Lesson
One
When you hear
the name James, who comes to mind? For most people, it is the apostle James who
is the brother of John. However, the James which will be the focus of this
discussion is the brother of Jesus Christ. For us to come to a better
understanding of who James is, we will have to take a closer look at the
lifestyle and the nature of the region in which he lived. It will also be
important to understand the relationship between James’s culture and his family
setting.
The
journey begins not in the New Testament, but what is known as the
Intertestamental Period. This period lays the backdrop for all the things that
develop throughout the New Testament. The Intertestamental period times were a
time of great turmoil and change, not only in the political realm but in the
religious world also. The Jewish community was beginning to divide against
itself with Pharisees and Sadducees and many other groups rising. J. Julia
Scott Junior and his work Jewish
Backgrounds of the New Testament has a chapter dedicated to the common life
in first century Israel. In this chapter on page 237, there is a table that
depicts the major divisions in first century Israel which lie between the
economic and religious lines. The economic divisions are just drastic ranging
from the rich of the city, while the rich in the country are land owners and
those of large estates. The next class of the economic society would be the
middle class artisans and merchants found in the city or owners of moderates to
stay in the country. It gets even worse though, you have will consider the
lower-class of the city and the country poor which were usually peasant farmers
or landless peasants; but worst of all were those looked at as nonpersons, be
it women and children or slaves.[1]
Upon
looking at this chart it is safe to assume that the family structure James grew
up in was possibly middle-class because his father was a carpenter. While he
possibly grew up in the middle-class home, it does not mean that life for him
was easy. Since it is generally assumed that the tithe is only 10 percent, it
needs to be understood that the total levy for religious duties could come
close to 50 percent of a working person’s income.[2]
The type of home that James and his family more than likely lived in was a
single-family dwelling, which would’ve had one room or possibly more that
would’ve been separated by curtains or mats. These rooms tended to be quite
small and held much heat, usually only having one small window which did not
ventilate well.[3]
Most homes of this time had flat roofs; families often congregated there in the
cooler parts of the day to eat sleep and enjoy each other’s company.[4]
Now
that an understanding of James’ culture has been established, let’s take a
closer look at the man himself. When reading the name James, no one would ever
assume that what is actually being read wasn’t the actual name we should be
seeing. According to several different authors, the actual translation of the name
James is Jacob, which is what his name actually means in the Hebrew.[5]
Now that we have established the root of James name, let’s examine his family a
little closer. In order to conduct this examination we will have to use more
than just the Gospels. The best example that we do have from the Gospels about
James and his family comes from Mark, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of
Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his
sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.”[6]
It
can be seen that James had other brothers and sisters; one of his other
brothers is considered to be the author of the book of Jude. There are some in
church history who would attempt to say that James was not the brother of Jesus
but actually a cousin. The greatest proponent of this view is Jerome. Bob
Uttley tells us that, “Jerome said that he was Jesus’ cousin (by Alphaeus and
Mary of Clopas). He got this from comparing Matt. 27:56 with John 19:25.” [7] There are two other points of view that come
into play; the first one is that James is a half brother, however, not by birth
but through Mary’s marriage to Joseph. The second is that while the traditional
view is the most widely accepted view which this author believes, is that James
is the biological brother of Jesus Christ. Upon further examination of James’s
family it is to be noted that he was born into a very important religious
family. In the book of Luke we find out that his uncle is a priest, his aunt
Elizabeth is pregnant with John the Baptist, and his mother would be the Virgin
Mary. So would it be safe to assume that James was born into a very important
historical family? Unlike his brother Jesus, it’s believed that James happened
to be married according to First Corinthians 9:5.
According
to Utley and others, “James was not a believer until after the resurrection
(cf. Mark 3:21; John 7:5; I Cor. 15:7).” [8] However, Painter and several others believe
that by the time Acts 1:14 occurs that James and other family members of Jesus
Christ had come to belief in Jesus as the Messiah[9].
And with the death of James in Acts 12, we know that the James in Acts 15 is
not the brother of John, the conclusion can be made that he is the brother of
Jesus. Now that we’ve delved into the cultural surroundings and the man himself
let us further endeavor to understand his theology and the role he played in
the Jerusalem church.
Lesson
Two
It
can be established that James has come to faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah,
by the time we reach the council of Acts 15. What is still left up in the air
is how he reached that place of prominence, and what does he really believe?
While we have no exact evidence of how James came to the role of leadership in
the Jerusalem church, we do know that over time he was put in charge of the
congregation. Painter argues that James was not appointed as an apostle but as
an elder of the church, when he says,
However, when the Antioch church sends famine relief
to Jerusalem by the hands of Barnabas and Saul, there is no mention of the apostles.
The relief was sent to “the elders” (Acts 11:30), indicating the transition in
leadership from the apostles to the elders. Thus when the Jerusalem church sent
Barnabas to Antioch, there is no mention of the apostles. It is assumed that he
was sent by the elders and that by then James had replaced Peter. Acts 12:1-24
can be read as a kind of flashback to explain how James came to leadership.[10]
While
to some this argument may make sense when reading the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, the point is more clearly made
that this is not necessarily how things came about. The HIBD gives us good
cause to believe that James was considered an apostle by many including Paul,
“Paul, seeking out Peter in Jerusalem after his conversion, reported, “I didn’t
see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother” (Gal. 1:19
HCSB). In time, James assumed the leadership of the Jerusalem church,
originally held by Peter. Evidently, such was achieved not through a power
struggle but by James’ constancy with the church while Peter and other apostles
traveled.” [11]
It is abundantly clear that James has gained a position
of power within early Christianity; what is left to be understood by the
readers of the book of Acts, and the epistle of James; is what exactly his
theology is. What the reader must always remember is that when James is writing
or speaking his theological thoughts he is not speaking with the
presuppositions of Christianity. James is coming from the background of the
Jewish community; here is what we would refer to today as a Messianic Jew. A
very interesting read on the theology of James is written by Dr. David Friedman
with B. D. Friedman entitled James the
Just present applications of the Torah. For many students, this author
included, there often seems to be a conflict between the theology of Paul and
that of James; that conflict revolves around faith versus works. Friedman
asserts,
In reading James, we should view the term “works” at
the performance of the biblical commandments. This is how the first century
Jewish world to find this concept of “works”. All first century Jews, including
messianic Jews, saw the performance of biblical commandments as stemming from one’s faith in God, never in opposition to it. Secondly, in
Jewish thought, the purpose of fulfilling the biblical commandments was never to earn insurance into the world
to come. That is a huge misconception of students of the New Testament.[12]
Something else that can be found very interesting is the
way that the book of James follows Leviticus 19, and in Dr. Friedman’s book on
page 16 you can see a chart which shows a verse and chapter comparison between
the two books. While Dr. Friedman draws our attention back to the Old
Testament, Bob Utley in his work on James and Jude, also points out the fact
that there is a tieback to the Sermon on the Mount by all the work that James
put into his work, when he says, “He uses OT truths but bathes them in Jesus’
Sermon on the Mount teachings.”[13]
Upon reading the introduction to James as epistle, the reader can realize that
James is a Messianic Jew writing to Messianic Jews. Some may ask why this is
important to know, while others may care less. However, the true student of
James it is important to understand that he was a Jew first, and a believer in
Christ second.
A comment that often has been made and is repeated by
Utley in his commentary is that James is like no other New Testament book, and
that his epistle could almost be regarded as a New Testament book of Proverbs.
Upon taking the time to review the epistle he began to notice its unique
layout, after the introduction in Chapter 1, James tells his readers to begin
to endure trials because they will lead to maturity. From the middle of chapter
1 through the majority of chapter 2 is where things begin to get dicey for
James, this is the famous section of works and faith, caught in the middle of
this section is a sin of partiality, where one brother is not to show
favoritism to another brother who looks deserving of higher honor according to
the world.
The beginning of chapter 3 shows true wisdom, as he
speaks about the need to control our tongues; James uses very vivid word
pictures when expressing the power of the tongue. James sees off chapter three
talking about the importance of wisdom which comes not from the world but of
God himself. As he transitions into chapter four, James continues to speak
about worldliness and how gracious God truly is to those who seek him. In
chapter four, James instructs his readers not to go about planning their lives without
regard for the plans of God. In the final chapter of his book James has much to
say not only to the rich but to those who are in the middle of health
challenges and general suffering. The great overall theme of the book is the
total dependence upon God for all of our needs. It is hard to imagine why this
work was hard to be received by the early church and even Martin Luther.
Lesson Three
Death is not a topic that anyone likes to discuss,
however, for first century Christian it was a constant threat. For those in
roles of leadership such as Peter, James and Paul it was not merely a threat
but it was almost assume that their lives would be given up to death for their
stance on Jesus as the Christ. Just like in our day and time in first century
Israel there were many different ways to die. Church history has indicated that
Peter chose to be crucified upside down because he did not feel he deserved to
die the same way his Lord did. History also informs us that Paul being a Roman
citizen did not have to suffer the cruel death of crucifixion, but was offered
and took been beheaded. The two things that these men have in common is that
they both died at the hands of Rome.
However, James did not have that luxury. Nowhere in
Scripture are we told exactly how James died, but the reading historians we can
learn of his death. Surprisingly upon studying the death of James, you may find
two different accounts. To the average reader these accounts could seem
completely different; however to someone with knowledge of Jewish punishment he
could merely be an unclearly stated ending. History will have us to believe
that James was stoned. The understanding at this author has gathered is that
stoning could take form in two different ways it could be by literally hurling
stones at the offender or throwing them off of a cliff onto a pile of stones or
by being hurled from a great height.
Most authors included Robert Eisenman in his work on
James, chooses to trust you Eusebius for his work. Eisenman says, “Since
Eusebius’ account is by far the most extensive, it is preferable to turn to his
first, complementing it where necessary from the others.”[14]
Philip Schaff’s treatment of the death of James is one of the clearest
explanations, this author was able to locate. Schaff writes:
And they began to stone him, as he did not die immediately when
cast down; but turning round, he knelt down, saying:, I entreat thee, O Lord
God and Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Thus they were
stoning him, when one of the priests of the sons of Rechab, a son of the
Rechabites, spoken of by Jeremiah the prophet (Jer. 35:2), cried out, saying:
“Cease, what are you doing? The Just is praying for you.” And one of them, a
fuller, beat out the brains of the Just with the club that he used to beat out
clothes. Thus he suffered martyrdom, and they buried him on the spot where his
tombstone is still remaining, by the temple.[15]
Since James death took place in 62
A. D., The church in Jerusalem continued to grow until the fall of the Temple
70 A. D. At that time a noticeable shift in the rise of Gentile Christians can
be seen.
After
James’s death he left a great legacy, one that should inspire every Christian.
While James may have been the blood brother of Jesus, all who profess a faith
in him are now the spiritual brothers and sisters of Jesus. The words James
spoke to the Jews in the dispersion still ring true for believers 2000 years
later. When we examine the life that James lived many of us can find things to
relate to, whether if it is denying who Jesus is in the early parts of our
lives, rededicating ourselves to the work of the church in the latter part of
our lives.
Conclusion
It’s
this authors hope that this study has been eye-opening for you, and may the
Bible become more real to you. Every character that can be found in Scripture
has some sort of background, and life experience that we can all learn from. While
James is often the neglected red-headed stepchild of church leadership figures,
it is this authors hope that a new respect has been earned for a man that is oft
over looked for figures such as John, Peter, and Paul.
Even
though his mention in the New Testament is small the impact he makes is large. If
there has ever been someone in your congregation that has been sick and sought the
elders to anoint them and pray over them, ask that person to thank James. We have
all heard the power that a righteous man’s prayer has to offer hasn’t we? James
5 is where the answer to that question is located.
There
are only five chapters in the book of James, read one chapter a day for the next
month and you would have read the entire book six times, imagine the impact the
Proverbs of the New Testament could have on your life (including your thought life)
after processing it that many times. May these words resound inside like an alarm
calling you out your slumber,
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every
person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness
of God. 21 Therefore
put away all filthiness and rampant 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 anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks
intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For
he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who
looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer
who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. [16]
[1]J. Julius Scott
Jr., Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament. (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 1995)237.
[2] I bid.,
238.
[3]
Ibid., 246
[4]
Ibid., 247
[5] John Painter,.
Just James. (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1997)2.
[7]
Robert James Utley, New Testament Survey: Matthew–Revelation
(Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International, 2000), 128.
[8]Ibid., 127.
[9]
Painter, Just James, 42.
[10]
Painter, Just Jesus, 43.
[11]
Joseph E. Glaze,
"James" In , in Holman
Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie
England et al. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 867.
[12] Dr. David Friedman, and B.D. Friedman. James
the Just: Presents Applications of Torah. (Clarkesville: Lederer Books,
2010)4.
[13]
Robert James Dr. Utley, vol.
Volume 11, Jesus' Half-Brothers Speak:
James and Jude, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons
International, 2000), 3.
[14] Robert Eisenman, James The Brother of Jesus.
(New York: Penguin, 1999)411.
[15]
Philip Schaff and David Schley
Schaff, History of the Christian Church
(New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1910).
[16]
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version
(Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Jas 1:19–25.
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