The Christian Chain of Command
Introduction: Straw Men Christianity
The book of James is intensely practical. For this reason, many Christians who like their gospel ethereal and their doctrines abstract have often found themselves a bit uncomfortable with it. Martin Luther famously called it an "epistle of straw" because he struggled to find the gospel in it. But this is only a problem if you have a shrunken, anemic view of the gospel. If you think the gospel is nothing more than a "get out of Hell free" card, a fire insurance policy that has no bearing on how you live Monday through Saturday, then of course James will be a problem for you. James is a sledgehammer to that kind of flimsy faith.
But the gospel is not an abstraction. The gospel is the announcement of a new kingdom, a new creation, and a new King named Jesus. And when a king takes over, things change. He issues commands. He establishes a culture. He expects loyalty. The gospel is not just about what you are saved from; it is about what you are saved to. You are saved to a life of robust, muscular, practical obedience. You are saved to good works. James is not at odds with Paul; he is his necessary complement. Paul tells us we are saved by faith alone, and James tells us what that saving faith looks like when it puts its boots on and goes to work in the real world. It is a faith that works.
This letter is a field manual for Christian living. It addresses real problems in the church: trials, temptation, partiality, the untamable tongue, quarrels, and the arrogance of wealth. And it begins, as all sound doctrine must, by establishing the proper chain of command. Before we can understand our trials, we must first understand our identity. Before we can do the will of God, we must know whose we are. And so, in this very first verse, James lays the foundation for everything that follows. He tells us who he is, who we are, and who is in charge.
The Text
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
(James 1:1 LSB)
Our Glorious Bondage (v. 1a)
The letter opens with the author's identity:
"James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ..." (James 1:1a)
Most modern translations soften this word to "servant" or "bondservant," but this is a sentimental dodge. The Greek word is doulos, and it means slave. It does not mean hired hand. It does not mean employee. It means you are owned, lock, stock, and barrel. In our democratic, egalitarian age, this language is offensive. We are taught from infancy that the highest good is personal autonomy, to be the captain of your own soul, to be beholden to no one. The modern man wants to be his own god, and the idea of being a slave to anyone is repugnant to him.
But for the Christian, this is our glory. This is our liberation. To be a doulos of Jesus Christ is the only true freedom there is. Everyone is a slave to something. You will either be a slave to your sin, your passions, your appetites, and your pride, or you will be a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no third option. The first kind of slavery promises freedom but delivers only death. The second kind of slavery demands your absolute allegiance and, in return, sets you truly free.
Notice also who this James is. This is almost certainly James, the half-brother of our Lord. Think about that. If anyone had a right to pull rank, to drop a famous name, it was him. He could have written, "James, the brother of the Messiah, you know, the one I grew up with." But he doesn't. His earthly relationship to Jesus is completely eclipsed by his spiritual reality. He does not define himself by his blood relation to Jesus, but by his bond-relation. His highest honor, his primary identity, is not that Jesus is his brother, but that Jesus is his Master. This is a profound lesson in humility. In the kingdom of God, the only way up is down. You do not become great by asserting your rights, but by joyfully surrendering them to the King.
And he is a slave of "God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." Here, in this simple phrase, is a high Christology. James places Jesus on the same level as God the Father. To be a slave of Jesus is to be a slave of God. This is not the watered-down, meek-and-mild Jesus of sentimental evangelicalism. This is the Lord, the Kurios, the sovereign Master of the universe. This is the one to whom every knee will bow. James begins by reminding us that we are owned property, and our owner is the sovereign God.
The Conquering Diaspora (v. 1b)
Next, James identifies his audience:
"To the twelve tribes who are in the Dispersion..." (James 1:1b)
This is a crucial phrase for understanding our place in the world. Who are the twelve tribes? James is not writing a letter to be circulated among unconverted, ethnic Jews. He is writing to the Christian church. The church is the new Israel. It is the fulfillment of all God's promises to Abraham. All who are in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, are the true children of Abraham and heirs of the promise. The twelve tribes have been reconstituted around the Messiah, Jesus. This is covenant theology in a nutshell. God has one people, and they are defined not by bloodline, but by faith in His Son.
And where are these twelve tribes? They are "in the Dispersion." The Greek is diaspora. This term originally referred to the Jews scattered outside of Palestine after the exile. It carried a sense of displacement, of being away from home. But the New Testament writers pick up this word and transform it. The scattering of God's people is no longer a sign of judgment, but a strategy for victory. We are the seed of the kingdom, sown throughout the entire world.
This is a profoundly optimistic, postmillennial vision. The church is not a beleaguered minority huddled in a holy bunker, waiting for the rapture. We are an invading army. We are colonists of the kingdom of heaven, strategically placed in every nation, every city, every neighborhood, to claim it for Christ. Our dispersion is for dominion. We are scattered like salt to preserve and flavor the earth. We are scattered like light to dispel the darkness. So, when you look out at a hostile culture, do not despair. You are not a refugee; you are an ambassador. You are not an exile; you are an advance scout for the coming King. This world is not our home in its current, fallen state, but it is our Father's world, and we are here to reclaim it in His name.
A Joyful Declaration (v. 1c)
The verse concludes with a simple, yet profound, greeting.
"Greetings." (James 1:1c)
The Greek word here is chairein, which literally means "to rejoice." This is not just a polite "hello." It is a command to be joyful. This is the standard Christian disposition. It is a declaration of our fundamental state of being in Christ. And it is no accident that James begins with this word, because in the very next verse he is going to tell these scattered tribes to "count it all joy when you fall into various trials."
The greeting is the thesis statement for what follows. How can a slave, owned by another, scattered in a hostile world, be joyful? Because his Master is the Lord of heaven and earth. Because his scattering is part of a divine plan of conquest. Because the trials he faces are not random misfortunes, but are tools in the hand of a sovereign God to forge his faith into something strong and pure.
The world seeks happiness, which is based on happenings. It is circumstantial. But the Christian possesses joy, which is a fruit of the Spirit. It is theological. It is grounded not in our circumstances, but in our standing. We are slaves of the King, members of the conquering twelve tribes, and our destiny is victory. Therefore, rejoice.
Conclusion: Know Your Place
This opening verse sets the stage for the entire letter. It establishes the foundational truths of our identity. If we get this wrong, everything else will be skewed. If you think you are your own, you will resent every trial as an infringement on your autonomy. If you think the church is a defeated remnant, you will live in fear and retreat. If you think joy is a feeling based on your comfort, you will be perpetually miserable.
But if you know your place, everything changes. You are a doulos, a slave. Your life is not your own. You have been bought with a price. Therefore, your purpose is not self-fulfillment, but to glorify your Master in everything. You are part of the twelve tribes, the Israel of God. You are a citizen of a global, advancing kingdom that cannot be stopped. And because of these glorious realities, your default setting is joy. Not a flimsy, superficial happiness, but a deep, rugged, battle-tested joy that can look a trial in the face and count it a gift.
This is the chain of command. God is God. Jesus is Lord. You are His slave. You are on a mission. And your mission is to rejoice as you take the world for Him. This is the grammar of the Christian life. Let us learn to speak it fluently.