WELCOME! Introductory Session
Who Wrote the Letter? James 1:1 says: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greeting. How many James do we know? It was a very common name in New Testament times - there are 5 James referenced in the New Testament.
Who Wrote the Letter? 1. James, the son of Zebedee, one of the Twelve (called James the Greater), killed by King Herod (Matthew 10:2, Lk 8:51, Acts 1:13, 12:2) 2. James, the son of Alphaeus, one of the Twelve (called James the Less - Mt 10:3, Mk 3:18, Lk 6:15, Acts 1:13) 3. James, the Lord s brother (Galatians 1:18-19 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. Mt 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
Who Wrote the Letter? 4. James, the bishop of Jerusalem (Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18) 5. James, to whom the risen Jesus appeared (1 Corinthians 15:17) Scholars are generally in agreement that #3, #4 and #5 are references to the same person. James the Greater Martyred 44AD see Act 12:12 James the Lesser James the Lord s Brother the bishop of Jerusalem to whom the Lord appeared After the death of James the Greater both St. Luke and St. Paul only reference James the bishop of Jerusalem and the brother of the Lord.
Who Wrote the Letter? According to the Navarre Commentary: It seems most likely that the James who is the author of this letter is James, the son of Alphaeus, one of the Twelve, the Lord s brother and bishop of Jerusalem. He was a relative of Jesus, the son of one of the Marys who kept our Lady company at the foot of the cross (Mt 27:56). After St. Peter went to Rome, James stayed behind as the head of the community Jerusalem, and was visited by Paul after his conversion. James was martyred in 62 AD at the instigation of the high priest Annas II, as testified to by Flavius Josephus, the 1st century Jewish historian:
Who Wrote the Letter? He (Annas II) was also of the sect of the Sadducees, who are very rigid in judging offenders, above all the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed... so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned.
When was it written? Could be as early as 49/50 AD or as late as the early 60sAD. It all hinges on whether the letter was written before Paul s letter to the Galatians and Romans or afterwards, as a clarification of what St. Paul wrote.
Is there a main theme or point to the letter? Like the Book of Proverbs it is full of maxims and practical advice about living. It s not concerned with a doctrinal treatise, but simply in telling us how to live - it s more moral than doctrinal. The letter calls us to live our faith in its perfection, completeness and wholeness. This can be summed up in James 1:22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers.
An interesting history... It s written to an audience of Jewish background - seen in the use of certain phrases and words that were familiar to Jews, not gentiles. The Greek is very refined. As early as 100AD this letter was being referenced in other works of the Church. In the 100s AD it was acknowledged as divinely inspired.
An interesting history... Martin Luther rejected it as inspired for the simple reason that he found its teaching at odds with his doctrine of justification. Faith and Works
Pearls of Wisdom Wisdom for Tough Times Wisdom and Pure Religion Wisdom and the Law of Love Faith Works with Wisdom Wisdom is Known through Speech Wisdom: False and True Wisdom in Relationships A Wise Perspective for Living The Wisdom of Patience The Wisdom of Confession and Prayer