1. Book of James:
a. Authorship – In the initial verse, the letter states that ‘James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ’ is the author (Powell, 447). This epistle is traditionally attributed to Jesus’ brother James who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem (Powell, 447). He is often referred to as ‘James of Jerusalem’ or ‘James the Just’ (Powell, 449). James, the son of Zebedee, is an unlikely author since he was martyred around 44 CE by Herod Agrippa I (NRSV, 2171).
b. Date – Assuming that James of Jerusalem was the actual writer, a composition date prior to 62 CE, when James was martyred, is very plausible. Most scholars agree with a writing date somewhere between 48 CE and 55 CE. Another theory has been introduced that the letter was pseudepigraphical resulting from someone writing under James’ name pushes the date decades later between 80 – 100 CE …show more content…
Place (where was it written and where was it received) – A commonly accepted view is that the epistle of James was written in Jerusalem and sent to Christians that lived outside the area of Palestine also referenced as the Dispersion (Powell, 449).
d. Audience – This catholic or general epistle was written to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion. If the target audience is literally Jewish Christians, then the twelve tribes would be decedents of Abraham that now live outside of Palestine. However, a metaphorical interpretation speculates that Christians, who live on the earth apart from their heavenly home, have become the new Israel while being connected to the twelve apostles (Powell, 450).
e. Exigence (why was it written) – The epistle of James serves more as a homily than an actual letter intended for early Christians offering advice or counsel on an assortment of topics (Powell, 446). Many early Christians, whether Jewish or Gentile, may have been driven into the Dispersion resulting from persecution and fear. James seems to focus on the suppressed economic and social classes of
a. Authorship – In the initial verse, the letter states that ‘James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ’ is the author (Powell, 447). This epistle is traditionally attributed to Jesus’ brother James who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem (Powell, 447). He is often referred to as ‘James of Jerusalem’ or ‘James the Just’ (Powell, 449). James, the son of Zebedee, is an unlikely author since he was martyred around 44 CE by Herod Agrippa I (NRSV, 2171).
b. Date – Assuming that James of Jerusalem was the actual writer, a composition date prior to 62 CE, when James was martyred, is very plausible. Most scholars agree with a writing date somewhere between 48 CE and 55 CE. Another theory has been introduced that the letter was pseudepigraphical resulting from someone writing under James’ name pushes the date decades later between 80 – 100 CE …show more content…
Place (where was it written and where was it received) – A commonly accepted view is that the epistle of James was written in Jerusalem and sent to Christians that lived outside the area of Palestine also referenced as the Dispersion (Powell, 449).
d. Audience – This catholic or general epistle was written to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion. If the target audience is literally Jewish Christians, then the twelve tribes would be decedents of Abraham that now live outside of Palestine. However, a metaphorical interpretation speculates that Christians, who live on the earth apart from their heavenly home, have become the new Israel while being connected to the twelve apostles (Powell, 450).
e. Exigence (why was it written) – The epistle of James serves more as a homily than an actual letter intended for early Christians offering advice or counsel on an assortment of topics (Powell, 446). Many early Christians, whether Jewish or Gentile, may have been driven into the Dispersion resulting from persecution and fear. James seems to focus on the suppressed economic and social classes of