As teachers, we often focus on a limited number of books that we teach often, leaving others unexplored. In my case, the neglected books include Samuel (I wrote about it earlier this year, here and here) and James. I am not sure I ever taught James, and if I did, it was probably only once. I appear to be in good company (or at least I am not alone): “The Letter of James is among the most neglected books of the NT canon” (Wall 1997: 545). This cannot be right. So here we go.
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Reasons for Neglect
1. One reason for the lack of popularity may be the perceived sharpness of James. You have to wonder about an author who starts off, after the briefest of introductions, with “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). Who wants to hear that? James is obviously not out to please his readers.
However, James’s message encompasses both sternness and grace. He reminds us that mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13; a phrase unique to James) and addresses his audience several times as “my beloved brothers” (James 1:16, 19; 2:5).
2. Another reason for its neglect might be our preference for theoretical teachings over practical application. David Dockery (1986: 51) calls James “the most practical book in the NT”. Emphasizing the importance of action challenges our tendency to remain passive.
3. Additionally, James appears to contradict Paul. And if we must choose between justified by faith, not by works (so Paul), or “justified by works and not by faith” (so literally James 2:24), we’d rather side with Paul.
However, although my quotation is technically correct, it is entirely misleading. This is not what James says. I left out the final word: “alone”. James does not deny that we are justified by faith; he claims we are not justified by faith alone. So according to James, we are indeed justified by faith. But this idea can be abused. James argues against the notion of faith as mere assent that something is true. As James points out, even demons have this kind of faith (James 2:19). No doubt, Paul would agree that true faith should be accompanied by righteous actions. More on this below.
4. One of the challenges in studying James is discerning its main point and overall coherence. Is it merely a collection of practical advice or is there an underlying thread that unifies the various topics addressed? What is it about? That’s a tough question. I’m still working on it, and it will be the subject of a follow-up issue. But I did ask ChatGPT (my very first use of it) and below is what I got.
James According to ChatGPT
How would you summarize the content of the epistle of James in the Bible in three sentences?
ChatGPT
The epistle of James in the Bible emphasizes the importance of living out one’s faith through action. It encourages believers to be doers of the word, not just hearers, and addresses various practical issues such as favouritism, controlling the tongue, and caring for the poor. James emphasizes the need for genuine faith that is demonstrated by good works and seeks to guide Christians in living a righteous and fruitful life.
Choose one sentence from the epistle of James itself that best expresses its message and main idea.
ChatGPT
“Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26)
Pretty good, I would say. But the first answer illustrates the very real problem with James. The epistles “addresses various practical issues”. Yes, indeed. But does that mean the letter is like a bag of loose sand or does something hold these various issues together? And if so, why would it be James 2:26? More on this next time.
By the way, I prefer James 1:22 as the key statement of its message: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only”. The two verses are close in content, but James is not out to help us understand something. He wants us to act. Therefore, the imperative of 1:22 is more to the point.
But either way, it is not immediately obvious why this would be the unifying idea or aim of James. Again, more on this next time.
What Kind of Text Is James?
To understand James more fully, we must consider its genre (this section). I will also briefly discuss the sources that have influenced him. Then I will look at two obvious difficulties in the book. I will finish with a word on authorship.
First, what is James? It initially presents itself to us as a letter, but this only holds true in the first verse. It tells us how the message was delivered but not what it is.
Many have sought to explain James in terms of wisdom literature and the wisdom tradition in Israel. Richard Bauckham (1999), for instance, eloquently argues this case in his book, James: Wisdom of James, Disciple of Jesus the Sage. The ESV, in its introduction to James, states that it is “sometimes called ‘the Proverbs of the New Testament’”.
However, James shows more coherence than Proverbs, and although James is certainly indebted to the wisdom tradition in Israel, he is hardly less indebted to the law, the prophets, and the historical books. And James is not simply dispelling nuggets of practical wisdom, instructing his readers on how to live wisely and righteously. He acts more like a prophet, confronting and correcting his audience.
What also stands out is the conversational tone of James. Repeatedly, he addresses his audience directly with “my brothers”. Therefore, as so often in the NT, we are dealing with an oral text. The many imperatives show that we are dealing with a word of exhortation. In other words, this is a sermon or in more scholarly terms, a homily. Thus argues Ben Witherington (2007), and I think he is right. We are reading an ancient sermon, in which James applies many of the conventions and principles of ancient rhetoric, much like Paul does in his letters.
What Influenced James?
Nevertheless, despite his use of ancient rhetoric, James has been heavily influenced by the Old Testament, including wisdom literature and the law. The allusions and parallels are numerous.
There is a second source that greatly shapes the epistle of James: the teaching of Jesus!
Douglas Moo asserts, “No New Testament document is more influenced by the teaching of Jesus than James.” The teachings of Jesus are seen in virtually every section and theme of James. Dean Deppe notes 175 [!] different allusions claimed by fifty-three scholars since the beginnings of critical scholarship. (Morgan 2010: 31)
Perhaps not surprisingly, seeing that it is a ‘Jewish’ gospel, especially Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount make a frequent appearance in James. It is an interesting and worthwhile exercise to hunt for echoes of and references to various sayings of Jesus; they are plentiful.
Justified by …?
Next, two obvious difficulties in James. I touched on the first one under Reasons for Neglect (point 3). Does James contradict Paul?
I already pointed out that James does not claim that justification is by works. Nor does he claim that justification is not by faith. He argues that justification is not by faith alone but needs to be completed by works (James 2:22).
I am convinced that Paul, on reading this, would not have objected. And James does not disagree with what Paul wrote. They are essentially in agreement. James knew the gospel that Paul preached and had approved it according to Galatians 2 and again in Acts 15.
Does James then seek to correct a distortion of Paul’s teaching, an abuse of justification by faith alone as an excuse to do nothing? Perhaps, but this is far from certain. Such abuse may well have risen independently of anything Paul preached or wrote. James is not obviously interacting with Paul or his teaching. His aim is passive faith rather than a particular doctrine.
It is worth pointing out that the works James is thinking of are not circumcision, sabbath, and the like, but rather practical acts of love. Faith without (such) works is dead (James 2:17, 26)
Paul would no doubt have agreed with this and would have rejected the distortion as fervently as James does. See Romans 6.
And by the way, so do Martin Luther and John Calvin, arguably the strongest proponents of justification by faith in church history: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.” Often quoted, these words are ascribed to both Luther and Calvin. The correct version and source are:
It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone. (Calvin 1547: Canon 11)
It was not Luther, then, who said it, at least not in these exact words, but he was in essential agreement:
Idle faith is not justifying faith.
We say that justification is effective without works, not that faith is without works.
Faith is a living, restless thing. It cannot be inoperative. We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith. (For discussion and sources, see https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/42366/is-luther-really-the-originator-of-we-are-saved-by-faith-alone-but-the-faith-t)
Paul’s Response to James – According to ChatGPT
I could not resist trying this out. For what it’s worth:
Imagine the apostle Paul reading the Epistle of James. Write a formal response by Paul to what James writes on faith and works. No more than 150 words.
ChatGPT
Dear James,
Grace and peace be upon you. I have received your epistle, and I am grateful for your insights regarding faith and works. Your emphasis on the necessity of actions aligned with our faith is commendable.
As you rightly point out, faith without works is dead. True faith should naturally manifest itself through deeds of love, compassion, and righteousness. Our works become a reflection of the transformative power of faith in our lives.
However, I would like to further emphasize that our salvation is by grace through faith alone, apart from works. Our works do not earn us salvation, but rather, they are the fruit of a living faith. It is by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, that we are justified.
Nonetheless, let us continue to encourage believers to live out their faith through actions that demonstrate the love of Christ. May we both strive to help believers understand the inseparable connection between faith and works, remembering that true faith is authenticated by its tangible expression in our lives.
Yours in Christ,
Paul [well, ChatGPT, really]
James and Paul: Different Audiences
We also need to keep in mind that Paul and James wrote for different audiences (and responded to different problems). Paul is out to defend freedom from the law for Gentile converts. They do not have to become Jews. James is writing for a Jewish audience. His readers are followers of Jesus, but they are also Jews. They need to understand how Jesus is the fulfilment of the law. Or in the words of Christopher Morgan (2010: 7):
Paul was preaching the gospel to Gentiles and declaring that they could be saved apart from the Jewish works of the law. James was preaching the gospel to Jews and needed to show how Christianity is consistent with, the extension of, and the climax of the law and its teachings. These contextual differences are quite significant to our interpretation of Paul and James.
James had the monumental task of showing how Christianity is the extension and the fulfillment of Judaism, and how this was articulated by the prophets of old.
Let’s keep this in mind as we address the next question:
What Is the Law of Liberty?
A second difficulty in James is his understanding of the law. James is a Jewish Christian writing to Jewish Christians, or Jewish followers of Jesus, if you prefer. What is his understanding of the law? And what does he mean by “the law of liberty” (James 1:25; 2:12)?
One possibility is that James upholds the Torah more or less as before the coming of Christ. In that case, what has changed is believers. The same law now functions differently since they have been transformed. James 2:8-12 indeed appears to support the continuing validity of the law.
However, it should be noticed that the law in this passage is applied to transgressors. Breaking the law leads to condemnation. Keeping the law … is not said to result in salvation. Again, Paul would not find fault with what James writes in this paragraph (see 1 Timothy 1:8-10, where Paul expresses a very similar idea).
It should also be pointed out that James qualifies the term law:
- the perfect law (James 1:25)
- the law of liberty (James 1:25; 2:12)
- the royal law (James 2:8)
This would hardly be necessary if he simply meant to refer to Torah; James appears to make a distinction.
The easiest to interpret is the term “royal law”. Very much in the line of Jesus, James quotes the commandment to love our neighbour, the second, greatest command in the law. And again, James and Paul are not far apart; see Romans 13:8-10!
As for the other two phrases, based on James 1:21-25, they are synonyms of “the word”, and this word is the word “which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). In other words, this word is the gospel. And therefore, the law of liberty is much more than Torah.
To be sure, the law of liberty is rooted in the Old Testament law, and it substantially overlaps with it. But it also transcends it. It is much broader and incorporates the words and teachings of Jesus and even Jesus himself.
The law of liberty is a glorious thing: the life-giving word of God. It has nothing in common with the legalism of the Judaizers or the circumcision party that we know from Galatians!
James the Author
Finally, a word on authorship. There is some debate about it but in my opinion, the case for James the brother of Jesus mentioned in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3 is strong. According to Acts and early church history, this James became an important leader in the church of Jerusalem.
If the author is indeed the biological brother of Jesus and the leader of the Jerusalem church known from the book of Acts, one of those Paul referred to as “pillars” (Gal. 2:9), we would do well to pay close attention to what he has to say.
Attribution
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References
Unless indicated differently, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bauckham, Richard. 1999. James: Wisdom of James, Disciple of Jesus the Sage, New Testament Readings (London; New York: Routledge)
Calvin, John. 1547. Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote <https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/calvin_trentantidote.html>
Morgan, Christopher W. 2010. A Theology of James: Wisdom for God’s People, Explorations in Biblical Theology (Phillipsburg, N.J: P&R Pub)
Wall, Robert W. 1997. “James, Letter Of,” in Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments, ed. by Ralph P. Martin and Peter H. Davids (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press), pp. 545-65
Witherington, Ben. 2007. Letters and Homilies for Jewish Christians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Hebrews, James and Jude (Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham, UK: IVP Academic; Apollos)
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