Footsteps #75

While not one of Paul’s letters, I feel compelled to make a brief comment about the book of James. It was written at about the same time (some say before) the council of Jerusalem (AD49).

It is one of the most misunderstood books of the Bible.  Catholic scholar Johann Eck used it to challenge Martin Luther’s view of justification by faith alone, insisting that works needed to be added to the salvation equation.

Was James a legalist, combating Paul’s idea of justification by faith, by teaching that justification includes works? Or was he simply providing a slightly different perspective on the subject, similar to the several perspectives on the teachings of Jesus that we find in the Gospels? The answer is, clearly, the latter.

James had a firsthand knowledge of Jesus and reflects closely the teachings of Jesus that we find in the Gospels. As in the parables of Jesus, imagery from agriculture and the world of finance are abundant. Other important themes include wisdom, prayer, and above all, faith. There are 33 illusions to the sermon on the mount in his letter.

James is unique in other ways too, thereby opening a window for us into some of the struggles that the earliest Christian congregations faced. With envy, jealousy, and worldliness creeping into the fold, there seems to have been social and cultural pressures that pitted wealthier Christians against poor ones. Most importantly the epistle of James exudes confidence in the return of Jesus.

The most important distinction between the two is that Paul wrote about how a lost person can be saved and James wrote about how a saved person should live. The faith that saves is the faith that sanctifies. We are not saved by faith plus works but by a faith that works. Works don’t determine destiny they reveal it. The faith that James presents is the unswerving conviction that Jesus Christ has a satisfying plan for every person and that for every trial He provides a solution.

James was the brother of Jesus and the leader of the church in Jerusalem. When referring to the apostles, Paul always lists James (not Peter) first (See 1Cor.15:5-7, Acts.12:16-17, 15:13-19, 21:17-19, Gal.1:18-19.)