Book Of James-Authorship, Date, And Purpose

Front 1

4 Differing Views of Authorship of James

Back 1

1) James the father of Judas (not Iscariot), one of 12
2) James, the son of Alphaeus, also one of 12
3) James, son of Zebedee, brother of John, one of 12
4) James the Just, half-brother of Jesus, leader of Jerusalem church. Not one of 12

Front 2

Authorship

Why/Why Not: James, son of Zebedee

Back 2

Major player in gospel accounts.
Acts 12:1-2= James was put to death by sword AD 44
Most scholars do not think he lived long enough

Front 3

Authorship

Why/Why Not: James the Just

Back 3

Traditional View
1) Gospel of John 7 says James did not believe in Him during His ministry
2) Acts 1, Upper Room: James prayed with the apostles in the upper room
3) 1 Cor. 15: Jesus appeared to James in 1 Cor. 15:7

The resurrection sold James and Jesus commissions him as an apostle

Front 4

Allusions to James in the Apostolic Fathers

Origen

Back 4

1) 1st explicit reference to James in the Church Fathers
2) Refers to James as Scripture, and as James the Just

He was pastor, church father, died in 253.
Alexandria, Egypt

Front 5

Allusions to James in the Apostolic Fathers

1 Clement (AD 95) and Shepherd of Hermas (125 AD)

Back 5

Used similar language
1 Clement- Addressed to the church at Corinth, written from Rome. Shamed them for their divisions.
Shepherd- Written from Rome. Similar language

Front 6

Allusions to James in the Apostolic Fathers

What is important about 1 Clement and Shepherd of H?

Back 6

Provides evidence that book of James existed in 1st Century

Front 7

Why were the early Fathers worried about James?

Back 7

They were worried about lack of citation, not style or orthodoxy

Front 8

Canonical History of the Letter

Acceptance into NT Canon

Back 8

1) Among last to be received as canonical
2) Not about style or orthodoxy, fathers were worried about lack of citation
3) 325, Eusebius- Incredible library at Caesarea. First church history written. Quoted burned library material

Front 9

Canonical History of the Letter

Eusebius

Back 9

Incredible library. Quoted burned library material. First church history written.
Listed all received NT books, included James and other 4
Fully accepted by end of century

Front 10

Canonical History of the Letter

Athenacius

Back 10

Lists, in 367 AD, all books as accepted

Front 11

Reformation

Luther

Back 11

1:German monk who tried to earn salvation, hated James.
2: Saw justification by faith, in Romans
3: Brought him peace, until he read James (Faith + Works)
4: Placed James as an appendix, still used in his preaching

Front 12

Reformation

Calvin

Back 12

1) Did not have the baggage that Luther had
2) Thought Paul and James could be reconciled fairly well

Front 13

Similarities between Acts 15:13-21 and James

Back 13

1) Acts is compressed, not verbatim
2) Greek word for "greetings", Kyrine. Not used often, in 1:1 of James and Acts 15:23. Considered secular
3) "Brothers, listen to me". James 2:5 and Acts 15:13

Front 14

Evidence Supporting James the Just as Author

Simplicity of Author Designation

Back 14

1) Tendency in later pseudonyms to add authoritative titles, "brother of Jesus"
2) Lack of embellishment points to James the Just

Front 15

Evidence Supporting James the Just as Author

Use of Oral Gospel Tradition

Back 15

1) James uses teachings of Jesus very often, mainly Sermon on the Mount from Matthew
2) Never verbatim to written gospel accounts. Points early rather than later, during oral transmission period

Front 16

Evidence Supporting James the Just as Author

Overall Jewishness of the book

Back 16

1) Exudes a Jewish view of Christianity
2) Later the time, less Jewish it would be
-Early Christianity was Jewish, Paul's missions made it more Gentile

Front 17

Evidence Supporting James the Just as Author

Lack of explicit Christology

Back 17

1) Only mentions Jesus twice, in passing
2) Purpose of letter was meeting ethical needs
3) Pseudonymous author would have focused on issue of Christology
4) Points early, rather than later

Front 18

Responses to Later Date Claims (Lack of Citation)

First Response

Back 18

Usage of James in 1 Clement and Shepherd of Hermas

Front 19

Responses to Later Date Claims (Lack of Citation)

#2: Influence of Ebionite Christianity

Back 19

1) Descendants of ultra-conservative Jewish Christians who claimed circumcision.
2) Claimed to from James, named as heretics later
3) Link between the two caused book to be seen as not from James

Front 20

Responses to Later Date Claims (Lack of Citation)

#3: Palestinian Destination of Letter

Back 20

1) Constant upheaval, not stable with revolts where books and documents were burned.
2) Possible that many copies of letter were destroyed

Front 21

Responses to Later Date Claims (Lack of Citation)

#4: Lack of Christology

Back 21

James would not provide any ammunition for Christology debate

Front 22

Responses to Later Date Claims (High Quality Greek)

#1: Hellenistic Influence in Palestine

Back 22

1) Palestine was thoroughly bi-lingual, particularly Galilee
2) Jews in Galilee would have been proficient in Greek

Front 23

Responses to Later Date Claims (High Quality Greek)

#2: James' Leadership Role in the Church

Back 23

1) Book reflects a knowledge of Hellenistic Jewish literature
2) Had been a believer for a while
3) Not just a carpenter, but leader in the church
4) Traveled around and had new experiences

Front 24

Responses to Later Date Claims (High Quality Greek)

#3: Possible Secretary Influence

Back 24

1) Some authors gave more leniency to scribes bc of a good relationship
2) Greek Style would be secretary, not James

Front 25

Responses to Later Date Claims (View of Law)

James' View of Law

Back 25

He was a legalist with complete Torah compliance. Yet the book is silent about those so James cannot be the author.

Front 26

Responses to Later Date Claims (View of Law)

Response to James' View of Law

Back 26

1) The belief that James demanded complete adherence to all the law, even for Gentiles, is founded on unreliable second-century traditions and is inconsistent with the N.T. portrait of James

Front 27

Responses to Later Date Claims (View of Law)

New Testament Portrait of James

Back 27

1) Acts 15:24 portrays him in a different fashion
2) Galatians 2:12: Claim him, not sent by him
3) Acts 21:17-26= Paul's view of circumcision
-Doesn't say James mandated these things

Front 28

Responses to Later Date Claims (View of Law)

Hegesippus account of James' Death

Back 28

Guy interested in Christian origins.
Portrays James as a legalist
Was a devout Jew

Front 29

Responses to Later Date Claims (Just., Faith, Works)

Late Date proponents view of James on Just., faith, and works

Back 29

1) A direct response to Paul's writings.
2) This could only have happened after widespread circulation of copies of Romans and Galatians, which could not have happened prior to James death in 61, sine Romans was not written until 57.

Front 30

Responses to Later Date Claims (Just., Faith, Works)

Back 30

1) Reflects Pauline terminology, but author seems unaware of what Paul meant by them.
2) James is not challenging Paul, but those Antinomians who misused and abused Paul's theology.

Front 31

Conclusion on Authorship and Date

Back 31

1) Probably comes in the early period of Paul's preaching ministry before Paul and James had any extensive contact.
2) 44-48 is a good guess

Front 32

Recipients

"twelve tribes dispersed around"

Back 32

OT language, Israel
Horn: Jewish orientation, Jewish-Christian communities north of Palestine
Appeals to Abraham and Rahab

Front 33

Recipients

Autumn and Spring Rains (5:7)

Back 33

Particular to Palestinian region

Front 34

Recipients

Agricultural Workers (5:1-6)

Back 34

Migrant workers, typical to Palestine

Front 35

Recipients

Conclusion

Back 35

Jewish Christians who live some distance from Jerusalem, but not out of reach. Poor agricultural workers facing poverty

Front 36

Occasion and Purpose

Topics

Back 36

Trials/Poverty, Faith shows itself in good works, no favoritism to the rich, uncontrolled tongue, True and False wisdom, Rich oppressing the poor, Patience, Prayer in hard times

Front 37

Occasion and Purpose

Overview

Back 37

Audience is experiencing trials, primarily poverty. Abuses by rich landholders not paying their laborers. Poverty is creating tension in the church, causing harsh words. Even hardening hearts to needs around them (widow/orphan).

Front 38

Occasion and Purpose

Overview: What is James teaching them?

Back 38

They are looking at their trials from a wrong perspective. Their own wordly passions are controlling their minds and behavior in the midst of the trial. Rather, they need to see their trials from God's perspective and see that his purpose for the trial is to test and strengthen their faith in all wisdom.

Front 39

Literary Context

Epistolary features

Back 39

1) Only really halfway an epistle
2) Lacks most of the features of NT letters

Front 40

Literary Context

Structural Observations

Back 40

1) Lack of Structure, not linear like Romans
2) There is some continuity driven by historical situation

Front 41

Literary Context

What does Horn call the book?

Back 41

A spiraling homily

Front 42

Literary Context

4 Choices for Genre of Book

Back 42

1) Diatribe
2) Paraenesis
3) Wisdom Literature
4) Synagogue Homily

Front 43

Literary Context-Genre

Diatribe

Back 43

JH Ropes.
Dialogue with brief q&a, rhetorical ?, harsh speech, straw man.
Developed by Stoic and Cynic philosophers.

Front 44

Literary Context-Genre

Problem with Diatribe Genre

Back 44

Too much Jewish in the book of James

Front 45

Literary Context-Genre

Paraenesis

Back 45

Dibelius argued that James was paraenesis.
Short pithy statements put together like Romans 12.
A list of good things

Front 46

Literary Context-Genre

Problem with Paraenesis Genre

Back 46

Book doesn't look that random

Front 47

Literary Context-Genre

Synagogue Homily

Back 47

1) Horn's Choice.
2) Previous techniques applied to synagogue homilies, mainly diatribe.
3) Oral speech, put in writing.
4) Possibly a compendium of James' homilies.

Front 48

Literary Context-Genre

Relationship to Sermon on the Mount

Back 48

James 5:12, Matthew 5:33-37

Oaths before God

Front 49

Literary Context-Genre

Style of Greek

Back 49

1) Among better in NT, oral style originally preached
2) 570 distinct Greek words, 73 not found elsewhere
3) "Double-Minded" nowhere else in Greek writing