Clash of the Titans

One of the most mysterious yet influential members of the Jerusalem Church was James. Most Christians have not been taught why James is noteworthy; however, his role in early Christianity was extraordinarily significant. He was called James the Just, James the Righteous, James of Jerusalem, or James the brother of the Lord. Believed to be the brother of Jesus, he was the leader of the Christian movement in Jerusalem for decades after Jesus’ death. He is also said to have been one of the first ones Jesus appeared to after his resurrection.[1] Some scholars have theorized, based on quite credible sources, that James is actually the disciple “James” of “Peter, James, and John” fame. They suggest that his name was actually expunged and the identifier “son of Zebedee” was inserted because of Catholic dogma.”[2]

If we are willing to look beyond canonized sources, we will find that there is some very interesting history between Paul-formerly-known-as-Saul and James the Just, before Saul ever changes his name to Paul. The ‘Recognitions of Clement’ tells about someone named Saul –“one of our enemies”- who “entering the temple with a few men” where James the Just was speaking “began to cry out…

While he was thus speaking, and adding more to the same effect, and while James the bishop was refuting him, he began to excite the people and to raise a tumult, so that the people might not be able to hear what was said.

“Therefore he began to drive all into confusion with shouting, and to undo what had been arranged with much labour, and at the same time to reproach the priests, and to enrage them with revilings and abuse, and, like a madman, to excite every one to murder, saying, ‘What do ye? Why do ye hesitate? Oh sluggish and inert, why do we not lay hands upon them, and pull all these fellows to pieces?’

“When he had said this, he first, seizing a strong brand from the altar, set the example of smiting. Then others also, seeing him, were carried away with like readiness. Then ensued a tumult on either side, of the beating and the beaten. Much blood is shed; there is a confused flight, in the midst of which that enemy attacked James, and threw him headlong from the top of the steps; and supposing him to be dead, he cared not to inflict further violence upon him.”

Though James didn’t die, both of his legs were broken, so his friends lifted him up.  

“When the evening came the priests shut up the temple, and we returned to the house of James, and spent the night there in prayer. Then before daylight we went down to Jericho, to the number of 5000 men.”[3] Then, Saul “had received a commission from Caiaphas, the chief priest, that he should arrest all who believed in Jesus, and should go to Damascus with his letters, and that there also, employing the help of the unbelievers, he should make havoc among the faithful; and that he was hastening to Damascus chiefly on this account, because he believed that Peter had fled thither.”[4]

Luke takes up the story in the book of Acts:

“But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison…. Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”[5]

Talk about a hidden piece of history! James the brother of Jesus, who is extremely well respected and admired by multiple believers, survives a murder attempt by Paul in his “Saul the Persecutor” days. Eventually, Paul has a “vision” of James’ own brother Jesus, and subsequently believes that based on his “vision,” he knows more about Jesus and his significance than those who grew up with him and walked with him.

This is a side of the story that we in Christianity are never allowed to see! Instead, of seeing a man who was of so great sanctity and reputation among the people that the siege and downfall of Jerusalem was believed to be on account of his death,[6] we perceive James the Just as a shadow figure who “ended up ignored, an ephemeral figure on the margins of Christianity, known only to aficionados.”[7]

We in current Christianity certainly never realize that,

“In the Jerusalem of his day in the 40s to 60s CE, he (James) was the most important and central figure of all – ‘the Bishop’ or ‘Overseer’ of the Jerusalem Church… To have been ‘Head’ or ‘Bishop’ of ‘’the Jerusalem Church’ (Ecclesia) or ‘Community’ was to have been the head of the whole of Christianity, whatever this might be considered to have been in this period. Not only was the centre at Jerusalem the principal one before the destruction of the Temple and the reputed flight of the Jamesian community to a city beyond the Jordan called Pella, but there were hardly any others of any importance.” [8]

This extremely provocative background information helps illustrate that there was not a glowing solidarity of brotherhood between James the Just and Paul, as is often preached to the laity. These two powerful men did not appear to get along, and their doctrinal positions were not in agreement either.

In the Clementine Homilies, Peter states that Jesus gave a warning that the wicked one (Satan) “promised that he would send apostles from amongst his subjects, to deceive. Wherefore, above all, remember to shun apostle or teacher or prophet who does not first accurately compare his preaching with that of James, who was called the brother of my Lord”. He then goes on to state that Satan would “send a preacher to your injury, as now he has sent Simon[9] upon us, preaching, under pretence of the truth, in the name of the Lord, and sowing error.” The passage ends with two familiar passages. “Wherefore He who hath sent us, said, ‘Many shall come to me in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. By their fruits shall ye know them.’” [10]

The Marginalization of James Through History

The contradictions between James and Paul have not been lost on Bible scholars down through the ages. The Reformers themselves wrestled with this issue between James and Paul. Most of them simply chose the more popular Paul (he has more canonized epistles).

What is generally unknown in mainstream Christian circles is that while Luther was rejecting and excising the “apocryphal” books from the Roman Catholic Bible, he also wanted to remove the book of James (among others) from the Bible as well because the book of James specifically contradicts Paul’s NuGospel!

In Marcion-like fashion, Paul’s letters essentially became Luther’s core “canon”, his core standard by which he would measure and then judge other books of the Bible. As such, Luther removed not just some OT books, but also attempted to remove a number of NT books as well: Hebrews, Jude, Revelation—and most especially the book of James.

However, Luther found substantially less support from his fellow Reformers for his NT deletions. As such, he settled for moving these books from their normal period order and placed them at the end of the Bible canon, stating that they were ‘less than canonical’.

The book of James was not Luther’s favorite because of the book’s glaring contradictions to Galatians and other Pauline epistles. Luther wrote:

“I think highly of the epistle of James, and regard it as valuable although it was rejected in early days. It does not expound human doctrines, but lays much emphasis on God’s law. … I do not hold it to be of apostolic authorship.”[11]

William Barclay notes Luther’s reasons for rejecting James:

“First, in direct opposition to Paul and the rest of the Bible, it ascribes justification to works, quoting Abraham wrongly as one who was justified by his works. This in itself proves that the epistle cannot be of apostolic origin.[12]

For the record: The book of James does not stand in direct opposition to “the rest of the Bible”! Unless one’s notion of the “rest of the Bible” begins with Romans and ends with Hebrews, James actually stands in full harmony with Torah, the Prophets and the words of the Messiah via Matthew. The reality is that James only stands in direct opposition to Paul’s antinomian [anti-Law-of-God] theology.

We can see in Deuteronomy where this theme of faithfulness, faith plus action, is driven home as the assurance of righteousness before God:

“AHYH commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear AHYH our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before AHYH our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”[13]

Here again within Scripture the theme of ‘obey, prosper and live’ is clearly presented; it is a recurring theme throughout all of the Bible’s inspired authors—all except Paul, who says,

 

“Clearly no one is justified before God by observing the law …”

We can see from what we have read that clearly every man who puts his faith in the Eternal One and obeys God’s TRUE Law is justified by his faith and obedience working hand-in-hand. Jesus says belief requires “deeds” [action] to be saved and that if “we want to enter [eternal] life we must obey the commandments.”[14]

So who is really right here? The witnesses of Jesus, his Disciples and the Prophets which all reflect the Character of God, and who command and affirm obedience to God’s TRUE Law—or the singular witness of Paul?