Smoodock's Blog

I believe the epistle of James was written at least partially in code, and this was done for the safety of many of the believers still living in Jerusalem, Judea and Galilee. If Annas was indeed behind an empire wide effort to destroy the nascent church, he would have been given a copy of James’ letter by one of the false brethren Annas had planted in the churches abroad.[1] Notice that James had sent his letter during a time of trial (James 1:2). James’ letter comes at a time when some very impressive men had arisen within the churches, in the form of converts or perhaps visitors (James 2:1-3). In any event, James reminded believers that it was such as these who had oppressed them in the past, and had charged them of wrongdoing in the courts. What seems to have occurred was: these high ranking Jews (visitors or recent ‘converts’) were being favorably treated above the faithful who were not so highly recognized in Jewish society.

In an effort to expose the wrongdoing, James picked two matters for consideration out of the Law, adultery and murder. He implies that, even if the believers were not adulterers (i.e. if they had been faithful to Christ), if they murdered one another (i.e. if they hated one while honoring another), they were breakers of the same Law they sought to obey in being faithful to Christ (James 2:4-12).

James implies the then current trial (James 1:2) had something to do with the fact that many teachers had arisen among them (James 3:1), causing bitter fighting and division within the local churches (James 4:1). The tongue is something that cannot be tamed (James 3:8). James describes the tongue as a fire (James 4:6), and he seems to be referring to the current situation among all the churches and perhaps even to Annas, himself, when he says “Behold what great a matter a little fire kindles” (James 3:5). What great destruction a little falsehood accomplishes (cf. James 4:11-12).

Turning then to those responsible for the current trouble within the church, James says:

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you (James 5:1-6)

If we take what Josephus tells us about the period when this epistle was written and compare it with what James says here, we get the picture that these people, who were causing the trouble throughout the churches in the Diaspora, were also in some manner connected to what was going on in Judea. Notice that the “hire of laborers” had been kept back by fraud. They had grown rich by oppressing others. James’ words are given clarity in the context of what Josephus records concerning what the high priests in Judea had been doing to low level priests, robbing them of the tithes, which were rightfully theirs for their services at the Temple (James 2:6). This is the kind of thing that caused the name of the Lord to be blasphemed (James 2:7). Notice that these high ranking Jews entered the local body of believers speaking against some brethren (James 4:11), dividing the flock. Their doctrine had something to do with a kind of prosperity gospel (James 2:14-26), which in reality neglects the poor within the church, by putting the responsibility of the poor people’s condition back upon themselves: “Be warmed, be filled!” (cf. James 2:16). It was this kind of behavior that showed beyond doubt that the “last days” had already begun (see James 5:3 above).

What James said in this epistle probably got him killed at Jerusalem by the then current high priest, Ananias, and son of Annas. While there was no Roman government in Judea due to the death of Festus, the duly appointed Roman governor, Ananias, the son of Annas, took the opportunity to call the Sanhedrin together. He then condemned James and other prominent disciples of Jesus and had them stoned. This caused some repercussions, in that some just men from Jerusalem wrote to Albinus, the new Roman governor who was still on his way to Jerusalem. He promised he would punish Ananias, but all that was ever done was Herod Agrippa, who was in charge of setting up the high priests at that time, removed Ananias as the officiating high priest and appointed another. By the time Albinus had arrived in Jerusalem, he was bought off in bribes by Ananias (Annas), and no punishment was ever administered,[2] and the persecution continued.

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[1] Remember, Annas had previously planted false brethren in the churches of Judea in the person of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10) and others (cf. Acts 5:13).

[2] Josephus: Antiquities; 20.9.1-2 (197-205)