Epistle of James

Papyrus 20 (3rd century AD), with part of James 2 and 3

The Epistle of James[a] is a general epistle and one of the 21 epistles (didactic letters) in the New Testament. It was written originally in Koine Greek.[4]

James 1:1 identifies the author as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" who is writing to "the twelve tribes scattered abroad". Traditionally, the epistle is attributed to James the brother of Jesus (James the Just),[5][6] and the audience is considered generally to be Jewish Christians, who were dispersed outside Israel.[7][8]

Memorial to Lajos Fülep, quoting James 3:17, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

Framing his letter within an overall theme of patient perseverance during trials and temptations, James writes in order to encourage his readers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. He condemns various sins, including pride, hypocrisy, favouritism, and slander. He encourages and implores believers to live humbly by godly, rather than worldly, wisdom; he encourages prayer in all situations.

1886 drawing by Jemima Blackburn, quoting James 3:3–6

Famously, Luther at one time considered the epistle to be among the disputed books, and sidelined it to an appendix,[9] although he cited it in his Large Catechism.[10]

The epistle aims to reach a wide Jewish audience.[11] During the last decades, the epistle of James has attracted increasing scholarly interest due to a surge in the quest for the historical James,[12] his role within the Jesus movement, his beliefs, and his relationships and views. This James revival is also associated with an increasing level of awareness of the Jewish grounding of both the epistle and the early Jesus movement.[13]

  1. ^ New Living Translation
  2. ^ ESV Pew Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2018. p. 1011. ISBN 978-1-4335-6343-0. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Bible Book Abbreviations". Logos Bible Software. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  4. ^ 20. James: Introduction, Outline, and Argument. Bible.org
  5. ^ Davids, Peter H (1982). The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (Repr. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN 0802823882.
  6. ^ Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans (ed.). Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN 0781442281.
  7. ^ Camerlynck, Achille (1910). "Epistle of St James". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  8. ^ "Letters of Saint James." Orthodox Church in America, OCA, (n.d.). Accessed 11 Dec. 2018.
  9. ^ Johnson, L. T. (2004). Brother of Jesus, Friend of God. Eerdman's Publishing. pp. 41, 86. ISBN 0802809863.
  10. ^ Luther's Large Catechism, 7th Petition, 122-4
  11. ^ Painter, John (2005). James and Peter models of leadership and mission in Chilton Bruce & Evans Craig The Missions of James, Peter, and Paul. Leiden, Netherlands.: Brill. p. 209. ISBN 9004141618.
  12. ^ Chilton B. and Evans C. A. Eds. (2005). "James and the Gentiles in The Missions of James, Peter, and Paul: Tensions in Early Christianity". Supplements to Novum Testamentum (115): 91–142.
  13. ^ Bibliowicz, Abel M. (2019). Jewish-Christian Relations – The First Centuries (Mascarat, 2019). WA: Mascarat. pp. 70–72. ISBN 978-1513616483.


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