James

Title

“The Letter of James” is one of seven “general,” or “catholic,” letters in the NT, so named because they were viewed by some early Christians as addressing the universal church rather than particular local congregations. In Greek, the author’s name is Iakōbos, a transliteration of the Hebrew name Jacob. After centuries of transmission through various languages, the name Iakōbos came to be rendered as “James” in English.

Author

Early church testimony agreed that the author of this letter is James, the half brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; 1 Cor. 15:7) and leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; 15:13–21; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:9–12). At least three other persons named James are mentioned in the NT (the son of Zebedee [Mark 1:19; Acts 12:2], the son of Alphaeus [Mark 3:18], and the father of Judas [Luke 6:16]), and despite occasional creative suggestions,¹ none is viewed as a serious contender for authorship of this letter. Skeptical modern scholars sometimes claim that the letter was written pseudonymously in the name of James, even though the early church consistently condemned pseudonymity.

Date and Occasion

The early church historian Eusebius (AD 260–340), recording the words of Hegesippus (c. 110–180), reports that James was martyred by zealous anti-Christian Jews in 62. The Jewish historian Josephus (AD 37–100) provides historical corroboration of James’s martyrdom. Obviously, if this letter came from James’s hand, it must have preceded his death. Speculating on the early Jewish context of James’s readers and his apparent lack of more explicit interaction with Pauline categories, evangelical scholars favor a date in the mid-40s. If that date is correct, James may have been written before any other book of the NT.

Genre and Literary Features

James is a letter, but one very different from the Pauline letters. James reads more like a series of transcribed mini-homilies than an actual letter. For a modern analogy to this form of spiritual communication, one need look no further than a pastor’s blog.

While various overarching literary structures have been proposed for James, perhaps it is best to focus on discrete discourse units of the letter while recognizing epistolary motifs. Within the original Greek text, the repetition of similar sounds sometimes serves to stitch together seemingly diverse material (cf. comment on 1:2–4).

Theology of James

James focuses on the behavior and speech true Christians should exhibit. James calls the recipients of his letter to repent of double-mindedness and to be whole, consistent, and single-hearted in their Christian faith and living. Various theological motifs reappear throughout the book: (1) God’s purposes in trials (James 1:2–12; 5:7–11), (2) the reality of sin and the need to resist temptation (1:13–15; 4:7–10), (3) the necessity of godly speech (1:26; 3:1–12; 4:11–12; 5:12), (4) the recognition that works are the absolutely essential evidence of true faith (1:19–26; 2:14–26; 3:17), (5) God’s concern for the poor (1:9, 27; 2:1–13; 5:1–11), (6) the coming judgment of the rich (2:5–7; 5:1–6), (6) the necessity and power of prayer (1:5–7; 5:13–18), and (7) the need for repentance from sin and concern for those who are straying (1:22–25; 4:7–11; 5:19–20).

Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ

Having been saved by grace and declared “sons of God” (cf. Rom. 8:14; Gal. 3:26), Christians are called to live consistently in their new status. This new way of life is made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit, who indwells all true believers. James’s letter should be thought of primarily as instruction to persons who are born again and are now seeking to live as faithful disciples of Christ.

The believer who reads the letter of James, or who sits under its preaching, should experience conviction of sin. The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God (as written in the letter) and presses it upon the heart of the believer. For example, the modern Christian who reads James 4:13–17 may become convicted of his presumptuous plans for the future—plans that fail to acknowledge both his creaturely dependence and the sovereignty of God. A proper response, then, is repentance to God the Father for one’s presumption, a deeper treasuring of the perfect life and sacrificial death of Jesus, and a renewed vision of humble dependence made possible by the indwelling Spirit.

Preaching from James

Because of its practical bent, the letter of James is a favorite of modern Christians. The letter divides nicely into thirteen discourse units for verse-by-verse preaching. In expounding the text, the preacher should regularly remind the congregation that the letter’s exhortations assume the finished work of Christ. So, e.g., as a parishioner listens to a sermon on James 3:1–12, he may become convicted of how wickedly he has spoken of a coworker. Yet the sermon should not simply call the Christian to “do better” but should urge him to repent. Perhaps the hearer needs to confess his sin to the maligned party or to other believers (5:16). He certainly needs to look to Jesus’ perfect life and atoning death for his justification and to resolve, by the power of the Spirit, to slander no longer.

Those sitting under the preaching of James’s letter should have a renewed sense of both the depth of their own sinfulness and the sufficiency of Jesus to cover that sin. The Spirit of God will take the biblical text and impress it upon our hearts, conforming us in greater measure to the image of Christ while also causing us to groan for the Lord’s return and the final restoration of all things.

Interpretive Challenges

Skeptics have accused James of being a lightly edited synagogue sermon, and have noted that it contains only two explicit references to Jesus (James 1:1; 2:1). In reality, however, much of the book parallels Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels, especially the Sermon on the Mount. Just as Jesus gave his disciples clear instruction on how they were to talk, act, pray, work, and live, so James conveys those teachings to a new generation of Christians.

Critics have also claimed that James contradicts Paul on the doctrine of justification. While Paul says that faith alone justifies (Rom. 3:28), James insists that faith alone does not justify (James 2:24). Much apparent tension dissolves when one notes that Paul and James are addressing different theological errors. Paul attacks the false doctrine that salvation can be obtained through obeying the law—whether that be the moral law written on the conscience, the law of Jewish rites, or some combination thereof. James, on the other hand, attacks nominal Christianity, which intellectually affirms orthodox faith but displays no transformed life. Such empty faith, James teaches, is no different than the “faith” of demons (James 2:19). Likewise, Paul affirms that “fruit” will accompany genuine saving faith (Gal. 5:22–23). What matters, Paul says, is “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6). James agrees (James 2:22). See the comments below on James 2:14–26 for a fuller discussion of Paul versus James on the doctrine of justification.

Outline

1. I. Epistolary Opening (1:1)
2. II. The Wise Perspective on Trials (1:2–11)
   1. A. The Divine Purpose in Trials (1:2–4)
   2. B. The Wisdom Necessary to View Trials Rightly (1:5–8)
   3. C. The Trials of Poverty and Wealth (1:9–11)
3. III. Trials, Temptations, and Gifts (1:12–18)
   1. A. The Eschatological Reward for Enduring Trials (1:12)
   2. B. The True Nature of Temptation in Fallen Humans (1:13–15)
   3. C. The True Nature of God as Gift-Giver (1:16–18)
4. IV. True Religion: Hearing and Obeying God’s Word (1:19–27)
   1. A. Receive the Implanted Word (1:19–21)
   2. B. Be a Doer of the Word, Not Just a Hearer (1:22–25)
   3. C. The Nature of True Religion (1:26–27)
5. V. Warning against Sinful Partiality (2:1–13)
   1. A. James’s Command against Partiality (2:1)
   2. B. Concrete Example of Economic Partiality (2:2–4)
   3. C. God’s View of the Poor (2:5–6a)
   4. D. Inconsistency of Favoring the Wicked Rich (2:6b–7)
   5. E. Scriptural Arguments for Impartial Love (2:8–13)
6. VI. Faith and Works (2:14–26)
   1. A. Faith without Works Is Useless (2:14)
   2. B. Illustration of Useless Faith (2:15–17)
   3. C. Correcting an Interlocutor (2:18–20)
   4. D. The Example of Abraham (2:21–24)
   5. E. The Example of Rahab (2:25)
   6. F. Faith without Works Is Dead (2:26)
7. VII. The Powerful and Dangerous Tongue (3:1–12)
   1. A. The Teacher’s Tongue and Judgment (3:1–2)
   2. B. Illustrations of the Tongue’s Power and Potential for Harm (3:3–8)
   3. C. The Hypocritical Slanderous Tongue (3:9–10)
   4. D. Closing Illustrations against Hypocritical Slander (3:11–12)
8. VIII. True and False Wisdom (3:13–18)
   1. A. True Wisdom Demonstrated by Actions (3:13)
   2. B. The Nature and Fruit of False Wisdom (3:14–16)
   3. C. The Nature and Fruit of True Wisdom (3:17–18)
9. IX. Community Discord and a Call to Repentance (4:1–12)
   1. A. Description of the Community’s Conflicts and Motives (4:1–3)
   2. B. Prophetic Denunciation and Call to Repentance (4:4–10)
   3. C. A Rebuke of Critical, Judgmental Speech (4:11–12)
10. X. Presumptive Planning Rebuked (4:13–17)
    1. A. Presumptive Attitude Illustrated (4:13)
    2. B. The Transience of Life and the Sovereignty of God (4:14–15)
    3. C. Closing Rebuke and Applicable Proverb (4:16–17)
11. XI. Condemnation of the Wicked Rich (5:1–6)²
    1. A. Declaration of the Coming Judgment (5:1)
    2. B. Hoarded Treasures (5:2–3)
    3. C. Defrauded Wages (5:4)
    4. D. Luxurious Lifestyle (5:5)
    5. E. Mistreatment and Murder of the Righteous (5:6)
12. XII. Endurance and Integrity in Suffering (5:7–12)
    1. A. Waiting for the Lord’s Return (5:7–9)
    2. B. The Example of the Prophets and Job (5:10–11)
    3. C. Integrity of Speech: The Rejection of Oaths (5:12)
13. XIII. Instructions on Prayer and Concern for Those Straying (5:13–20)
    1. A. Prayer Appropriate to Any Situation (5:13)
    2. B. Prayer for the Sick (5:14–15)
    3. C. Confession and Prayer in Community (5:16)
    4. D. The Example of Elijah (5:17–18)
    5. E. Concern for the Straying Christian (5:19–20)