James 2:14-26 - Exposition

WARNING AGAINST RESTING CONTENT WITH A MERE BARREN ORTHODOXY . Preliminary note : This is the famous passage which led to Luther's depreciation of the whole Epistle, which he termed a "right strawy" one. At first sight it appears, indeed, diametrically opposed to the teaching of St. Paul; for:

St. James refers to her as an example of justification by works (verse 25). The opposition, however, is only apparent; for:

(a) That the object of the much-vaunted faith of those against whom St. James writes is " the fundamental maxim of the Law," "Thou believest that God is one" ( Deuteronomy 6:4 ); not "the fundamental fact of the gospel," "Thou believest that God raised Christ from the dead" ( Romans 10:9 ).

(b) That the whole tone of the Epistle recalls our Lord's denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees, and seems directed against a kindred spirit. To these we may add:

(c) That the teaching of St. Paul and St. James is combined by St. Clement of Rome ('Ep. ad Corinthians,' c. 12) in a manner which is conclusive as to the fact that he was unaware of any divergence of view between them, whether real or apparent. We conclude, then, that the teaching of St. James has no direct relation to that of St. Paul, and may well have been anterior in time to his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians.