Reading the Book of James with Jesus

If you’ve never watched a video from The Bible Project, you’re missing out. Their YouTube channel shares helpful overview videos for each book of the Bible (OT and NT) and major biblical themes, both of which are great ways to deepen your grasp of Scripture’s truth. (They also now have an app for their videos with Bible reading plan.)

This post shares the video for the book of James, a book written by James, the brother of Jesus. The video highlights an interesting feature of James: it echoes much of Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7; Luke 6). If James grew up with Jesus and was present to hear Him teach, it makes sense he would be profoundly shaped by the life-changing and authoritative message Jesus proclaimed.

There are several places where James echoes teaching from his brother, Jesus, and comparing the passages below is a fruitful and interesting exercise.

Favoritism vs. Love: James 2:1–13 | Matthew 5:46–48
Genuine Faith: James 2:14–26 | Matthew 7:21–27
The Tongue: James 3:1–12 | Luke 6:43–45
True Vs. False Wisdom: James 3:13–18 | Matthew 5:3–11
A Divided Heart: James 4:1–10 | Matthew 6:24
Condemning Others: James 4:11–12 | Matthew 12:36–37
The Arrogance of Wealth: James 4:13–17; Matthew 6:28–34
The Danger of Wealth: James 5:1-6 | Matthew 6:19–21
Patience & Endurance: James 5:7-11 | Matthew 24:13
Telling the Truth: James 5:12 | Matthew 5:37
Faith-Filled Prayer: James 5:13–18 | Matthew 21:21-22
Restoring Others: James 5:19–20 | Matthew 16:15

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Kevin

I serve with Unlocking the Bible. I blog for the glory of God, to nourish the church, and to clarify my mind. A lover of Christ first, people second, and random things like coffee, books, baseball, and road trips. I wrote When Prayer Is Struggle. Soli Deo Gloria