James 2:1-17

For our third reading in The Letter of James, we move on to chapter two: James 2:1-17.

We will see the main themes in James reported, but also added to, as we read along. Note how bias, the relative relationships of rich and poor, and the relationship between faith and works all show up again.

Do you believe James is anti-rich? Why might he make and repeat his distinction between rich and poor as a matter of faith?

I have noted that James is a very “Jewish” letter. Note how the Law of Moses shows up in James 2:8-13. How does he summarize this in James 2:13?

Paul regarded faith in Jesus Christ as the basis of salvation from sin and death, as he brilliantly demonstrated in the Letter to the Romans. Martin Luther called The Letter of James “a gospel of straw” for its seeming contradiction of Paul, and its insistence on works. When you read James 2:17, do you agree with Luther? Do you see a way that James does not differ with Paul in content, but in emphasis?