JAMES, The Book of, Sylvester Hassell James was not an apostle, but the brother of the Lord, and the first pastor of the church in Jerusalem, where he died a martyr. He was a man of the most exemplary piety, being called even by the Jews “the Just,” and he enjoyed almost apostolic authority, especially in Judea and among Jewish Christians. He had high regard for the Mosaic Law. His epistle is addressed to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad,” and is directed against a one-sided, speculative, dead, Antinomian faith, and shows the practical, ethical side of the doctrine of Christ.
James exhorts his readers to good works of faith, warns them against a merely nominal orthodoxy, covetousness, pride, and worldliness, and comforts them in view of present and future trials and persecutions. Though meager in doctrine, it is rich in comfort and lessons of holy living, based on faith in Jesus Christ, “the Lord of glory.” It is a commentary upon Christ’s sermon on the mount. James was unwilling to impose the yoke of circumcision upon the Gentiles (Acts 15:19,20), and he recognized Paul as the Apostle of the Gentiles, giving him the right hand of fellowship (Gal. 2:9).
There is no real contradiction between James and Paul on the subject of faith and works. James says: “Faith is dead without works.” Paul says: “Works are dead without faith.” Both are right; James in opposition to dead orthodoxy, Paul in opposition to self-righteous legalism. James does not demand works without faith, but works prompted by faith; while Paul, on the other hand, likewise declares faith worthless which is without love, though it removes mountains. James looks mainly at the fruit, Paul at the root.
Paul solves the difficulty in one phrase—“faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6). By faith Paul never means dead faith, but James sometimes does. James maintains the absolute necessity of living faith (James 1:3,6; 2:1,5,18,22, 23,26; 5:15); and Paul emphasizes the value of good works as evidencing our faith, profiting others, and glorifying God (Rom. 2:13; 12-16; I Cor. 16: 2 Cor. 9; Gal. 5:6; Eph. 2:10; 5:6; Col. 1:10; 3,4; Philip. 4; 2 Thess. 2:17; 1 Tim. 2:10; 5:10; 6;18; 2 Tim. 3:17; Tit. 2:7-14; 3:8). Paul’s life of self-sacrificing labors for Christ peaks more loudly on the importance of works of love than all his writings.” (Hassell’s History pg 211)