James.pdf

# General Epistles ## Brief overview - Out of the 27 New Testament books, 21 are epistles. - Of these 13 are said to have been written by Paul, and are known as Pauline Epistles. - These epistles are either addressed to a specific branch of the church or an individual. - Seven out of the rest 8 a...

# General Epistles ## Brief overview - Out of the 27 New Testament books, 21 are epistles. - Of these 13 are said to have been written by Paul, and are known as Pauline Epistles. - These epistles are either addressed to a specific branch of the church or an individual. - Seven out of the rest 8 are known by the name General Epistles (or Catholic Epistles). - They are James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John and Jude. ## James - The name James is Yaakov in Hebrew and Jakobos in Greek, derived from the Hebrew for 'Jacob', the patriarch from whom descend the 12 tribes. - There are at least five James in the New Testament, of which 3 are clearly distinguished. * **1) James the son of Zebedee (Mark 1:19)** - The brother of John the apostle - Martyred about AD 44 (Acts 12:2) before the epistle of James was written. - He is known as James the Great, one of the sons of thunder. * **2) James son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18)** - He is not given much emphasis. - Also known as James the Less. * **3) James the Just.** - (Half) brother of the Lord (Mark 6:3, Matt. 13:55). * **4) James the younger (micros) (Mark 15:40)** - Early church tradition equated this James with James the son of Alphaeus, making them one figure. - However they could also be distinct * **5) James the father/brother of judas (Thaddaeus) (Matt. 10:3, Luke 6:16, John 14:22, Acts 1:13).** ## James - A Character Sketch - James The (half) brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55, Mark 6:3, Gal. 1:19, Jude 1). - James was an unbeliever before the Resurrection (John 7:5). - Christ appeared to him after Resurrection and James likely believed (1 Cor. 15:7). - The pillar in the Jerusalem church (Gal. 2:9). - Presided at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:13-19). ## Evidence for James Authorship ### Internal evidence 1. Commonly referred to in the NT as simply James (Gal. 2:9,12, Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18). 2. The letter has strong similarities to James' speech in Acts 15: - Eg. i) Greeting in James 1:1 similar to Acts 15:23 and is used nowhere else by a New Testament Author. The striking similarity can be seen in the structure: From to greetings (Greek word chairein) - ii) Similar words are used. For eg., To visit (James 1:27× Acts 15:14), turning sinners to God (5:20×15:19), use of the name of the Lord (2:7× 15:17). ### External evidences - The early church accepted it as coming from james. - This can be seen in the writings of apostolic fathers like Clement of Rome, Ignatius etc., And also in the works of the later church fathers like Origen, Eusebius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius, Jerome, Augustine. ## Date - It was written either in AD 47-48 or in AD 60-62. ### Early date view - The early view (that James was written before Acts 15, between AD 47 and 48) argues that: 1. It is highly Jewish in nature (with references to the Old Testament, law, and synagogue [assembly]-2:2) 2. It reflects Christ's oral teachings before the Gospels were written. 3. The form of church government was not highly developed (5:14) as it was later. 4. James shows no awareness of the Acts 15 council (AD 49), which would have been relevant to his theme had it already occurred. 5. The book is totally silent on the non-Jewish church, which came later. 6. The author seems to be unaware of Paul's writings, and this implies a date before Paul wrote (see 2 Peter 3:15-16). 7. The economic conditions of the poor reflect an early date (5:1-6). 8. The stress on the freshness of Christ's coming (5:7-9) supports an early date ### The Late View - The late view (that James was written after Acts 15, between AD 60 and 62) argues that: 1. It was not written until after the Jewish dispersion (1:1; see Acts 18:2), which occurred after AD 50. 2. It was 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+). 3. The ethical and exhortational emphasis fits a later date. 4. The other General Epistles were written later. 5. There is no mention of Christ's resurrection, which was an early emphasis (in Acts 2-13). 6. It was before AD 62 when James was martyred (see Josephus, Antiquities, 9.1). 7. Hence, it was written about AD 60 to 62. ## Audience - The letter is addressed to "the twelve tribes scattered abroad" (1:1). - 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. - (1) He desired to comfort persecuted believers (1:5); - (2) he wished to commend "pure religion (ν. 27); - (3) he wanted to convict the mere professors of the faith who were not "doers" of the faith (2:14-26). ## Style - The style is Jewish in illustrations, emphasis, figures of speech, and appeal - It is written in a high-quality Greek (favorable to Hebrews). - But the syatax is Semitic. - It abounds in metaphors, similes, and figures of speech (for example. 1:6; 3:6). ### Encyclical Nature - In addition to being written to a wide audience of Jewish believers, it is notably impersonal. - Unlike Paul's writings, there are no personal references in the entire book. ### Love of Nature - James reflects a love for nature in his numerous references to it, - He mentions: - waves of the sea tossed by the wind (1:6); - flowers of the field (v, 10), where the sun withers the grass and causes plants to perish (v. 11). - He speaks of the heavenly lights (v. 17), in contrast to shadows (v. 17) and firstfruits (y, 18). - He talks of horses' mouths (3:3), ships driven by strong winds (v. 4), great forests (v. 5), fire (v. 6), different kinds of animals and birds (v. 7), deadly poisons (v, 8), fresh and salt water (y. 11), grapevines, olives, and figs (v. 12), sowing (v. 18), and reaping (3:18). - He also mentions a vapor or mist (4:14), moths (5:2), gold and silver (v. 3), fields and harvesters (v. 4), fattened hearts (v.5), crops (v. 7), fall and spring rain (v. 7), oil (v. 14), rain (v. 17), drought (v. 17), heavens giving rain (v. 18), and the earth's crops (v. 18). ## Outline 1. Patience in trials (1:1-15) - Purpose of trials (1-12) - Principals of temptation (13-15) 2. Practice of truth: words and deeds (1:16-27) 3. Warning against partiality (2:1-13). 4. Faith and works (2:14-26). - **Good Works:** James places a strong emphasis on "good works" (2:14-26) as a manifestation of our faith. - Luther wrongly called it "a right strawy epistle." - Calvin rightly saw: "We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is not alone." - The concept of James' and Paul's faith and works is often said to contradict. - This is because James says that we are justified by works (2:21-25), whereas Paul says that we are justified by faith and not by works (Romans 4 and 5). - However, it is possible that there is not a contradiction between the two. - Paul has also said about good works in his epistles. - For example, Paul emphasises on bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10), and devoting oneself to good works (1 Tim. 6:18, 19, 2 Tim. 2:21, Titus 2:7-8, 3:5-8, Gal. 6:4, 2 Thess. 2:17). - Eph. 2:8-10 clearly lays the foundation of Paul's concept of faith and works. - Paul says that we have been created for good works. - In Phil. 2:13 Paul says to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. - **A Comparison of Paul and James on Justification and Works** - **Paul** - justification before God - not by works - Focuses on the *root of justification* - Writes against *dead works* - **James** - justification before people - by good works - Focuses on the *fruit of justification* - Writes against *dead faith* - It is not faith + works = justification. It is faith -> works = justification. - James was in fact stressing that we must show our faith (2:18) And that others must see it in our works (v. 18-20). 5. Taming the tongue (3:1-12) 6. Two kinds of wisdom (3:13-18) 7. Friendship with the world (4:1-10) 8. Warning against judging another (4:11-16) 9. Warning to rich oppressors (5:1-6) 10. Patience in suffering (5:7-12) 11. The prayer of Faith (5:13-20).