Martin Luther (German priest, theologian, author and hymn-writer) called the Epistle of James a "
straw" epistle because it had
"keine evangelische Art" ≈ "no evangelical character". To avoid advocating that epistles such as "
James" be removed from the canon, Luther created a two tiers of epistles. James was in the lower tier. The disputed books of Luther included the following: Hebrews, James, Jude, Revelation.
The book of
James is filled with logical errors, uses word meanings that did not develop until later, uses words attributed to Plutarch some 50 or more years later, uses scientific terms in inappropriate ways as if to impress others with his knowledge, and, most importantly, advocates positions that are the opposite of the teachings of Christ. Why would the church approve such a letter?
The point James makes about faith and works is an example of the converse error. Yet, many will ignore this obvious error and learn the "
talking points" to try to reconcile what Paul says (which follows from what Jesus says) and what James says (which is a good example of the converse error).
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Details are left as a future topic.
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