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Is James IN or OUT?
Tucked in the back of our New Testament is the Letter
of James. James is the first of seven "catholic" or
universal letters. James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, and
Jude were written to the church universal rather than to specific
communities. All seven had a long and winding journey toward the
designation as "Christian scripture". Who wrote these
letters, and when, and is their theology sufficiently orthodox
to be preached and read? Elsa Tamez wonders if James' radical
critique of wealth and support for the oppressed kept the letter
from becoming central to our Christian faith T5.
James
IN or OUT?
Eusebius: Disputed Text | Luther:
Straw? | Resources | Top
of Page
Background Pages
What's In A Word? | James
uses Biblical Texts | Paul and James
Will the REAL James Stand Up? | When
was James Written?
To Whom is James Sent? | Canon:
Is James IN or OUT?
Read it Yourself: Comments on James
in the Canon
Annotated Bibliography
James and Canon: The Early
Evidence
Most writing from before 200 do not mention the Epistle of
James. One significant text does quote James: The Shepherd
of Hermas, written before 140 M66.
The theologian and biblical scholar, Origen, quotes James extensively
between 230 and 250. He mentions that James was Jesus' brother,
but does not make it clear if the letter is scripture M138.
Hippolytus and Tertullian, from early in the third century, do
not mention or quote James. Cyprian of Carthage, in the
middle of the third century, also makes no mention. The "Muratorian
Canon," from around 200, lists and comments on New Testament
books, but fails to mention James, Hebrews, and
1 and 2 Peter.
Yet by 340 Eusebius of Caesarea, an early Christian historian,
acknowledges that James is both canonical and orthodox,
and widely read. However, he categorizes it, along with the other
catholic epistles, as "disputed texts" M203.
Two Greek New Testaments from that time each include James,
along with the other catholic epistles M207.
In 367 Athanasius lists the 27 New Testament books we presently
use as the definitive canon M212.
Read Eusebius' Commentary.
But the battle for James was not won. Bishops in 428 and
466 rejected all the catholic epistles M215.
Early bibles from Lebanon, Egypt, Armenia, India and China do
not include James before the sixth century M219.
A ninth century manuscript from Mount Sinai leaves out the catholic
epistles and the Syriac Church, headquartered in Kerala, India,
continues to use a lectionary without them still today M220.
In the western church the controversy continued as well. Jerome
delivered a Latin translation of the New Testament, including
James, in 384. He comments that James "wrote only one Epistle,
which is reckoned among the seven Catholic Epistles, and even
this is claimed by some to have been published by some one else
under his name, and gradually, as time went on, to have gained
in authority" (De vir. ill 2 as quoted in M235.
In 426 Augustine's On Christian Learning moves James
to the end of the catholic epistles M237.
James IN or OUT?
Eusebius: Disputed Text | Luther:
Straw? | Resources | Top
of Page
Background
Pages
What's In A Word? | James
uses Biblical Texts | Paul and James
Will the REAL James Stand Up? | When
was James Written?
To Whom is James Sent? | Canon:
Is James IN or OUT?
Read it Yourself: Comments on James
in the Canon
Annotated Bibliography
The Reformation
After accepting the New Testament Canon for 1000 years, Rome speaks
out for the first time on the subject at the Council of Florence
in 1439-43. The Council clearly lists James and the catholic epistles
as canon. This was just in time for early reformers to return
to the early church's doubts. Jacob Thomas de Vio and Erasmus
of Rotterdam produced a Bible Commentaries in the early 1500s
that doubted the authority of the Epistle of James M240.
This sets the stage for Luther's German translation, and doubts,
in 1522.
Luther placed the books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation
at the end of his translation and failed to note their page numbers
in the index. He wrote a preface to James claiming it "contradicts
Paul by teaching justification by works" M243.
In the earliest editions Luther wrote his now famous comment:
"St. James Epistle is really an epistle of straw compared
to [St. Paul's letters], for it lacks this evangelical character"
Deutsche Bibel 6 as
quoted in P988. Luther however,
never declared James or any other New Testament book non-canonical.
He quotes from James occasionally. Read
Luther's actual comments. John Wesley, on the other hand,
quoted from James and seemed to argue for the validity of James'
theology. Find Links to Wesley's
use of James.
The Catholic Church responded to the perceived threat to the
canon. The Latin Vulgate was declared as "sacred and canonical"
and an absolute article of faith in 1546 M246.
In the next years some reformers labeled James and other books
as "apocrypha," and even "non-canonical" M245.
Yet the Westminster Confession of 1647 affirms the present 27
New Testament books as canonical for the Protestant faith. The
Letter of James is now officially part of the canon in the Orthodox,
Catholic, and Protestant churches.
James IN or OUT?
Eusebius: Disputed Text | Luther:
Straw? | Resources | Top
of Page
Background
Pages
What's In A Word? | James
uses Biblical Texts | Paul and James
Will the REAL James Stand Up? | When
was James Written?
To Whom is James Sent? | Canon:
Is James IN or OUT?
Read it Yourself: Comments on James
in the Canon
Annotated Bibliography
Resources
(Link
to full Bibliography
for web site)
Brevard S. Childs, The New Testament as Canon: An
Introduction (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1994).
Luke Timothy Johnson, The Letter of James in The New
Interpreter's Bible Volume XII, Leander E. Keck et al, editors.
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000).
Bruce M. Metzger, The Canon of the New Testament Its Origin,
Development and Significance (Oxford: Clarendon Paperbacks,
1997).
Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James in The Pillar New
Testament Commentary, DA Carson, general editor. (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000).
Elsa Tamez, The Scandalous Message of James: Faith Without
Works Is Dead, Translated by John Eagleson, Study Guide by
Pamela Sparr, (NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2002).
James IN or OUT?
Eusebius: Disputed Text | Luther:
Straw? | Resources | Top
of Page
Background
Pages
What's In A Word? | James
uses Biblical Texts | Paul and James
Will the REAL James Stand Up? | When
was James Written?
To Whom is James Sent? | Canon:
Is James IN or OUT?
Read it Yourself: Comments on James
in the Canon
Annotated Bibliography
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