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The Letter of James or the Epistle of James is one of the twenty-one didactic letters in the New Testament. It is an epistle of an uncertain age that was written approximately between 42 and 100 A.D. There is little information about this document, and it itself does not provide many clues as to for whom, when, and where it was created. Moreover, its authorship also causes many debates and discussions since it is not obvious who precisely wrote the Book of James. There are several possible options, and each of them is doubted by certain scientists and religious people but has a number of proofs that make it reliable. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the authorship of the Letter of James.
This didactic text’s writer never actually identifies himself as to which precisely “James” he is. The first line simply states: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” who writes to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Therefore, the fact that the author of this holy text is actually a person close to Jesus and God and is their servant is quite enough for some believers to follow its advice and lessons. Such a person can never lie or write some non-trustworthy ideas since he serves the Lord.
However, the presence of a specific name makes people curious and willing to find out who the real author is. One of the versions that seem pretty reliable is that it was James the half-brother of Jesus who wrote this didactic letter. This version is traditional, and it has many proofs that point to its truthfulness. During the Savior’s time on earth, this James was not Jesus’s follower, but he finally became an apostle in Paul’s vein. James was the one who had believed in and seen the post-resurrection of the Lord and became one of the Jerusalem church’s leaders. After comparing James’s letters and speech with the text of the book of James, it is possible to find a number of similarities of phrasing and language. Moreover, the brother of Jesus was an essential figure in the church, well-known by a significant number of people. Therefore, he did not need to clarify his personality, and that is why the author names himself simply “James.”
Another version that seems to me rather reliable is that the writer of this didactic letter is James the brother of John, who is also the author of many holy texts. James might have written this book after the Jewish Christians scattered around 35 A.D. and before he died in 43 A.D. However, if it were him, he would have probably clarified his personality since he was not as well-known as James the brother of Jesus. Moreover, John’s brother more likely would have called himself not a servant but an apostle of Jesus Christ. These small inconsistencies are severe enough to make this version less likely.
To draw a conclusion, one may say that the authorship of the Book of James will probably remain a secret. However, is it actually that important to know the real author of this didactic letter? It already has a significant influence on people, and the members of the Christian community value it. If it is impossible to ultimately prove that specific James is the author, the believers will still follow the lessons of this holy text, and this is the most important aspect.
Bibliography
Andrews, Edward D., and Brent A. Calloway. The Book of James: CPH New Testament Commentary. Cambridge: Christian Publishing House, 2017.
“James – New International Version.” Bible Gateway. Web.
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