James, Brother of Jesus #99

James, the brother of Jesus, became the leader of the church in Jerusalem and is traditionally identified as the author of the New Testament Letter of James. He is often called James the Just in early Christian writing. He is distinct from James the son of Zebedee, who was executed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2), and from James the son of Alphaeus, another of the twelve.

Biblical Significance

The people of Nazareth ask in Mark 6:3, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?” John’s Gospel is candid that during Jesus’ ministry “neither did his brethren believe in him” (John 7:5). After the resurrection, however, the picture changes. Paul lists an appearance of the risen Christ “of James; then of all the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:7), and Acts places Jesus’ brothers with the believers in the upper room (Acts 1:14). Many scholars see the appearance to a formerly skeptical brother as one of the more striking pieces of early resurrection testimony.

When Paul visited Jerusalem about three years after his conversion, he saw Peter and “James the Lord’s brother” (Galatians 1:18-19). Later he lists James, Cephas and John as the “pillars” who recognized his mission to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:9). At the Jerusalem council James summed up the discussion, quoting Amos, and proposed that Gentile believers not be burdened with the whole law but be asked to avoid certain practices (Acts 15:13-21). Peter, on escaping from prison, told the believers to report it to “James, and to the brethren” (Acts 12:17), and Paul reported to him on his final visit (Acts 21:18-25). The letter that bears his name opens, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1), and its author Jude calls himself James’s brother (Jude 1), which is usually understood to refer to another brother of Jesus.

Legacy

The Jewish historian Josephus reports that James, “the brother of Jesus who was called Christ,” was stoned in AD 62 on the order of the high priest Ananus (Antiquities 20.200). Another early writer, Hegesippus, gives a longer and more legendary account of his death, preserved by Eusebius.

Christians differ on what “brother” means. Most Protestants understand James as a younger half-brother, born to Mary and Joseph after Jesus. The Orthodox tradition generally holds that these were Joseph’s children from an earlier marriage, and the Catholic tradition, following Jerome, understands them as cousins. The text alone does not settle the debate. All agree that James’s leadership, and the letter’s emphasis on faith shown by works, have had a lasting influence on the church.