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THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES.

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES.

THE term "General" as applied to the seven Epistles of James, First and Second of Peter, and First, Second and Third of John and Jude, signified that they were not addressed to individual churches, but to larger communities or to Christians generally. Two of the number, however, do not come under this designation as they are addressed to individuals. This term General however, is regarded by some as nearly equivalent to canonical or generally received. General or Catholic more properly however is applied to these Epistles as being circulars to the churches, rather than as determining their character as canonical or apostolical, or otherwise. Tischendorf following the the best authorities edits the title simply "Epistle of James."

AUTHORSHIP.

This Epistle was probably written by James, the son of Alpheus, Matt. x. 3, Mark iii. 18, Luke vi. 15, Acts i. 13, who is also supposed to be spoken of as the Lord's brother, Gal. i. 19, or perhaps step-brother or cousin of Jesus as this last relationship was sometimes called fraternal in Hebrew usage. His mother was called Mary, Mark xv. 40, and in John xix. 25, she is called the wife of Cleophas which is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Alpheus. James was also called "the less," either from his age or stature, and also he went under the title of "the just " because

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of the presumed integrity of his character. He is referred to in various places in the Acts and the Epistles. Acts xii. 17, xv. 13, xxi. 18, Gal. ii. 9, 12, 1 Cor. xv. 7. It should be mentioned however that some writers do not believe in the identity of James the Lord's brother, with James the son of Alpheus or Cleophas. The list of the apostles as given in Matt. x. 2-4, and elsewhere contains the name of another James, the son of Zebedee, and the brother of John, and some regard him as the author of this Epistle, but the objection is, that his early martyrdom at Jerusalem Acts xii. 2, makes it unlikely that he could have been the author of a work which in all probability had a later date. The character of the Epistle, its gravity and tone of authority would come naturally and gracefully from James who was a pillar in the church, Gal. ii. 9, who was of high authority at Jerusalem, or the superintendent of the Christian body and who took a prominent part in the council held there, Acts xv. 13, and whose martyrdom by a Jewish mob was thought by some to have caused the destruction of Jerusalem through a divine retribution. The nature of the epistle as addressed to the Jews favors the idea that it was written by one resident at Jerusalem.

CANONICAL CHARACTER.

Its authority was not so clear in this respect as the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles or the Epistles of Paul. Eusebius, the ecclesiastical historian, A. D. 315 places this book among the "antilegomena" or not generally received or current, but he characterizes it as "well known (or approved) by many." He elsewhere speaks of the epistle as "reckoned spurious, at least not many of the ancients have mentioned it." In other places he quotes James and calls him an apostle, and his work Scripture. Quotations are found in Clement of Rome, Hermas, and Irenæus, in the second century which are supposed to have been taken from this book, though without express reference to it. Origen A. D. 216 quotes it by name. Jerome A. D. 342 to A. D. 420, acknowledged its authenticity and ascribed it to James. The Peschito or Syriac version A. D. 200, contains this epistle. synod of Carthage A. D. 397 it was inserted in the canon.

At the

Eras

mus, Grotius, Wettstein, Schleiermacher, De Wette, and other critics have doubts of its canonicity. Luther at one time called it a "right strawy epistle," because it did not teach his doctrine of justification by faith, though he seems afterwards to have retracted that opinion. Cyril Lucar of the Greek Church objected to it as merely teaching morality.

The prejudice against the epistle of James in the early church, may have arisen from its being addressed to the Jews, and as less known among the Gentile Christians, or from its not claiming to be written by an apostle, or from its doctrine of works being regarded as clashing with Paul's doctrine of faith.

TIME.

The date of the Epistle has been placed at A. D. 60 to A. D. 63. It was probably written before Jerusalem was destroyed, as no mention is made of that great event. The anticipated coming of Christ is referred to chap. iv. 13, 14, V. 7, 8.

STYLE AND LANGUAGE.

The Epistle is written in comparatively pure Greek. It has features of rhetorical and poetical excellence. There is something of the Hebrew parallelism with a happy choice of descriptive terms. It is broken in its transitions, but has deep lights and shades and vivid coloring, resembling somewhat the style of the old Hebrew prophets.

TO WHOM ADDRESSED.

It found its readers probably among the inhabitants of Syria and districts to the north and east to whom Christianity had been preached, and where churches had been formed. These people would come more directly under the supervision of Jerusalem than the Jews of Asia Minor, Egypt, or Greece. The population of Syria was divided between rich and poor, with but few of an intermediate class. Chap. ii. 2–7, v. 1–6. ·

OBJECT AND CONTENTS.

The Epistle was written with a practical and moral aim rather

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