Sermon Tone Analysis

*/Introduction to the Epistle of James/*

by Fred G. Zaspel, 1989 \\ \\ \\ Note: Much of the information in this booklet may be found in the standard sources, such as NT Introductions, commentaries on James, and Bible encyclopedias.

The material here is compiled largely from these sources and so is not copyrighted.

*I.

The Author*

In keeping with the ancient custom, the author of the letter identifies himself at the very beginning.

But in a sense, the author here is not very specific in his identification of himself.

James 1:1 merely reads, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ."

This does tell us, though, that whoever this James was, he was well known to the readers.

Further, only a cursory reading of the epistle reveals that he was a man highly esteemed among them, one who stood in a position of recognized spiritual authority, and one whom they were obliged to obey.

Assuming that the critical view (namely, that the book was pseudepigraphal, written by someone who deceivingly took the name James) is in error, the following four men named James in the NT provide for us a list of the possibilities.

*A.

Survey of the Choices*

*1.

James the son of Zebedee & brother of John*

This man was the most prominent "James" in the gospels.

He was one of the "sons of thunder," originally a fisherman with John (his brother), along with Peter and Andrew.

He became a disciple of Jesus and was later martyred by Herod Agrippa I, as recorded in Acts 12:2 (circa A.D. 44).

There is not much chance that this James could have written this letter before he was killed, and there is no tradition arguing that he did.

*2.

James the son of Alphaeus, another disciple*

Very little is known about this James, the brother of Matthew (Levi).

He was another disciple of our Lord, but again, there is no hint that he is the one who wrote this epistle.

*3.

James the father of Judas the disciple *(Judas Thaddaeus)

This man is even more obscure.

Not a likely candidate.

*4.

James the brother of Jude & half-brother of our Lord*

This seems to be the author of our epistle.

He is not so identified, but much about his character is revealed that is in keeping with what is known about him.

This choice is also in keeping with tradition which tells us that he remained in Jerusalem and that Peter, James, & John chose James, the brother of Jesus to be the pastor of the Jerusalem church after the ascension of Christ (cf.

Clement of Alexandria).

The fact that he does not so identify himself (as our Lord's brother) may be an indication of his humility, but it also reveals the standing and personal authority he had in the opinion of his readers.

He was a man well known and highly esteemed in the new Christian community.

"James, a servant of God and of Jesus Christ" was an entirely sufficient identification to them.

The brevity of it only makes the author obscure to the modern reader.

*B.

Biographical Sketch*

James is first introduced in Matthew 13:55 as one of our Lord's brethren.

John 7:5 relates the sad fact that even as late as six months before the crucifixion (the feast of tabernacles), James was still an unbeliever.

I Cor.

15:7 tells us that in the midst of the resurrection appearances of Christ, "He was seen of James."

A little later, a number of people are recorded as meeting for prayer with the apostles in the upper room, as they awaited Pentecost; among them were "Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brethren."

In Gal.

1:18-19 Paul is describing the events of his life following his three years in Arabia after his conversion; at this time he spent two weeks with Peter in Jerusalem and also met another important church leader by the names of James, who "was the Lord's brother."

By the time of Acts 12:17 James was evidently already a leader in the Jerusalem church, for Peter, released from prison, asks that the news be reported to James.

In Acts 15:13 James is the one presiding at the great council of Jerusalem which met to decide the important question of the relationship of Christianity to the Mosaic law; his leadership role is evident.

In Gal.

2:9 Paul refers to him as a "pillar" of the church—equal to Peter and John.

So far James has come from his unbelief!

The remaining references to James (Gal.

2:12-13 & Acts 21:18-19) reveal his zeal for the Mosaic law.

He was evidently in firm agreement with the decision of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:13-19), but he was also careful to keep peace between the Gentile believers and the more "legalistic"(?)

Jewish Christians (verse 20).

Perhaps he himself (as Peter, cf.

Gal.

2:11) carried this matter too far; this does not minimize his standing as an apostle, however (Gal.

1:19).

(Note: At least four other men beside the original 11 have apostolic status: Matthias [Acts 1:26], Barnabas [Acts 14:4, 14], Paul, and James.)

He was "nicknamed" "James the Just" because of his recognized piety, and was said to have "knees like those of camels" because of his much time spent in prayer.

Josephus records that James was martyred during an uprising against Christians while Ananus was high priest in 62 A.D.

*II.

The Date*

Liberal scholars assign a very late date to the epistle of James (A.D. 85-130), but the evidence demands a much earlier date than that.

It would seem that an event as important as the fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70) would have been somehow evident in such a Jewish writing, had it yet occurred.

Further, if we are correct in assigning this letter to James the brother of our Lord, the writing would obviously have been before A.D. 62, the time of his death.

Moreover, the very elementary church order reflected in the epistle points to a very early date: there are no bishops or deacons mentioned at all, and the meeting place of the church is still the "synagogue" (James 2:2 "assembly," Greek, /sunagoge/).

The opinion of the ancient church was also in keeping with an early date of writing, for in their arrangement of the books of the NT James is placed before the Pauline epistles.

Added to all this, the obvious Jewish tone of the letter, the very thin line which appears to exist between Judaism and Christianity, the absence of developed Christian phraseology, the lack of elaborated Christian doctrine, no mention at all of the later conflict between the Jewish demands upon the Gentiles within the church or of circumcision or of the Jerusalem council of A.D. 49 (i.e., Christianity is still wearing its "Jewish diapers," and there is yet no Gentile prominence within the church)—all point to a date of writing sometime around A.D. 46.

This, then, is the earliest of all the NT books, the "First Epistle To the Christians."

But prepare yourself for the study of it—as it has been well said, while James is ancient, it is not musty!

*III.

The Recipients*

The letter is addressed "to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad" (James 1:1b).

"Twelve tribes," obviously, identifies the readers as Jewish, and "of the dispersion" (diaspora) further identifies them as those Jews living outside of Palestine.

The fact that the letter was written in Greek (rather than Aramaic) seems further to specify those living in the Western area of the dispersion (e.g., Syria), which was an early center of Christian evangelistic outreach (Acts 11:19).

James further identifies them as "brethren" having "the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2:1).

Adding up the evidence specifies the recipients as early Jewish believers outside of Palestine.

(James' influence was far-reaching!)

The letter was written from an apostle in Jerusalem to the Christian Jews abroad.

*IV.

The Style*

This epistle (letter) is in many ways very different from the other NT epistles.

It often sounds more like a sermon preached and recorded by a stenographer!

More than likely, the letter was intended to be read publicly at the meetings of the churches to whom it was sent.

What follows is a brief sketch of some of its chief characteristics.

*A.

Literary Devices & Techniques*

*1.

Duadiplosis (paronomasia) \\ *This literary device is a subtle but effective method of emphasizing a point by linking together clauses and sentences or ideas by repeating its key words.

For instance, in James 1:3-4 "patience" is emphasized—"the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have its perfect work."

Verses 4-5 emphasize the thought of maturity in the negative—"no lack."

Verses 5-6 speak of "asking."

See also "temptation" (verses 12-14), "lust" (14-15), "wrath" (19-20), etc. Remaining alert to these will often be an aid to interpretation.

*2.

Figures of Speech* — chiefly metaphor & simile

Metaphors and similes are methods of comparison, speaking of one thing in terms of another.

James employs these figures from all areas of life:

a. Rural Life

He speaks of earthly prosperity as a flower that withers (1:10), speech as a spring and a tree (3:11), righteousness as fruit (3:18), life as a fog that is soon gone (4:14), etc.

b.

Marine Life & Astronomy

A man who cannot make up his mind to trust God is compared to a wave of the sea (1:6).

God, the source of good gifts is unchanging as the sun (1:17).

etc. \\ \\ c.

Domestic Life \\ \\ The development and result of sin is likened to conception, birth, growth, and death (1:15).