🖊️ Authorship: Which James — Was It Even James?

🩺 Historical Footnote: The Death of James the Just

Hegesippus (via Eusebius)^[10] and Josephus^[9] record that James was martyred in Jerusalem, likely around AD 62.

✝️ Theology in a Name

James identifies himself as a servant—not of the Law, not of Moses, but “of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

• God (Yahweh of Israel)
• Lord (Kyrios, the divine name used for God in Greek OT)
• Jesus Christ (Messiah, anointed Savior)

🔥 In Case You Missed It: Confessing Kyrios

David Pawson^[3] explains: Saying “Jesus is Lord” in the Roman world was treason. “Kyrios” was the title demanded by Caesar.

🏛️ Canonization Timeline and Early Reception

🕍 Temple Language and Synagogue Ethics

James’ use of:

• “Assembly” (2:2 – synagōgē)
• Emphasis on purity, impartiality, control of speech, and caring for the poor

…all reflect Jerusalem temple theology and diaspora synagogue teaching. Runge^[4] and Gould^[8] both affirm that James reflects a pre-Gentile church, deeply rooted in Jewish moral tradition.

🪧 Connection to the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15)

Though written before the Acts 15 council, the letter of James anticipates the same issues:

• Gentile inclusion without law-keeping
• Moral clarity over ceremonial law
• Leadership rooted in wisdom, not position

The James of the epistle is the James who led that council—both voice and content match.

📁 Traditional View: James the Brother of Jesus

✅ Strengths of the Traditional View:

• Internal Humility — He never calls himself Jesus’ brother, only “servant.”
• Jerusalem Authority — His leadership role matches the tone and theological weight of the letter.
• Jewish Vocabulary & Ethic — Aligns with the epistle’s moral teaching and Old Testament structure.
• Early Historical Support — Endorsed by Hegesippus, Clement, Origen, and others.
• Extra-Christian Respect — Josephus^[9] called him “the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ.”

❌ Objections to the Traditional View (and Replies):

• The Greek is too polished — James likely had scribes or was bilingual in Jerusalem.
• Doesn’t call himself Jesus’ brother — A mark of humility and reverence, not a denial.
• Late Canonical Acceptance — Delay also happened with Hebrews and Revelation—doesn’t imply fraud.

📜 Pseudonymous Theory (Rejected)

The theory that someone forged James’ name:

• Lacks ancient support
• Contradicts early citations (Origen, Eusebius^[10], Jerome)
• Violates early church ethics (2 Thess. 2:2 warns against forged letters)

📊 All the Jameses in the NT

🏩 Summary: What’s at Stake?

If not James the Just, then who wrote it? And why should we trust it?

If James the Just did write it, then we are reading the Spirit-filled wisdom of Jesus’ own family.

That means this letter is one of the most powerful bridges between Jewish faith, early Christianity, and lasting obedience.

⏳ Date & Occasion

Date: Likely AD 44–49, making it possibly the earliest book in the New Testament.

Occasion: Persecution scattered Jewish Christians (Acts 8:1). James writes to stabilize them with wisdom, integrity, and moral seriousness.

Location: Jerusalem — supported by tone, vocabulary, and historical alignment with James’ leadership there.

🏗️ Sidebar Placement Notes

These blocks may be optionally styled as sidebars in Module 1:

• ✝️ Theology in a Name
• 🔥 In Case You Missed It

Suggested Placement: Before or after James 1:1–4 commentary section to reinforce Christology and historical pressure on public confession.

📣 Why This Still Matters Today

If James is truly the brother of Jesus, then we are reading the practical theology of someone who grew up with the Messiah.

If not, we risk grounding our ethical theology on a fraud.

Integrity matters. This letter demands a lived faith. That demand holds weight only if the author himself lived it—under threat, pressure, and martyrdom.

Believers today need confidence that Scripture is not only inspired—but also historically rooted in truth. Authorship isn’t just academic—it’s pastoral.

✍️ Preacher’s Aside: Ed’s Punchline

“You either believe this letter came from a man who lived with Jesus—or you’ve got some serious explaining to do about why you still read it.”

“James walked with Jesus, watched Him resurrect, then took a beating to defend the church He died for. That’s not a ghostwriter. That’s a bloodstained elder.”

“You want integrity? This guy had camel knees.”

📜 Quoted Ancient Sources (Direct)

Hegesippus (via Eusebius)^[10]:

“He was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel.”

Josephus^[9]:

“So he assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James… and delivered them to be stoned.”