An Introduction to the Book of James

The way the name James (a derivative of Jacob) has been mentioned in the New Testament it is evident that there were quite a few people close to the Lord Jesus Christ by this name, four to be precise. Scholars attribute this epistle to the James who was the brother of the Lord. It is evident from the address line (James 1:1) that the author was a humble yet well known person. Two of the mentioned James, the one who was the father of Judas (Luke 6:16, Act 1:13) and the one who was the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18) were rather obscure people. The third mentioned James, the son of Zebedee was martyred before this epistle was written (Acts 1:22). James, the brother of the Lord did not believe that Jesus, his brother, was the promised Messiah and instead thought Him to be insane. After His resurrection, the Lord met with James after appearing to the other apostles. He believed in Him after this incident (1 Cor 15:7). Peter strengthened him after his miraculous and supernatural release from the prison (Acts 12:18). Later Paul testified of him as a pillar of the Jerusalem church along with John and Peter (Gal 2:9). In his capacity as the leader of the Jerusalem council of apostles and leaders, he was the one who would announce the authoritarian judgment when discussions would end (Acts 15:13, 19). He was beaten and stoned by the Jews at the age of 94 and his brains dashed out with fuller’s club ^[1].

The likely period of the authorship of this epistle is believed by scholars to be around A.D. 40 because, first, leaders in the church have been mentioned as teachers and elders rather than as bishops and deacons (a later practice) and secondly, the controversy regarding the necessity of circumcision had not yet cropped up ^[2].

This epistle does not deal with deep theological aspects. It deals mainly with Christian living and conduct. Misunderstandings by few early church fathers almost led to this precious book being considered heretical. Since it was written to the Jews, it was thought unnecessary for the Gentile readership. It was finally given the canonical status in the New Testament by a series of councils in the 4^th century preceded by its inclusion in the list of NT books by Athanasius of Alexandria in his 39^th Festal Epistles in A.D. 367 ^[3].

To dispel the doubts of my readers let me assure you that when properly studied and understood, this book does not doctrinally contradict other canonical books. Rather it is a treasure trove filled with beautiful insights on living a godly life in this sin-stricken world. Hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.

May the Lord use this endeavour solely for the glory of His name and for the furtherance of His kingdom! May His name alone be glorified! 

[1] Foxe, J., Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Ch.1. History of Christian Martyrs to the First General Persecutions under Nero (1563).

[2] Wilder, T., James: Introduction and Notes, The Apologetics Study Bible, pp. 1841, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee (2007).

[3] Metzger, B.M., The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development and Significance, Clarendon Press, Oxford (1987).