Authorship
Although there is debate, the likeliest James who would have the status to address “the twelve tribes” and identify himself only as “James” (1:1) is James the brother of Jesus (Ac 12:17; 15:13–21; 21:17–26; 1Co 15:7; Gal 2:9, 12), as in church tradition. James was a common name, and when one spoke of a less commonly recognized individual with a common name, one usually added a qualifying title. Moreover, it seems unlikely that a letter composed by a relatively unknown James would have achieved sufficiently wide circulation as to survive. Many of the views reflected here (e.g., Jas 2:14–26) are also consistent with our knowledge of the James respected by the Jerusalem church (cf. Ac 21:18–25; Gal 2:10, 12).
Most Jerusalemites, both Christian and non-Christian, respected James for his devoutness. Nevertheless, his denunciations of the way the elite were oppressing the poor (cf. 5:1–6) eventually aroused the aristocratic priesthood’s opposition. When the procurator Festus died in office in AD 62, the high priest Ananus II executed James and some other people. The public outcry was so great, however, that when the new procurator Albinus arrived, Ananus was deposed from the high priesthood over the matter.
Some object to James’s authorship of this letter-essay by noting its polished Greek style. Yet Greek language and culture did influence lower Galilee, and sons of carpenters had better access to education than the peasants who constituted the majority of Galileans. Over the years, James as leader of the Jerusalem church would also have acquired more skills needed to appeal to even the most Hellenistically-educated members of the Jerusalem church. Still, these advantages do not fully explain the letter’s quality. More important, influential Judeans (such as Josephus) often used scribes to improve the quality of their Greek. James, as leader of the mother church, in the one overwhelmingly Jewish city that also provided advanced education in Greek works, surely had access to such editorial help (cf. the Greek in Ac 15:23–29).
Setting
A key situation that James’s preaching would have naturally often addressed would be the tensions that within a few years culminated in full-blown war with Rome in AD 66. The material in this letter fits James’s lifetime; he was killed about AD 62. Some scholars suggest that James’s followers edited his material relevant to the war and re-released some of it (perhaps for a Diaspora audience, 1:1) in collected form after his death, in the wake of the war or tensions leading up to it.
James addresses the pride of the rich (1:9–11; 2:1–9; 4:13–17), prejudice for the rich (2:1–4), persecution by the rich (2:6–7; 5:6) and pay withheld by the rich (5:4–6). He also addresses those tempted to retaliate with violent acts (2:11; 4:2) or words (1:19–20, 26; 3:1–12; 4:11–12; 5:9). Denouncing injustice and invoking divine vengeance were appropriate (5:1–6), but some may have been instead exhorting people to achieve justice by lethal violence (4:2). James responds with a call to wisdom (1:5; 3:14–18), faith (1:6–8; 2:14–26) and patient endurance (1:3–4; 5:7–11). Once understood in the context of the situation, his supposedly “disconnected” exhortations all fit together as essential to his argument. ◆
Quick Glance
Author:
James, a leader of the Jerusalem church
Audience:
Jewish Christians, perhaps Jerusalem believers scattered after Stephen’s death
Date:
Perhaps before AD 50
Theme:
James emphasizes vital Christianity characterized by good deeds and faith that works.