Biblical Theology LV: James

The Book of James (Jacob) is likely written by James, the brother of Christ, who was head of the Jerusalem Council. The book echoes much of the Sermon of the Mount and Proverbs 1-9, and is meant to counter an antinomian reading of Paul’s letters that had risen up in the church. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the book with themes that are expounded upon throughout the book. 

Theology: James argues that true wisdom comes from God, and therefore, is something the believing community is to practice if they are to be like Him. Wisdom is an outworking of faith that produces love for God and others within the Christian community. No one who does not have this kind of faith is saved. 

He implies that various trials are times of testing. God tests to mature the person, but He does not tempt anyone to sin. If one is tempted, it is because of something within himself, not because God is tempting him. James argues that one should ask for wisdom if he lacks it in addressing the trial instead of coping with it as the world does (by becoming skeptical and hostile toward God, by treating Christians as they should not, etc.). In this regard, the tests God gives in life provide a background for the book where God gives numerous tests to mature His people in terms of how they are going to treat one another (i.e., whether they will love God and one another through the trials).

Ethics: Those who have true faith, and have asked God for wisdom with the right motives, will treat the people of God in love expressed through their speech and actions toward them. Hence, true religion is taking care of Christian families that no longer have a father, it is not showing favoritism toward some Christians over others due to economic or social status, it is not cursing or slandering them or teaching what is false, it is not defrauding them of money or their livelihood, but rather praying for them when sick and turning them away from their sin.

James uses the word “perfect” or “whole” seven times in the book, which in the context, has the idea that one lives consistently with who he is as a Christian. Unlike the man who looks in a mirror and forgets who he is when he has gone away, Christians are to remember who they are when making decisions concerning how to treat fellow Christians and worship God without compromise with the world. Christians who desire to still partake in the world’s activities that are hostile toward God and His character are enemies, not friends, of God. In the context, this refers to a desire to have something the world has (i.e., money, prestige, etc.), and it causes a lot of the poor treatment of other Christians (favoritism toward those who have money, slander toward those who don’t give to them what they want, etc.). 

In this regard, the antinomian interpreters of Paul, who argue that one is saved by faith, and therefore (through a false inference), one does not need to worry about his salvation if he lacks wholistic devotion to God expressed by one treating fellow Christians poorly through his speech or actions, are advocating a false religion. True Christianity does not exist without the love of other Christians, and love is not present if one’s speech and actions toward fellow Christians are contrary to it.