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Scripture: One Book at a Time

 

The whole of Sacred Scripture is a single narrative that promises and points to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the World. It is an epic story, the greatest ever told, and told "one book at a time." Each book makes it contribution to the narrative as God reveals God's self to us and his desire that all be saved.

Lesson 67 – James

There are four men named James that appear in the New Testament: (1) the father of Judas (not Iscariot); (2) the son of Alphaeus – known as James the Younger of Lesser; (3) the son of Zebedee; and (4) James the “brother of the Lord” known as James the Greater and pillar of the Jerusalem community. The consensus is that the author of this letter is James the Greater.

The Letter is not exactly a “letter” per se, but is more akin to the Book of Proverbs, a book of Wisdom – with a touch of the prophet Amos thrown in. Numerous passages in the letter treat subjects that also appear in the synoptic (Mark, Luke, and Matthew) sayings of Jesus, especially in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. James represents a type of early Christianity that emphasized sound teaching and responsible moral behavior. Ethical norms are derived not primarily from christology, as in Paul, but from a concept of salvation that involves conversion, baptism, forgiveness of sin, and expectation of judgment.

It is a very Jewish document in tone and content yet paradoxically, it is written in an excellent Greek style, which ranks among the best in the New Testament and appears to be the work of a trained Hellenistic writer. One assumes that James the Greater had a professional scribe to assist him.

The letter would date to the years 62-66 which is the period in which James the Greater was put to death by instigation of the then High Priest.  By 70 AD the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem and there was no high priest. There are scholars who argue for a much later date by an unknown author who claims origination with James.

If one wanted a simple outline of the letter it would be this:

  • The Test of Faith in adversity and challenging times/situations;
  • The Characteristics of Faith which are revealed in word, work and actions in the world; and
  • The Triumph of Faith because of the assurance of Jesus’ promises.

The Letter to James is often best known for its writings on the relationship of faith and works. The Reformer Martin Luther thought that James was “an epistle of straw” in that it did not uphold the theology of salvation by “faith alone.” It should be noted neither Romans nor Galatians says we are saved by “faith alone.”  The Reformers do argue from those letters that “faith alone” is the proper understanding. It should also be noted that Paul is speaking about “works of the law” (dietary restrictions, cleaning hands, etc.) and not charitable works.

Enter the Letter to James which offers: James 2:17 – “So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” And in James 2:24: “See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”  Some scholars have speculated that James, written later than the two Pauline epistles, is offering a corrective to the pure “faith alone” position that holds that charitable works have no place in the process of justification.

As was noted in our treatment of The Letter to the Romans the topic of Justification, Righteousness, and Sanctification is made more difficult when one realizes that the Catholic and Reformed tradition use these key terms differently.  Nonetheless in 1999 as a result of Catholic–Lutheran dialogue the document “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” is a document created and agreed to by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation. It states that the churches now share “a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ.” To the parties involved, this substantially resolves much of the 500-year-old conflict over the nature of justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation.

“Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.”

As of 2017, the bodies representing 75% of the world’s Christians have formally affirmed the Joint Declaration. Yet, it remains controversial.