A Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, Essay Example

The issue of authorship of the various texts of the Biblical canon is of significant concern to scholars, religious authorities, and the Christian faithful. Questions about who wrote the Gospels and other texts continue to be debated; although there is strong evidence in favor of particular theories about authorship of Biblical texts, many of the matters are not considered to be firmly settled. The Book of James serves as an example of a Biblical text with questionable authorship, though evidence exists that helps narrow down the time and place in which it was written, and offers clues about the identity of “James, a Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1) . Among the most prominent theories about the identity of James the author of the Book of James is that he was James the brother of Jesus.

The determination that James the author was also James the brother of Jesus is not without its detractors, but the tone of the Book and the time in which it appears to be written would seem to support the possibility. The Book of James provides wisdom and advice to early Jewish Christians who scattered among the twelve nations as Christians were suffering under persecution in Jerusalem.  Since the letter does not mention some of the problems that arose as Gentiles began to embrace Christianity, the Book of James was likely written early in the first century. Among the many bits of advice and wisdom in the Book of James is the admonition in James 2:8-11 to “love thy neighbor as yourself” and to avoid showing favoritism. This passage ranks the sin of favoritism alongside adultery and murder, and warns that the sin of favoritism is equal to breaking the whole law.

This would be an important reminder for early Christians who found themselves scattered from Jerusalem. In a sense, the directive “love thy neighbor as thyself” embodies the essence of Christ’s message. It would be important for Christians who were living among non-Christians to both observe and demonstrate their faith, and avoiding favoritism would exemplify that they were maintaining Christian law and adhering to the teachings of Christ.

When James instructs the early Jewish Christians to avoid demonstrating favoritism, he is not just affirming the teachings of Christ; he is also addressing social and religious practices of the day.  James warns against showing favoritism to the wealthy in a number of passages. In James 1:9-11 he reminds readers that all people, rich and poor, will pass away from the Earth, and that wealth is no protection against this fate. It was important for Christians to keep in mind that they were to treat all people, rich and poor, the same way. In a time where rich people were treated favorably in the Jewish faith, this was a significant position for James to take. The Jews believed that they were God’s chosen people, and that earthly riches would be their reward for obeying God’s laws. In essence, James is countering this idea, and reminding readers that as Christians, they must treat everyone as equals. In James 2:8-11 he warns readers that failing to treat even one person with love is equal to a violation of all the laws. In an era when Christianity was growing, James reminded readers that the rich were not to be favored when spreading the Word of Christ.