James 5:7-11

The letter of James says: "Be patient; do not lose heart, for the Lord's coming will be soon."
This letter is attributed to James, the brother of Jesus, who led the church in Jerusalem during the time of Paul's ministry, but its excellent Greek and awareness of 1 Peter would suggest the author was a Greek-speaking Jew, who lived near the end of the first century. The letter emphasizes the ethical commandments of the law of Moses and is closest in approach to the Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew. It contrasts with the writings of Paul, as it teaches that faith without works is dead.

Like Paul, however, the author of the letter attributed to James looks for the coming of the day of the Lord and the judgment of the peoples' of the earth. The church in Jerusalem expected that the Jewish uprising in 66 would bring this about, but the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple did not result in the end of history. It did, however, create the conditions in which Jewish faith was organized by rabbis into Judaism and Christian faith was organized by Greek-speaking bishops into Christianity.
Christians waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled are urged by the apostles to live exemplary lives. That would seem to be good advice today as well.

Grace and peace...Bob