One Powerful Message

If you were a church leader and had an opportunity to write a letter to your scattered flock undergoing persecution, what would you deem important to communicate? Would your purpose be logical, philosophical arguments for significant doctrinal truths - or would you be more intent on focusing on the practical application of the elements of the Christian faith?

That's somewhat the situation faced by James - not the apostle, most likely, but the brother of Jesus. James became a follower of Jesus after the resurrection and went on to be a leader in the Jerusalem church. These Jewish Christians were scattered following the stoning of Stephen (Acts. 8:1-4; 11:19) and endured persecution in other locales as well. At a very early date - likely in the mid-40s, even before the Jerusalem Council - James wrote a "circular letter" that was passed along the Jewish Christian networking lines. It is preserved in our Bibles as the book of James, possibly the earliest written text of the New Testament, and one that is not without controversy. Viewed in the context of its writing, however, many of the questions raised about James can be answered.

James' main purpose is to encourage scattered Christians to live out their faith in practical ways. In fact, the theme of the book could be simply, "A Working Faith." James is not concerned as much with orthodoxy - though he is fully orthodox in his theology - as with orthopraxy, or right living. His famous section in 2:17-26 includes a challenge that would have hit at the heart of his Jewish audience: "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." (v. 19). In the straightforward way of a man with no time to lose, he observes that the basic Jewish confession, the Shema, the heart of theology for Jews which was still recited by Jewish Christians, was incomplete by itself. Even the demons believe in one God, he writes ... but he goes on to challenge that confession apart from works of faith.

It was this section of the book, which goes on to extol the necessity of works for justification, that led Martin Luther (among others) to reject this book as non-canonical. However, a thorough study of the book will show that James is not inconsistent with the fundamental theology of the New Testament and its emphasis on justification by faith; he simply has a different emphasis or priority in his theology. Again, the fact that he is writing to a scattered audience undergoing persecution is critical to understanding his theology. James is teaching them as a pastor, trying to cover as much ground as possible in one letter, knowing that their need for teaching is probably urgent (remember, there likely were no other New Testament scriptures at this point). His pleading with them comes through as we read and re-read his letter. He repeatedly calls them "brethren", and carries a pleading, corrective tone along with exhortation and encouragement.

James is an epistle of wisdom. While it has an internal structure, its form is not obvious like Paul's doctrinal/practical divisions in his epistles. Instead, James blends the doctrinal with the practical. One possible way of viewing the internal structure is around the theme of faith: Faith and trials, faith and works, faith and prayer.

In the epistle, James touches on the themes of faith, perseverance, favoritism, works, the law of liberty, the tongue, sinful attitudes, wisdom, relationship with believers, judgment, and prayer. Some of his key points include:

• The testing of faith is a joy because it produces endurance.
• Become a doer of the word, not merely a hearer. Endure to do!
• Faith without works is dead - the works perfect or complete the faith.
• A truly mature person will bridle the tongue and practice wisdom from above.
• A mature person will maintain an attitude of humble submission to God.
• Believers should be patient during suffering - praying in faith.
  

That James does not contradict Paul's teaching on justification by faith will bear out over future lessons. However, one verse will show that while James is emphasizing the work of faith, he has a complete grasp of the Godward aspect of salvation:

In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. (James 1:18)

Here James is very specific - God brought us forth by His will, by the word of truth, for a specific purpose: that we would be "first fruits" among His creatures. This is the basic teaching of Jesus - we are to be fruitful. We are chosen to bear fruit for God's glory, Jesus said, and here James wholeheartedly concurs. James' epistle focuses on what that fruit looks like in real life.