Page 5 - General Epistles (James through Jude) Textbook

his family members were not believers yet prior to His resurrection.
Note: “When his family heard this, they went out to restrain him, for
they said, “He is out of his mind” (cf. Mark 3:21 [NET]). So, if he is
considered the author of the epistle according to James, when did he
probably get saved? Most scholars say that he probably got saved
during Jesus’ appearances to individuals post His resurrection. One of
those individuals is James, Jesus’ half-brother. Apostle Paul writes,
“Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:7
[NET]).

Based on the following passages, it is clear that James (the half-brother to Jesus) was prominent in the
early church in Jerusalem and played a leading role.

Acts 12:17: “He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and then related how the Lord had brought
him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to
another place” (NET).

Acts 15:12-13: “The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all

the miraculous signsand wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. After they stopped

speaking,James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.”

Acts 21:18: “The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.”
But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother” (NET).

Galatians 1:19: “But I saw none of the other apostlesexcept James the Lord’s brother” (NET).

Galatians 2:9-10: “and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the
grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing
that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They requested only that we remember the
poor, the very thing I also was eager to do” (NET).

The similarities between James’ epistle (Jas. 1:27; 2:5, 7) and the speech in Acts 15:13-21, repeated
mention of Jesus’ teaching within the letter (Jas. 2:5), especially the sermon on the mount (see Matt. 5:3;
3:10-12), the reference to the Jewish atmosphere in the epistle according to James (Jas. 1:10, 25; 2:2:8-
13, 21; 3:9; 4:6; 5:5), and the taking up of authority in order to address “the twelve tribes dispersed
abroad” (Jas. 1:1) fit what James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ is known of. Thus, the first James is
probably the author of the letter according to James.

Outside the Bible, “Eusebius claims that the letter was generally attributed to James the Lord’s brother”
1
(H. E. 3.25.3; 2:23.25). “Early church tradition (e.g., Origen [185-254], Jerome, Augustine, and the Council
of Carthage) strongly supports the identification of the author of this book with James, the (half-) brother
of Jesus.”
2

Second James, the brother of John.
He together with John were sons of Zebedee and disciples of Jesus Christ. Note: “Going on a little
farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in their boat mending nets” (Mark 1:19
[NET]). Mark 5:37: “He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of

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