2018, September 2 ~ Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 and James 1:17-27

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9

Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah and is presented as Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land. “Deuteronomy” comes from two Greek words that mean “Second Law” and the book is structured as a “restatement” of the laws found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Parts of Deuteronomy were revised as late as 450 BCE, but the bulk of the book is generally dated to the reign of King Josiah of Judea (640-609 BCE).

The authors of the Book of Deuteronomy were also the authors of the books of Joshua, Judges Samuel and Kings (collectively called “the Deuteronomic History”). The Deuteronomists used the stories in these books to demonstrate that it was the failures of the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judea to worship YHWH and obey God’s commands that led to the conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE by the Assyrians and the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 597 BCE. (The conquests were not seen as the result of the Assyrians’ and Babylonians’ greater wealth and more powerful armies.)

In today’s reading, Moses began a long (30 chapter) “restatement” of the Law and emphasized that obedience to the Law will make Israel a great nation and that failure to obey the Law will lead to bad outcomes.

The Deuteronomists presented this restatement as the “final” version of the law — nothing can be added or taken away (4.2). This idea of a “final law” conflicted with later developments reflected in the so-called “Oral Torah” in which interpretations of the Torah were expressed. After the First Century CE, interpretations and regulations that were part of the Oral Torah (and further re-interpretations of both the Torah and the Oral Torah) were compiled into books called the Mishnah (c. 200 CE), the Gemara (c. 500 CE), and eventually the Talmud (c. 700 CE).

The Gospels refer to the Oral Torah as “the tradition of the elders” (Matt. 15:2, Mark 7:4).

James 1:17-27

Although the authorship of this epistle is not known, it has traditionally been attributed to James, the brother of Jesus, who is presented in Acts of the Apostles as the leader of the Jesus Follower community in Jerusalem.

This James (sometimes called “James the Just”) is to be distinguished from “James the Great” (the apostle, brother of John, and son of Zebedee) and “James the Less” (apostle and son of Alphaeus).

The letter is addressed to Jewish Jesus Followers and emphasizes the importance of good works. This emphasis has been understood by some (including Luther) as being opposed to Paul’s position (particularly in Romans) that one is saved by Faith alone.

These positions can be reconciled by recognizing that salvation/wholeness (however defined and understood) is the result of the combination of Faith that leads to good works and the Faithfulness of doing good works.