Introduction To The Book Of James

The book of James is one of the most practical books in the New Testament. James was written early in the life of the church and focuses primarily on practical issues in the Jewish-Christian communities that he wrote to. Issues such as pride and humility, faith and works, the tamed and untamed tongue, trials and temptations, and the proper treatment of the poor were issues that James felt compelled to address in these new communities of believers. The timeless nature of James addresses these issues that still need to be addressed in some corners of the church. This letter is both thoroughly Jewish, yet distinctly Christian.

James has rightly earned the title "The Proverbs of the New Testament." This book reads less like a theological treatise and more like a sermon. Perhaps because of this, the book of James has been notoriously difficult to outline. Dr. J. Michael Walters notes,

"For centuries, the conventional approach to the book of James was to view it as a loosely structured collection of ethical sayings. The epistle was often spoken of as a kind of New Testament edition of Proverbs. In the same way that Proverbs seems to move from topic to topic without any necessary correlation to that which precedes, so James was viewed as an effort by its author to share wisdom with his readers over a wide range of topics."

In other words, the book of James does not have the same kind of straightforward structure that we might find in Romans, John, or Ephesians. Instead, many have concluded that James is a disconnected string of wise thoughts on issues the church was facing at the time. However, just because James does not have a clear structure does not imply that it does not have any structure. Dr. Douglas Moo has proposed a straightforward and sensible way of looking at the structure of James. He writes, 

"We shall not be able to credit James with the kind of comprehensive structure and focus that would be expected in a modern sermon. Rather, we should view James as a homily in which the author takes up one subject after another, sometimes relating it to the previous one, sometimes picking up an idea or theme mentioned earlier in the letter, sometimes abruptly introducing a wholly new topic. Several key motifs continually crop up, like musical motifs in a symphony or opera, but these are not dominant enough to serve as organizing heads."

While James is difficult to structure, its' guidance for practical Christian living is still much needed today. But who wrote the book of James? When did they write it? Why does any of this matter? These are the questions that I hope to answer in this article.

Who Wrote The Letter Of James?

The author of this letter simply introduces himself as "James." The letter goes no further in addressing the question of which James wrote it. Since the author of this letter felt no need to add further designation, he was likely someone who needed no additional introduction beyond his name. Two names in the early church fit this bill: James, the son of Zebedee and James, the brother of Jesus. The son of Zebedee was martyred around 44 AD, and it is doubtful that this letter was written that early. This leaves James, the brother of Jesus as the primary candidate. In addition, the early church points strongly to James, the brother of our Lord, as the author of this letter.

A Different Author?

Despite James, the brother of Jesus being the primary candidate as author of this letter, some have argued that he could not have authored this letter. While a full discussion of every argument is beyond the scope of this article, a couple of the more common objections will be briefly explored.

The Greek Language

Some have argued that James, the brother of Jesus could not have written this letter due to the polished Greek that is used throughout. How could an average, everyday Jewish worker have such polished Greek as what we see in this letter? Since, in the minds of these individuals, the average Jewish man from Galilee could not have produced such fine Greek, the author could not have been the brother of Jesus. Several points can be raised against this argument.

First, as Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kamell point out, it is not necessarily unlikely that James was ignorant of the Greek language. They write,

"Because of centuries of Hellenistic influence in Israel, particularly in Galilee, it is impossible to pontificate on how much Greek language and culture any given Jew could or could not have learned. Nazareth lay a scant five miles from Sepphoris, the second largest city in Galilee and the former provincial capital. With a building boom in the 20s, Sepphoris could easily have afforded both James and Jesus numerous carpentry opportunities over a number of years, where they could also have picked up a quantity of Greek language and culture."

Furthermore, it is likely that the average Jewish laborer in Galilee at the time would have picked up at least enough Greek to conduct business with Gentiles. Greek was the common language and the language of trade. It is likely that anyone who wanted to do business--from the carpenter to the fisherman--would have at least a basic knowledge of the Greek language. Since James would presumably have taken up his father's craft, and would likely have done business with Greek-speaking Gentiles, it seems within the realm of reason that he would have picked up a decent amount of Greek.

Second, as scholars such as J. Michael Walters have pointed out, while the Greek is excellent, there are still awkward areas within the letter. Walters notes that this argument, "is countered by the presence of some obviously awkward uses of language. A person with great linguistic skill surely would have smoothed over such lapses." In short, while the Greek of this letter is high quality, it is not of the quality that would have been impossible for an the average Jewish man living in Galilee in those days. Douglas Moo has also pointed out that the Greek in the letter of James is similar to the Greek that we see from the brother of Jesus elsewhere in the New Testament, particularly in Acts 15:13-29.

Third, as George Guthrie and R.T. France point out, "for such a letter, sent to Jews of the Diaspora, James could have used an amanuensis (or secretary, as did Paul on a number of occasions), who perhaps crafted and polished the final product." An amanuensis was a professional secretary or scribe who wrote for others. Many were highly trained and could have easily produced the kind of polished Greek that we see in the letter of James. While the evidence is inconclusive about whether or not James actually did use an amanuensis, the fact that an amanuensis was available to him means that any argument against the traditional authorship of this book from the quality of its Greek ultimately fails.

The Slow Acceptance Into The Canon

Another objection to traditional authorship comes from the slow acceptance of James into the canon of Scripture. While James was likely one of, if not the earliest book of the New Testament to be written, it was one of the last to be officially accepted as part of the New Testament canon. However, early church leaders such as Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius, Origin, Jerome, and Didymus the Blind each attributed the letter to the brother of the Lord. The testimony of the early church regarding authorship points strongly in the direction of James, the brother of Jesus.

However, even if the early witness of the church were silent, it would not dispute the authorship of the Lord's brother. This would simply be an argument from silence. As George Stulac has argued,

"The scarcity of early citations can be regarded as a piece of nonevidence which does not require a late dating for the epistle. Furthermore, a late dating leaves unanswered some other questions which are much more adequately resolved by an early dating."

Indeed, as we have seen, there are other reasons to accept James, the brother of Jesus as the author, even if it was the case (and it is not) that the early church was completely silent. The weight of the evidence leads me to the conclusion that it was James, the Lord's brother, who wrote this letter.

Who Did James Write To?

The recipients of this letter are described as "the twelve tribes in the dispersion." There are several key things that we can glean about this audience from the letter itself. 

The Jewish-Christian Audience of James

First, as Douglas Moo points out, "The letter implies that these Jewish believers were mainly poor people who were caught in a situation of considerable social tension." Social issues play a prominent role in the letter of James, and it appears that James is providing pastoral guidance to communities that are dealing with social and economic difficulties where they are at.

Second, this letter was written to Jewish Christians. James addresses this letter to the "twelve tribes in the dispersion," a reference to the Jewish people who were scattered throughout the known world (perhaps due to persecution). Some have argued, on the basis of 1 Peter 1:1, that this is a statement about all Christians everywhere. However, William Varner addresses this objection,

"While many commentators identify “the twelve tribes” as a reference to the church composed of believers from all ethnic backgrounds, this approach ignores the literal use of διασπορά in John 7:35 and Acts 26:7. Furthermore the early Christian use of the word is entirely in a literal sense in our earliest Christian literature outside the NT (1 Clem. 55:6; Prot. Jas. 1:3). It is best to understand in James 1:1 a literal use of “the twelve tribes” and “the Diaspora” as describing Jewish believers living outside the land of Israel."

Third, many of these Jewish-Christians appear to have been facing trials or temptations. James speaks at length about the significance of enduring trials and remaining faithful to God in the middle of temptations. His concerns do not seem to be merely theoretical. These were real-life issues for the Jewish Christians who received his letter, as they are for Christians today. James writes to his audience with the heart of a pastor encouraging and strengthening his flock.

How Should James Be Received By Modern Gentiles?

If the letter of James was written to scattered Jewish-Christians facing specific issues in Roman territory during the first century, how can it apply to a modern Gentile audience today? Should we be more focused on the letters of the New Testament that address Gentile concerns, like Paul's letters? This approach misses the point for several reasons.

First, while this letter wasn't written to 21st century Gentiles, as Scripture, it was written for all Christians at all times, including 21st century Gentiles. Paul reminds us that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). This includes this letter from James. This letter does these things well.

Second, the issues that James addresses in this letter are faced by both Jews and Gentiles. Trials, temptations, wisdom, cruel words, the proper treatment of the poor, and faith that works are all issues that are faced by Gentiles Christians as much as by Jewish Christians. To reject the teaching of James in this letter is to not only reject inspired Scripture, but also to reject a key source of wisdom for Christians from every background.

Third, the issues that James addresses in this letter are practical for our lives today. James is a practical book filled with practical solutions. James is one of, if not the, most action-packed books in the entirety of the New Testament. J. Michael Walters states it this way:

"Practical religion is what James is best known for among Christians. He seems disinterested in the theoretical aspects of religion, but he is passionate about what works—about what is genuine. He wants to present the faith to his readers as a good way to live. This is why James emphasizes the importance of obedience—of being a doer of the Word and not a hearer only."

James writes about practical Christian living with the heart of a pastor. We would do well to listen to what he has to say.

When Did James Write?

One of the more debated questions about this letter is when it was written. For those of us who accept the traditional view that James, the brother of our Lord wrote this letter, an answer is easier to find. Among those who reject the identification of the Lord's brother as the author, it becomes difficult to place the letter around a specific date. Several issues surround this debate. Some of the more prominent issues will be discussed below.

The Relationship Between James And Paul

Some have argued for a later date for this letter based on a supposed relationship between James and Paul, specifically in regards to the doctrine of justification. Both James and Paul address the issue of justification and the relationship between faith and works. For many, the assumption has been that James was responding to Paul's teaching (or a misunderstanding of it), implying that Paul's letters had been circulating for some time.

The relationship between James and Paul has been highly overplayed in this debate. Rather than one responding to another, it is more likely that James and Paul are each writing independently and addressing some of the same issues that arose in the early church. They use a shared vocabulary to address their congregations, but were not directly responding to one another. Since they use this shared vocabulary to address different aspects of the church in different ways, each should be understood in their own context.

If James was aware of Paul's teaching and chose to respond in this letter, it seems that he was grossly misinformed about Paul's teaching. This misunderstanding was clarified at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-21). This Council took place in 49 AD. If James were responding to a misunderstanding of Paul's teaching, it would therefore point to a pre-Council date, not a post-Council date. That is, if James truly was aware of a twisted version of Paul's teaching and wrote against it in this letter, it would point to an early date for this letter, not a late one.

The Council Of Jerusalem

The Council of Jerusalem met in 49 AD to discuss issues surrounding Gentile inclusion in the Christian faith. Among the topics discussed at this Council were questions about the relationship between Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians. Should Gentile Christians be forced to become Jewish before they could become Christian? Or can Gentile Christians be free to follow Christ without additional burdens placed on their shoulders? The Council ultimately concluded that Gentiles should not be required to become Jewish to become Christian. This Council and its conclusion represented a major milestone in early Christianity. The interesting part of this? There doesn't appear to be even an echo of this Council anywhere in the letter of James.

Perhaps we should not expect James to directly address issues that arose at the Council. This wasn't the main point of his letter, after all. It does seem strange, however, that we don't see even an echo of the decision of the Jerusalem Council in this letter. This fact is not, on its own, enough to argue for a pre-Council date, but it is something that we should find odd if it were written at a later date. 

The Setting Of James' Audience

The language of this letter points to a time before much division between Jewish-Christians and Gentile Christians. James assumes that his readers were still meeting in the synagogue (James 2:2). While he later uses the typical Greek word for the gathered body of believers, the church (James 5:14), he does not seem to make a distinction between the two. For James, the Jewish-Christian meeting with other Jewish-Christians in the synagogue is the church. James seems to assume a setting for his audience that was normal prior to the Gentile expansion within the church.

The issues that James addresses in this letter also fit very well with a date in the mid to late 40s AD. James also assumes a simple form of church government wherein the local Jewish-Christian community is led by elders. Later, Paul had to deal with dissention and division within the church, including division over who is leading (1 Corinthians 3:4). This is not an issue that James had to address.

Finally, a date in the mid to late 40s has a high level of compatibility with the setting of James' audience. The famine that took place around 46-48 AD under the reign of Claudius would explain several aspects of James' letter, including his imperatives against the rich oppressing the poor as well as his encouragement to persevere through trials.

Summary

Taken together, these provide a strong case that James was written early by James, the brother of Jesus. It is likely that this letter was written while the church was still young and still predominantly Jewish-Christian. It was written before the Gentile expansion of the church, before the Jerusalem Council, and even before Paul wrote the book of Galatians in 49 AD. This letter was written to communities of believers who were likely suffering from the economic shock of the famine that ravaged Judea between 46 and 48 AD. All things considered, I would date this letter to between 45 AD and 48 AD, making it the earliest book in our New Testament.

Conclusion

James is a powerful, action-packed book written to young communities of Jewish-Christians scattered throughout the known world of the first half of the first century AD. James addresses the concerns and cares of the community with the wisdom of a sage and the heart of a pastor. This letter is likely the first New Testament writing to come into existence, and has served to provide practical advice for Christian living for 2,000 years.