The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (263 page)

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. «

OUTLINE OF THE LETTER OF SAINT JAMES

1. Opening Address (
1:1
)

2. Introduction of Themes (
1:2-27
)

   A. Patience in Trials and Temptations (
1:2-15
)

   B. Being Born of the Word (
1:16-25
)

   C. True Religion (
1:26-27
)

3. Discussion of Themes (
2:1-5:18
)

   A. Partiality and the Law of Charity (
2:1-13
)

   B. Faith and Works (
2:14-26
)

   C. Taming the Tongue (
3:1-12
)

   D. Wisdom and Worldliness (
3:13-4:17
)

   E. The Coming of the Lord (
5:1-12
)

   F. Anointing and Prayer for the Sick (
5:13-18
)

4. Conclusion (5:19-20)

THE LETTER OF

Chapters

1
2
3
4
5

Essays and Charts

Faith and Works

The Teaching of James and Jesus

Salutation

1
 
James
, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes
 
*
in the Dispersion:

Greeting.

Faith and Wisdom

2
 
Count it all
joy,
my brethren
, when you meet various trials,
³
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
⁴
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5
 If any of you lacks
wisdom
, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him.
⁶
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
^{7, 8}
For that person must not suppose that a
double-minded
man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.

Poverty and Riches

9
 
Let the lowly brother
boast in his exaltation,
¹⁰
and
the rich
in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.
¹¹
For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Trial and Temptation

12
 Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive
the crown of life
which God has promised to those who love him.
¹³
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for
God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one
;
¹⁴
but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
¹⁵
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.

16
 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
¹⁷
Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
^a
18
Of his own will he brought us forth by the
word of truth
that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19
 Know this, my beloved brethren.
Let every man be quick to hear
, slow to speak, slow to anger,
²⁰
for
the anger of man
does not work the righteousness of God.
²¹
Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the
implanted word
, which is able to save your souls.

22
 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
 
*
²³
For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in
a mirror
;
²⁴
for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
²⁵
But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.

26
 If any one thinks he is religious, and does not
bridle his tongue
but deceives his heart, this man's religion is vain.
²⁷
Religion
that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Warning against Partiality

2
  
*
 
My brethren
, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
²
For if a man with gold rings and in fine clothing comes into your
assembly
, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
³
and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "Have a seat here, please," while you say to the poor man, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet,"
⁴
have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
⁵
Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and
heirs of the kingdom
which he has promised to those who love him?
⁶
But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you, is it not they who drag you into court?
⁷
Is it not they who blaspheme
that honorable name
by which you are called?

8
 If you really fulfil
the royal law
, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.
⁹
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
¹⁰
For whoever keeps the whole law but
fails in one point
has become guilty of all of it.
 
*
¹¹
For he who said, "
Do not commit adultery
," said also, "Do not kill." If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become a transgressor of the law.
¹²
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
¹³
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet
mercy triumphs
over judgment.

Faith without Works Is Dead

14
 What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works?
Can his faith save him
?
 
*
¹⁵
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and in lack of daily food,
¹⁶
and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?
¹⁷
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

18
 But
some one will say
, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
¹⁹
You believe that
God is one
; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.
²⁰
Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith apart from works is barren?
²¹
Was not Abraham our father
justified
by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
²²
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works,
²³
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "
Abraham believed God
, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God.
²⁴
You see that a man is justified by works and not by
faith alone
.
²⁵
And in the same way was not also
Ra'hab
the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
²⁶
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.