James, The Brother of Jesus

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:26-27 (New International Version)

James the Brother of Jesus
Birth: After Jesus (6 BC). Death: 61 AD
Looking for information about the author of the Book of James was another of my WOW moments. WOW because of the controversy over his identity.

Scripture describes James as the brother of our Lord. (Matthew 13:55 (King James Version) 55 is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
and Mark 6:3 (New International Version)

"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James

We are told that Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him. John 7 (New International Version)

Jesus Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles
1After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.
2But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world."
5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

From this, and from references in early Christian writers, it is inferred that James was not a disciple of the Lord until after the Resurrection; but after the resurrection they are mentioned among the group at prayer before Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Paul mentions that the risen Jesus appeared personally to James, which may explain the change in heart (1 Cor. 15:7).

It seems that James quickly took the lead of the Church in Jerusalem, officiating at the Council of Jerusalem. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul mentions James along with John son of Zebedee, and Peter as the Pillars of the Church. Galatians 2:9
9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

James was well enough known that in the New Testament epistle carrying his name, he refers to himself simply as "James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (James 1:1). To further evidence that James was well known, Jude (the youngest of Jesus' brothers) simply identifies himself as James' brother, and a servant of the Lord in his letter (Jude 1).

In 61 AD James was executed at the instigation of the high priest Ananus. In the following centuries legends developed surrounding James, none of which are very reliable, but included the possibility that he was known as "James the Just" due to his amazing (Jewish) piety.

There is so much more to say about James and his epistle. There is so much more to study in the Word.

May God Forever Be a Blessing In Your Life!!!