While our book of James is written in a letter form, there are no personal messages contained in it, for it is actually another literary form popular in the ancient world, a paracnesis or moral instruction. Proverbs in the Old Testament is also a moral instruction, and although other books have sections of such instruction, these are the two best examples in Scripture of this form. James does borrow from other writers in his letter, however. He has several quotations from the “Holiness Chapter” of Leviticus 19, he takes from two Apocryphal books, and he also relates freely from the Sermon on the Mount.
In the chart below, you can see the Leviticus references:
| James | Leviticus Quotations |
| 2:1 | 19:15 |
| 2:8 | 19:18 |
| 2:9 | 19:15 |
| 4:11 | 19:16 |
| 5:4 | 19:13 |
| 5:9 | 19:18 |
| 5:12 | 19:12 |
| 5:20 | 19:17 |
The two Apocryphal books that influenced James’ thinking are the books Ecclesiasticus, written c. 180 B.C. (sometimes called Sirach) and the Wisdom of Solomon, written c. 30 B.C. The Apocrypha is a collection of books not accepted as Canon by either Jews or Protestants, but which must have been familiar to James. In the chart below is a list of James verses that bear strong resemblance to these two works:
| Topic | James | Ecclesiasticus | Wisdom |
| Patience | 1:2-4 | 1:23 | |
| Wisdom | 1:5 | 1:26 | |
| Doubt | 1:6-8 | 2:28 | |
| Trials | 1:12 | 2:1-5 | |
| Temptation | 1:13 | 15:11-12 | |
| Hearing | 1:19 | 5:11 | |
| Rich and Poor | 2:6 | 13:19 | 2:10 |
| Mercy | 2:13 | 6:6 | |
| Brevity of Life | 4:13-16 | 5:8-14 | |
| Money | 5:3 | 29:10 | |
| Righteous Killed | 5:6 | 2:12, 20 | |
| Pray for the Sick | 5:14 | 38:9 |
James’ use of these references is interesting in that he doesn’t formally quote any of them as inspired Scripture, but instead uses them more as time honored traditions of wisdom within a very loose structure. As a consequence, it is very difficult to identify any real theme or outline as we might expect to do in other New Testament writings.
Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll have another bonus post on James’ use of the teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount.
Life Project Blog 
Seems like, especially if James’ is the first of the New Testament writings, he works here to do some preliminary “theology” for the 12 tribes of the diaspora. You point out a fascinating thing about his writing. He doesn’t so much “quote” and “footnote” in an academic or legalistic style. His writing is not expressed as a “case” or a “proof”, as we often see in Paul’s style. So he doesn’t reference the Law and the Prophets as “grounds” for his case, or “axioms” for his proof.
James “weaves” rather than “grounds”. You have demonstrated or highlighted James’ use of his references as “shared culture”, as “common ground”, tying together the Gospel of Jesus Christ (unfamiliar, and maligned by Jewish opponents), and the moral teaching of Christianity… with the familiar teaching of the Law and the Wisdom tradition of accepted scholarship.
I’ve often heard the Book of James spoken of as a bit “rustic” or “unsophisticated”, lacking the polish and well laid out structure and classical argumentative style of Paul’s writings. Generally this is ascribed to James’ lack of Paul’s formal training, or even the early dating of the manuscript and writing.
But perhaps all of that kind of reasoning misses the point entirely. Perhaps James was writing for an entirely different audience, with a wholly other purpose than Paul. James was not at all trying to “prove a case”, or even “educated believers from milk to meat”. Perhaps James was “introducing Jesus the Messiah to the 12 tribes of the dispersal”, and introduced Him through His moral teachings… and nested that within those moral teachings from traditional sources. So Jesus appears before them surrounded by “old friends”.
Paul’s phrase “so great a cloud of witnesses” seems to echo here.
Anyway, thanks for a great post. I never looked at James this way before. Neat!
Thanks LM, coming from you that means a lot!
It’s kind of interesting how our academic bias kicks in, even those of us who would like to think we no longer have any bias of that sort. We almost expect a “case” to made, or an argument developed to “prove” something, and when James doesn’t do it, we’re a little surprised. Many would then just prefer to quote him out of context when it helps us “prove” our points, rather than actually study him, as is so often done.But maybe we all should learn from his approach.
Where is it written that we must always have a theological point to “prove” anyway?
No, it isn’t written anywhere, but…here comes our academic bias… we are trained to “prove” things to other academics so they will see that I am right. Why not just lead people to Jesus, and let Him take care of the rest?
This chart shows how these other books are connected with the New Testament. I appreciate your work on these books. I have not seen anyone show this kind of comparison before.
Maybe in some quarters it’s considered indelicate, but it’s true anyway! 🙂
And this is the reason I am so glad He connected me to you. Love your work. And very glad my lord has not called me, thus far, to have any talent in this area. The body of Christ at work. None of us clones. All of us adding. Wonderful stuff Don.
Thanks Paul. Maybe this is like your orchestra again!
ABsolutely love the chart demonstration. Nah the NT wasn’t made up as some believe. vw
Made up? Definitely not!
🙂