January 2026
The Book of James
INTO THE WORD
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With a new year comes a new course of study for our Tabletalk daily devotionals. In 2026, we will work our way verse by verse through the New Testament General or Catholic (that is, universal) Epistles—James; 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Jude. They are called the General Epistles because most of them are addressed to more “general” audiences made up of early Christians in many places, not to individuals or single congregations.
The first General or Catholic Epistle is the book of James, written by James the brother of Jesus. James was not a disciple of Christ during His earthly ministry but became a believer after Jesus appeared to His brother after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7). James served as the leader of the church in Jerusalem during its earliest decades of existence, and he was likely martyred in the early 60s AD.
James is known as James the Just because of his piety and concern for practical righteousness. His epistle is probably the first New Testament book to be written, perhaps as early as the 40s AD. This month, we will study James 1:1–2:13, where James introduces and begins developing the three key themes of his letter: trials, wisdom, and poverty and riches.
Abiding in the Word
- Proverbs 3:5–6
- James 1:13
- James 2:1
- Isaiah 30:18