Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

love is merely a first shot before the bow of the ship of the Church. It is immediately
followed by the broadside of the Law of Moses in its fullness with
the Decalogue as its centerpiece (PDavids, 60; Johnson, 230). The context
with its references to the Sixth and Seventh Commandment leaves no doubt
about this (Jam. 2:9-12) (contra Cargal, 117).
All in all, James’ renewed and now “nuanced” introduction of God’s
(Mosaic) law goes ever hand-in-hand with the love dynamics that Jesus also
verbalized in Matthew 22:36-40 and emphasized in John 13:34 (Moo, 1985,
111). To James true obedience is by definition a “celebration of love” (Keddie,
105). This goes a long way to separate it from legalism. At the same
time, and typical of James’ affinity to the Sermon on the Mount, James’ focus
upon God’s (Mosaic) law is also conjoint with the depth perspective that Jesus
emphasizes in Matthew 5:20ff (So also Moo, 1985, 94). To James true
obedience is also by definition a full-bodied phenomenon. This goes an
equally long way to distinguish it from the anemic righteousness of the Pharisees.
In sum, all this makes it unconscionable to separate the “royal sum,” the
“perfect substance,” and “the awesome depth” of God’s law of freedom from
each other. Sum (Love), substance (Decalogue), as well as depth (Sermon on
the Mount) should be carried out and must be put in practice. Literally (as in
Lk. 2:39; Rom. 2:27), both sum (Love) and substance (Decalogue) must be
“fulfilled” (Sermon on the Mount), reach their telos, their goal, their “objective
of perfection” (Mitton, 90; Moo, 1985, 111), and arrive at their fullness,
their “perfect accomplishment” (Manton, 205).
In the words of one commentator, who impressively and beautifully ties
the various strands and themes together, “The royal law is not to be identified
with the love command as many scholars do, but is substantially the same law
given to Israel through Moses but now summarized as well as fulfilled in the
love command as interpreted through the Jesus tradition” (Cheung, 134; so
also Cranfield, 192). As such it is, first of all, an extension of “the perfect law
of freedom (Jam. 1:25), which (in turn) is an integral part of the Word of truth
(Jam. 1:18--as well as the implanted Word (Jam. 1:21)--through which the
renewed people of God come to be ... Keeping the (Mosaic) law would lead
one into freedom and perfection (Jam. 1:4). This is grounded on the coming
of the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus, bringing a renewed community of
There are links, whether by way of quotation, allusion, or themes between Jam. 2:1-6 and
Lev. 19:15-16; Jam. 2:8c and Lev. 19:18c (LXX); Jam. 2:14-16 and Lev. 19:9-10; Jam. 3:8-
10 / 4:1-3 and Lev. 19:17-18; possibly Jam. 3:13-16 / 4:1-2 and Lev. 19:11; Jam. 4:11 and
Lev. 19:15-16; Jam. 5:1-6 and Lev. 19:13-14; Jam. 5:4 and Lev. 19:13; Jam. 5:9 and Lev.
18b; Jam. 5:12 and Lev. 19:12; and Jam. 5:20 and Lev. 19:17b.
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