works. That is we are saved by faith and not by works. And James talks more about works as an outcome of our faith. So that's the difference in their writing. There isn't any contradiction. Rather they're talking about works differently. The kind of works they're talking about is different. And the purpose of the works. So the works are not to save us. Rather the works are to serve as a witness to the people around us of our salvation. Okay. So we looked also at some unique features and we were reading through some of the passages here that James uses to kind of talk about different topics. He's using examples from nature to talk about these topics. So we were reading, we read the first one from chapter one versus 10 to 11. So maybe we'll read that one again. And then we'll continue from this chapter one versus 10 to 11. James chapter one was 10 to 11. But the rich in his humiliation because he has the flower of the field, he will pass away verse 11. For no sonner has the sun rise with a burning heat, then it bitterness the grass, its flower falls and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his curiosity. Thank you. And James chapter three versus three to eight. James chapter three versus three to eight. Indeed we put pits in horses, mouths that they may obey us and return their whole body. Look also at ships, although they are so large and are driven by first winds, they are turned by a very small drooder wherever the pilot desires. Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest, a little far kindles. And the tongue is a fire, a world of inequity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defies the whole body and sets on fire the curve, the course of nature. And it is set on fire by hell for every kind of beast and bird of reptiles and creatures of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unduly evil, full of deadly poison. Thank you. I think we're running out of time so we won't read the rest of the verses. But these are just examples of how James uses nature to describe the things that he's talking about. The other references as well. One talks about the salt water and spring water that is in verses 11 to 12. And chapter four verse 14 talks about the fog in the morning, which appears in the morning and is gone by midday. So it's just beautiful imagery to describe certain things that he's talking about. With that we just come to the outline and do a quick overview of what James talks about. James begins with talking about people who are being tested. So we understood that there was a lot of oppression happening for the Jews under the Roman rule. And so we can understand why James is addressing testing right at the start. And he's encouraging them that through these times of testing, you grow in your faith, you grow in perseverance and in endurance. He then goes into hearing and obeying the word, encouraging people not only to read the word, but to do what they are reading, to live out what they are reading in the Word of God. From chapter two onwards, he is where we go into that section where he's addressing different topics. The first is addressing partiality. So don't show partiality to the rich while disregarding the poor is the first section. The next is encouraging people to live out their faith through their works. He uses the example of Abraham and Rahab. Abraham, he says, we know that he was someone who believed because he actually went to the point of sacrificing Isaac. His faith was evidenced by that act. And then he uses Rahab as an example of how she protects the spies. So both of them, they were not people who just had faith with no evidence of their faith, but they were people who showed their faith through their works. 3-1-12 is that passage we just read on controlling the tongue. 3-13-18 talks about worldly wisdom versus godly wisdom. Chapter four, he talks about worldliness against love of the world, against slandering one another, against planning our future without completely depending on God before we make plans for the future. And then chapter five, verses one to six, he warns against the dangers of wealth. That's actually a really good passage, but I'm not sure that we have time to read it. And then chapter five, he goes on to talk about patience because of the suffering that they are experiencing. He's encouraging them to be patient in the face of their suffering. Then he talks about praying for the sick and uses the example of Elijah praying for rain. And then closes with reclaiming those who have turned away from the faith. So bringing back those who have fallen away, restoring them to the faith. And with that, we come to the end of the book of James. We'll quickly go through the book of Jude as well. These are two books that go well together because they're both written by brothers of Jesus. So Jude was also a brother of Jesus. And he in this book is addressing false teachers because a lot of false teaching had come into the church. And the church was slowly adopting some of that false teaching. They were starting to be influenced by that teaching. So Jude is writing to warn against it. And part of that was sexual immorality. So it's the same like we read about James that he didn't believe in Jesus during his ministry, but only post resurrection he started to believe in Jesus. The recipients for the letter are Christians everywhere. So he writes to all Christians. There's no specific audience that he's writing to. A few things about the date of writing. Probably around AD 69. He doesn't mention anything about the fall of Jerusalem. So that's why we think it's before AD 70. In one chapter one was 17. He talks about what the apostles had taught the church. So suggests that a lot of the apostles were already had already died. But these churches had been led by the apostles themselves. Some of the unique features. It's a rest to Christians everywhere, not written to a specific church. It emphasizes the relationship between right believing, right living. Talks about opposition to God from before time to the end of time. There are some OT illustrations or some illustrations from the Old Testament. And this is the only book where we have the record of that dispute over Moses' body. So let's just turn to that chapter. Jude, which only has one chapter verse nine. We can read that. It's Michael the Archangel. Yet Michael the Archangel in contending with the devil when he disputed about the body of Moses, did not bring against him a reviling accusation but said the Lord rebuke you. Thank you. So here Jude is talking about the false teachers. He's talking about how arrogant they are in the way they are so quick to slander people. They don't think about the words that are coming out of their mouth and he uses this example. So it's the only place in scripture that talks about this dispute over Moses' body. And then in chapter one verses 14 to 15, he refers to the book of Enoch, which we don't have in our Bible but was part of the Jewish literature outside. So it's part of the apocrypha. So there's extra books in the Old Testament that we don't have included in our Bibles. Comparison with other books like the book of James, he also uses nature to describe certain things. And he talks about false teachers that Peter prophesies about. So we haven't yet covered the book of Second Peter, the letter of Second Peter. But they both talk about false teachers and so Jude seems to be referring to the same kind of false teaching. Now we'll read a few verses from this book. Since it's a short book, just reading a few verses will give us an idea of what the book talks about. But before we do that, we'll just look a little bit at what the book overall talks about. So chapter one verse one, he begins with a warning against false teaching. The first verse is just a greeting. But what is very interesting here in that first verse is that he says, to all who have been called by God, who loves you and keeps you in the care of Jesus Christ, or you have been kept for Jesus Christ. So right in the stat there, he's saying that you are being guarded for Christ's return. And so when he's addressing this false teaching, he's saying, even in the face of false teaching, you are going to be kept safe. He then goes on to warn against false teachers who have come in. If someone can just read for us verse four, that gives us an idea about who these false teachers are. For certain men have crept in unnoticed who long ago were marked out for this condemnation. One godly man who turned the grace of our God into fluidness and deny the only Lord Jesus and our Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, so these false teachers had come in and they were teaching that you can live a life that is immoral. And Jude is saying, by this teaching, they are denying Jesus himself. So he's warning against their teaching. It goes on to past judgment. So talking about God's judgment of these, of people in the past who have turned away, who have taught people and led them astray. And then verses eight to 16 talks about a little more about false teachers and what is their destiny, the future destiny of teachers who will lead people astray. We'll just read from verses 20 to 24, if you can just read that for us, verses 20 to 24. You can go ahead and read. Through 20 to 24. But you will have, building yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourself in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto internal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction. But others see with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the governments defiled by the flesh. Now to Him, who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you powerless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. You read all the way to 24. Okay. Sorry, I couldn't hear very well. So what is really important about this book is that Jude describes all of these apostasies, all of this wrong teaching, what has been said about them, how the Apostles warned against them. And then he concludes with how do you stay firm in your faith in the face of all this false teaching. So that is the key. Although false teaching may exist and it's going to come against the church. How do we as believers continue to stay strong in our faith so that we are like he says right in the beginning we are kept for Jesus Christ. So we are guarded until Christ's return. And what are some of those key points that he mentions in that verse? What are some ways that we can stay strong? Keep yourself in the love of God. What are some other things? Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling. Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling. Yes. Yeah. Thank you. What's that? Sorry. Be compassionate. Yeah. So even if there are people who come to a place of doubting to have mercy towards them to be compassionate towards them, building ourselves up in our faith. So continuing to grow in faith and he's saying this almost as building each other up right in the church, building each other up in our faith as well. Praying in the spirit. Right. Anything else. Save others. So save people who are falling away from the faith. So this is very important. It's not only us keeping ourselves strong, but also caring for our brothers and sisters in the church who are falling away from the faith, building them up, making sure that they don't fall away from the faith. So we will close with that. But just a reminder of this is what Jude talks about. Right. Jude is talking about false teachers, but encouraging us that in the midst of that kind of false teaching, we can say strong. We don't have to fall away when false teaching comes into the church and he gives us some key ways for which we can stay strong in the faith. We'll close here and I'll see you all on Monday. We'll do first and second Peter when we meet on Monday. Thank you.