The Letter of James has been hailed as possibly the earliest,
most Jewish, and most practical of all NT letters. James 3:13 aptly
communicates the book’s theme: “Who is wise and
understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by
deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.” The terms
“wise” and “wisdom” occur five times in the
book (1:5; 3:13 [2×], 15, 17). Hence, the author instructed his
readers on leading a life of faith that was characterized by a wisdom
expressed through speech and actions (2:12).
Literary
Features
The
author’s employment of picturesque, concrete language has close
affinities to OT wisdom literature and reflects Jesus’ teaching
in the Sermon on the Mount.
James
1:2 – Matthew 5:10-12
James
1:4 – Matthew 5:48
James
1:5; 5:15 – Matthew 7:7-12
James
1:9 – Matthew 5:3
James
1:20 – Matthew 5:22
James
1:22 – Matthew 7:21
James
2:5 – Matthew 5:3
James
2:13 – Matthew 5:7; 6:14-15
James
2:14-16 – Matthew 7:21-23
James
3:12 – Matthew 7:16
James
3:17-18 – Matthew 5:9
James
4:4 – Matthew 6:24
James
4:10 – Matthew 5:3-4
James
4:11 – Matthew 7:1-2
James
5:2 – Matthew 6:19
James
5:10 – Matthew 5:12
James
5:12 – Matthew 5:33-37
Like
the OT wisdom literature, the teaching in James has a strongly
practical orientation. Although the book contains some lengthier
paragraphs, much of it consists of sequential admonishments and
ethical maxims that in some cases are only loosely related to one
another. The sentences generally are short and direct. There are
fifty-four verbs in the imperative. Connection between sentences is
sometimes created through repeated words. Yet the overall topic of
practical faith and wisdom links these exhortations together.
Background
and Occasion
After
the death of Stephen, many disciples were scattered into the regions
of Judea and Samaria (Acts 7:54–8:3). In Acts 11:19 the
narrator notes, “Now those who had been scattered by the
persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as
Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.”
James may have written this letter to instruct and comfort those
scattered believers, as he addressed his letter to “the twelve
tribes dispersed abroad” (1:1 NET). These Jewish Christians no
longer had direct contact with the apostles in Jerusalem and needed
to be instructed and admonished in their tribulations. Apparently,
the rich were taking advantage of them (2:6; 5:1–6), and their
trials had led to worldliness, rash words, and strained relationships
(2:1; 4:1, 11; 5:9). In view of persecution, some may have been
tempted to hide their faith (5:10–11). James exhorted them to
demonstrate a lifestyle that would reflect their faith.
James’s
View on Works and Salvation
Some
readers of this letter have observed a seeming contradiction between
James’s call for good works and Paul’s insistence on
salvation by grace through faith apart from works (cf. James 2:14–26
with Eph. 2:8–10). The discussion is complicated by James’s
argument that a faith without works cannot “save” and by
his observation that Abraham was justified by what he did, not by
faith alone (James 2:14, 20–24). Paul, by contrast, maintains
that Abraham was justified exclusively by faith (Rom. 4:1–3).
Referring
rhetorically to people who claim to have faith but have no deeds,
James asks, “Can such faith save them?” (2:14). That is,
can the kind of faith that results in no works be genuine? The
expected answer is no. The kind of faith that produces no works
cannot be genuine faith; rather, it is “dead” (2:17, 26)
and “useless” (2:20). This kind of faith is “by
itself,” meaning that it produces no lasting fruit (2:17).
James’s point is that genuine faith will produce good works in
the believer’s life. By way of contrast, a mere profession is
not necessarily an indication of genuine faith. Even demons believe
in God, but they are not saved; the kind of belief that they exhibit
is merely an acknowledgment of God’s existence (2:19).
According
to James, Abraham was justified not in the sense of first being
declared righteous, but rather in the sense that his faith was
demonstrated as genuine when he offered up Isaac (2:21). Paul, on the
other hand, argues that salvation is obtained not through works but
rather by faith alone. He quotes Gen. 15:6 to show that Abraham
trusted God and was declared righteous several years before he
offered up Isaac (Rom. 4:3).
According
to Paul, Abraham was justified (declared righteous) before God when
he believed God’s promise (Gen. 15:6), but for James, he was
justified in the sense of giving observable proof of salvation
through his obedience to God. Whereas Paul refers to the point and
means of positional salvation, James refers to a subsequent event
that confirmed that Abraham was justified.
I.
Faith
A.
Paul (Romans 4:1-3):
1.
Is personal trust in God
2.
Justifies one before God
3.
Is not proof of Salvation
B.
James (2:14-26)
1.
Is a mere claim if there is no resulting fruit
II.
Works
A.
Paul (Romans 4:1-3):
1.
Precede salvation
2.
Attempt to merit salvation
3.
Cannot justify before God
B.
James (2:14-26)
1.
Follow conversion
2.
Are evidence of salvation
3.
Confirm one’s salvation
It
is important to keep in mind that each author wrote with a different
purpose. Paul wrote against Judaizers, who taught that a man had to
be circumcised and keep the OT law to be saved. James was warning
against a mere profession of faith that leads to self-deception
(1:22). John Calvin correctly expressed the biblical teaching that
faith alone saves, but that kind of faith does not remain alone; it
produces good works (cf. Rom. 3:21–6:14; Eph. 2:8–10;
Titus 2:11–14; 3:4–7).
Authorship
The
author identifies himself as “James, a servant of God and of
the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1). The NT mentions five persons
having the name “James”: (1) James the son of
Zebedee and the brother of John (Matt. 4:21); (2) James the son
of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3); (3) James “the younger”
(Mark 15:40); (4) James the father of the apostle Judas (not
Judas Iscariot; Luke 6:16); and (5) James the brother of Jesus
(Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19).
James
the brother of John was executed by Herod Agrippa I, who died in
AD 44 (Acts 12:2). Since the Letter of James probably was written
after this date, the brother of John could not have written it.
Neither James the son of Alphaeus, James the younger, nor James the
father of Judas was as prominent in the early church as the writer of
this letter, who simply identified himself and assumed that his
readers would know him (1:1). James the son of Alphaeus is mentioned
for the last time in Acts 1:13, and nothing is known of James the
father of Judas apart from the listing of his name in Luke 6:15; Acts
1:13. (It is uncertain whether James the younger should be identified
with one of the other four or is a separate figure.) Thus, it is
unlikely that any of them wrote the book. James the brother of Jesus
is most likely the author of this letter.
James
the Brother of the Lord
At
the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, James, as well as his
brothers Joses (Joseph), Judas, and Simon, did not believe that Jesus
was the Messiah (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 7:5). However, they came
to believe in him after the resurrection (Acts 1:14; 1 Cor.
15:7). Paul called James, along with Peter and John, the “pillars”
of the church (Gal. 2:9). James does not claim to be an apostle in
this letter; however, he is identified as one in Gal. 1:19. But there
the term “apostle” probably refers to a group of leading
disciples outside the Twelve (cf. Acts 14:4, 14; 1 Cor. 15:7;
Gal. 2:9). Since the author of this letter employed many imperatives,
his readers clearly accepted his authority. James, the brother of
Jesus, who also became a key leader of the church in Jerusalem,
possessed such authority (Acts 12:17; 15:13, 19; 21:18; Gal. 1:18–19;
2:9).
Date
Some
scholars hold that the Letter of James was written around AD 62,
while others argue that James wrote this letter sometime in AD 45–50.
Those who favor the earlier dates point out that the Jewish character
of this letter fits with this period when the church was mainly
Jewish, based on the following criteria: (1) There is no mention
of Gentile Christians in the letter. (2) The author does not
refer to the teachings of the Judaizers. If the letter had been
written at a later date, we would expect the author to address the
issue of circumcision among Christians. (3) The mention of
“teachers” (3:1) and “elders” (5:14) as the
leaders in the church reflects the structure of the primitive church.
(4) The word “meeting” in 2:2 is the same Greek word
as for “synagogue.” It describes the gathering place of
the early church. This implies a time when the congregation was still
primarily Jewish (Acts 1–7).
Outline
I.
Introduction (1:1)
II.
The Wise Christian Is Patient in Trials (1:2–18)
A.
How the Christian should face trials (1:2–12)
B.
The source of temptations (1:13–18)
III.
The Wise Christian Is a Practical Doer of the Word (1:19–2:26)
A.
Hearers and doers of the word (1:19–25)
B.
True religion (1:26–27)
C.
Prejudice in the church (2:1–13)
D.
Faith that works (2:14–26)
IV.
The Wise Christian Masters the Tongue (3:1–18)
A.
The power of the tongue (3:1–12)
B.
The wisdom from above (3:13–18)
V.
The Wise Christian Seeks Peace in Relationships (4:1–17)
A.
The cause of quarrels (4:1–3)
B.
Warning against worldliness (4:4–10)
C.
Warning against slander (4:11–12)
D.
Warning against boasting and self-sufficiency (4:13–17)
VI.
The Wise Christian Is Patient and Prays When Facing Difficulties
(5:1–20)
A.
Warning to the rich (5:1–6)
B.
Exhortation to patience (5:7–12)
C.
The power of prayer (5:13–18)
D.
The benefit of correcting those in error (5:19–20)
