James Lecture

Background

  • James the Brother of Jesus - James the Just
  • Twelve tribes in the dispersion - open letter to followers of The Way that were outside of Jerusalem
  • Catholic - universal (not Roman Catholic)
  • Diatribe - calls out opponents in an angry tone
  • Purpose - oppose superficial and worldly religion to promote true faith (deeds not just words)

Critical Issues

  • Authorship - why doesn’t he say he is the brother of Jesus?
  • Is this Christian? - sounds very similar to Jewish traditional texts with emphasis on the law

Themes: True Faith

  • Wise Life - James 1:5, 3:17
  • The Way - Didache (follow the way of light and life or the other path to death and destruction)

Themes: Faith and Works

  • Response to Paul? - especially to correct Paul’s teaching on the law
    • Faith without works is dead
    • Abraham

Themes: Rich and Poor

  • Harsh words for the rich - James 5:1
  • No Partially - wealthy and rich got special treatment, James 2:1
  • Humility - rich need to make themselves humble, James 1:9
  • Generosity - rich need to be generous, James 5:4
  • Cannot serve God and Mammon - “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”
    • Mammon - Wealth regarded as an evil influence or an idol