Information about the writer
The writer himself calls himself “James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1). In the gospel history there are three known persons with the name of Jacob: 1) James, son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles and brother of St. John the Evangelist; 2) Jacob Alfeev, brother of St. the apostle and evangelist Matthew, also one of the twelve; 3) James, called the brother of God, who was one of the 70 apostles of Christ and had brothers Josiah, Judas and Simon (Matthew 13:55), who later became the first bishop of Jerusalem and received the nickname “righteous” from the Jews. Unlike the other two, belonging to the face of the twelve, he was called even “lesser.” St. James Zebedee ended his life very early with martyrdom (about 44 years old in Jerusalem, according to Acts 12:2). St. James Alpheus,” as is known from legend, preached among the pagans. Meanwhile, the message of St. James is addressed to the Jews who were scattered (1:1). Church tradition refers to the conciliar letter of St. Apostle James to the third James - the brother of God, who was the first bishop of Jerusalem. As such, he could consider all Jewish Christians, wherever they were, to be under his hierarchical authority. In addition, he enjoyed great respect and authority among all Jews, even those who did not believe in Christ, for his righteousness. He led a strictly ascetic life, was a virgin, did not drink wine or strong drink, abstained from eating meat, wore only linen clothes and strictly observed the law, often retiring to pray in the Jerusalem temple. The Jews, even those who did not believe in Christ, called him “the righteous” and “the support of the people.” In view of all this, it is natural that he could address with an authoritative word of authority to all “the twelve tribes that were scattered.” About the life of St. of the Apostle James, quite a lot of information has been preserved. He was the eldest son of Joseph, betrothed to the Blessed Virgin, from his first wife, the brother of Simon, Judas and Josiah mentioned in the Gospel (Matthew 13:55) and the named brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. He accompanied Joseph and Mary with the Child Jesus during their flight to Egypt. Apparently, for quite a long time he and his brothers did not fully believe in the Lord Jesus as the Messiah (John 7:3-5), which is why, perhaps, he was not worthy to be among His closest twelve disciples. tjo then he believed with all his heart, and the Lord, after His Resurrection, honored him with His special appearance (1 Cor. 15:7). After the Ascension of Christ, as destined for this by the Lord Himself, he was installed as the first bishop of the Jerusalem Church and as such, and as having enjoyed especially high respect from the apostles themselves, he presided over the first Apostolic Council in Jerusalem (Acts Chapter 15). It must be assumed that all his activities were concentrated in Palestine and he did not go preaching to other countries, like the other apostles. He ended his life as a martyr around the age of 64, having been thrown by the Jewish leaders from the portico of the Jerusalem temple. The Jewish historian Josephus, listing the reasons for the fall of Jerusalem as a result of the war with the Romans, says that the Lord punished the Jews, among other things, for the murder of the righteous James. Tradition attributes to St. James, the brother of the Lord, the composition of the ancient rite of the Divine Liturgy, which is still celebrated in Jerusalem on the day of his memory, October 23.
Author.
The New Testament tells us about four followers of Christ who lived in His time, who bore the name James: 1) son of Zebedee and brother of John (Mark 1:19), 2) son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18), 3) father of Judas (not Iscariot; Luke 6:16), 4) brother of the Lord (Gal. 1:19). The book known as the Epistle of James appears to have been written by one of them.
James, the son of Zebedee, could not have been its author, since he was killed before the epistle was written (Acts 12:2). It is unlikely that the little-known Jacob, son of Alpheus, could have written it. James, the father of Judas, was also not particularly famous among the early Christians. It is therefore difficult to assume that the message was written by him.
It remains, therefore, to assume that the letter was written by James, the brother of Jesus, who became a prominent leader of the Jerusalem church. This conclusion is confirmed by the confident didactic tone of the epistle, as well as the characteristic use of the Greek language inherent both in this epistle and in James's speech at the Council of Jerusalem, as recorded in Acts. 15.
Although James grew up in the same family with Jesus, he apparently did not believe in Him until after His resurrection from the dead - judging by the words of the evangelist John: “For His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5) .
The meeting with the risen Christ instilled saving faith in Jacob, and Paul writes about this: “then he appeared to James, and also to all the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:7). The Apostle Paul, in addition, noted the fact that James, Peter and John were considered “pillars of the church” (Gal. 2:9).
So, most likely this letter was written by James, the brother of Jesus in the flesh. And such prominent early Christian figures as Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, Athanasius, Augustine and many others adhered to precisely this point of view.
The historian Josephus, who lived in the first century after Christ, writes that James was killed in 62. Thus, the message must have been written earlier. And taking into account the fact that James does not say anything in his epistle about the Jerusalem Council of 49, at which he played such an active role, it can be assumed that the epistle was written before this council, that is, somewhere between 45 and 48 .
It is likely that this letter was the very first book of the New Testament and therefore cannot be considered as polemical in relation to the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans, which was written later. In turn, Paul does not contradict James. This is evident from Paul's treatment of James (Acts 15:13; 21:18); he respected him and recognized his authority (Gal. 1:19; 2:9,12). These two apostles seem to complement each other and together define faith in its entirety.
Paul writes about the internal manifestation of saving faith as God sees it, and James writes about the external manifestation of effective faith as it appears to man. The truth of saving faith is verified by the visible fruits of effective faith. James emphasizes the fact that biblical faith is just that: effective faith.
Purpose of the message, time and place of writing it
As can be seen from the words of the first verse, the message of St. Apostle James was appointed and sent to the “twelve tribes that were scattered,” that is, to the Jews. Apparently, the author’s speech is addressed not only to Jews who converted to Christianity, but also to Jews who have not yet believed, especially since both of them were not very separated from each other for a long time and, as can be seen from the book of Acts, even had common meetings . The Apostle James enjoyed the greatest authority among Jews who did not believe in Christ, and therefore could address them with an authoritative word of teaching. The expression “to the twelve tribes scattered” does not exclude the Jews who lived in Palestine. The time and place of writing the message are not indicated. The Holy Apostle James died around 64 A.D. Apparently, the epistle was written by him shortly before his death, for the state of the Christian society of the Jews is described in it very similar to its image in the epistle of St. Apostle Paul to Hebrews. Most interpreters are inclined to think that it was written in the years 55-60. The place of writing was probably Jerusalem or Palestine in general, since there is no evidence that St. Jacob ever left Palestine.
Introduction.
This exciting message is written to teach and encourage, to rebuke and to awaken, it speaks of practical holiness and calls Christians to active faith. This is a deeply ethical, life-saving message.
The Catholic Epistle of James, like the epistles of Peter, John and Jude, is addressed not to any specific church or individual, but to all believers in general. It complements Paul's teaching as he laid it out in his letters. The main theme of Paul's letters is faith, James emphasizes Christian behavior, Peter emphasizes hope, John emphasizes love, Jude emphasizes purity.
Reason for writing a message
The reason for writing the epistle of St. Jacob were probably the sorrows that the Jews who lived in dispersion endured, both from their unbelieving brethren, and especially from the pagans. These trials were so great that many, not finding enough strength to endure them and not being able to agree with the benefits expected from the Messiah for the Jewish people, began to lose heart and waver in faith. Among external disasters, some looked incorrectly at the source of these disasters, allowing themselves to grumble against God Himself, but at the same time, thinking as before to see their salvation in their descent from Abraham, they looked at prayer incorrectly, underestimated the importance of good deeds, and out of self-conceit willingly became teachers of others. At the same time, the rich exalted themselves over the poor, as a result of which the passion for worldly goods was great, and brotherly love cooled. All this prompted St. James to give them the necessary moral healing in the form of a message.
The Authenticity of the Epistle of Jacob
From the testimonies of Origen and Eusebius of Caesarea, it is known that the authenticity of the Epistle of James was not recognized by everyone in the ancient Church as indisputable, which gave reason for Luther in modern times to doubt its authenticity, since it contained an unpleasant statement for Luther that “faith without works is dead” ( 2:26). However, none of the most famous and famous fathers and teachers of the Church expressed doubts about its authenticity. The only reason for doubt could be that not all the most ancient writers of the Church mention this epistle, since it contains little material for use in their apologetic and polemical works, which predominantly appeared in the early times of the Church. In addition, his inscription says nothing about his apostolic authority, since St. James, out of humility, remains silent about his apostolic dignity. But there is reason to believe that such ancient Christian writers as Clement of Rome, the author of “The Shepherd” Hermas, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian knew this message. It is also found in the oldest Syriac translation of the 2nd century by Peshito. Since the time of Eusebius of Caesarea, all doubts about the authenticity of this message have ceased, the message has been recognized by the entire Church and included in the canon of sacred New Testament books.
General nature of the message and its content
The general character of the message is purely moral, and the moral exhortations of the apostle are distinguished by their particular strength, sublimity and ascetic severity. The presentation is fragmentary and has a tone of particular importance and at the same time affection. The message contains only five chapters. The material by chapter is arranged as follows: Chapter One: Inscription and Greeting (1). Teaching about temptations (2-4), about wisdom and prayer (5-8), about the worthlessness of wealth (9-11) The source of temptation is not God (12-18) About curbing anger and the tongue and fulfilling the law (19-26) . The essence of true piety (27). Chapter Two: Exhortation to an impartial attitude towards others (1-13). Teaching about the relationship between faith and good works (14-26). Chapter Three: Warning against self-proclaimed teaching and against unbridled tongue (1-14). True and false wisdom (15-18). Chapter Four: A diatribe against lust (1-3), against friendship with the world (4-10), against slander (11-12) and arrogance (12-17). Chapter Five: Exposing the Hard-Hearted Rich (1-6). Instructions on long-suffering and suffering (7-13), on the sacrament of consecration of oil (14-15), on confession of sins (16-18), on the conversion of the erring (19-20).
Exegetical analysis of the message of St. Apostle James
At the beginning of the letter of St. James, silent about his apostolic dignity, calls himself “a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The usual greeting among the ancients to “rejoice” on the lips of the apostle, of course, has a special higher meaning of joy in the Lord Jesus as the Redeemer. After greeting St. The apostle immediately begins to talk about temptations, which undoubtedly mean tests of our faith in the form of various kinds of disasters that befall a Christian in earthly life. These trials strengthen our faith and raise us higher and higher to moral perfection through the feat of patience. If in the fight against temptations a person feels weak, he should not be discouraged and faint-hearted. He must ask God for wisdom to overcome temptation, “and it will be given to him.” The virtue of perfect Christian patience is so high that without special spiritual wisdom given from the Lord God, it is unattainable for weak human powers. “But let him ask in faith, without doubting in the least, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, tossed and tossed by the wind” (v. 6) - “let such a person not think of receiving anything from the Lord. A person with double thoughts is not firm in all his ways” (vv. 7-8) - the main condition for receiving what is asked for in prayer is firm, undoubting faith. This is because only through such faith does a person enter into that moral unity with God, through which Divine grace can be communicated to the human soul. One filled with true Christian wisdom joyfully endures all trials and vicissitudes of fate, whether he is rich or poor. “Let the humble brother boast in his height” (v. 9) - “boast” is said here in the sense: “let him console himself” with the awareness of his height in enduring the sorrows sent by God. A Christian generally looks at sorrows as a matter of God’s mercy and favor towards him. “But let the rich man (boast) in his humiliation, for he will pass away like a flower on the grass” (vv. 10-11) - the rich man can boast or console himself only with the knowledge of the insignificance, the perishability of his wealth. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation” (v. 12), because temptation, properly endured, contributes to the spiritual improvement of a person and gives him the “crown of life.” The Lord sends trials to people not to draw them into sin, but to strengthen their strength to resist sin. And if a person falls in the fight against temptation, then this is the fault of the person himself, because “everyone is tempted, being carried away and enticed by his own lust” (v. 14). And the Lord always only promotes goodness and moral improvement of a person: “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (v. 17). Further St. the apostle speaks about the Christian’s attitude to the word of truth (vv. 18-27). Since we are all born of God by the word of truth, we must take every possible care of our moral development, and for this, first of all, be “quick to hear this word” and slow to our own words, slow to anger, even for the sake of jealousy for this very word of truth , for “the wrath of man does not bring about the righteousness of God” (v. 20). But you need to be doers of the word, and not listeners, just so as not to resemble a person who looks carefully in the mirror and does not take into account what he sees in it, as if he had never looked. Only the active implementation of all the requirements of the moral Law of God makes a person truly pious: otherwise he has “empty piety” (vv. 22-27). In the second chapter, the apostle denounces partiality in relation to neighbors, which is the usual companion of “empty piety” and proves that rational faith alone, without coordination with it throughout a person’s life, has no meaning. Just as words of sympathy alone do not warm and satisfy our naked and hungry brethren, “so faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself” (v. 17). What actually saves a person: faith or deeds? And isn’t there a contradiction here with the words of the Apostle Paul that a person is saved by faith regardless of the works of the law (Rom. 3:28)? We must assume that these words about the need for salvation to have a living, active faith were written by St. James precisely because many Jews misunderstood the words of the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul persistently preached to the Jews that since the coming of Christ the Savior, the ritual Mosaic Law had lost all meaning and salvation required faith in Christ the Savior, and not the works of the Law of Moses. Many of the Jews understood this idea in the sense of the unconditional denial of good deeds in general for salvation and the sufficiency of faith alone in the coming Messiah. The Holy Apostle James emphasizes that cold, rational faith alone is not enough for salvation, for “even the demons believe and tremble” (2:19). The meaning of the words of the Apostle James is that true saving faith is closely connected with good works: faith takes precedence and precedes as the cause, and works will follow as its consequence. Thus, neither faith nor works, separately from each other, save a person, for without each other they are impossible: these are two inseparable, although different aspects of the same subject. “If anyone keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he is guilty of all” (v. 10). Why is that? Because the entire law with all its numerous and varied private commandments is an expression of one will of the One Lawgiver God, and the crime of one commandment is, therefore, disobedience to the will of the One Lawgiver and, therefore, a crime against the law in general. Blzh. Theophylact here understands by “the whole law” Christian love, to which, according to the Lord Himself, “the whole law and the prophets” boil down (Matthew 22:40): “whoever loves his neighbor will neither commit adultery nor kill... not about This says that virtues should not have any shortcomings at all, but that love should not be insufficient, not partial, but completely. The same can be said about other virtues. He who imperfectly adheres to chastity or justice, and omits something, is lame in execution and harms the whole body of virtue. So, by all law we must understand the law of love.” “Mercy exalts itself over judgment” (v. 13) - judgment according to the righteousness of God threatens condemnation for every sinner, and all Christian believers are sinners before the righteousness of God; but mercy, charitable love, according to the Law of God, carries within itself the confidence that it will overcome the threatening power of the court and free from deserved punishment for sins, justify, save” (Bishop Michael). This is why deeds are of great importance - deeds of Christian love, deeds of mercy towards others. St. James further points out that the Old Testament righteous, like Abraham and the woman Rahab, who assisted the Jews in the capture of Jerusalem, were saved not only by faith, but also by the deeds by which they demonstrated their faith. “Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead” (2:26). Empty piety, which goes no further than words, often manifests itself in the desire to teach others how to live. In the third chapter of St. The Apostle James denounces this passion for teaching. He shows here what enormous significance a person’s word has in life, and what great moral responsibility lies on the teacher, and therefore with what caution one must take on the service of a teacher of life. “Not many become teachers, knowing that we will suffer greater condemnation” (3:1). The importance of language as an organ of speech in the life of the human saint. Jacob compares it to a bit, a rudder, and fire. In the hands of a person, small bits force a strong and playful horse to obey, and a small rudder gives direction to a huge ship, despite the opposition of strong winds. “So the tongue is a small member, but it does a lot, look, a small fire ignites a lot of substance, and the tongue is fire, the embellishment of the unpride,” it “defiles the whole body and inflames the circle of life” (3:5-6). Inflamed by Gehenna itself, that is, by the devil, the father of lies, the tongue cannot be curbed by man’s own efforts. Only with the help of God's grace can a person tame his tongue. Calling Christians to this, St. The apostle points out the incongruity of the fact that we bless God and curse people with the same language. In view of the double-edged meaning of human words, only those who have tamed sinful promiscuity in words and thus acquired true wisdom have the right to teach others. The essence of Christian wisdom lies in the fact that it is not only bare knowledge, but also life itself. He who possesses genuine Christian wisdom is pure in his motives and intentions, meek, modest in desires, obedient to elders, that is, submissive to authority, full of mercy and good deeds. In contrast to this heavenly wisdom, there is “earthly, spiritual, demonic” wisdom, the source of which is the devil, the father of lies; The characteristic manifestations of this wisdom are envy and quarrelsomeness, and as a result of its influence, disorder and everything bad results. In the fourth chapter of St. The apostle shows the fruits of preaching the wisdom of demons in public life. The preachers of this wisdom indulge the base desires of people, instill a love for earthly goods and instill the proud thought that a person himself, through his own efforts, without the help of God, can achieve happiness and well-being. Bitter reality mercilessly destroys this arrogant and frivolous theory of the organization of earthly well-being: as a result of the implantation of this earthly wisdom, its dominance between people, only enmity and strife in the mutual relations of people results. Excessive attachment to earthly goods and proud arrogance are betrayal of God and service to the devil. Therefore, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (4:6). The Holy Apostle therefore teaches contrition for one’s sins and humility, for only this morally elevates a person. Without any special connection of speech, the apostle further gives instructions not to slander each other and not to condemn, for judgment belongs to the One God, and also teaches not to be vain, for vanity leads to pride. Calling on Christians to submit to God and resist the suggestions of the devil, the apostle in the fifth chapter denounces the hard-hearted rich, threatening them with God's punishment, which will turn all earthly wealth into nothing (5:1-6). At the same time, he exhorts those suffering from persecution of the rich and, of course, all Christians in general, to patiently endure suffering and all the hardships of life. The coming of the Lord is indicated as the limit of this long-suffering. The exhortation to patience is reinforced by an indication of the farmer: just as he patiently waits for fruits in his harvest, so a Christian must patiently wait for fruits from his life, when Christ appears in His glory and rewards everyone according to their deeds, “The Coming of Christ is drawing near” (more precisely: “has drawn near”) "). The apostles often talk about the nearness of the second coming of Christ. It is really close in its internal moral connection between the second coming and the first, for from the moment of Christ’s coming to earth the last era of the world began, as the Old Testament prophets called this era (for example, Isa. 2:1; 4:2). The Second Coming of Christ is close because we do not know either the day or the hour and must always be ready to meet it. To strengthen his exhortation to patiently endure suffering, the apostle points to examples from Old Testament history: the prophets who suffered persecution from the people’s authorities, the great Old Testament sufferer Job, who was later rewarded by God for his suffering. Without connection of speech then St. He tells the apostle not to abuse the oath, that is, deity, in almost the same words as the Lord Himself in Matt. 5:33-37. In all circumstances of life, both sorrowful and joyful, one must turn to the Lord with prayer or petition, or praise and thanksgiving. In illnesses, the apostle commands the use of healing from church elders through the anointing of the sick person with oil with the prayer: “Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (5:14-15). This contains an indication of the apostolic origin of the sacrament of unction, performed by a council of elders, which is why it is also called “unction” among us. Unfairly, Protestants see this as ordinary healing with oil. A number of features in these words of the apostle indicate that this is not a simple healing, but a sacrament: it is commanded to call elders, or elders (as can be translated literally) of the church, and not secular, they must pray over the sick, not one, but several are called elders, which would not be necessary for simple anointing, for one person can simply anoint with oil; It would be strange to indicate oil as a remedy for all diseases if we were talking about simple healing, and not about a sacrament in which oil serves only as a visible substance; not oil, but “the prayer of faith will heal the sick,” and finally, the sick person’s sins are forgiven. All this leaves no doubt that the apostle is speaking here specifically about the sacrament. To be healed from spiritual illnesses—sins—the apostle advises Christians to confess their sins to each other. The connection with the previous words about the sacrament of unction through the conjunction “and” gives reason to believe that what is meant here is confession before the confessor, that is, the same sacrament of repentance that is usually connected with the sacrament of unction. “The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (5:16)—by “righteous” here are meant those people whose prayer is more perfect. Here, of course, we mean not only those possessing personal righteousness, but again elders, endowed with special grace-filled authority to pray for people and perform the sacraments. As an example of how much the prayer of a righteous person can do, St. The apostle quotes the prayer of St. the prophet Elijah, who closed heaven and then opened it again. Lest they think that this example is not suitable for ordinary people, the apostle says that “Elijah was a man like us,” that is, of the same nature as all people. In conclusion, St. The apostle speaks of the greatness of missionary service, which aims to convert those who have deviated from the path of truth to the path of the right faith: “he who converts a sinner from his false path will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (5:20). Having spoken earlier about the need for good deeds—deeds of bodily mercy, St. The apostle speaks here of incomparably more important good deeds - deeds of spiritual mercy, which have a particularly high value in the eyes of God.
To whom is it addressed?
James writes that his letter is addressed to “the twelve tribes that were scattered abroad” (James 1:1). The flavor of Judaism is clearly inherent in it. In its authoritative tone the epistle is similar to the prophetic books, and in its style and beauty it is similar to the book of Psalms. James speaks of the “firstfruits of creation” (1:18, cf. Lev. 23:10), of the assembly of saints (2:2), of Father Abraham (2:21), of Gehenna or hell (3:6), of the Lord Hosts (5:4, compare Gen. 17:1), about the early and late rain or autumn and spring (5:7, compare Deut. 11:14).
Despite the fact that some theologians believe that the expression “to the twelve tribes in dispersion” should be understood in a figurative sense, i.e. as “a pagan church scattered throughout the Roman Empire,” it seems more correct to take these words literally. The message is truly addressed to a Jewish audience. Although it is written in immaculate Greek, there is a palpable presence of purely Jewish symbolism.
Apparently, the Apostle Peter wrote to Jewish Christians living in the West (1 Pet. 1:1), and James wrote to Jewish Christians living in the East, in Babylon and Mesopotamia.
It is interesting to note that in some of the early collections of the Holy Books that have come down to our time, the epistle of James is not present. However, the earliest of these collections, which is known as the “Muratorial” and dates back to the second century AD, does not include not only the Epistle of James, but also the Epistle to the Hebrews, as well as the Epistles of Peter. The Epistle of James began to be permanently included in the canon of Holy Books only from the 4th century.
It seems that while the churches of Rome and Carthage doubted for a long time whether this Epistle could be considered canonical, in the churches of Jerusalem and Alexandria they resorted to it from an early date, and in Asia Minor it was included in the collection of biblical books. The reason for this is quite clear. Believers in the West could not so quickly and easily recognize a message written in Jerusalem and addressed to Jews living in the countries of the eastern dispersion. However, God Himself made sure that this message was not only written, but also that it was accepted and recognized as inspired.
The epistle of James is both a letter and a lecture. It begins with the usual greeting for a letter, but it does not contain the personal address inherent in a letter, nor does it contain the final blessing, also characteristic of Christian churches. Apparently, it was not intended as a message, but as a public sermon to be read in churches. It is expressed in a clearly authoritative, although not dictatorial, tone. The 108 verses of the text contain 54 commands, i.e., on average there is a call to action every second verse!
The speaking style is energetic and lively, with deep thoughts conveyed in clear, well-thought-out words. The sentences are simple, clear and short. The message contains many metaphors and poetic comparisons. It probably contains more figures of speech, analogies, and comparisons taken from natural life than all of Paul's letters combined (see table). This short book devotes a lot of space to exhortations, rhetorical questions, and examples from everyday life.
Jacob achieves a striking literary effect by connecting sentences and their individual parts together by repeating the main meaning of the word or using another word that is identical to it. For example: the phrase ends in the third verse and the apostle begins the fourth verse of the same chapter with the words: “without any lack,” and in verse 3: “if anyone lacks”; in verse 5: “let him ask,” and in verse 6: “but let him ask in faith”; in verse 6: “doubting not the least,” and in the second half of the same verse: “because he who doubts”
In addition to his unusual, innovative Style, James makes many references to the Old Testament scriptures. He has direct references to Abraham, Rahab, Job, Elijah and the Ten Commandments, and in addition, allusions from the books of the Old Testament, ranging from (Genesis to Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 Kings, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and seven of the 12 minor prophets.
The teaching of James bears traces of the direct influence of John the Baptist (compare James 1:22,27 with Matt. 3:8; James 2:15-16 with Luke 3:11; James 5:1-6 with Matt. 3 :10-12). It is quite possible that James, like Peter, John and Andrew, himself listened to the sermons of John the Baptist in his time. An amazing parallelism can also be seen between the letter of James and Christ's Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7. James does not repeat the words of Christ, but analyzes them and conveys to his listeners the teaching of Christ in all its depth.
Thanks to the expressiveness, brevity and strict simplicity inherent in his language, Jacob created a truly literary masterpiece. This is a very figurative and at the same time passionate message. The rhythmic beauty of the Greek language is combined with the strength and semantic richness characteristic of Hebrew. The message is beautiful in form and deeply impressive in its content.
The purpose of this outstanding message was to call the early believers to achieve spiritual growth and demonstrate holiness in their lives. The message touches on the practical side of Christian life, and to a lesser extent on Christian teaching. James explains to his readers how they can practically achieve spiritual maturity through personal endurance and selfless service by being self-controlled, humble, and sacrificial. James touches on all aspects of Christian life: what a Christian should be, how he should act, speak and feel, what to strive for.
In his somewhat strict teaching on practical holiness, James shows how Christian faith and Christian love should be manifested in various life situations. Seemingly sudden transitions from one topic to another can be easily understood and explained in light of this overall theme. The pearls of individual thoughts here are not scattered in disorder, but are collected into a beautiful priceless necklace.
Images of nature in the Epistle of James: 1:6 “wave of the sea” 1:6 “wind” 1:10 “color on the grass” 1:11 “the sun rises, the heat comes” 1:11 “the heat dries up the grass” 1:17 “heavenly light" 1:17 "the shadow of change" 1:18 "the firstfruits of His creatures" 3:3 "we put the bit in the horses' mouths" 3:4 "ships... are carried by strong winds" 3:5 "a small fire ignites a lot of substance" 3 :6 “fire” 3:7 “beasts and birds, reptiles and sea creatures” 3:8 “deadly poison” 3:11 “sweet and bitter water” 3:12 “a fig tree cannot bear olives, or a fig vine” 3 :18 “the fruit of righteousness in peace is sown among those who keep peace” 4:14 “you... are vapors that appear for a little time” 5:2 “your clothes are moth-eaten” 5:3 “your gold and silver are rusty” 5: 4 “the workers who have reaped the fields” 5:4 “the cry of the reapers” 5:5 “they have nourished your hearts as for the day of slaughter” 5:7 “the farmer waits for the precious fruit” 5:7 “he endures long, until he receives the early and the latter rain” 5:14 “having anointed him with oil” 5:17 “he prayed that it would not rain” 5:17 “and there was no rain on the earth” 5:18 “the sky gave rain” 5:18 “the earth brought forth its fruit”
