Martin Luther called the letter of James “an epistle of straw” because he did not find enough of Christ in it. For him, justification by faith was the cornerstone of all theology, and James, who states that “faith apart from works is dead” (James 2:26), seemed to him to point in another direction. But contrary to a widespread idea, Luther did not remove this book from the Bible.
A ranking among the books
In his 1522 translation of the New Testament, Luther set four books apart, without numbers: Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation. Of Revelation, he said he found nothing apostolic or prophetic in it. His criterion was always the same: these books do not put Christ forward enough.
Yet he kept them in his translation. Like Augustine before him, who recognised that not all books carry the same authority, Luther accepted a ranking among the writings without calling the canon into question. He submitted his judgement to that of the Church that had gone before him.
A debate that was not new
Luther was not the first to hesitate over certain books. In the fourth century, the most disputed books were precisely Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude and Revelation. John Chrysostom followed a list without 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude or Revelation. Gregory of Nazianzus left out Revelation. These differences were accepted and debated: people did not excommunicate each other over one book more or less.
What this course thinks
The position of this course is that no canonical book can be given more authority than another. Luther’s choice is explained mainly by his reaction to the abuses of his time, rather than by any real problem with the inspiration of these books.
Paul and James do not contradict each other. No work reconciles us to God: salvation is a grace received by faith. But no one can claim to know Jesus without obeying him, and a living faith always produces actions. James does not say we are saved by works; he reminds us that a faith that changes nothing is not real faith.
The episode is still instructive: even a Reformer committed to Scripture alone could read the Bible through the lens of his own battles. Hence the importance of reading the whole canon, not just the books that suit us.