The Letter of James, an overview

The letter of James is well known as the Epistle that the reformer, Martin Luther referred to as “…a letter of straw that’s fit for the fire.” Coming out of the Roman Catholic setup, Luther had an aversion for anything that appeared to suggest a work-salvation ethos. Having been challenged by the statement that “the just shall live by faith”, he felt that this letter and Paul’s letter to the Romans, contradicted the issue of faith. However, we know that he was grossly mistaken. Both Paul and James actually concurred in the matter of faith. They were only looking at the same subject from different angles. Paul’s approach was - how could one obtain genuine salvation.  James’ was concerned with - how could one recognize genuine salvation. The genre of James is that of an epistle but the contents look to be more like his sermon notes on Christian living. In it, believers both then and now, could glean many practical insights to live life in ways that would be pleasing to God.  

There are several James in the New Testament. The one that had written this letter was the brother of the Lord. In Matthew 13:55, we learn that the Lord had several brothers and James was one of them. He and his other brothers Joseph, Simon and Judas were probably the ones that left Jesus and walked with him no more in John 7:5. They could not accept the Lord’s authority before His Resurrection. However, from 1 Corinthian 15:7, we are told that the Risen Lord appeared to James. It surmised that he then renewed his commitment to the Lord. In Galatians 2:9, he appeared to have become one of the leaders in the Jewish-Christian Church at Jerusalem and even presided at the first Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:19-23). He then held a lead position and commanded respect from the early believers. Several terms in this letter had similarities with the expressions he used in Acts 15. Some examples are the words (1) “greetings” - Acts 15:23 and James 1:1 and (2) the term “brethren” - Acts 15:13, James 2:5, etc.

In James 1:1, he addressed the letter to “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad …” This verse suggests that he was writing to Jewish believers outside of Jerusalem and dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. From the terms “brethren” and “beloved brethren” (James 1:2, 16), we conclude that they were fellow believers. Furthermore, James described them as holding to “the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ …” (James 2:1). And in James 5:8, he told them to be patient in times of trials because of “the coming of the Lord is at hand”. There is no record of James, the Lord’s brother, ever leaving Jerusalem after assuming leadership in the Jewish Church. If he is the author, as we believed, then there is no doubt that the origin of this Epistle was Jerusalem. As the president of the Jewish Church, he had great influence over matters pertaining to Jewish Christians. Just like the temple of Jerusalem that was the hub of all Jewish activities, the Church of Jerusalem was the center where Jewish Christians turned to for their answers.

James’ letter suggests that the believers were facing some amount of hardship. The content tells us that there were splatters of animosities, losses, liability, as well as insults and interference with the way of life and religious services. There were also hints that the fervor of the converts had waxed cold and waned, and James wrote to rebuke them for their sinful lifestyle. In this letter, he was also calling them into the discipline of holy living. The letter is more practical rather than ethical in orientation. Doctrines were assumed. The main thrust was for believers to be obedient and take action. All ethical implications of the new faith had to be translated into practical realities, for believers to advance in the journey of holiness. James wrote also to correct faults and to instruct those whose faith had wavered. In this letter, we find James rebuking backsliders, instilling discipline and encouraging all believers to cultivate genuine godliness. Let’s be ready to be more than hearers of the Word of God only. Let’s also become genuine doers of His Word!