St. James the Greater
(Heb. Yakob;
Sept. Iakob; N.T. Greek Iakobos; a favourite name among the later
Jews).
The son of Zebedee (q.v.) and Salome
(Cf. Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). Zahn asserts that Salome was the
daughter of a priest. James is styled “the Greater” to distinguish him from the
Apostle James “the Less,” who was probably shorter of stature. We know nothing
of St. James's early life. He was the brother of John, the beloved disciple,
and probably the elder of the two.
His parents seem to have been people
of means as appears from the following facts.
Zebedee was a fisherman of the Lake of Galilee ,
who probably lived in or near Bethsaida
(John 1:44), perhaps in Capharnaum; and had some boatmen or hired men as his
usual attendants (Mark 1:20).
Salome was one of the pious women
who afterwards followed Christ and “ministered unto him of their substance”
(cf. Mat. 27:55, sq.; Mark 15:40; 16:1; Luke 8:2 sq.; 23:55-24:1).
It is probable, according to Acts
4:13, that John (and consequently his brother James) had not received the
technical training of the rabbinical schools; in this sense they were unlearned
and without any official position among the Jews. But, according to the social
rank of their parents, they must have been men of ordinary education, in the
common walks of Jewish life. They had frequent opportunity of coming in contact
with Greek life and language, which were already widely spread along the shores
of the Galilean Sea
Relation
of St. James to Jesus
Some authors, comparing John 19:25
with Matthew 28:56 and Mark 15:40, identify, and probably rightly so, Mary the
Mother of James the Less and of Joseph in Mark and Matthew with “Mary of
Cleophas” in John. As the name of Mary Magdalen occurs in the three lists, they
identify further Salome in Mark with “the mother of the sons of Zebedee” in Matthew;
finally they identify Salome with “his mother's sister” in John. They suppose,
for this last identification, that four women are designated by John 19:25; the
Syriac “Peshito” gives the reading: “His mother and his mother's sister, and
Mary of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen.” If this last supposition is right, Salome
was a sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and James the Greater and John were
first cousins of the Lord; this may explain the discipleship of the two
brothers, Salome's request and their own claim to the first position in His
kingdom, and His commendation of the Blessed Virgin to her own nephew. But it
is doubtful whether the Greek admits of this construction without the addition
or the omission of kai (and). Thus the relationship of St. James to
Jesus remains doubtful.
His
life and apostolate
The Galilean origin of St. James in
some degree explains the energy of temper and the vehemence of character which
earned for him and St. John the name of Boanerges, “sons of thunder”
(Mark 3:17); the Galilean race was religious, hardy, industrious, brave, and
the strongest defender of the Jewish nation. When John the Baptist proclaimed
the kingdom of the Messias, St. John became a disciple (John 1:35); he was
directed to “the Lamb of God” and afterwards brought his brother James to the
Messias; the obvious meaning of John 1:41, is that St. Andrew finds his brother
(St. Peter) first and that afterwards St. John (who does not name himself, according
to his habitual and characteristic reserve and silence about himself) finds his
brother (St. James). The call of St. James to the discipleship of the Messias
is reported in a parallel or identical narration by Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:19
sq.; and Luke 5:1-11. The two sons of Zebedee, as well as Simon (Peter) and his
brother Andrew with whom they were in partnership (Luke 5:10), were called by
the Lord upon the Sea of Galilee , where all
four with Zebedee and his hired servants were engaged in their ordinary
occupation of fishing. The sons of Zebedee “forthwith left their nets and
father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:22), and became “fishers of men.” St.
James was afterwards with the other eleven called to the Apostleship (Mat. 10:1-4;
Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13). In all four lists the names of Peter
and Andrew, James and John form the first group, a prominent and chosen group
(cf. Mark 13:3); especially Peter, James, and John. These three Apostles alone
were admitted to be present at the miracle of the raising of Jairus's daughter
(Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1; Mat.17:1; Luke 9:28),
and the Agony in Gethsemani (Mat.26:37; Mark 14:33). The fact that the name of
James occurs always (except in Luke 8:51; 9:28; Acts 1:13 — Gr. Text) before
that of his brother seems to imply that James was the elder of the two. It is
worthy of notice that James is never mentioned in the Gospel of St. John; this
author observes a humble reserve not only with regard to himself, but also
about the members of his family.
Several incidents scattered through the
Synoptics suggest that James and John had that particular character indicated
by the name “Boanerges,” sons of thunder, given to them by the Lord (Mark 3:17);
they were burning and impetuous in their evangelical zeal and severe in temper.
The two brothers showed their fiery temperament against “a certain man casting
out devils” in the name of the Christ; John, answering, said: “We [James is
probably meant] forbade him, because he followeth not with us” (Luke 9:49).
When the Samaritans refused to receive Christ, James and John said: “Lord, wilt
thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?” (Luke 9:54;
cf. 5. 49).
His
martyrdom
On the last journey to Jerusalem , their mother
Salome came to the Lord and said to Him: “Say that these my two sons may sit,
the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom” (Mat.xx,
21). And the two brothers, still ignorant of the spiritual nature of the Messianic
Kingdom, joined with their mother in this eager ambition (Mark 10:37). And on
their assertion that they are willing to drink the chalice that He drinks of,
and to be baptized with the baptism of His sufferings, Jesus assured them that
they will share His sufferings (Mark 5:38-39).
James won the crown of martyrdom
fourteen years after this prophecy, A.D. 44. Herod Agrippa 1:son of Aristobulus
and grandson of Herod the Great, reigned at that time as “king” over a wider
dominion than that of his grandfather. His great object was to please the Jews
in every way, and he showed great regard for the Mosaic Law and Jewish customs.
In pursuance of this policy, on the occasion of the Passover of A.D. 44, he
perpetrated cruelties upon the Church, whose rapid growth incensed the Jews.
The zealous temper of James and his leading part in the Jewish Christian
communities probably led Agrippa to choose him as the first victim. “He killed
James, the brother of John, with the sword” (Acts 12:1-2). According to a
tradition, which, as we learn from Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. 2:9:2, 3), was
received from Clement of Alexandria (in the seventh book of his lost
“Hypotyposes”), the accuser who led the Apostle to judgment, moved by his
confession, became himself a Christian, and they were beheaded together. As
Clement testifies expressly that the account was given him “by those who were
before him,” this tradition has a better foundation than many other traditions
and legends respecting the Apostolic labours and death of St. James, which are
related in the Latin “Passio Jacobi Majoris,” the Ethiopic “Acts of James,” and
so on.
St.
James in Spain
The tradition asserting that James
the Greater preached the Gospel in Spain , and that his body was
translated to Compostela, claims more serious consideration.
According to this tradition St.
James the Greater, having preached Christianity in Spain, returned to Judea and
was put to death by order of Herod; his body was miraculously translated to
Iria Flavia in the northwest of Spain, and later to Compostela, which town,
especially during the Middle Ages, became one of the most famous places of
pilgrimage in the world. The vow of making a pilgrimage to Compostela to honour
the sepulchre of St. James is still reserved to the pope, who alone of his own
or ordinary right can dispense from it. In the twelfth century was founded the
Order of Knights of St. James of Compostela.
With regard to the preaching of the
Gospel in Spain
by St. James the greater, several difficulties have been raised:
St. James suffered martyrdom A.D. 44
(Acts 12:2), and, according to the tradition of the early Church, he had not
yet left Jerusalem
at this time (cf. Clement of Alexandria, “Strom.” 6:Apollonius, quoted by Euseb.
“Hist. Eccl.” 6:xviii).
The argument ex silentio:
although the tradition that James founded an Apostolic see in Spain was current
in the year 700, no certain mention of such tradition is to be found in the genuine
writings of early writers nor in the early councils; the first certain mention
we find in the ninth century, in Notker, a monk of St. Gall (Martyrol. 25
July), Walafried Strabo (Poema de XII Apost.), and others.
The tradition was not unanimously
admitted afterwards, while numerous scholars reject it. The Bollandists however
defended it (see Acta Sanctorum, July, VI and 7:where other sources are given).
The authenticity of the sacred relic
of Compostela has been questioned and is still doubted. Even if St. James the
Greater did not preach the Christian religion in Spain , his body may have been
brought to Compostela, and this was already the opinion of Notker. According to
another tradition, the relics of the Apostle are kept in the church of
St-Saturnin at Toulouse (France ), but it is not improbable
that such sacred relics should have been divided between two churches. A strong
argument in favour of the authenticity of the sacred relics of Compostela is
the Bull of Leo X3:“Omnipotens Deus,” of 1 November, 1884.
Orthodox Mission Pakistan
www.ocpak.com
By: Fr. Cyril Amer
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