James in the "Q" Sayings Tradition: An Examination of the Jesus Logia in the Epistle of St. James Open Access

Abstract

ABSTRACT

James in the "Q" Sayings Tradition: An Examination of the Jesus Logia in the Epistle of St. James
The present investigation concerns itself with assessing the relationship between the Epistle of
James and the sayings traditions of Jesus, as found in the Synoptics. For most observers, the use of Jesus
logia
reasonable doubt. Nevertheless, the nature and
extent of the affinities between James and the Gospels remain a matter of debate among scholars. The
questions raised
revolve around debates over which
passages in James are identifiable as derivative of a Jesus logion. Secondarily, the extent to which James
utilizes such traditions has been recognized as a possible window into the Sitz im Leben of the Jamesian
community (itself a notoriously difficult question).
The thesis which guides the present discussion can be stated as follows: the Epistle of James
represents an early stage in the development of the Jesus tradition found in the Synoptic Gospels.
Correspondingly, it reflects a pre-gospel stage of development in the sayings of Jesus, reminiscent of the
form found in the Q source (particularly in its Matthean recension). The two test cases for this hypothesis
will be Jas 2:5 and Jas 5:12. The reason for the selection of these passages in particular is that they are
nearly universally accepted
of the words of Jesus. Before undertaking
an exegesis of these passages it will be necessary to briefly review the relevant literature, in order to see
how Jamesian scholarship has developed from its origins to its current state. Following the exegesis of the
targeted verses in James, we will conclude our investigation with a summary of our findings and an
assessment of their implications.

James in the "Q" Sayings Tradition
An examination of the Jesus Logia in the Epistle of St. James
B.A., University of Illinois Springfield, 2010
Thesis Committee Chair: Luke Timothy Johnson, PhD.
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the
Candler School of Theology
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Masters of Theological Studies
May 2012

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………………………………………….1
I. INTRODUCTION
History of Reception and Interpretation of the Epistle of St. James………………..…...…...……3
A. Jamesian Research during the Reformation……………………………………….…...3
B. Jamesian Research after the Reformation……………………………………….…..…7
C. Contemporary Jamesian Research…………………………………………………....10
II. JAMES AND THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (THE MATTHEAN RECENSION OF "Q")
2.1 James Hardy Ropes…………………………………..………………………………………19
2.2 Massey H. Shepherd, Jr. ….……………………………………………………..………….19
2.3 Sophie Laws………………………………………..………………………………...............24
SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………………...27
III. JAMES AND THE "Q" SAYINGS OF JESUS
3.1 Dean B. Deppe…………………………………………..…………………………...............29
3.2 Patrick J. Hartin……………………………………………..……………………………….33
IV. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS
4.1 Luke Timothy Johnson and Wesley Hiram Wachob……………………………..………….39
4.2 The Case of James 2:5………………………………………..……………………………...41

A. Part 1 of James' First Discourse (2:1-13)…………………………………………...42

B. Section 1: Faith and Favoritism (2:1-7)……………………………………………..43

C. The Jesus Logion (v. 5)……………………………………………………………….46
4.3 The Case of James 5:12…………………………………………..…………………….........51

A. Part 2 of James' Fourth Discourse (5:12-20)……………………………………….52

B. The Jesus Logion (v. 12)……………………………………………………………...57
V. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………….....62
VI. Bibliography………………………………………………………………..………………..64

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Candler School of Theology
Department	Theological Studies
Degree	MTS
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Language, Ancient Religion, Biblical Studies Theology
Keyword	An examination of the Jesus Logia in the Epistle of St. James
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Johnson, Luke, Candler School of Theology
Committee Members	Kraftchick, Steven, Candler School of Theology Wilson, Walter, Candler School of Theology

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