Bible Commentaries
James

INTRODUCTION.

It is with some hesitation I begin to write this intro-duction to the Epistle of James. This hesitation grows out of the fact that so many writers, recognized as men of pro-found scholarship and eminent piety, have selected a differ-ent personage from the one I have chosen as the author of this letter. I have been for many years impressed with the belief that the author is none other than the apostle James, one of the Lord's chosen twelve, and all my study and reflection for a period of over sixty years confirms me in this belief. In my own plain way I shall proceed to give in brief some of my reasons for so believing.

1. The Author of the Christian faith selected twelve men whom he called his apostles, and upon them he con-ferred the authority of proclaiming the laws of his kingdom. The warrant of authority is couched in this language : "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This was first spoken to Peter and afterward to all the apostles. After his resurrection from the dead he confirms his declaration by adding, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you," and to this he adds: "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." This power was subsequently conferred upon the apostle Paul. The twelve only, therefore, in the first instance, had the authority to exercise these great and exalted prerog-atives. To these twelve men the Master had said : "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." I conclude, therefore, that the twelve were essentially ministers plenipotentiary. They spake for the King, and when they spake it was the same as if the King had spoken. None others could be so rec-ognized. Any attempt to exercise these functions so conferred upon the twelve alone Paul alone excepted can be regarded in no other light than that of presump-tuous usurpation. Now, these very prerogatives were undoubtedly exercised by the author of this Epistle at the council of Jerusalem. ( Act_15:1-41 :) The idea can not be entertained for a moment that the apostles to whom these powers were specially delegated would have tolerated the exercise thereof by one not clothed with like authority.

2. The internal evidence contained in this Epistle un-mistakably indicates the bearing of one clothed with authority to speak in the name of the King. Citations would be useless. The Epistle can easily be read, and it will speak with no uncertainty and without the intimation of a doubt upon this point.

3. The Lord appeared to him alone, as mentioned by Paul in 1Co_15:7 . This is a particular honor not likely to have been mentioned by Paul had it no special sig-nificance. But when we further reflect upon other language of Paul, its significance appears. He it was who said : "And when James, Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship ; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision" ( Gal_2:9 ). "Perceived the grace given unto me" indicates their acceptance of Paul as an apostle, which . prior thereto they were not willing to concede. Who else could make this concession but those possessed of like authority?

4. The statement of the Holy Spirit: "But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother" ( Gal_1:19 ). It seems to me that this declaration ought to settle the matter with all men of faith. Certainly no useless words were uttered by the pen of inspiration, and still more certainly none would be used calculated to mis-lead.

From the foregoing reasons I conclude that the author of the Epistle was none other than James, the son of Alphaeus, sometimes called James the Less, and by Josephus James the Just. At all events, the foregoing rea-sons are sufficient to cause me to regard the author of this Epistle as an apostle, and such he is to me.

As to the question of the relationship of the author of this Epistle to the Master, we reserve for consideration when writing the introduction to the Epistle of Jude.

TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING.

Various dates are fixed at which the Epistle was writ-ten. While it may not be of special importance, I have carefully gone over all the data within my reach, including such light as Eusebius and Josephus throw upon the ques-tion, and come to the conclusion that the latter is probably as reliable as any. I quote from his "Antiquities of the Jews," Book XX., Chapter 9:, Section 1, this declara-tion : "Festus was now dead, and Albinus was put upon the road, so he [reference is here made to Ananias the high priest] assembled the Sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others. And when he had formed an accusation against them as break-ers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned." This was in A. D. 63. It is safe to say that the Epistle written by James had something to do with this outburst of passion against him. The letter must therefore have been written before this, certainly not later than A. D. 62, and this is probably the proper date. James was put to death in Jerusalem, and the last account we have of him from the sacred page was at that renowned city, and evidently from thence was written the document that bears his name.

CHARACTER OF THE EPISTLE.

While it is not doctrinal, it is full of practical instruc-tion in the duties of life, and contains many convincing arguments and soul - stirring exhortations. The letter abounds in brilliant illustrations as pleasing as they are brilliant. In all my reading, covering a period of more than sixty-five years, I have failed to find anything com-parable in point of beauty with James' description of the brevity and uncertainty of human life. The boldness and energy appearing in many other figures and ,expressions are truly striking, which, had they appeared in any secular or profane writing, would have elicited the highest praise for sublimity.