James
Introduction
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The book of James, an epistle normally considered universal in nature since it is not addressed to any particular individual or local assembly (church) but to the church as a whole, was not well esteemed by Martin Luther. He called it a “right strawy epistle,” because it was not only misinterpreted but used by many during the Reformation to support a doctrine of salvation by “faith plus works,” which was contrary to Luther’s endeavor at the time to show that salvation was only by faith alone in Christ alone. Luther, those who opposed him and many through the centuries, and even today, who interpret the book of James to be an epistle that promotes works as an addition to faith for the purpose of salvation, could not be more wrong. If this were the case then it would be diametrically opposed to the clear message of God’s grace that is accessed solely through faith that is clearly expressed in typology and word throughout the Bible. The Bible is composed of 66 books written by the Holy Spirit through 40 different human authors of widely variant backgrounds over several thousands of years, which supports one integrated theme. The central theme of God’s Word is (1) that God loves mankind, (2) that man as a result of sin is separated from God, (3) that man cannot in any way or by any means merit or achieve the approbation (approval) of God through self-effort or good works, (4) that God in and through His mercy took on human form as Jesus Christ to die and pay the penalty-price for sin in man’s place (as his substitute), (5) that He rose alive from the grave—so that man (any person) may have eternal life by turning from all self-effort for salvation to simply accepting by faith alone (trusting in) Jesus Christ alone (His work on the cross of Calvary) for his personal salvation. This turning from any self-effort or works to Jesus only for one’s salvation is the act of repentance, which permanently imputes to the person “the righteousness of Christ” and a life eternal in union with Him. This is not a religious phenomenon because Christianity is not a religion. It is a union or relationship with Jesus Christ. The central event of God’s Word is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. This was ultimately God’s love letter to all mankind—the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s only and unique Son, on a cross made of wood, even though He was the Creator of the ground on which it stood. It was on the cross of Calvary that Jesus Christ became the vicarious (substitutionary) sacrifice for man. On the cross He suffered a spiritual separation (death) from God the Father from the sixth until the ninth hour, crying “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46), thereby paying the penalty-price for all man’s sins. Then, when the payment was complete, He cried out, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He voluntarily gave up His life (spirit). (John 19:30) The Old Testament looked forward through typology toward the cross. The New Testament gives full witness to it as well as looks back to it. All of eternity for man’s sake, good or bad, centers on his acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross of Calvary. The book of James is not an advocacy of justification (foundation) faith that initiates the Christian life, but it is of the continuing or sanctification (living) faith that is available to every child of God after salvation. It is this living faith that is emphasized throughout the book—not the (justification) faith that secures salvation and is resident in the heart, which only God can see—but a practical faith apparent by production of divine good that man sees as a witness or verification to the “new birth.” This epistle deals with the ethics of Christianity. It spotlights practical and tangible products of an inner, genuine and developing (sanctification) faith, which is available to every child of God. To achieve his goal, James draws heavily on the Sermon on the Mount. There are about 60 imperatives listed in 108 verses within the book. They deal with adversity, prayer, wealth, speech and a host of other pragmatic issues. But when James speaks of “works,” he is speaking of “works of faith,” not “works of the Law” (as Paul does in Romans and Galatians). The only law that mattered to James was the Law of Liberty (James 1:25; 2:12), which is the equivalent to being “filled or controlled by the Spirit of God.” It is a law that frees one from the bondage of law—the requirement of keeping the Mosaic Law, any aspect of it, for any spiritual purpose. It is only by the control of God’s Spirit that permanently indwells and seals every believer (as a result of justification faith) that one can produce “divine good” (works of faith) within his life. All other works of “human good” (those accomplished when not under the control of God’s Spirit) are as “filthy rags” before God (Isaiah 64:6) and will in the end only be “consumed by fire,” even though the individual will be certainly saved (1 Corinthians 3:15). An earnest study of the books of Romans, Galatians and Ephesians will confirm to the Bible student that living faith or the Law of Liberty that is available subsequent to the new birth to every Christian is the only means whereby he may live a life pleasing to God.
(2 Corinthians 3:17) Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:21) And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage). (Galatians 2:4) Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1) For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13) For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. (1 Peter 2:15, 16) . . . . for why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? (1 Corinthians 10:29) While there is contention that the book of James was written to counter the message of faith alone in Christ alone championed by the Apostle Paul, this cannot be the case since James was written prior to all other books of the New Testament, including those written by Paul. Best estimation is that it was written about A.D. 45-50. It is quite fascinating how a surface interpretation of this book by the lost and many of the saved alike leads them to an emphasis on “works.” It is true that James, from a purely practical standpoint, focuses on works. But his works-focus is on those works or fruits that are produced by the Spirit of God through the Christian, a natural outcome of being subject to the Law of Liberty, i.e., the filling (control) of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), which itself is a product of faith and not self-effort. These fruits are the usual and customary products of the one main work that not only produces eternal life but also allows for continuous spiritual growth (sanctification), which was best expressed by Jesus in John 6:29, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” It is the only key element that enables successful spiritual living for Christ after a person is saved. It is well expressed in Colossians 2:6 & 7, “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Romans 6:22) Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:4-6) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. . . But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:18, 22-25)Once the Bible student comes to the realization that the book of James is primarily a book about faith—living faith—and not a treatise on the necessity of performing works in order to achieve the approbation (approval) of God, he will have little difficulty in understanding and appreciating all the practical applications within its pages. He will also see how it dovetails with the Apostle Paul regarding his works-focus teachings. The student of God’s Word must always remember that James presents works, not as God sees them, but only as man sees them. God sees the heart and thereby insures that credit will eventually be given for all divine good performed in accordance with the Law of Liberty. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works [of divine good], which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them . (Ephesians 2:8-10)A few salient points should be understood in the message of Ephesians 2:10. Firstly, we are His workmanship, not our own. Secondly, we are created for the production of good works. Thirdly, these “good works” are prepared beforehand by God and are not works that emanate from our self-effort—they may only flow through us by the power of the Spirit of God, if we so allow. Before leaving the introduction to this very important epistle a few comments regarding its authorship follow. There are four persons named James in the New Testament, which are: (1) James the Apostle, son of Zebedee and brother of John (Matthew 4:21)—it is believed he was martyred in A.D. 44, prior to the estimated writing of the book, (2) James the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:3)—he is almost unknown except he is in the lists of the apostles, (3) James the father of Judas (not Iscariot, Luke 6:16)—another very obscure person and (4) James the half-brother of Jesus Christ. James, the Lord’s brother. He was a son of Mary and of Joseph, which made him a half brother of the Lord Jesus. In Matthew 13:55 we read: “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?” In the beginning, the Lord’s brethren did not believe in Him at all [John 7:5], but the time came when James became head of the church at Jerusalem. In Acts 15 James seems to have presided over that great council in Jerusalem. At least he made the summation and brought the council to a decision under the leading of the Holy Spirit. I believe it was this James whom Paul referred to in Galatians 2:9, “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.” This James is the man whom we believe to be the author of this epistle. (Thru the Bible commentary by J. Vernon McGee) The “internal evidence” for James [half-brother of Christ] is quite strong. It harmonizes with what we know of James’ style from Acts and Galatians, and also with the history of the Dispersion known from other sources. There is no reason to forge such a book; it contains no major doctrinal additions (as a heretical second century forgery invariably does). Josephus tells us that James had a very good reputation for devotion to the law among Jews, but was martyred for witnessing for his Messiah when this was forbidden. This Jewish historian says that James was stoned by order of the high priest Ananias. Eusebius tells us James was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and finally clubbed to death. Hegesippus combines both these traditions. The argument that the Greek style of the Epistle of James is “too good” for a Palestinian Jew shows an unbecoming ignorance of the amazing intellectual talents of the chosen people. (Believer’s Bible Commentary by William MacDonald) And now on to the message of living faith and its produce that are so aptly revealed in the book of James. |