Book of James
Summary of the Book of James
This summary of the
book of James provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing,
chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the
Book of James.
The author identifies
himself as James (1:1); he was probably the brother of Jesus and leader of the
Jerusalem council (Ac 15). Four men in the NT have this name. The author of this letter
could not have been the apostle James, who died too early (a.d. 44) to have
written it. The other two men named James had neither the stature nor the
influence that the writer of this letter had.
James was one of
several brothers of Christ, probably the oldest since he heads the list
in Mt 13:55. At first he did not believe in Jesus and
even challenged him and misunderstood his mission (Jn 7:2-5). Later he became very prominent in the
church:
3. Paul, on his first post-conversion visit to
Jerusalem, saw James (Gal 1:19).
7. Jude could identify himself simply as "a
brother of James" (jude 1:1), so well known was James. He was
martyred c. a.d. 62.
Some date the letter
in the early 60s. There are indications, however, that it was written before
a.d. 50:
1. Its distinctively Jewish nature suggests that
it was composed when the church was still predominantly Jewish.
2. It reflects a simple church order -- officers
of the church are called "elders" (5:14) and "teachers" (3:1).
3. No reference is made to the controversy over
Gentile circumcision.
4. The Greek term synagoge ("synagogue"
or "meeting") is used to designate the meeting or meeting place of
the church (2:2).
If this early dating
is correct, this letter is the earliest of all the NT writings -- with the
possible exception of Galatians.
The recipients are
identified explicitly only in 1:1: "the twelve tribes scattered among the nations."
Some hold that this expression refers to Christians in general, but the term
"twelve tribes" would more naturally apply to Jewish Christians.
Furthermore, a Jewish audience would be more in keeping with the obviously
Jewish nature of the letter (e.g., the use of the Hebrew title for God, kyrios
sabaoth, "Lord Almighty," 5:4). That the recipients were Christians is clear from 2:1; 5:7-8. It has been plausibly suggested that these were believers from
the early Jerusalem church who, after Stephen's death, were scattered as far as
Phoenicia, Cyprus and Syrian Antioch (seeAc 8:1; 11:19 and notes). This would account for James's references to
trials and oppression, his intimate knowledge of the readers and the
authoritative nature of the letter. As leader of the Jerusalem church, James
wrote as pastor to instruct and encourage his dispersed people in the face of
their difficulties (see essay, p. 2539).
Characteristics that
make the letter distinctive are: (1) its unmistakably Jewish nature; (2) its
emphasis on vital Christianity, characterized by good deeds and a faith that
works (genuine faith must and will be accompanied by a consistent lifestyle);
(3) its simple organization; (4) its familiarity with Jesus' teachings
preserved in the Sermon on the Mount (compare 2:5 with Mt 5:3; 3:10-12 with Mt 7:15-20; 3:18 withMt 5:9; 5:2-3 with Mt 6:19-20; 5:12 with Mt 5:33-37); (5) its similarity to OT wisdom writings
such as Proverbs (see essay, p. 970); (6) its excellent Greek.
VIII.
Warning against
Worldliness (ch. 4)
