Martin Luther, whose vigorous voice led to the birth of Protestantism during the Reformation, described the Book of James as a strawy writing. The epistle's emphasis that a believer was justified by works (2:24) clashed with Luther's conviction that the believer becomes just by faith.
Most Christians would feel that Luther erred in his evaluation. The firm demands of the Book of James call wandering Christians back to obedience to GOD's Word. It is especially useful in pointing out ethical application of the gospel of grace. With the concern of a pastor, James spoke to his readers in urging them to face trial with stamina (1:2-18). He also spoke with the firmness of a prophet in urging them to show evidence of their genuine faith (2:14-26). (HBH)
Author: The author of this epistle identifies himself simply as James. This name was extremely common; the New Testament identifies no less than five individuals called James, two of whom were disciples of Jesus, and one his brother. Traditionally the letter has been attributed to the brother of the LORD, and there is no reason to question this point of view. Evidently, the author was well known, and James, the brother of Jesus, had become the leader of the church of Jerusalem at an early date (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:9,12). The language of the epistle is similar to James' discourse in Acts chapter 15. Apparently, James was an unbeliever during Jesus' ministry (John 7:3-5). An appearance by Jesus, after his resurrection (I Cor. 15:7), probably gave place to James' conversion, thus he is mentioned along with other believers in Acts 1:14.
The Holman Bible Handbook adds:
The Book of James came slowly into widespread circulation in the early church. Many factors contributed to this. Its brevity and practical nature made it seem of small significance in comparison to a book like Romans. Christians in the early church also disagreed concerning the identity of James, the author of the epistle. Those who identified the name with the LORD's brother tended to view the book as genuine Scripture. Those who rejected the link between James and Jesus tended to ignore the Book of James. Church councils meeting at Rome (A.D. 382) and Carthage (A.C. 397) accepted James as Scripture. This acceptance gave support to the view that James, the LORD's brother, was the author.
The text of James provides little information about the author other than his name, but the mention of the name provides an important clue to his identity. Few persons with the name of James could succeed in identifying themselves merely by their first name. The writer must have been an important James.
Four person s in the New Testament have the name of James. James, the father of Judas (not Iscariot), is mentioned in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13. James, the son of Alphaeus, appears in Matthew 10:3 and Acts 1:13. Both are obscure figures who lacked the importance to have been recognized by the mere designation "James". James the apostle was martyred under Herod Agrippa I in A.D. 44 (see Acts 12:2). He died before the time in which most people feel the Book of James appeared. The LORD brother was an unbeliever during Jesus' earthly ministry (John 7:2-5), but an appearance of the risen Christ to him apparently led him to become a believer (I Cor. 15:7; Acts 1:14). He rapidly became a leader in the early church (Gal. 2:6-9). The New Testament pictures him as a committed Jew who recognized Jesus as Messiah and LORD and showed spiritual sensitivity to the working of GOD. James the LORD's brother would be important enough in the early church clearly to identify himself by the designation "James".
Other features of the Epistle of James also confirm the likelihood of identifying the author with Jesus' brother. James 1:22 and 5:12 contain echoes of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:20-24 and 5:34-37, respectively. The brother of the LORD could have heard this teaching. James 5:14-18 portrays our author as a man of prayer, and this agrees with the extrabiblical portrait of James, the LORD's brother. The tradition is that the LORD's brother spent such time in prayer that his knees became as hard as those of a camel (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.23). It is not possible clearly to prove that the LORD's brother is the author of this epistle, but he is the most likely candidate from among the Jameses in the New Testament.
Recipients: (HBH) The address of the Epistle of James to "the twelve tribes scattered among the nations" (Jas 1:10) suggests that the readers were Jewish Christians who lived outside of Palestine. Several features confirm the truth of the suggestion. First, the term for "meeting" (2:2) is the Greek word for "synagogue". The word does not suggest that the readers met in a Jewish synagogue, but it indicates that Jewish Christians used this name to describe their place of meeting. Second, the statements of 5:1-6 present the picture of poor believers being intimidated by the wealthy. These rich people may have attended church meetings (2:1-3), but their presence did not indicate conversion. Third, the term "scattered among the nations" (1:1) reflects a single Greek word that referred to Jews who lived out of their homeland. All of these facts suggest that the LORD's brother directed a message to Jewish believers who had left their native country of Palestine.
Date: The Jewish historian Josephus says that James died by stoning in the year 62 A.D.; this means that if the brother of Jesus is the author of the letter, it has to have been written before that date. The content suggests that it could have been written much earlier like the evening before the church council referred to in Acts chapter 15, which gathered around the year 49 A.c. We can't be dogmatic about this matter, and we should accept that the letter was written between the years 48 and 62 A.D.
Purpose: The purpose of the epistle is basically practical and ethical: it emphasizes duty before doctrine. The author wrote to refute the distressing abandonment of Christian duties. By doing so, he analyzed the nature of genuine faith and urged his readers to demonstrate the validity of their experience with Christ. His fundamental concern was the significance of the experience and the practice of Christian faith, and advancing the practical purposes of the gospel.
Content: Instead of speculating or dedicating oneself to debating religious theories, James directs his readers toward a life of holiness. From the beginning to the end, the tone of the letter is imperative. It pronounces 54 mandates in 108 verses, and seven times James calls attention to his position with firmness and authority. This "servant of GOD" (1:1) writes more as a supervisor than as a servant. The result is a proposal of Christian ethic that is on a par with any other than appears in the New Testament.
Literary Form: (HBH) James' writing is similar to the Old Testament wisdom literature in Proverbs and Psalms. Both sources treat such subjects as the use of the tongue, the dangers of wealth, and the need for self-control. Some students of James have also pointed out a similarity with synagogue homilies or sermons.
James' writing reflected a vivid imagination. We can see his use of vigorous figures of speech in his comparison of the wavering man to "a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (1:6). He also was a close observer of nature. We can see this from his description of the effects of the sun's heat (1:11), horticulture (3:12), and rainfall (5:7,18).
Purpose and Theology: (HBH) James wrote to Jewish Christians facing trials and persecution. Under the threat of persecution the readers considered compromising their Christian commitment and accommodating themselves to worldliness. James spoke as a pastor to urge his friends to develop spiritual stamina in facing persecution. He also spoke as a prophet to urge those who considered compromise to give evidence of their faith.
Some students of James suggest that the book lacks doctrinal emphases. It is true that James assumed some doctrinal similarity between himself and his readers and did not elaborate on all his beliefs. He did affirm the unity of GOD (2:19; 4:12) together with an emphasis on divine goodness (1:17), graciousness (4:6-8), and judgment (2:13). He emphasized strongly the return of Christ (5:7-11). In 1:12-15 he presented an analysis of temptation and sin, suggesting that human desire was the source of sin. Much of the content of James represented an effort to call individuals and the church back to full commitment to GOD and to complete concern for one another.
Historical Setting: (IBD) James addresses the epistle "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad" (1:1). This implies a readership of Jewish Christians living outside Palestine. Elsewhere in the epistle, however, James refers to hired field labor (5:4), and this locates his audience inside Palestine. In James' day only in Palestine did farmers employ hired rather than slave labor, as was customary elsewhere. The epistle makes frequent references or allusions to the Old Testament. Its style and language are reminiscent of the Old Testament, especially wisdom literature and the prophet Amos. All these factors indicate that James was writing to persons of Jewish-Christian background. His emphasis was on the essentials of obedient living in accordance with the true intent of the law of GOD.
Theological Contribution: (IBD) The Epistle of James is a sturdy, compact letter on practical religion. For James, the acid test of true religion is in the doing rather than in the hearing, "believing", or speaking. James exalts genuineness of faith, and is quick to encourage the lowly that GOD gives grace to the humble (4:6), wisdom to the ignorant (1:5), salvation to the sinner (1:21), and the kingdom to the poor (2:5). He is equally quick to condemn counterfeit religion which would substitute theory for practice, and he does so with biting sarcasm. True religion is moral religion and social religion. True religion is doing the right thing in one's everyday affairs. In this respect James echoes clearly the ethical teaching of Jesus, especially as it is recorded in the Sermon on Mount (Matthew 5-7). "Not everyone who says to Me, 'LORD, LORD', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).
Special Considerations: (IBD) Some Bible scholars suggest that James and Paul differ in their view on the saving significance of faith and works. Paul states, "A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Rom. 3:28), and James says, "A man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:19). A closer reading of the two, however, reveals that they differ more in their definition of faith than in its essence. James writes to readers who are inclined to interpret faith as mere intellectual acknowledgment (James 2:19). As a consequence he stresses that a faith which does not affect life is not saving faith; hence, his emphasis on works. Actually, this is quite close to Paul's understanding. For Paul, faith is the entrusting of one's whole life to GOD through Christ, with the result that one's life becomes renewed with the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22).
Personal Application: The book calls us to an ethical life, based on the teachings of the gospel. It makes a practical exposition of a "pure and spotless" religion (1:27). Its two fundamental emphases are personal growth in spiritual life and Christian sensibility in social relations. All faith that doesn't care about personal and social questions is a dead faith.
The message of James is especially directed to those who are inclined to seek the way to heaven in theory and not in practice.
Christ Revealed: Beginning with the first verse and continuing throughout the entire letter, James recognizes Jesus as L
Of considerable interest in the close parallel between the content of this letter and the teachings of Jesus, particularly the Sermon on the Mount. Although James doesn't cite any affirmation of Jesus exactly, there are more verbal reminiscences of the teachings of the LORD in this letter than in all the other epistles of the New Testament together. These allusions reveal an intimate relationship between James and Jesus and evidence, furthermore, the strong influence of the LORD in the author's life.
The Holy Spirit in Action: The letter explicitly mentions the Holy Spirit only in 4:5, where it declares that the Spirit that dwells in us zealously desires our undivided loyalty.
The activity of the Holy Spirit can be seen in the ministry to the sick described in 5:14-16. In the light of other biblical terminology that alludes to the anointing of the Spirit (see Is. 61:1; Luke 4:18; I John 2:20-27), the anointing with oil should be considered a symbol of the reception of the Holy Spirit.
Even more, in Greek, the definite article used in the phrase "the prayer of faith" (5:15), particularizes that faith, and suggests that James is referring to the manifestation of faith (I Cor. 12:9).
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