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The Letter of James is Important: A Letter To Martin Luther

The Letter of James is Important: A Letter To Martin Luther

Last updated on: March 25, 2025 at 2:32 pm by William Hemsworth

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The Letter of James is Important: A Letter To Martin Luther 2025-03-25T14:32:07-07:00 William Hemsworth

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Dear Dr. Martin Luther,

I hope that this letter finds you well and being blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ as you carry out your ministry. There is much that can be said about the work you are doing, and there is no doubt that some of it is needed. It is not my intention write a letter full of flattery, though there is much to commend you for, but to write with concern about your statements regarding the letter of James.

In your Preface to the New Testament you stated “In comparison the with the epistle of James is an epistle full of straw: because it contains nothing evangelical”[1]. One can only assume that this is because of the possibility that it teaches salvation works, but this is not the case. On the surface it would also seem that the contents of the letter are at odds with what is written in the writings of Paul, but once again this is not the case[2]. Since it can be surmised from your preface that the issue is with James 2:14-26, the rest of my letter will focus on that to show that this great letter belongs in the canon.

Free Martin Luther Portrait photo and picture

James 2:14-17 brings up a question that applies to the Christian life. Can faith without works save someone? On the surface this question seems at odds with what Paul writes in various parts of his letters such as Romans 10:9. However it is a valid question and one that we must ponder. Faith without works is dead, but this does not mean that the works save us. Quite the contrary, as it means that a genuine faith results in action. If there are no works then there is no faith that has regenerated the heart of the person[3]. If we say we have faith and continue living with our own selfish desires is the faith real? This is why James utilizes the examples of Abraham and Rahab in 2:21-25. These two figures in the Old Testament add to the argument that James is making as there is no doubt that they had faith. They were also obedient in that faith and sought the will of God in all they did. This is why James says that someone is justified [4]by works and not by faith alone[5]. This is a statement that is often misunderstood and at first glance would contradict one of the five Solas that you put forth. The one that comes to mind is Sola Fide or faith alone. However, there is no contradiction between James and what Paul puts forth regarding faith.

One instance of this continuity between the two books can be seen in Romans 6:1 In that passage of scripture Paul writes, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (ESV)”. Surely if one has faith then they will be more cognizant of sin and try not to do so. Would that not be a work? It is the faith that saves, but it is also the faith that leads to a new way of life. If one’s life does not change though they say they have faith then we can conclude that he faith is not real. This leads to the issue at hand. Should James be excluded, or at the very least given a secondary status in the canon, since there seems to be a disagreement with Paul? Dr. Luther may this not be! When Paul is discussing the issue of faith he is doing so in regards to salvation. When James discusses faith he is discussing the very nature of faith.

James makes an interesting observation is which he says that even demons believe in God (See James 2:19). It is very easy for one to say that they have faith, but there has to be a result of it. James gives us that result in 2:26 where he tells us that faith without works is dead. If there are no works that spring from faith, then it is a dead faith. Paul and James are using the same terms in different ways. When James speak of works and faith he is not advocating that we add works to faith. That is not the Gospel and that is something that he understood. However using faith as a reason not to live in obedience to God is a dangerous proposition, and must not be an excuse to not do something that will make us uncomfortable[6].

Dr. Luther it is my hope that I have been somewhat persuasive in my argument that James should be in the canon. If I have not, perhaps your own words would help persuade you. In your Preface to the Romans wrote “Whoever doesn’t do such works is without faith; he gropes and searches about him for faith and good works but doesn’t know what faith or good works are. Even so, he chatters on with a great many words about faith and good works[7].”

May the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you. We are praying for you and are thankful for your contributions to the faith.

In Christ,

William Hemsworth

Bibliography

Barclay, William. The Letters of James and Peter. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960.

Davids, Peter H. The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982.

Lull, Timothy F., ed. Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, 111–12. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005.

Luther, Martin, and Calvin College. Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans. Grand Rapids, Mich: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2000.

Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans and Apollos, 2000.

Moo, Douglas J.. James: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2009.

Richardson, Kurt A. James. Vol. 36, The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997.

[1]. Timothy F. Lull, ed., Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005).

[2]. William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960), 6.

[3]. Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 119.

[4]. Kurt A. Richardson, James, vol. 36, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997), 127.

[5]. Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans and Apollos, 2000), 119.

[6]. Douglas J.. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2009), 150.

[7]. Martin Luther and Calvin College, Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Mich: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2000).

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About William Hemsworth

I am a Catholic convert, and a former ordained Baptist and Lutheran minister. I have has a Master of Divinity from Liberty Universality and a Master in Theology from Saint Joseph’s College of Main. However, my greatest achievement is being a husband to an amazing wife and father to four incredible children. I have been blogging for about four years and have greatly enjoyed getting to know people all over the world through my posts. Please feel free to contact me and follow on Facebook and Twitter. It is my hope that this column impacts you and assists as you strive for holiness. God love you. You can read more about the author here.

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