LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW - Brock University

ZWECK: LUTHER ON JAMES 55
6. WAS JAMES SCRIPTURE FOR LUTHER
Already in 1519, Luther revealed doubts about James’ status as
Scripture:
However, since the letter of the apostle James teaches “Faith without
works is dead”, in the first place, the style of that letter is far below
apostolic majesty, and should not be compared with the Pauline [style] in
any way, since St Paul speaks of living faith. For dead faith is not faith,
but fancy. But see the theologians, they fasten their teeth upon this one
notion, caring for nothing beyond that, although the whole of the rest of
Scripture commends faith without works; for this is their custom, to raise
their horns from one snippet of the text torn out of context, contrary to
the whole of Scripture. 12
Luther also expressed doubts about the canonicity of James in the
“Babylonian Captivity”, in 1520. When he came to consider the so-called
sacrament of extreme unction, he demonstrated that, even if James is taken
to be canonical, it does not teach this sacrament. But he does express doubts
about its canonicity:
I will say nothing of the fact that many assert with much probability that
this epistle is not by James the apostle, and that it is not worthy of an
apostolic spirit; although, whoever was its author, it has come to be
regarded as authoritative. 13
When Luther gets to write the Preface to the Epistles of St James and St
Jude, he begins:
Though this epistle of St. James was rejected by the ancients, I praise it
and consider it a good book, because it sets up no doctrines of men but
vigorously promulgates the law of God. However, to state my own
opinion about it, though without prejudice to anyone, I do not regard it as
the writing of an apostle, and my reasons follow. 14
Two things should be learned from this statement. In the first place, Luther
is relying upon external evidence, in the shape of the testimony of “the
ancients”, in excluding James from the canon. In the second place, he is
willing to let others disagree, and to include James in the canon.
12 “Resolutiones Lutherianae Svper Propositionibus Svis Lipsiae Disputatis”, WA
2:425.10-16: “Quod autem Jacobi Apostoli epistola inducitur ‘Fides sine operibus mortua
est’, primum stilus epistolae illius longe est infra Apostolicam maiestatem nec cum Paulino
ullo modo comparandus, deinde de fide viva loquitur Paulus. Nam fides mortua non est fides,
sed opinio. At vide theologos, hanc unam autoritatem mordicus tenent, nihil prorsus curantes,
quod tota aliena scriptura fidem sine operibus commendet: hic enim mos eorum est, una
abrepta oratiuncula textus contra totam scripturam cornua erigere.” My trans.
13 AE 36:118.
14 AE 35:395f.