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Questions and Answers
How many books of the New Testament are epistles?
How many books of the New Testament are epistles?
Which of the following refers to the General Epistles?
Which of the following refers to the General Epistles?
What is the Hebrew name for James?
What is the Hebrew name for James?
Yaakov
James the brother of Jesus was a believer before the Resurrection.
James the brother of Jesus was a believer before the Resurrection.
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What significant role did James play in the early church?
What significant role did James play in the early church?
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The letter of James is commonly referred to as simply ______ in the New Testament.
The letter of James is commonly referred to as simply ______ in the New Testament.
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When is the earliest possible date for the writing of the letter of James?
When is the earliest possible date for the writing of the letter of James?
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The letter of James contains significant references to the Old Testament.
The letter of James contains significant references to the Old Testament.
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To whom is the letter of James addressed?
To whom is the letter of James addressed?
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Which apostolic father endorsed the letter of James as coming from him?
Which apostolic father endorsed the letter of James as coming from him?
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Study Notes
General Epistles
- 21 of the 27 New Testament books are epistles.
- 13 of these are written by Paul, known as Pauline Epistles.
- The Pauline epistles are addressed to specific branches of the church or individuals.
- 7 of the remaining 8 epistles are known as General Epistles (or Catholic Epistles).
- These are James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, and Jude.
James
- The name James is derived from the Hebrew "Jacob", the patriarch from whom descend the 12 tribes.
- There are at least five James in the New Testament.
James - A Character Sketch
- James was the (half) brother of Jesus.
- He was an unbeliever before the Resurrection.
- Christ appeared to him after the Resurrection, and James likely believed.
- He was a pillar in the Jerusalem church.
- He presided at the Jerusalem Council.
Evidence for James Authorship
Internal evidence
- The letter commonly refers to James as "James" (Gal. 2:9,12).
- The letter shares striking similarities to James' speech in Acts 15, such as:
- Greeting format in James 1:1 is similar to Acts 15:23, and not used elsewhere by New Testament authors.
- Similar words are used, like "to visit" (James 1:27 & Acts 15:14), "turning sinners to God" (5:20 & 15:19), and "use of the name of the Lord" (2:7 & 15:17).
External evidences
- The early church accepted the letter as coming from James.
- This can be seen in the writings of apostolic fathers like Clement of Rome and Ignatius, and in the works of later church fathers like Origen, Eusebius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius, Jerome, and Augustine.
Date
- The letter was written either in AD 47-48 or in AD 60-62.
Early date view
- This view (James was written before Acts 15, between AD 47 and 48) argues:
- The letter is highly Jewish in nature (with references to the Old Testament, law, and synagogue [assembly]- 2:2).
- It reflects Christ's oral teachings before the Gospels were written.
- The form of church government was not highly developed (5:14) as it was later.
- James shows no awareness of the Acts 15 council (AD 49), which would have been relevant to his theme had it already occurred.
- The book is totally silent on the non-Jewish church, which came later.
- The author seems to be unaware of Paul's writings, and this implies a date before Paul wrote (see 2 Peter 3:15-16).
- The economic conditions of the poor reflect an early date (5:1-6).
- The stress on the freshness of Christ's coming (5:7-9) supports an early date.
The Late View
- This view (James was written after Acts 15, between AD 60 and 62) argues that:
- The letter was not written until after the Jewish dispersion (1:1; see Acts 18:2), which occurred after AD 50.
- It was written after Paul's teaching on justification (see 1:25; 2:21-22), with which James agreed (Acts 15), and as a possible correction to misinterpretation of it (AD 57+).
- The ethical and exhortational emphasis fits a later date.
- The other General Epistles were written later.
- There is no mention of Christ's resurrection, which was an early emphasis (in Acts 2-13).
- It was before AD 62 when James was martyred (see Josephus, Antiquities, 9.1).
- Hence, it was written about AD 60 to 62.
Audience
- The letter is addressed to "the twelve tribes scattered abroad" (1:1).
- These are Jews of the western dispersion (Peter wrote to those of the eastern dispersion - 1 Peter 1:1).
- This view fits with the literal meaning of the term "tribes", with Peter's primary mission to Jewish believers (Gal. 2:7), and with the content of the book of James.
- The recipients of the letter were in Palestine and perhaps the surrounding areas.
Purpose
- Several reasons for writing James can be derived from the text:
- He desired to comfort persecuted believers (1:5).
- He wished to commend "pure religion" (ν. 27).
- He wanted to convict the mere professors of faith and urge them to practice their faith.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the General Epistles of the New Testament, focusing particularly on the Book of James. This quiz covers important details about authorship, key figures, and the context of the epistles. Perfect for anyone studying New Testament literature.
