e., to
the Jews of the Dispersion, primarily, no doubt, to the Christian Jews,
but also secondarily and by way of warning to the unconverted Jews.
James was "zealous of the law." He fully agreed with Paul and with
Peter that the yoke of circumcision and the Mosaic law was not to be
imposed upon the Gentile Churches, but he, no doubt, strongly insisted
that Jewish converts should be still very careful to observe the
outward law. His epistle is like Matthew's gospel, and savors strongly
of the Sermon on the Mount. As a bishop and overseer of a Jewish flock
of Christians, while he fully assented to Paul's teaching on
justification by faith, he, nevertheless, urged upon the people with
vehemence that they should show their faith by their works and that
they should be "doers of the word and not hearers only." As Paul
completely demolishes the doctrine of salvation by the works of the
law, so James in his epistle offers us an inspired and a vigorous
protest against every form of Antinomianism.
Pages:
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164