Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

the indispensable precursor of the latter. Still, the latter is equally the inevitable
progeny of the former!
Incidentally, it should not come as a surprise that also in this context the
rich-poor issue comes into the spotlight again. A fully working faith is not,
and should not be, satisfied with pious platitudes. The truly believing “haves”
will, and must, come powerfully to the rescue of the “have-nots.” Neither
should it come as a surprise that in between the praying faith of James 1:6
and the working faith of James 2:14 the author inserts in James 2:1 the faith
in our Lord Jesus Christ as a “heart-relationship to God.” In James 1:27 this
heart-relationship comes to outward expression in the care for widows and
orphans (Motyer, 79-80). In James 2:1 it should, and does, shun partiality like
the plague. Thematic links in James are everywhere. 217 This also explains
why in James 5:15 the author once more emphasizes the need for believing
prayer in the case of a specific “have-not” situation (Jam. 5:15).
In short, James does not only run a “carefully structured, tightly organized,
and methodically argued ship,” under the overarching umbrella of practical
godliness, but also thematically and significantly advances his arguments
that should lead to the reality of practical godliness in an ever crescendoing
fashion.
After this introduction of the integrated and harmonious structure of
Chapter 2 (“the one”) now on to the multi-colored and probing particulars
(“the many”)!
217 Motyer, 79, correctly alerts his readers to the presence of faith in James 2:1. But he is less
correct in calling James “a master of surprise” in bringing faith into the picture at this point.
Thematic connections can be routinely anticipated!
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