Searching For The Holy Spirit In The Epistle Of James -- By: William R. Baker

Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 59:2 (NA 2008)
Article: Searching For The Holy Spirit In The Epistle Of James
Author: William R. Baker


Searching For The Holy Spirit In The Epistle Of James

Is ‘Wisdom’ Equivalent?

William R. Baker

Summary

The search for the Holy Spirit in James often stops with Kirk’s article ‘The Meaning of Wisdom in James: An Examination of a Hypothesis’ published in 1969, which contends that the way in which James uses wisdom ‘is more or less interchangeable with that in which other writers of the New Testament use the concept of the Holy Spirit.’ This paper examines Kirk’s position and arguments closely as a window into the question of whether wisdom in James should be read as equivalent to the Holy Spirit elsewhere in the NT. The basic conclusion is that Kirk (followed by Davids) has made the case for the importance of Jewish wisdom theology to James but his tantalising claims have too often not been read in the light of his sobering conclusions. At times, he has overlooked important correspondence to the Jesus tradition and has made too much of correspondences to Pauline writings. James’ orientation toward wisdom is without regard to the Holy Spirit as developed in Paul or elsewhere in the New Testament. It should be read as aligning somewhere between Septuagintal wisdom literature and the Jesus tradition.

1. Introduction

The Epistle of James is the only NT document other than the unusually brief letters of 2 and 3 John and Philemon that does not refer explicitly to the Holy Spirit. It does include two references to πνεῦµα. However, the first, in 2:26, being in juxtaposition with ‘body’, surely refers to the human spirit. Though more contentious, the second, in 4:5, favours a reference to the human spirit as well, either in the positive sense of the

creative spark God put in man that longs for him or in the negative sense of the evil tendency of the human spirit that envies after the possessions of others.1

This theological deficit in James is akin to Luther’s heavily repeated concern about the epistle’s hollowness due to its failure to articulate a gospel message that expounds justification by faith alone. It is also related to the limited christology in James that focuses on Christ’s eschatological return as judge, loyalty to his ‘name’, and his ‘glorious’ resurrected relationship to God.2 Absent is anything of the cross and its role in making possible a new, saving relationship with God.You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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