Letter of James

By my works I will show you my Faith

With this post we start reading a New Testament group of Books called “catholic letters”: it includes the letter of James, the two letters of Peter, the three letters of John and the one of Jude. Their names point out the assumed authors and not the recipients, as the Pauline letters instead do. The adjective “catholic”, which associates them, means “universal”. It can be referred both to their recipient (mentioned in a general way in Jas, 2Pet, 2John, Jude; absent in 1John), that is the universal Church and not a specific community, and therefore to their contents, considered “universally valid”. In regards to this, those works are often more Christian catechesis or homilies than real letters (even see the letter to the Hebrews). The «James» of the catechesis we are to read can be «the Lord’s brother» (see Mark 6,3 and Matt 13,55: Hebrew tradition called «brothers» even cousins or other close relatives), head of the Jerusalem community after the martyrdom of Apostle James, Zebedee’s son (see e.g. Acts 12,2.17 e Gal 1,19). In any case it would be pseudepigraphy, to put the work under that great character’s authority: the excellent mastership of the Greek language and the strong similarities with writings by the Fathers of the Church like the Shepherd of Hermas make some scholars think that it was composed by a Christian in the end of the I century AD. The recipients are «the twelve tribes which are in the Diaspora», a reference to the Churches coming from Judaism. The main theme is the exhortation to live a coherent Faith even in persecutions and temptations, preventing partialities and quarrels in the communities, using words with wisdom and not to offend other people. The author particularly underlines the importance of good deeds as a necessary fruit of Christian Faith; apparently, James seems to affirm a thesis in opposition to Paul’s one (instead asserting that God freely gave His salvation). Let us see more in detail. «What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled;” and yet you did not give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. [...] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead» (Jas 2,14-19.26). Augustine of Hippo helps us to resolve the question (see De diversis quaestionibus, LXXXIII). The works Paul speaks about are the ones coming before Christian Faith: no deed of a sinner man/woman can deserve God’s salvation, it is His free gift He only gives in Jesus Christ. James, instead, focuses on the works coming after having received the Faith: they are a proof that Christian men/women are really new and saint creatures through Baptism (see Jas 1,17-18: «Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures»): only «the demons» are “believers and not practicing”. Indeed, even to Paul the received Faith is «working through love» (Gal 5,6).
The metaphors James uses to exhort to the word control are vivid. «For in many things we all stumble. If anyone does not stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. Now if we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, we guide their whole body. Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires. So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by the Gehenna [a valley near Jerusalem in which human sacrifices took place in ancient times; in the New Testament it becomes the symbol of the fire hell for the punishment of evil people after the Judgement: see e.g. Jer 7,31-32 and Mark 9,43]. For all kinds of animals, and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind. But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Nor is salt water able to produce sweet» (Jas 3,2-12).
In chapter 5 of the letter of James we find the verses that the Council of Trent used to confirm existence and validity of the fifth Sacrament: the Anointing of the Sick.



«Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven» (Jas 5,14-15).
In the next post we will examine the two letters of Peter.