James 1:1
[1] “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”
The first word of this epistle gives us the identity of the author. His name is James. He was the son of Mary, the brother of the Lord Jesus, and the head of the church in Jerusalem. These are remarkable positions, but James mentions none of them. The title he chooses is, “James, a servant”.
The word servant is the Greek word “doulos”. This is someone who is considered to be a bondservant. It means they were born a slave, and have no personal freedom. A bondservant is obedient, and devoted to his, or her, master. They depend upon their master for daily provisions such as food, clothing, and shelter. James understands his role as a servant of God, and the Lord Jesus.
He also understands his responsibility. He is a servant to his master’s people. In our verse they are the twelve tribes of Israel. These are Jews living outside of Palestine. He has been called to minister to those saints who “are scattered abroad”. He has a message of encouragement to help them in troublesome times. In fact, the word “greeting” means “rejoice or be glad”.
It is important that we take the time to remember our role and responsibility as Christians. We are servants of the Lord, called upon to reach the world with the gospel and minister to our fellow brethren. We are to give them a word of greeting, and help them through the troublesome times of life. We are to be obedient and devoted servants who depend upon our master for our daily provisions.