[1]Our “James” comes through the Italian “Giacomo.” The name is common
enough in the first century A.D.
[2]For careful discussion of the authenticity of the epistle, see J. B.
Mayor, _The Epistle of St. James_ (New York: Macmillan and Co.,
1910), pp. xlvii-lxvii; Alfred Plummer, “The General Epistles of St.
James and St. Jude,” _The Expositor’s Bible_, ed. W. Robertson
Nicoll (New York: Hodder & Stroughton, 1891), pp. 13-24.
[3]See Mayor, _ibid._, p. iv.
[4]Barnabas is also called an apostle in Acts 14:4, 14.
[5]William Patrick, _James, the Lord’s Brother_ (New York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons, 1906), p. 23.
[6]_Ibid._, p. 25.
[7]G. A. Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_, trans. L. R. M.
Strachan (New York: Macmillan and Co., 1913), p. 242.
[8]George Milligan, _New Testament Documents, Their Origin and Early
History_ (New York: George H. Doran Co., 1910), p. 111.
[9]Mayor, _op. cit._, pp. ccv-ccxiii.
[10]Milligan, _loc. cit._
[11]Mayor, _op. cit._, p. cxcii.
[12]A. T. Robertson, _A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light
of Historical Research_ (New York: George H. Doran Co., 1915), p.
123.
[13]Charles Taylor, _Saying of the Jewish Fathers_ (New York: G. P.
Putnam’s Sons, 1898), Appendix 97.
[14]Patrick, _op. cit._, p. 46.
[15]The tense expresses a long-standing attitude.
[16]Patrick, _op. cit._, p. 60.
[17]The same verb occurs here as in the other appearances of Jesus.
[18]J. A. Broadus (comp.), _Harmony of the Gospels_ (New York: A. C.
Armstrong & Son, 1893), p. 229.
[19]Patrick, _op. cit._, p. 67.
[20]R. W. Dale, _The Epistle of James and Other Discourses_ (New York:
Hodder & Stroughton, 1895), p. 5.
[21]_Op. cit._, p. xxxvii.
[22]James Orr, _The Resurrection of Jesus_ (New York: George H. Doran
Co., 1908); Thorburn, _The Resurrection Narratives and Modern
Criticism_.
[23]Patrick, _op. cit._, p. 78.
[24]_St. Paul_, i., p. 233.
[25]See his commentary on James and his article on the epistle in James
Hastings, _A Dictionary of the Bible_ (New York: Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1899), II, 540-48.
[26]Plummer, _op. cit._, pp. 61 f.; Patrick, _op. cit._, chap. V.
[27]Cf. Maurice Jones, _The New Testament in the Twentieth Century_ (New
York: Macmillan and Co., 1914), p. 321.
[28]For a fuller presentation of the matter from the standpoint of Paul,
see my _Epochs in the Life of Paul_ (New York: Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1914), chapter VII. I identify the visit to Jerusalem in
Galatians 2:1-10 and Acts 15, in spite of the arguments of Sir W. M.
Ramsay to the contrary.
[29]Cf. J. B. Lightfoot, _Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians_ (New
York: Macmillan and Co., 1913).
[30]A hint that they had not always seen it this way.
[31]_Op. cit._, p. 188.
[32]_Ibid._, p. 191.
[33]F. J. A. Hort, _Judaistic Christianity_ (New York: Macmillan and
Co., n.d.), p. 81.
[34]_Ibid._, p. 106.
[35]This “informing” was done by the Judaizers, who dinned it into the
ears of the people.
[36]Hypotyp. vii. apud Eusebius H. E., II. l. 3.
[37]Also preserved in Eusebius H. E., II. xxiii. 4-18.
[38]Ant. xx. ix. 1. It is interesting to note that Prof. F. C. Burkitt,
of Cambridge University, has boldly championed the genuineness of
Josephus’ testimony to Jesus.
[39]_The Expositor_, VII. iv. p. 45 ff.
[40]_Op. cit._, p. 112.
[41]_A New Translation of the New Testament._ Besides, in 3:9 James
speaks of “the Lord and Father” (God).
[42]Plummer, _op. cit._, p. 47.
[43]Einl. i. 5, 6.
[44]Plummer, _op. cit._, p. 46.
[45]_Op. cit._, p. 316.
[46]_Op. cit._, p. 298.
[47]W. E. Oesterley, “The General Epistle of James,” _The Expositor’s
Greek Testament_, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll (Grand Rapids: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, n.d.), IV, 63.
[48]Plummer, _op. cit._, p. 63.
[49]Lectures on the Epistle of James, p. 73.
[50]See Plummer, _op. cit._, pp. 72 f., for proof.
[51]The late J. Pierpont Morgan testified before a committee of the U.
S. Senate that he loaned money primarily on character, not financial
ability.
[52]_Op. cit._, p. 88.
[53]There is the utmost contrast between this use of “humble” and that
in Epictetus, with whom humility is an object of scorn and contempt,
a meanness unworthy of man. See bk. III, chap., ii, § 14. Cf. Sharp,
_Epictetus and the New Testament_, pp. 130, 133.
[54]Cf. Deissmann, _op. cit._, p. 392; _St. Paul: A Study in Social and
Religious History_, trans. by Lionel R. M. Strachan (New York:
George H. Doran Co., 1912), p. 47.
[55]Acta Philippi, Apocal. Apocr. Cf. Resch, Agrapha, 1889, p. 254.
[56]Cf. Mayor, _op. cit._, p. 54 f. The devil tried to tempt even
Christ, the Son of God.
[57]Bengel puts it thus: _Peccatum morte gravidum nascitur_. The Targum
of Jonathan says that imagination of sin is sinful.
[58]“Wages” means literally the rations of a soldier. The pay of sin is
death, and it is always paid.
[59]“Good” is here used in the sense of absolute, not relative goodness.
[60]But see Robertson, _Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light
of Historical Research_, _op. cit._, p. 1200.
[61]Bengel says: _voluntate amantissima, liberrima, purissima,
foecundissima_.
[62]The inscriptions (Ditt., _Syll._, 587^268) use the word for the
first fruits to Demeter and Kore, but James Hope Moulton and George
Milligan, _Vocabulary of the Greek Testament_ (New York: George H.
Doran Co., 1915), p. 54, give many examples from the papyri and the
inscriptions where “gift” or “sacrifice” seems sufficient.
[63]J. Rendel Harris, “The Elements of a Progressive Church,” _Present
Day Papers_, May, 1901.
[64]_Taylor_, _op. cit._, p. 63.
[65]The Hebrew (Psalm 82:2) originally had the idea of lifting the face
with a view to comfort. Partiality was a subordinate development.
Cf. H. St. John Thackeray, _Grammar of the Old Testament Greek
According to the Septuagint_ (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1909),
pp. 43 ff. The Greek idiom has only the bad meaning and comes from
taking off the mask. See Luke 20:21; Gal. 2:3 f. for the full idiom.
[66]Deissmann, _St. Paul: A Study in Social and Religious History_,
_loc. cit._, p. 47.
[67]_Ibid._
[68]_The Gospel of Jesus and the Problems of Democracy_ (New York:
Macmillan and Co., 1914), p. 46.
[69]Codex D adds to Luke 6:4: “On the same day seeing a certain man
working on the Sabbath, he said to him, ‘Man, if you know what you
are doing you are blessed; if you do not know you are accursed and a
transgressor of the law.’” But this logion does not compare
sabbath-breaking with other sins, though it does emphasize insight
into the motive of the act.
[70]Maim. on Mishnah, Sanhedrin xi. 1.
[71]The article here has almost the original demonstrative force. James
means the kind of faith that rests on mere assertion without works
to prove it.
[72]One may compare Paul’s habit of answering an imaginary objector in
the development of his argument. See Romans 2:1; 9:20.
[73]Aorist tense and so punctiliar—know once for all—with almost a touch
of impatience in the tense.
[74]See Lightfoot, _loc. cit._
[75]In Hermas (_Sim._ 9:22) we read of teachers who “wish to be
self-appointed teachers, fools though they are.”
[76]Cf. Hermas, _Mand._ 12. 1.
[77]Cf., however, John 3:8 and 1 Peter 3:17.
[78]The Midr. Rabb. on Levit. (xiv. 2) xvi has _quanta incendia lingua
excitat_ (Mayor).
[79]Cf. Jude 23. Cf. also James 1:27 and 2 Peter 2:13. One thinks of the
smoke and soot of slander, besmirching all that it touches.
[80]Seneca (Ep. XIII. 2. 25) says: _Non nascitur itaque ex malo bonun,
non magis quam ficus ex olea._
[81]Cf. Jude 19. See also 1 Cor. 15:45 for a distinction between these
words.
[82]The verb means to distinguish, but the resultant idea is extremely
variable.
[83]The Vulgate has _sine simulatione_. The Greek word is used of the
actor’s mask and then for mere imitation, hypocrisy.
[84]See both terms also in 4 Macc. 5:23. See also Philo, M. 1, p. 445.
[85]Cf. Swete, _Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek_, ed. H. St.
John Thackeray (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1900), p. 567.
[86]See Robertson, _Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of
Historical Research_, _op. cit._, p. 805. In prayer one must seek
with passion. Since the middle voice denotes more earnestness, it is
quite frequent in the papyri.
[87]The cosmos was originally “order.” The order and beauty of God’s
world are attractive to the right-minded man (Rom. 1:20). It is
applied to the people of the earth (John 1:29) and then to the
believers who are alienated from God (John 8:23; 12:31), to this
world which the devil rules (John 14:30; 1 John 5:19), whose spirit
is hostile to that of Christ (1 Cor. 2:12), against which James has
already (1:25) warned his readers.
[88]Moulton and Milligan, _op. cit._, p. 2.
[89]Westcott and Hort read in the margin, “the things of the to-morrow
day.”
[90]At harvest time there is always special demand for laborers at
higher wages than usual, to save the ripe grain before it perishes.
[91]Note Heb. 4:1. The word occurs in the papyri for “a bath
insufficiently warmed.”
[92]Eusebius, H. E. ii. 23 (taken from Hegesippus).
[93]Deissmann, _Bible Studies: Contributions Chiefly from Papyri and
Inscriptions_ (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1901), p. 198.
[94]Plummer notes that the Epistle of James shows more coincidences with
the words of Jesus than all of Paul’s epistles and that all of them
deal with the morality of the gospel, with conduct and life. This is
all as the circumstances would lead us to expect.
[95]The use of the present imperative in prohibition rather than the
aorist subjunctive implies that the thing was being done. That is
probably true, for church members have been known to be guilty of
this sin. However, it is possible for this tense to prohibit the
habit rather than the single act. “Keep on not swearing.” See
Robertson, _Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of
Historical Research_, _op. cit._, pp. 851-54.
[96]Deissmann, _Bible Studies: Contributions Chiefly from Papyri and
Inscriptions_, _op. cit._, pp. 154 f., 233 f.
[97]See extensive discussion in Mayor. The New Testament usage favors
the middle, but the passive is also in use, and either makes good
sense.
[98]The passive voice does not have its technical force here as in Rev.
18:23 but rather is more like the middle in sense as in Deut. 22:1
and probably (Mayor) in Luke 21:8; 2 Peter 2:15. The passive is
constantly making inroads on the middle in Koine Greek.