Reading the Bible in a Year: James

"But the book of James says that faith without works is dead!"  So goes the classic critique of Lutheran theology.  Turns out, actually, that Luther acknowledged faith without works is dead!  Alas, we will need to muddy the waters before we clean up this mess!

As we continue to work our way through the Bible, one book at a time, some discussion questions

1)  What verses challenged you in the book of James?

2)  What verses offered you encouragement in the book of James?

3)  Did the letter feel like it was written by someone who cares for you or not?

4)  What do you make of the fact that both Paul and James have different interpretations of Abraham's faith, works and righteousness?

5)  Do think faith without works is dead?  Can you measure the works of another person or yourself to determine what kind of faith the person has?

6)  What would be the problem if the whole Bible read like James?  What would be missing from the Bible if we didn't have James?

7)  Can a congregation hold people together who come from different economic backgrounds?