CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The Letter of James
Orientation
The Letter of James is so much shorter and so much less celebrated than many of its canonical siblings like the Gospels and Romans that it is easy to overlook. Yet no other New Testament book rivals James for its direct, no-nonsense approach to living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Letter of James is best described as a “wisdom paraenetic encyclical.” This is a fancy way of saying that James is written as a letter to be copied and sent to various Christian communities (encyclical), and that the letter’s content focuses on moral teaching (paraenesis) about how to live a good life in Christ (wisdom). The author of James is almost certainly the biological half brother of Jesus, who became the leader of the Jerusalem church in the decades after Pentecost. Before Paul was even on the scene James the Just (or Righteous) was an influential and well-respected leader, regarded as a prominent wisdom teacher in the tradition of many other Jewish sages, most notably Jesus himself.
Figure 24.1. Russian Orthodox icon of James the Just [Wikimedia Commons]
The Letter of James is a compilation of sayings designed to teach us wisdom in a striking, challenging, and applicable way. Although the collection covers an array of topics, we can discern thematic patterns (trials and testing; our speech; wealth and poverty; faith and works) that together have one primary goal: that readers would grow toward being whole, complete, and mature. The opposite of this is being “double-minded” and therefore unstable (1:8; 4:8). Five times James uses the important Greek word for wholeness or maturity (teleios). Modern English translations often render this as “perfect,” which misconstrues the true meaning. James’s exhortation to be teleios contains the expectation not that we will reach a sinless state (“perfect”), but that our lives will be marked by a developing wholeness and mature living based on the Wisdom of God, Jesus Christ. This whole-person wisdom promises true life now and in the life to come.
The Historical Origins of James
Exploration—Reading James
The Proper Perspective
READ JAMES 1:1–27
Like Jesus before him, James gives instructions that teach his hearers how to think about the world and how to live in it rightly so that they may experience wholeness and fullness of life. We see this from the start: the stated goal is that hearers might become mature and complete (1:4). This can also be called wisdom (1:5). This wisdom produces stability, endurance, and character, culminating in the crown of life (1:2–3, 12). The alternative is the double-minded life of being tossed about, unstable, and disconnected from the Lord (1:6–8).
What makes the difference? It all depends on viewing one’s life rightly, and this takes some readjustment of perspective. First, Christians must learn to embrace difficulties as meant for good because of how they shape character (1:2–4, 12). Yet Christians must not let difficulties tempt them to sin. People’s temptation to sin is not God’s fault but rather is the result of misplaced desires. God is only good and gracious (1:13–18). Also, people must not imagine that riches give security and status. This is foolish thinking because wealth and glory will fade away (1:9–11).
In addition to a changed perspective, Christians must move from passivity to activity. It is not enough for them to merely hear and understand God’s instructions; they must also practice what God teaches. It is nothing more than self-deception if someone hears from God but their life is marked by anger, immorality, hurtful speech, and lack of care for others (1:19–27).
The Structure of James
Wholeness as Loving Our Neighbor
READ JAMES 2:1–13
Ancient wisdom teaching, including James, is often presented in a spiral pattern. Topics are introduced and explored briefly and then revisited in more detail, descending toward deeper understanding. The first chapter of James introduces the wisdom themes. In the following chapters they are revisited and deepened. The first topic is the issue of wealth and the temptation to treat the wealthy with favoritism while neglecting the poor. James is very pointed and straightforward. The tendency to favor the rich and powerful, offering them honor over the lower people in society, reflects a childish favoritism that is directly opposed to the maturity that should mark believers’ lives. James gives two reasons why this practice is sin. First, “favoritism” (which translates a Greek idiom that means “receive the face”), or partiality, focuses on outward appearance and foolishly judges one person as more valuable than another (2:1–4). But despite outward appearances, it is the poor who are usually the richest in faith, James says, and the ones who will receive the greatest inheritance of all—the kingdom of God (2:5). The other reason why partiality is wrong is that it is disobedience to the second-greatest commandment in God’s law: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (2:8). People who disobey even one part of the law are thereby breakers of the whole law (2:9–11). The wholeness that God wants from us is that we show mercy toward everyone (2:12–13).
Wholeness in Both Faith and Works
READ JAMES 2:14–26
The Bible regularly exhorts readers to believe and trust in God, though he is unseen. This is faith (Heb. 11:1). Yet humans often distort this call to faith in self-serving and self-protecting ways. One distortion is to create a wall between belief and deeds, emphasizing the mind without mention of what we do with our bodies. We can understand God rightly yet be no better than the demons, who also comprehend the truth (1:19). The key, according to James, is wholeness between thinking and doing. Correct mental belief (orthodox doctrine) without embodied good works (orthopraxy) is not biblical faith. Faith without works is not alive but dead and therefore not real faith. True faith—like true religion in 1:26–27—has functional feet and hands. True faith inevitably results in helping the impoverished and defenseless (1:27; 2:15–16), in being slow to speak and slow to anger (1:19), and in treating the poor with as much dignity as the wealthy (2:1–13). True faith can be seen in saints like Abraham (2:22–23) and Rahab (2:25), who did what God commanded because they believed him.
James and Paul on Justification and Works
Do James and Paul Contradict Each Other? Unity in the Canon and the Problem of Biblical Language
Wholeness with Our Tongues
READ JAMES 3:1–12
James 3:1–12 unpacks a theme that was raised in chapter 1: the power of speech. According to James, people who consider themselves religious and yet don’t control their tongues are self-deceived and their religion is worthless (1:26). Just like fire, which can be useful or destructive, so is the tongue. Using the analogies of the rudder of a ship, the bit in a horse’s mouth, and a sweeping fire, James makes his point clear: though it is small, the tongue is shockingly powerful. Words can be used to bless others, to praise God (3:9), and teach the truth (3:1). But tongues can also boast and deceive (3:14) and curse people made in God’s image (3:9). Such double-talking lacks the wholeness that God desires. The complete person is mature in speech, moving toward wholeness in one’s life (3:2).
READ JAMES 3:13–4:12
The Scriptures continually give lists of virtues and vices, ways of being and character traits that are either life-giving and beautiful or destructive and deformed. In these verses James notes several of both. Some vices include selfish ambition, envy, boasting, slander, pride, and judging others. Virtues include peacemaking, mercy, sincerity, impartiality, and being considerate of others. James shows one quality that is the opposite of these vices and lies underneath these virtues. It is humility.
The good life comes from wisdom and looks like humility (3:13). Humility has long been considered the queen of the virtues. God opposes the proud person, but, precisely the opposite, he gives grace to those who are humble (4:6; see also Prov. 3:34; 1 Pet. 5:5).
The warnings are clear: the person whose life is marked by pride is no friend of God (4:4), but rather stands in opposition with God (4:6). Yet the promises are more wonderful than the warnings are dire. God promises that for those who draw near to him and joyfully submit to his ways—an act of humility—he will draw near and be with them (4:8). Those who humble themselves he promises to exalt (4:10).
Kierkegaard’s Favorite Book
Figure 24.2. Sketch of Søren Kierkegaard by Niels Christian Kierkegaard [Royal Library of Denmark]
Wholeness and Humility with Our Wealth
READ JAMES 4:13–5:6
Building on his exhortation to humility, James applies this virtue to the matter of money. Again, he stops and urges the reader to listen, an approach meant to rivet the hearer’s attention to what he is about to say (4:13; 5:1).
Humility’s first application to wealth concerns self-reliance and the tendency to organize lives apart from God. People often live glibly, not considering that they are not in control, God is. People act foolishly, James says, when they make plans for this trip or that business transaction while not acknowledging God’s sovereignty (4:13–14). Why? Because life is so uncertain. Everyone is but an evaporating breath. It is sheer arrogance to live ignorant of the living God (4:16). This does not mean it is wrong to make plans. It is wise to do so. But one’s attitude must be rooted in humility. Christians can obey the exhortations to humble themselves (4:7, 10) by approaching everyday life under the banner of “If the Lord wills . . .” (4:15). This is not a magical incantation but rather the expression of a heart that humbly submits to God’s control.
The second application of humility to wealth denounces those who use wealth corruptly and to oppress the poor. This injustice and arrogance stores up wrath for the time when God will bring justice to the world (5:3). Once again, the solution is humility before God.
James and the Jesus Traditions
A Proper and Patient Perspective . . . Again
READ JAMES 5:7–20
The introduction to James’s letter focuses on gaining the proper perspective to live wisely. James concludes his epistolary exhortation with the same point. As mortals in a broken world, people often face suffering and trials. The mature person must grip the hope that God will return to bring justice and vindicate his children. Like a good wisdom teacher, James piles up images and illustrations to drive home his point. A good farmer waits patiently for the rains and the sun to produce fruit (5:7). And godly people of the past, including the faithful Job, were blessed as they waited patiently for God’s justice (5:10–11). Likewise, Christians can endure by being mindful of the Lord’s future return.
Christians should also be patient and perseverant in prayer. Using the example of Elijah (5:17–18) and giving promises of the power of prayer (5:15–16), James redirects attention to God. Wise living must ultimately be connected upward in dependence on God.
This wisdom paraenetic encyclical that we call James concludes in what seems to be a rather anticlimactic way (5:19–20). Rather than a personal final greeting, James encourages readers to carefully instruct others in such a way that they might be saved from death and destruction. These verses reiterate James’s consistent point, exhorting people to grow and persevere in godly wisdom, that they might become whole and mature.
James and Alcoholics Anonymous
Implementation—Reading James as Christian Scripture Today
Because James is practical and pointed from beginning to end, it is not difficult to move from the reading of this letter to its implementation today. There is very little doctrine in James that needs to be translated and reexplained to today’s readers. Rather, the task before readers of James today is in doing what James himself cared the most about: people must not just be hearers of the word and then walk away unchanged (1:22–25). The point of wisdom teaching is that hearers must be open to ponder what is being said, even if it is uncomfortable and challenging, and be willing to change their values, words, and actions.
The topics that James raises for his Christian readers are just as practical today as they were in the ancient world. Disciples of Christ must pursue a true and pure faith. This looks like controlling one’s speech, not slandering others or being overly confident in one’s own opinions. This looks like caring for those who are “lesser” in society, the orphans, widows, and anyone suffering in poverty, while rejecting the foolish temptation to praise and honor the wealthy. In all of this, beliefs and speech must match real-life actions. Anyone who thinks and speaks correctly but doesn’t really live a life of love and service is self-deceived.
On a more positive note, when people do pursue the wholeness and completeness that James is inviting hearers into, the result is a flourishing life. When people embrace sufferings in faith and seek the good of others, they will be blessed, fulfilled, and in right relationship with God and other humans. This is wisdom straight from God.
- Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7. Then trace the major themes of that sermon throughout James.
- Read through James asking the question, “What does it mean to be whole?” and make a list of the answers that James gives. Then compose a prayer of hope, in the spirit of James 1:5–6, reflecting on areas of your life in which you are broken and incomplete and asking God to build wisdom and maturity.
- Think of people in your immediate social context who are currently suffering or in the middle of a trial (illness, financial struggles, a death, a divorce, etc.). Make a plan to encourage them with words and actions.
- Make a list of the places in James that deal with wealth and poverty. Then consider and write down situations in which you are tempted to honor the wealthy and dismiss the poor. How can you pursue wholeness in this area of your life?