The Epistle of James has long been a reminder that the Tree of Life-Christ's Cross and Gospel-was planted in rich, Jewish soil. James, steeped in Israel's wisdom literature, law, and prophets, and set aflame by his encounter with the Risen One, passionately addresses matters of spiritual life and death. Shane Kapler looks at the epistle through the eyes of its first-century Jewish-Christian readers, unpacking its lavish content and showing how this inspired text has yielded, century after century, abundant fruit for the Church. Discover how:
- James, Paul, Peter, and John all agree in their teaching on justification
- A distinction was drawn between "works of the law" and works accomplished by grace
- Final salvation is a synergy of faith and graced works
- Our sufferings, when united to Christ's, become conduits of grace for us and others
- Tradition acted as a source for the written gospels
- Social and economic justice are integral to Christianity
- The sacrament of the anointing of the sick effects spiritual and physical healing
- God responds in powerful, miraculous ways to the prayers of his holy ones
Readers will also find an in-depth explanation of James's identity as a "brother of the Lord," and what the historical reception of his epistle reveals about the formation of the New Testament canon and Christ's mechanism for overcoming doctrinal divisions.
