The Epistle of James

Luther may have called the epistle of James "the epistle of straw" because it seems to contradict some of Paul's teachings, but it is filled with insights for our lives of faith.  In fact, James speaks of good works as the fruits of a firmly rooted faith.  We will be studying James in the Tuesday afternoon Bible study beginning today, and we would love to have you join us!  Click below to see what we'll be discussing:

The Epistle of James

Christ Lutheran Church (Lancaster) Bible Study, April 2012

Luther: “The epistle of straw” But let us allow James to speak on his own terms!!

Author: James, the brother of Jesus. Little evidence, but little dispute. As James grew older as the leader of the Jerusalem church, he learned Greek as a necessity and could write this letter among others. The letter shows how James was both rooted in Jewish tradition and was also deeply influenced by his personal connection to Jesus.

Date: Sometime prior to James' death in 62_AD, but not likely earlier than the 50's.

Message: Many topics are covered in a short space. However, some main themes:

• Faith leads to endurance, that is, a steadfast devotion (1:2-4), like one who is anchored in a stormy sea (1:6).
• James mirrors the imagery of the parable of the sower (cf. Mark 4:1-20). He speaks of the “implanted word that has the power to save your souls,” that is, the implanted word of Christ, which both saves us and leads us closer to God's desire for us. This word gives us wisdom, an important gift in the Jewish tradition.
• “Double-mindedness” is the main thing to avoid, that is, one who is easily swayed by temptation to forsake what he or she knows to be God's desire. This is like a flower that withers (1:11), or a hypocritical believer (2:1-13).
• James argues that faith without works is “dead” (2:26), meaning that works are the inevitable result of faith, of God working in us. Without works, you might have something but it's not really faith.
• James goes on to discuss more practical aspects of this “wisdom”: ¹
  • Using speech for good rather than to harm (3:1-12)
  • Being humble before God (4:1-12)
  • Living by God's mercy today rather than worrying about tomorrow (4:13-17)
  • Working for justice for the poor and needy (5:1-6)
  • Praying always and confidently for healing, forgiveness, and life in community (5:7-20)

James vs. Paul

If you know the letters of Paul, it's impossible to miss what seems to be a direct challenge to Paul's theology by James. To put it simply:

Paul : “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law” (Romans 3:28)

James: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24)

• James is not likely responding to Paul, but is answering a different question. James answers, “what is the fruit of a firmly implanted faith?” Paul answers, “how is it possible that Gentiles may receive the same salvation as Jews?”
• James is talking about God's desire and intention for us as his people. James' teaching is analogous to the Ten Commandments and Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. James speaks the law, which we can never fulfill (see 2:10), and so we are justified (literally, “made righteous”) by the faithfulness of Christ. Yet as God's people forgiven and made righteous out of grace, we are called to practice what we will finally become – those in whom the implanted word of faith bears the fruit of good works.
• Paul would agree with James – see Romans 6:1-2... “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?”

Important Implications and Further Questions:
An important skill for studying the Bible is to identify the different messages that we are hearing all at once. We need to know in this case:

a) What James means to say to his hearers

b) What God is saying to us now through these same words

c) How God's Word for us in the letter of James relates to God's Word for us in other books of the Bible, for example, Romans and Galatians, and to our theology.

1. What does it mean to “have faith”?
2. How do we “get” faith?
3. What are “good works” and what are their purpose, especially as they relate to “faith” and the faithfulness of Christ?
4. Is James arguing that we must all “prove” our faith with works? If so, to whom do we need to prove our faith? God? Each other? Ourselves? What is adequate proof?
5. Does James think poverty should be a goal for humanity? Would James want poor people to stay poor because God has chosen them (2:5)?
6. As Lutherans, we rightly believe that there is nothing we can do to be saved. We are bound to sin, and only God can free us, and God has through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We speak of faith as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith is for us, not for God – it's a seed, an implanted word, which yields the fruits of a resurrected life (of the kingdom of God). How does it change our spirituality to consider a faith a gift to us rather than our offering to God?
7. How does James remind us that our faith leads us to align our own behavior, choices and actions with God's wisdom and desire for us?
8. James urges us to pray for wisdom when we need it (1:5), and when we're suffering (5:13). James reminds us of the power of prayer. Many of us have seen answered prayer. We believe that our prayers are answered in ways we cannot see sometimes. Yet sometimes, we do not receive what we ask for. How do we deal with this?

1This list taken from the introduction to James in the Lutheran Study Bible (Augsburg Fortress, 2009).