# Luther and the Book of James



## Matthias (Nov 12, 2008)

The author of "History of the Christian Church", Philip Schaff makes a comment in Vol 1 - Apostolic Chrisitianity about Martin Luther not believing that the Book of James should have been accepted into the Canon. (I cant find the page where I read it...sorry) 

Is this statement true? If so, what would lead Luther to these beliefs?


Thanks


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 12, 2008)

Yes, Luther had a problem with the Book of James, calling it "a right strawy epistle, having no true evangelical character." He viewed it as teaching salvation by works rather than justification by faith.


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## Staphlobob (Nov 13, 2008)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Yes, Luther had a problem with the Book of James, calling it "a right strawy epistle, having no true evangelical character." He viewed it as teaching salvation by works rather than justification by faith.



I may be mistaken but I think - early on - he thought it shouldn't be in the canon. But later on changed his mind.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Nov 13, 2008)

Staphlobob said:


> VirginiaHuguenot said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, Luther had a problem with the Book of James, calling it "a right strawy epistle, having no true evangelical character." He viewed it as teaching salvation by works rather than justification by faith.
> ...



I know that this is argued (for example, John Cosin, _A Scholastical History of the Canon of the Scriptures_ (1657), pp. 7-8 (without footnotes)) but I can't find a clear and complete retraction of Luther's 1522 and other flat statements denying the canonicity of James. He speaks harshly about the epistle of James as late as 1542 in _Table Talk_. There is a softening perhaps in his criticism of the canonicity of James, but still doubt is expressed post 1530. He did cite and preach from James at times, and made favorable expressions about James as well, so I don't want to press this conclusion too far, but In my humble opinion, he certainly viewed James in a lesser category than the Pauline epistles, even as a good book worthy to make use of, but still doubted its apostolic authorship and therefore "refuse[d]" James a place in the "true canon," from his personal perspective, or "among the chief books," and continued to place James amongst the books of Scripture which he ranked to be of lesser authority. Here are some resources to help clarify Luther's position and the extent to which it may have changed.

10 Frequent Mistakes in Understanding Luther’s View of the Canon
Luther’s Preface to James and Jude


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