Santiago (gr. Iákobos, “supplanter”; Heb. Yaaqôb; lat. Iacobus, Jacobo). Actually, Santiago comes from lat. Sanctus Iacobus, “Saint James”. This is why the name also appears sometimes as James or Jacob. For more on the Jameses and Jameses of the Bible, see James. James, Epistle of. General or catholic epistle addressed “to the twelve tribes that are scattered” (1:1); that is, not intended for a particular church. In the oldest manuscripts it either has no title, or simply bears the title “Epístola de Santiago”. In the Codex Sinaiticus, “Epístola de Santiago” appears as a kind of postscript at the end. In the oldest extant NT texts, the 7 epistles from James to Jude follow immediately after the Acts of the Apostles and precede those of Paul. His right to a place in the Bible canon has never been seriously questioned. I. Author. The identity of the author is uncertain, since he introduces himself only as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jam 1: 1), and in the NT there are several people with that same name. This simple introduction would seem to indicate that when the epistle was written there was only one James known to the church of the “dispersion” as a prominent and recognized leader. This would lead us to fix the date of the composition of the epistle at a time after the martyrdom of Santiago (Jacobo), the brother of Juan, which occurred c 44 AD, with which only Jacobo (James) the son of Alphaeus would remain, and James the brother of our Lord – commonly identified with James, prominent leader of the Jerusalem church – as the possible authors of the letter. Evidently the author hoped that his readers would not dispute his authority. Thus, of all the known NT leaders, James, the elder of the Jerusalem church, seems the most qualified. See James 6:7. II. Setting. Whether when he says “the twelve tribes that are scattered” (1:1) he means the literal Jews of the Diaspora (dispersion), or Christian believers in general, including Gentiles, one cannot know for sure. However, the instruction contained in the epistle seems highly appropriate for literal Jews (see 2:21), who had already accepted Jesus as “Lord” (1:1, 7, 21; 2:1; 5:7, 11). ). III. Theme. The letter refers specifically to practical problems that had arisen within the church, not so much to doctrinal problems per se, and emphasizes the influence of faith on life. The works that faith produces differentiate the true Christian from the one who has not experienced a genuine conversion (cp 2). By “works” James understands the acts that are the result of a living faith, and not the “works” of the law by which the Jews in general claimed to achieve justice. A misunderstanding of this point has led some to mistakenly believe that James disagrees with Paul’s teachings in Romans and Galatians. Although the epistle does not present a single, closely interwoven argument, its different parts are sufficiently related and cover different aspects of practical Christianity. IV. Literary Style and Content. The letter is written in simple but excellent Greek, and its powerful illustrations from nature remind us of OT prophets such as Hosea and Amos. The author’s literary skill is evident in the graphic language by which he conveys to his readers the vital truths he wants to teach them (1:6, 11; 2:1-4, 15, 16; 3:1-12, 17; 4:13-16; 5:1-6; etc.; there are a number of statements that seem to allude to the Sermon on the Mount). After the briefest of introductions (1:1) the author immediately gets on topic, addressing first the need for patience and perseverance in the face of affliction and temptation (vs 2-18). Next, he stresses the importance of the application to life of the principles of religion, and thus draws a contrast with the vain and deceitful attitude of those who divorced religion 1054 from conduct (vs 19-27). In cp 2:1-13 he emphasizes the principle of love -as it appears enunciated in the 2nd table of the Decalogue-, and in vs 14-26, in the vanity of a profession of faith that lacks the support of the corresponding “works”. In chap 3 he stresses the paramount importance of pure and gracious language. In CP 4 he highlights the principle by which Christians must maintain peace and good will among themselves and, therefore, must avoid strife and conflict. The final chapter deals briefly, but emphatically, with the fact that workers should be paid a fair wage (5:1-6). In closing, James exhorts Christians to be patient and circumspect as they await the coming of the Lord (vs 7-13). He gives special instruction regarding prayer for the sick (vs 14-18), and invites them to manifest a sincere interest in the spiritual welfare of other believers (vs 19, 20; see CBA 7: 513-517).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
tip, BIOG APOS HOMB HONT
see, JAMES (Epistle), BROTHERS OF JESUS, ELDER
vet, Under this heading several characters called James in the NT are treated. In our versions, the book written by James, and identified as the Lord’s brother, is called the Universal Epistle of James (see JAMES). In Spanish, the form Santiago is a contraction of Santo and the Heb. Jacob. (a) James, son of Zebedee (Mt. 4:21; 10:2; Mark 1:19; 3:17) and brother of the apostle John (Mt. 17:1; Mark 3:17; 5:37 ; Acts 12:2). He was one of the first disciples (Mt. 4:21; Mr. 1:19, 29; cf. Jn. 1:40, 41), and one in whom the Lord had the greatest confidence (Mt. 17:1; Mark 5:37; 9:2; 13:3; 14:33; Luke 8:51; 9:28). We do not know where he was born or where he spent his adolescence. Associated with Peter and Andrew, he was engaged in fishing on the lake of Galilee (Luke 5:10), which could be an indication that he came from somewhere nearby. The right to free fishing in the Lake of Galilee was formally reserved for every Israelite. Zebedee had salaried workers, so it seems that there must have been a social difference between his children and those of Jonah (Mark 1:20). John, for example, was known to the high priest (John 18:16), and possibly his family, or himself, owned a house in Jerusalem (John 19:27). The father, Zebedee, appears only once in the Gospel account (Mt. 4:21; Mr. 1:19); he is not opposed to his sons following Jesus. The comparison of Matt. 27:56 with Mark 15:40; 16:1 and Jn. 19:25 allows us to suppose that the mother of James was called Salome, and that she was the sister of the mother of Jesus. In such a case, James would have been a close relative of the Lord, and, like Him, a descendant of David. James’s name appears only in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts, but he is referred to twice in the Gospel of John (John 1:40, 41; 21:2). James is always mentioned together with John, and his name usually precedes John’s (Mt. 4:21; 10:2; 17:1; Mark 1:19, 29; 3:17; 5:37 ; 9:2; 10:35, 41; 13:3; 14:33; Lk. 5:10; 6:14; 9:54), while John is designated as the brother of James (Mt. 4:21 ; 10:2; 17:1; Mark 1:19; 3:17; 5:37). It is believed for all this that James was the older brother. In Lc. 8:51; 9:28, John is named before James. This inversion (which also appears in Acts 1:13, but not in Acts 12:2) may stem from John having a more active role within the apostolic college. Christ gave both brothers the nickname “Boanerges”, sons of thunder (Mr. 3:17). James, like John, deserved a rebuke from the Lord, both having shown intense anger against the Samaritan people who did not want to receive the Lord Jesus (Lk. 9:55). His ambition attracted to him, as to his brother John, the indignation of the other apostles (Mt. 10:41). After the crucifixion, James went to Galilee with the apostles (Jn. 21:2) and then to Jerusalem (Acts 1:13). It was probably in the year 44 AD that Herod Agrippa I had him killed by the sword Hch. 12:2). James was the first of the apostles to seal his testimony with his blood. (b) James son of Alphaeus; one of the twelve apostles (Mt. 10:3; Mr. 3:18; Lk. 6:15; Acts 1:13). We don’t know anything about him that is absolutely true; but it is generally admitted that he is the James mentioned in Matt. 27:56; Mr 15:40; 16:1; Lc. 12:10 p.m. He is nicknamed “the Lesser”, undoubtedly due to his small stature (Mark 15:40); his mother, called Mary, was one of the women who accompanied the Lord; he had a brother named Joseph (Mt. 27:56). Levi, also called Matthew, was another son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14). It is possible that he was the brother of James, but it seems more likely that he was another Alphaeus. The ellipsis of the passages in Lk. 6:16; Hch. 1:13 can be interpreted so that the apostle Judas, not Iscariot, is the brother of James. On the other hand, it is possible to identify Mary, wife of Cleopas (Jn. 19:25) as the sister of the Lord’s mother. In such a case, James, son of Alphaeus, would be a first cousin of Jesus. But this is only guesswork. (c) James, the Lord’s brother (Mt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19); he was at the head of the Church in Jerusalem in apostolic times (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:7, 12). The Gospels do not mention more than twice the name of this James (Mt. 13:55; Mr. 6:3), but he is included among the “brothers of the Lord”, who did not believe in Him during His life (Jn. 7:5), but who became His disciples after His resurrection (Acts 1:14). The question of the kinship that united the Lord with these “brothers” has always been a cause of controversy. Certain exegetes want to see in them the sons of Alphaeus, and declare them cousins of Jesus. Others think that they are the children of a first marriage of José. But they are always found accompanying Mary, participating in her life, her travels, and behaving toward her like her children (Mt. 12:46, 47; Lk. 8:19; Jn. 2:12); It cannot be denied in any way that they were truly the brothers of the Lord, children of Mary had with Joseph after the birth of the Lord (cf. Mt. 1:24, 25: “And… Joseph… received his wife. But he did not know her until she gave birth to her firstborn son…”). (See BROTHERS OF JESUS.) James figures at the head of the list (Mt. 13:55; Mr. 6:3), probably because he was the eldest of Mary’s other sons. There is no doubt that he participated in their unbelief (Jn. 7: 5) and in their apprehensions about the Lord’s behavior (Mark 3:21, 31). The Gospel does not say when or how James became a servant of Christ (Acts 1:13, 14; James 1:1). It is possible that his conversion took place as with Paul, thanks to a special appearance of the Risen One (1 Cor. 15: 7). Since the Church is organized in Jerusalem, James presides over it (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 21:18; Gal. 1:19; 2:7, 12). Already around the year 37 of our era, Paul, going to Jerusalem for the first time after his conversion, considers it necessary to visit James (in the year 44 AD) as the most prominent among the …