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James Sermon on the Mount (nothing by Farmer can be copied and pasted) -…

- - - - In fact, the book of James is filled with common allusions and regular echoes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
    - - Luther called it a "an epistle full of straw," and relegated the book to the appendix of the Bible he translated. (Farmer 3) Others have labeled the book as legalistic. (Vincent 618)
        
        Yet, as one examines Jesus' teachings, one might be surprised to find remarkable similarities. Jesus often focused on Kingdom living, and his teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount, serve as a perfect example. (GO TO RENEWED...)
- - - - (James the brother of Jesus; Jewish-Christian recipients)
        
        Some scholars state that one would expect James to reference his familial bond with Jesus, but there are physiologically strong reasons for him to avoid highlighting that fact, and the mere absence of connection is not a worthy argument against Jacobian authorship alone. (Ladd 635)
        
        If the writer is the head of the church in Jerusalem, one would assume no more of an introduction would be warranted. (Carson 621)
      - Psudononymous
        
        written around 70-130 AD (Kee 384)
        
        Such a Greek text could not have been written by a carpenter's son who lived in Palestine, and instead it was written by a Christian who desired to use the credibility of James, (Lowe 439)
      - James Son of Zebedee (brother of John and one of the Twelve), James the son of Alphaeus (on of the Twelve), and James the father of Judas. (Carson 622)
    - - it is extremely doubtful whether any of the Gospels were written so early as A. D. 62, the latest date which can be given to our Epistle
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 630.
    - - Hard to pinpoint (Kee 384)
      - "to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" means it was likely written to a Jewish audience living outside of Palestine, and it is likely intended for more than one church. (Lowe 440)
    - - Many scholars claim it is paraenetic/wisdom literature. Kloppenborg states that paraenetic literature draws on cultural resources of the audience, and for James, that was the Jewish Bible and other related documents. (Kloppenborg 62)
      - various views, but the label of epistle influenced by Jewish/early Christian wisdom is most convincing.
        
        It contains an introduction (1:1), a body (1:2-5:11), and a closing (5:12-20) (Carson 620)
  - - - In Matthew's Gospel one comes to the Sermon on the Mount at the start of his ministry, immediately following his baptism and wilderness temptation.
    - - He also states that the sermon as we have it in the Gospel of Matthew is to be understood in 3 parts; Q material, the development of Q material by the Matthean community, and the work of Matthew himself. (Hartin JQS 442)
  - - - The resemblances between the words of St. James and the recorded words of Christ are such as would naturally arise if he had himself heard Christ’s teaching, and was consciously or unconsciously reproducing what he remembered of it,
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 630.
        
        “The epistle,” says Dr. Scott, “strikes the ear from beginning to end as an echo of the oral teaching of our Lord. There is scarcely a thought in it which cannot be traced to Christ’s personal teaching. If John has lain on the Saviour’s bosom, James has sat at his feet.”
        Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 618.
      - 1 Cor. 15:7 informs us that James became a believer after Jesus made a special appearance to him after his resurrection.
- - - - The letter is thus heavily indebted to the Jesus tradition
        Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 34.
        
        James Hardy Ropes
        
        the Epistle of James omits what may be thought of as some of the chief elements of the Synoptic tradition. First and most conspicuously, is its total lack of reference to the death, burial, or resurrection of Jesus; either as constituting a problem or as figuring in a soteriological program. In this omission, James sets himself apart from practically every other author of the NT, as well as the Apostolic Fathers. (Farmer 18)
        
        James also lacks any reference to ‘the Kingdom of God’ or the ‘Son of Man’ (Farmer 18)
        
        James constituted an early and distinct stage within the sayings traditions of Jesus, which perhaps antedates their final redactions in the Synoptic Gospels. (Farmer
      - Massey H. Shepherd, Jr.
        
        Shepherd argued that James in several places exhibited signs of influence by the Gospels (Matthew and to a lesser extent Luke). He even went so far as to suggest that James’ knowledge of the Jesus tradition was dependent upon a familiarity with Matthew’s Gospel itself. (Farmer 19)
        
        Shepherd identified 15 parallels in James and Matthew, with only 6 similarities which Luke shares in common. (Farmer 23)
      - Hartin
      - Bauckham
        
        Skeptical that James knew any written sources of the Jesus tradition, including the Gospels or Q. (Kopp73)
        
        He advocates that what is witnessed in the book of James with its connection to Jesus' teachings is the same as the relationship between Sirach and Proverbs. (Kopp 73)
        
        Even though Sirach knew Proverbs, he never quotes from it exactly. Only three times in 51 chapters does he reproduce some phrases from Proverbs.
        
        This has led Bauckham to hypothesize that James is inspired by the Jesus tradition, but instead of repeating it, he creates his own wisdom sayings dervived from it.
        
        In other words, the Jesus tradition should not be viewed as a source, but instead as a resource. (Kopp 74)
        
        1 more item...
      - Sophie Laws
        
        While she acknowledges the existence of some parallels in content and vocabulary, she argues that the form and emphasis of many of the parallels are sufficiently dissimilar as to warrant their dismissal. (Farmer 24)
        
        James lacks some of the distinctive Matthean vocabulary, she claims that James use of recognizing teachers (Rabbis) shows an unawareness of Matthew's demonstration of Jesus condemning those called rabbis, she notes the difference between James use of “the poor” and Jesus' use of “the poor in spirit” in Matthew. (Farmer 24 CAN COPY AND PASTE)
      - There are those who believe that the epistle was originally a Jewish work that was later re-worked for Christian purposes. (Kee 384) This view holds that there is no real purposeful connection between the book of James, and the Sermon on the Mount.
        
        Others claim that James worked off of the Gospel of Matthew, but both of these claims fall in the minority view.
    - - Though James never quotes Jesus, he constantly alludes to his words and applies them afresh.
        Daniel M. Doriani, James, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), 11.
        
        he only refers to Jesus twice
        
        Scholars debate how many allusions are made by James, a difficult matter since scholars often can't agree on what constitutes an allusion in the first place.
        
        there is far more evidence of the influence of Christ’s discourses upon the language of St. James than there is of any such influence upon the language of St. Paul. St. Paul tells us much about Christ and His work, but he very rarely reproduces any of His sayings.
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 630.
        
        With St. James it is exactly the opposite; he says very little indeed about Christ, but, without quoting them as such, he frequently reproduces His words. It will be found that the largest number of these coincidences are between St. James and sayings that are recorded by St. Matthew, especially in the Sermon on the Mount.
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 630.
        
        There are a great many parallels between James and the Q source. After reviewing the different views of modern scholarship, this paper will advance the proposition that James is indebted to the Q(m) tradition, and provide 9 comparisons of the text for consideration.
        
        2 more items...
    - - he believes that there are similarities between James and the Sermon on the Mount, but he believes these connections are looser in their connection than others have proposed. (Farmer 32 CAN COPY AND PASTE)
        
        Deppe ultimately concludes that there are no clear indicators that James knew either the completed Synoptic Gospels or the pre-Synoptic Q document. In order to bolster this conclusion, Deppe points to the fact that James never cites the sayings of Jesus in the same manner in which he references the OT (i.e. through introduction formula). (Farmer 32)
  - - - General Literary Shape
        
        2. Emphasis on doing rather than merely hearing (Matt 7:24–27; Jas 1:22–25).
        
        3. Both emphasize integrity, wholeness, and congruence between inner and outer life.
        
        Both texts arranged as tightly packed ethical instruction.
      - Use of Wisdom and Proverbs
        
        • Aphoristic, imagery-rich instruction in both Jesus’ sermon and James’s letter.
        
        • Frequent contrast between wise vs. foolish (Matt 7:24–27; Jas 1:5–8; 3:13–18).
        
        the thoughts not linked in logical connection, but massed in groups of short sentences, like the proverbial sayings of the Jews; with which class of literature the writer was evidently familiar.
        Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 619.
        
        Hartin claims that James was very much influenced by Jewish wisdom, while also claiming that James puts his own unique stamp upon earlier wisdom teaching. (Hartin 482 CTBP)
        
        Both Jesus and James teach those under the care to strive after perfection. In line with Jewish tradition, James claims that wisdom comes from above as a gift through the means of prayer (Hartin 480 CTBP)
      - Eschatological Frame
        
        • “Blessed are…” (Matt 5) versus “Blessed is the man…” (Jas 1:12).
        
        • A future-oriented reward for righteousness.
    - - Poverty, Wealth, and humility
        
        Sermon on the Mount: Matt 5:3; 6:19–24
        
        James: Jas 1:9–11; 2:1–7; 5:1–6
        
        • Both emphasize God’s favor toward the poor.
        
        • Both warn against oppression and partiality.
        
        • The theme of heavenly vs. earthly treasure.
        
        • Social reversal and kingdom values
      - Wisdom, Ethical Integrity and Perfection (Teleios)
        
        Sermon: Matt 5:48 (“Be perfect…”)
        
        The call to be perfect to the rich young ruler in Matt. 19:21
        
        James: Jas 1:4-5; 3:2
        
        The rare use of teleios as spiritual-moral completeness.
        
        This example helps to demonstrate James influence by the Q(m) tradition. Luke focuses on Jesus' emphasis on mercy from the Sermon on the Mount, while Matthew focuses on perfection (teleios) as the end goal of a disciple committed to God, the same as James. (Hartin CTBP 485)
        
        • Wisdom as the foundation of resilient discipleship.
        
        There is a connection between suffering and persecution. James highlights that endurance through trials and persecution brings about the virtue of perfection, and Matthew's gospel makes clear that the true follower is not kept from his total commitment to the Lord due to the persecutions and suffering experienced. (Hartin 487 CTBP)
        
        Both traditions of Matthew (11:25-27) and James (3:13-18) share in common the view that wisdom finds its origins in God as the source and is the greatest of his gifts. (Hartin CTBP 489)
        
        Both traditions show a tie between meekness and wisdom. In James 3:13 good works are to be done in gentleness (πραδτητι), which is harmony with Matthew's call for Jesus' followers to meekness (Matt. 11:28-30) (Hartin CTBP 490)
      - Trials,Testing, & Joy
        
        Sermon: Matt 5:11–12; 6:25–34; 7:24–27
        
        James: Jas 1:2–12; 5:7–11
        
        The term blessed relates to the Beatitudes of Jesus. Matthew records a series of nine such statements (5:3–11) in the Sermon on the Mount.
        Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of James and the Epistles of John, vol. 14, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 46.
        
        • Both encourage joy amid trials.
        
        Both traditions offer the promise of reward for Christians who endures through trials and persecution. James speaks to the "crown of life" (1:12) for those who endure, and Jesus commands one "rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven." (Hartin CTBP 487)
        
        James 1:2 (Πάσαν χαράν) and Matthew 5:12 (χαίρΕτΕ
        χαί άγαλλίάσθΕ) both call to rejoice (Hartin 450 JQS)
        
        Both see trials and sufferings as originating from outside sources, and that even though the Christian doesn't seek out the trouble, they are accepted with joy because of the eschatological reward that follows. (Hartin 450 JQS)
        
        • Both emphasize trust in God rather than anxious striving.
      - Teachings on Speech and Anger
        
        Sermon: Matt 5:21–26; 5:33–37; 7:1–5
        
        James: Jas 1:19–20; 3:1–12; 4:11–12; 5:9
        
        of hell—that is, of the devil. Greek, “Gehenna”; found here only and in Mt 5:22. James has much in common with the Sermon on the Mount
        Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 490.
        
        • Anger’s destructive power.
        
        • Speech ethics: integrity in words, truthfulness, consistency.
        
        • James 5:12 directly parallels Matt 5:34–37 on oaths.
        
        James concludes his admonition by saying that if you fail to speak the truth, “you will be condemned.” A literal translation of this clause is, “so that you may not fall under judgment” (NASB). That is, God’s judgment strikes anyone who carelessly swears an oath and fails to uphold the truth. Says Jesus to the Pharisees of his day, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36–37).
        Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of James and the Epistles of John, vol. 14, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 172–173.
        
        Here appears the closest thing to a direct quote from the Jesus tradition in any text in James
        Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 236.
        
        It will be obvious that whatever this relation may be, the meaning of our Lord’s injunction determines the meaning of St. James in his injunction. It is hardly worth arguing that he did not mean either more or less than Christ meant.
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 628.
        
        both in the Sermon on the Mount and here the prohibition of swearing has special reference to giving vent to one’s feelings in oaths when one is exasperated by injury or adversity. No kind of oath is allowable for any such purpose.
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 628.
      - Moral Consistency and Hypocrisy
        
        Sermon: Matt 6:1–18; 7:15–23
        
        James: Jas 1:22–27; 2:14–26
        
        • Doing vs. hearing (James) corresponds to doing vs. mere speaking (Jesus).
        
        • Avoiding empty religious performance and producing real fruit.
        
        • Faith must be embodied in actions.
      - Mercy, Peacemaking, and Community Harmony
        
        Sermon: Matt 5:7, 9, 23–24; 6:14–15; 7:12
        
        James: Jas 2:8–13; 3:13–18; 4:1–12
        
        as people “murder” out of envy and are “adulterous” in their relationship with God. Another option is to look at the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 5:21–30, where these are the two laws out of the Ten Commandments that Jesus picks out to expand.
        Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 119.
        
        • Mercy triumphing over judgment (Jas 2:13).
        
        The beatitude speaks of the one who gives mercy as receiving mercy from God, and James states in 2:13 that "judgement is without mercy to him who shows no mercy." (JQS Hartin 448)
        
        Four of the virtues found in James 3:17-18, Purity of heart, peacemaking, gentleness, and mercy are mirrored in Matthew's beatitudes. (Hartin CTBP 489-490)
        
        • Calls for reconciliation and control of relational conflict.
        
        Only two text in all of the New Testament speak to peacemaking as being something humans are capable of doing; Matthew 5:9 and James 3:18. (JQS Hartin 448)
        
        Both Matthew 5:7 and James 2:13 share the term έλεος
        
        James 4:8 and Matthew 5:8 employ similar use of the words αθαρίσατΕ (χαθαροί) and χαρδία. (Hartin 449 JQS)
      - Prayer, Dependence on God, and Divine Generosity
        
        Sermon: Matt 6:5–13; 7:7–11
        
        James: Jas 1:5–6; 4:2–3; 5:13–18
        
        • Asking God with confidence.
        
        • Proper motives in prayer.
        
        • Emphasis on God’s generous character.
      - Law, Obedience, and Righteousness
        
        • James 1:22–25 – “Be doers of the word, not hearers only”
        
        Both traditions highlight the importance of demonstrating one's faith through action.
        
        “Doers of the word” (ποιηταὶ λόγου) employs an objective genitive, denoting God’s commands that we should obey. With the Sermon on the Mount as key background for James’s instruction, the parallel with Mt 7:24–27 again comes readily to mind, especially with Jesus’ words in the parable of the two builders:
        Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 89.
        
        Jesus tells his followers to let their light shine for the world to see that those who witness their lives may give glory to God, which has shaped James' call to be doers of the Word.
        
        • Matthew 7:21–27 – “Everyone who hears... and does them will be like a wise man”
        
        • The ethical use of the Law, “royal law” (James 2:8, cf. Matthew 7:12).
        
        One can see from a brief look at the teachings of Jesus and James that both call for a perfect fulfillment of the law. Jesus teaches that not one letter or stroke of the pen will pass until all of the law is accomplished (Matt. 5:18), and James states that whoever is guilty of breaking the law in one area, is guilty of having broken all of the law (James 2:10)
        
        One can see how wisdom, law, and perfection all converge for both Jesus and James as the aim of the life of a disciple.
        
        Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven." (Matt. 7:21) which displays harmony with James stating in 2:18 "But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works'. Show me your faith apart from works, and I by my works will show you my faith."
      - Warnings About Judgment and Eschatology
        
        • Imagery of coming judgment and accountability.
        
        • Shared warning that God is the ultimate judge.
        
        James: Jas 4:11–12; 5:1–9
        
        Sermon: Matt 7:1–5, 13–23
    - - 3:12
        
        The example is reminiscent of the question Jesus asked in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matt. 7:16).
        Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of James and the Epistles of John, vol. 14, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 116.
- - - - One such emphasis was the need to express genuine faith through works.
        
        Since for James works are the expression and not the foundation of salvation, he stands in harmony with Jesus who taught that man must be born again, and yet, the tree is known by its fruit.
  - - - They suffice to show how full the mind of St. James must have been of the teaching of Jesus Christ, and they lead to the highly probable conjecture that in other parts of the Epistle we have reminiscences of Christ’s words of which we have no record in the Gospels.
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 630.
- - - - • Is James dependent on a written or oral version of the Sermon, or independent use of shared traditions?
        
        Most likely James depended on memory and not on manuscript when he wrote these words. If the Epistle of James was written in the first part of the first century of the Christian era, the writer would have taken these words from the oral gospel preached by the apostles and the apostolic helpers.
        Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of James and the Epistles of John, vol. 14, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 172.
        
        the work of the Lord’s brother, who had personal experience of Christ’s conversation, and was independent of both the oral and the written tradition of His teaching.
        Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude,” in The Expositor’s Bible: Ephesians to Revelation, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll, vol. 6, Expositor’s Bible (Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co., 1903), 630.
        
        J.B Mayor believed that since James was the brother of Jesus, he was deeply shaped by the thought and manner or speech of Jesus, that he ended up writing in a style akin to Jesus. (Kopp 73)
- - - - This is best understood to take place not because James was using the Gospel of Matthew for his account. Rather, James was written before the Matthew's Gospel, and therefore was likely using the Matthean community's Q source.