1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, Fourteen times in this letter, James addresses his readers as “brothers.” This language is found throughout the New Testament, implying both the closeness and the responsibility of being family. James’s frequent use of “brother” gives his letter a pastoral tone; he is writing to encourage them in the faith as a brother who is a fellow servant of Christ. “Brothers,” of course, includes sisters as well; James specifically mentions sisters as readers in 2:15. Throughout