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INTRODUCTION TO

THE LETTER OF SAINT JAMES

Author The author of the epistle identifies himself as "James" (1:1). Because several persons in the NT bear this name, it is necessary to settle on his identity by a process of elimination. Two men of this name were among the apostles of Jesus: James the son of Zebedee (Mk 1:19; 3:17) and James the son of Alphaeus (Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13). No doubt these figures possessed the requisite authority to instruct the Church in writing, but most scholars think it improbable that either one wrote the Letter of James—the former was martyred in A.D. 44, probably too early to have been the author (Acts 12:2), and very little is known about the latter beyond the fact of his enrollment among the Twelve. Instead, scholars through the centuries have given preference to a third figure of the apostolic age: James of Jerusalem, also known as "the Lord's brother" (Gal 1:19). This James was a kinsman of Jesus (Mk 6:3). He was also a witness to the Resurrection (1 Cor 15:7) and later became one of the "pillars" (Gal 2:9) of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:17-18). Tradition refers to him as "James the Just" and remembers him as a man of exceptional piety and prayerfulness. Ancient sources tell us that he was martyred in Jerusalem in A.D. 62 by order of the Jewish high priest, having been either stoned, clubbed, or thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple (Josephus, Antiquities 20, 200; Hegesippus, as quoted in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2, 23). Tradition also relates that James was the first bishop of Jerusalem and the first in a line of fifteen Hebrew Christians to hold that position in succession (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2, 1, and 4, 5).

Modern scholarship often distinguishes this James from the author of the letter bearing his name. In other words, despite general agreement that 1:1 refers to James of Jerusalem, it is held that a later admirer of James wrote in the name of this revered figure in order to instruct believers near the end of the first century. Often the proponents of pseudonymity contend (1) that the Greek style of the letter is too smooth and sophisticated to be the work of a Galilean Jew, whose first language must have been Aramaic, and (2) that its mention of "elders" in 5:14 reflects a stage in the development of Church leadership more advanced than what existed in James' lifetime. Neither argument is decisive. For one thing, scholarship continues to produce evidence that Galilee was thoroughly bilingual during the NT period (Aramaic and Greek), so the ability of a Palestinian Jew, especially one who was intellectually gifted, to write in excellent Greek is far from impossible (e.g., the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus was educated in first-century Jerusalem and acquired an impressive command of Hellenistic Greek, as well as classical Greek literature). Second, unless one disregards the Book of Acts as a witness to history, it is clear that a hierarchical system of leadership (with "elders" or "presbyters") had emerged well before the end of the first century (Acts 14:23; 20:17; cf. 1 Pet 5:1-2). Beyond these objections, it may be said that the opening self-description of James as a "servant" of the Lord Jesus (Jas 1:1) is best explained if James himself is the author of the letter. In other words, it presupposes that he is already known to his readers and feels no need to assert his authority or credentials. A pseudonymous author, hoping to borrow the reputation of James for himself, would more likely have described him in exalted rather than humble terms. Or, at least, he would have given a sufficiently explicit description of James to help readers identify which of the ancient Jameses he was claiming to be.

Date It is difficult to date the Letter of James because it contains very little information about the historical circumstances of its author and readers. If the epistle was written by James of Jerusalem, the "brother of the Lord", then it must have been composed before his death in the early 60s. How much earlier than this it can be dated is all but impossible to determine. Evidence within the letter is generally supportive of an early date: it is markedly Jewish in its outlook; it addresses believers who gather together in an assembly (literally, "synagogue", 2:2); and its illustrations drawn from nature and experience are suggestive of a Palestinian setting (1:11; 3:6, 12; 5:7). Of course, no one of these considerations proves that the letter must have been written in the days of James of Jerusalem, but together they create an impression that its author was living in the earliest decades of the Church, i.e., at a time when the mission field of the gospel was still concentrated in Israel and its environs and before Christianity and Judaism had irrevocably distinguished themselves from one another (the parting of the two is clear by the late first century). Scholars who maintain that an unknown Christian wrote the letter using "James" as a pseudonym usually assign it a date between A.D. 80 and 100.

Destination James wrote this epistle, not to a single congregation, but to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" (1:1). This may refer to Hebrew Christians who were exiled from Palestine and had settled throughout the Mediterranean world. This living situation beyond the borders of Israel was known in Jewish tradition as the Dispersion, or Diaspora. Others read this as a reference to the universal Church, the family of Christian Jews and Gentiles who together formed "the Israel of God" (Gal 6:16). Still another possibility is that James was addressing Israelite Christians who had once been residents of Jerusalem and members of the earliest community of believers, but who had been dispersed throughout the land of Palestine and beyond because of persecutions that arose in the holy city (Acts 8:1; 11:19). There is some indication in the NT that descendants of various Israelite tribes (not just Jews from the tribe of Judah) had been present in first-century Jerusalem (Lk 2:36; Acts 2:5; 4:36; Rom 11:1), and it is reasonable to infer that James could have written to encourage them in their trials as the shepherd of the scattered Jerusalem flock (Acts 15:13-21; 21:17-26). In any case, James is traditionally listed among the seven "Catholic Epistles" (along with 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Jude). These letters, rather than being sent to individual churches, like most of Paul's epistles, were intended to circulate broadly within the Christian community (the adjective "catholic" means "universal").

Themes and Characteristics In many ways the Letter of James is an amalgam of literary forms. Its opening greeting is reminiscent of a personal letter; its multiple exhortations are like those of a homily; its conversational style gives it the flavor of a diatribe; its proverbial sayings and illustrations have close affinities with Jewish wisdom literature; and its powerful warnings bring to mind the judgment oracles of the Hebrew Prophets. James also combines the excellent Greek style of a Hellenistic intellectual with the distinctively Semitic style of a Jewish sage.

In terms of content, the letter is thoroughly devoted to ethical catechesis. At least three factors form the backbone of its moral and spiritual instruction. (1) Many scholars have called the Letter of James an example of Christian wisdom literature, since the wisdom traditions of the OT deal in a similar way with the practical aspects of religious faith and life. Not only does James maintain the same focus on principles of righteous conduct, but even his didactic approach mimics certain wisdom books, such as the Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach, in their use of concrete illustrations, parallelism, and a rhythmic style that glides gracefully from topic to topic. (2) If James draws inspiration from the wisdom traditions of Israel, he is equally indebted to the teaching of Jesus Christ. He is especially familiar with the stream of tradition that eventually flowed into Matthew's Gospel. Echoes of the voice of Jesus can be heard on an array of subjects in almost every chapter of the epistle. This stands out most clearly in the sayings about the poor and the kingdom (2:5; Mt 5:3), the tree and its fruit (3:12; Mt 7:16), the peacemakers (3:18; Mt 5:9), humility and exaltation (4:10; Mt 23:12), the rusted and moth-eaten wealth (5:2-3; Mt 6:19), the Judge standing at the doors (5:9; Mt 24:33), and the precept against oath swearing (5:12; Mt 5:3337). (3) Finally, the moral instruction delivered by James is set within the framework of a coming judgment (2:13; 4:12; 5:1-11). His urgent appeal to align one's confession and one's conduct is driven by the prospect that Jesus, the messianic Judge, is already at hand (5:8) and is about to lead the righteous and the unrighteous on their separate ways. «