Studies in the Epistle of James — A Closer Reading

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Authors: Robertson, A. T., 1863-1934 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2015 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Bible. James -- Commentaries Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Reading time 297 min

Text sections 8

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A.T. Robertson's expository lectures on the Epistle of James, revised and expanded, examine the Greek text's diction, rhetorical structures, and social context, emphasizing practical Christianity and the control of speech.

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sympathetic with His work would also act as a restraining force upon him. The brother of Jesus (see also Jude 1) naturally would wish to make his appeal on the same plane as the other teachers of the gospel. He rejoices in the title of “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” just as Paul did later (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Titus 1:1) and as Jude, the brother of James, did (Jude 1).

Paul, however, added the term “apostle” in Romans 1:1 and Titus 1:1 which James and Jude do not employ. None of them were members of the twelve, although Paul claimed apostleship on a par with the twelve (1 Cor. 9:1 f.; 15:8; 2 Cor. 12:11 f.). And yet Paul implies (Gal. 1:19) that James also is an apostle[4] in a true sense of that term. Like Paul, he had seen the risen Lord (1 Cor. 15:7). But James, though one of the pillars at Jerusalem with Peter and John (Gal. 2:9), is content with the humbler word “slave.” He is the bondsman of the Lord Jesus Christ as well as of God and so is a Christian in the full sense of the term.

He places Jesus on a par with God and uses Christ as a part of the name. He identifies his brother Jesus with the Messiah of the Old Testament and the fulfilment of the hopes and aspirations of true Judaism. One must perceive that the term “Christ” in the mouth of James carries its full content and is used deliberately. He adds also “Lord,” which has here the Old Testament connotation of worship. It is not a mere polite term for station or courtesy. The use of “Lord” by the side of “God” places James unquestionably in the ranks of worshipers of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. See also James 2:1, “faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I consider it settled that James was not the cousin of Jesus, the son of the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. There is no doubt that the Greek word for brother is used for members of a brotherhood in the current Greek of the first century A.D., just as we find it so frequently in the New Testament. This usage does not apply to the brothers of Jesus referred to in the Gospels (John 2:12; Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:55; John 7:3). In Matthew 12:46, 49 we find both the literal and the figurative use of “brother” side by side. In this looser sense anyone may be called “brother.”

In Leviticus 10:4 the first cousins of Aaron are termed “brethren,” but this instance does not justify the constant use of the word in the Gospels for a definite group of persons as brothers of Jesus if they were only cousins. Besides, they appear constantly with Mary, the mother of Jesus, as members of her family. The use of “sisters” increases the argument for the common use of the word (Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:56). There are many other difficulties in the way of this position, such as the fact of two sisters with the name of Mary and the identification of Alphaeus and Clopas.

The theory that James and the other brothers and sisters were all children of Joseph by a former marriage (step-brother theory) is free from the difficulty about the word “brother” and is not inconceivable in itself. Unfortunately there are critical objections to it, for Jesus is not called “only begotten” of Mary but “firstborn” in Luke 2:7: “She brought forth her firstborn son.”

Jesus is “only begotten” of God (John 1:18), as the widow of Nain had an only son (Luke 7:12) and Jairus an only daughter (Luke 8:42). But “firstborn” occurs in the true sense all through the Septuagint (cf. Gen. 27:19, 32; 43:33; Deut. 21:15), where there were other children. The inscriptions show it in the true sense. The New Testament instances of “firstborn” are all strictly correct from this standpoint, even Colossians 1:15 and Romans 8:29. “Firstborn” implies other children. Besides, the natural meaning of Matthew 1:25 leads to the same conclusion.

The theory (brother or half-brother theory) that Jesus and James were sons of the same mother, Mary, may be said to hold the field against the others. In fact, it is most likely that both of the other theories grew out of the desire to secure a greater imaginary sanctity for Mary under the impression that she was more holy if she bore only Jesus and did not live as wife with Joseph. But this is contrary to all Jewish sentiment, and certainly there is nothing in the Gospels to countenance this notion but much to contradict it. We conclude, therefore, that James, the author of the epistle, is the brother of Jesus.

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Robertson's study opens with a striking lexical observation: James does not call himself an apostle but 'a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,' a choice that Robertson highlights as deliberate humility. Throughout the lectures, Robertson repeatedly returns to the Greek text, parsing words like peirasmos (trial/temptation) and noting how James's vocabulary differs from Paul's. He also draws on classical sources—Seneca, Epictetus, and the Wisdom of Sirach—to illuminate James's moral arguments. The result is a commentary that feels less like a systematic theology and more like a series of lively, applied talks, originally delivered at the Northfield Bible Conference in 1912.

The Tongue as a Test of Perfection

Robertson devotes considerable attention to James 3:2, where the phrase 'stumbleth not in word' is parsed as a test of moral completeness. He notes that the Greek verb ptaiein (to stumble) appears in Epictetus for 'commit a fault,' but James uses it to expose a deeper standard: the person who controls speech is 'a perfect man.' Robertson underscores the teacher's vulnerability, citing Luke 11:53–54 where scribes and Pharisees 'lay wait' to catch Jesus in his words. The chemical reaction of talk, he remarks, is a test we cannot refuse.

Bridling the Body Through Speech

The metaphor of the bridle (James 1:26; 3:2b–3) is unpacked with vivid detail. Robertson calls the tongue 'a real Bucephalus' that requires an Alexander to master. He observes that the bridle controls the horse's mouth, and thus the whole body follows—a physical illustration of how speech governs action. Drawing on Psalm 39:1 ('I will keep my mouth with a bridle'), he argues that self-control is not accidental but deliberate: 'We are to repress the impulsive and petulant word.' The tongue loose at both ends, he warns, means a man without true self-control.

Classical and Jewish Parallels in James's Ethics

Robertson frequently situates James's sayings within a broader moral tradition. He compares James's admission that 'we all stumble' to Seneca's peccamus omnes and contrasts Epictetus's weak conception of sin. The discussion of speech also invokes Sirach 28:12–26 for 'pungent remarks on the tongue.' Robertson's method is comparative: he treats James not as isolated revelation but as a voice in a conversation that includes Greek philosophers and Jewish wisdom literature. This approach gives the lectures a scholarly texture while keeping them accessible.

The Rhetoric of Practical Christianity

Robertson's own prose mirrors the directness he admires in James. He avoids technical jargon, placing Greek terms in parentheses or footnotes so that 'those who do not know Greek may still read this book with entire ease.' The lectures were originally spoken to a live audience, and the written version retains a conversational rhythm: short sentences, rhetorical questions, and concrete examples (e.g., 'Smart lawyers often try to trip a witness in his talk'). Robertson's goal is not exhaustive commentary but 'expository talks based on sober, up-to-date scholarship and applied to modern life.'

Readers approaching Robertson's work will find a guide that moves briskly through the epistle, pausing on key Greek terms and their implications for conduct. The book is best read with a Bible open alongside, as Robertson frequently cites cross-references and variant readings. His emphasis on the tongue's power and the social dimensions of faith offers a focused lens for understanding James's practical theology, without pretending to cover every verse in equal depth.

Over the years, I’ve found that Robertson’s careful parsing of James—how a guarded tongue reveals a whole heart—sits quietly beside another ancient text’s tender, unguarded words. Both demand a slow ear, not a quick glance. That other book, The Song of Songs Translated from the Original Hebrew, with a Commentary, Historical and Critical — Key Ideas to Explore, shares a similar reverence for the weight of every syllable spoken.