Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chaignot.

This month we will explore the book of James. But who was James? Those familiar with the New Testament will know that there are several individuals to choose from. Two of the disciples were named James – one was the brother of John, the other was the son of Alphaeus. Two of the disciples had a father named James (Judas and Thaddeus). And then we hear about a James who was the brother of Jesus. Though there is always that tiny measure of uncertainty, most scholars agree that the author of the book of James was the brother of Jesus. If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.

The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.

James

The book of James is, perhaps, one of the more enigmatic books of the Bible. From the beginning, it had problems getting into the canon, but once accepted, it led the section known as the epistles. Then during the Reformation period, it fell into serious disrepute. Martin Luther referred to the book of James as “an epistle of straw.” He thought that James contradicted Paul and all Scripture. And for the next half millennium, Luther’s comments would dominate scholarly opinions about James.

Ironically, it is only in recent years that interest in James has been fervently rekindled. It was in the spring of 2002 that an Israeli collector invited another collector to see some difficult-to-read pieces that he had acquired. One of them was an ossuary with the inscription, “James, son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus,” emblazoned on its side. Too good to be true, subsequent painstaking tests revealed the “brother of Jesus” part to be a later addition! But it certainly added to the interest and study of James, a study that is both informative and revealing regarding the early church.

Notwithstanding several arguments that Jesus didn’t have any brothers (because legend has it that Mary and Joseph were perpetual virgins [!]), we’re going to proceed on the basis that Jesus did have a brother named James and that this was the person who wrote the book of James. So, what do we know about this individual? Traditionally, scholars have always believed that Jesus’ family was pretty unimpressed with his ministry and none of them believed in Jesus until after the resurrection. According to tradition, however, Jesus appeared to James after his resurrection, and the next thing we know is that James is in charge of the Jerusalem Church. Most people think this occurred after Peter had decided to go up to Rome, leaving the church in Jerusalem in James’ capable hands.

Today, scholars are questioning many of these assumptions – and for good reason. First of all, if James had been an unbeliever until Jesus appeared to him, how is it that we don’t know about his conversion? Paul’s is recounted three times in Acts alone, and surely James’ conversion would have been just as significant. Yet, there is only a passing reference to it – by Paul, no less. Secondly, there are really only a few passages that suggest Jesus’ family was unsupportive (See Mark 3:20-21; John 7:1-5). Most of the traditional interpretations of these passages have been based on preconceived assumptions that Jesus’ family was unsupportive.

But some leading scholars now believe that Jesus’ family could have been followers of his ministry prior to his crucifixion. Several even argue that they were there from the beginning. Why is this important? Because of the way James is portrayed in Paul’s letters and the book of Acts.

Paul states in Gal 1:18-19: “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.” This encounter with James and Peter occurred just a few years after the resurrection. James is already on the scene in Jerusalem and influential enough for Paul to want to see him. There is, of course, no proof that he had been there all along, but to achieve such high standing within a few short years would be nothing short of a meteoric rise to the top. And since it took so long for the apostles to accept Paul, it seems illogical that they would have embraced James if he had opposed Jesus’ mission throughout his lifetime. Indeed, Paul calls him an apostle – “I saw none of the other apostles, except for James.” The earliest definition of an apostle was given by Peter when they were in the process of replacing Judas. He states in Acts, “It is necessary to choose one of the men that have been with us the whole time, that Jesus went in and out among us. Beginning from John’s baptism through the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection” (1:21-22). Remember how Paul had to defend his apostleship because he had only seen the Lord afterwards? If James had not been a follower of Jesus before his death, where is his defense? Interesting question!

Let’s talk about James and Peter. The prevailing opinion has always been that Peter was the leader of the church until he was imprisoned following the death of James, the brother of John. The night before Peter was supposed to be sentenced, an angel led him out of the prison and he went to the home of Mary, where believers had gathered. He told them all that had happened and said, “Go, show these things unto James and all the brethren.” Then he left, basically handing the reigns over to James. This would have been around 47-48CE. Over against this, however, are the writings of several church fathers, which refer to James as the first Bishop of Jerusalem. Clement of Alexandria goes so far as to say that after the resurrection, “Peter, James, and John did not claim pre-eminence….but chose James the Just as Bishop of Jerusalem.” In an apocryphal writing, known as the Gospel of the Hebrews, it states that Jesus’ first resurrection appearance was to James and according to this tract, James was present at the Last Supper.

Obviously, scholars are giving these issues new attention. Regardless of how that turns out, one thing is known for certain about James in the early church. By the year 48-49CE, when they convened the first Jerusalem Council to determine whether Gentiles needed to be circumcised, James was clearly the man in charge. It was James, the brother of Jesus, who made the final decision. He cast the deciding vote and argued that scripture provided the warrant for them to know that God’s people would include those taken from among the Gentiles – apart from circumcision. The importance of this step cannot be overemphasized. This is to be seen as an expansion of the Jewish nation. He maintained that the church would be the means by which the Gentiles came to God. His final word was to “not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” That was the decision. Case closed.

Do we think this is historical? That James had this amount of authority? Scholars give it a lot of weight, primarily because Luke, whom most scholars see as being an advocate of Pauline doctrine, wrote Acts. He would not have made this up if it hadn’t really happened. This is virtually ascribing to James the final say, the last word. James is the one who issues the so-called Apostolic Decree.

Years later, when Paul returned to Jerusalem for the last time, he was anxious to visit “James and all the elders.” That visit ended with Paul’s imprisonment. At that point it would appear that the Jewish Christians, led by James, seemed to have the upper hand. They were also converting thousands who were faithful to the Law. It basically affirms Jesus’ mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel – a mission that included circumcision and the following of certain dietary restrictions. And according to that scenario, James’ ministry was simply an extension of what Jesus had intended all along. The Gentiles are there too, but there is little harmony between them.

Josephus, a first-century historian, gives us a sense of James’ influence in writing about his death, which occurred in 62. Festus had passed away that year, and before the Romans could send another governor, the chief priest, Ananus, quickly convened the Sanhedrin and brought James and a few others before the court. He accused them of transgressing the law and delivered them up to be stoned. The account reads, “Those of the inhabitants of the city who were considered the most fair-minded and who were in strict observance of the law were offended at this. They therefore secretly sent to King Agrippa urging him …to order [Ananus] to desist from any further such actions.” King Agrippa did better than that -- he deposed Ananus after only three months.

Now, out of curiosity -- who were the “fair-minded ones…who were in strict observance of the law” that were so offended by this action on the part of the high priest? Wouldn’t they also be Jews? Obviously, the Christian church in Jerusalem is still very Jewish. Asking such questions of history has opened up a whole new view on all aspects of the early church – including the role of the Pharisees in the New Testament, as well as James.

The book of James itself appears, like Paul’s epistles, to be a letter, but it lacks many of the common elements that comprise the components of an ancient letter. For that reason, others have likened it to a sermon, or moral exhortation. Some of it reads like the book of Proverbs. There are similarities between James and the wide range of wisdom literature from the ancient Near East. Nonetheless, James has a slightly different focus in that he is concerned with the practical wisdom of right behavior as it applies to Torah. He has a very favorable outlook on the law, seeing it not as a burdensome set of rituals, but as a royal command rooted in the law of Leviticus – Love thy neighbor as thyself.

A careful reader of James will recognize many statements similar to those found in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Consider this from 5:12: “Above all, my brothers, do not swear – not by heaven or earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your “No,’ no, or you will be condemned.” In Matthew 5:34-37 we read: “But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven…or earth….Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Some scholars make much of the fact that James, unlike Matthew, does not attribute these words to Jesus. Then again, if this epistle had been written decades before Matthew’s gospel, maybe he didn’t have to; maybe everyone already knew who had said those words. In fact, these could be the most authentic words of Jesus in the New Testament.

And if that’s true, then James becomes very interesting in light of that which he leaves out. For example, there are no miracle stories in James, no mention of Jesus’ earthly ministry or his life either, for that matter. James does not talk about Jesus’ death or resurrection, nor does he discuss baptism, the Holy Spirit, or the Lord’s Supper. In fact, there are only two references to Jesus. However, James does talk a lot about God. God is often the subject of an active verb. God is, first and foremost, one (2:19). He is generous (1:5) and holy (1:13); He is immutable (1:17) and the unchanging source of good. He is creator of all (1:17) and has created humans in His own likeness (3:9). He has planted a word within humans, which can save (1:21). He accepts religion as pure and faultless if it includes looking after orphans and widows in their distress (1:27). He has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom God has promised those who love Him (2:5). He invites people to come near to Him and promises He will come near to them (4:7); all those, who humble themselves before God, will be lifted up by Him (4:10). Those who are sick will be healed, and sinners will be forgiven (5:15), for God is full of compassion and mercy (5:11). In all this He is sovereign and will judge accordingly because He alone is able to save and destroy (4:12).

The book of James, then, is very God-centered; Paul would be considered more Jesus-centered. Life, as seen through the eyes of James, would be a life where God is on one hand and the world is on the other. People must choose one over the other, for they can never be harmonious. The world will always be in opposition to God. This is not unlike what Jesus states in John 15:18: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” James talks about this either/or concept in terms of friendship. He maintains that one cannot be friends with the world and be a friend of God. A friend of the world bases his life on desire, competition, envy, violence, murder and war. That person will always be in opposition to the one who lives his life in terms of God’s gifts and who leads a life of peace and cooperation. At the heart of his book, James takes those to task who want to live in both spheres. Maybe they have the words down pat; they get everything on an intellectual level. But their practice doesn’t always match what they profess. This doesn’t cut it for James; he calls them “double-minded,” because they want to live in both worlds. Not only does he call them on this, but he also shows how illogical and self-deceived they really are. In the final chapters of his book, he calls them to conversion, to will only one thing – to be a friend of God.

So would this kind of thinking be considered an early or late development of early Christianity? Most opt for an early date, which is completely consistent for the majority of scholars because they accept James the Just as the author of this book. But look at the implications of this. In the world that James is writing to, there is no hint of the Gentile-Jewish controversy. James refers to the meeting or assembly of the church with the word synagogue, indicating there had been no break between the Jews and the Christians. (2:2) In fact, there is no suggestion of a controversy over circumcision or Judaizers either. The book is addressed to the “twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.” Perhaps this is a reference to the twelve tribes of Israel, the Jewish Christians outside of Palestine. Or it could be a metaphorical reference to all those who are spiritual heirs to Israel and living far away. Indeed, if it is a reference to Jews in the Diaspora, this letter could have been written soon after the persecution and dispersion of Jews that was perpetrated by Paul. If this were true, it would make James the first book of the New Testament.

Maybe the book of James should be read and studied a lot more. Yet most readers would find among its pages a way of life that would seem very radical in today’s world. It would be a life that is rooted in social ethics based on peace and security rather than opposition and aggression. But that might not be all bad.

There are roughly six sections to this letter: 1:1 – Introduction/Statement of Faith; 1:2-27 – Trials and Temptations; 2:1-26 – Treatment of the Poor and Faith that Works; 3:1-18 – Wisdom Involving the Tongue; 4:1-12 – Christians in the World; 4:13-5:20 – Misplaced Confidence and the Coming of the Day of the Lord.

James ends his piece with a note of grace and forgiveness. According to his last line, one can best save himself by saving another. The “letter” lacks the customary final greetings, but it resembles 1 John and Jude. It invites the reader to pray for others and challenges them to act on behalf of those going astray. In a sense, this is similar to the gospels in that it is a commission to go out and share the good news. But it appears that James is less interested in converting others than he is about doing good deeds within the believing community. He wants Jesus’ followers to remain true to their commitment – and to have concern and responsibility towards each other.

Bibliography

Barclay, William. “The Letters of James and Peter.” Daily Study Bible. Philadelphia,
     PA: Westminster Press. 1975.

Davids, Peter. “James.” New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA:
     Hendrickson. 1989.

Duling, Dennis and Norman Perrin. The New Testament. Proclamation and
     Parenesis, Myth and History. Philadelphia, PA: Harcourt Brace College
     Publishers. 1994.

Hartin, Patrick. “James.” Sacra Pagina. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. 2003.

Gaebelein, Frank. “James.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI:
     Zondervan Publishing. 1985.

Keck, Leander, ed. “James.” The New Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville, TN: Abingdon
     Press. 1998.

Martin, Ralph. “James.” Word Biblical Commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
     1988.

Moo, Douglas. “The Letter of James.” The Pillar New Testament Commentary.
     Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans. 2000.