Writings of Saint James the Just

[Jacob Bouma-Sims]

Besides the Epistle, are there any surviving documents that can be attributed to James, brother of our Lord?

 

[tampasteve]

Nothing that is able to be conclusively linked to him.

 

[prodromos]

The Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church is based on the liturgy originally written by St James. It was later modified by St Basil and then by St John Chrysostom which is what we use today, except during Lent when we use the Liturgy of St Basil, and on the feast day of St James when we use the Liturgy of St James.

If you do a search for "liturgy of St James", you should find plenty of resources.

 

[Jacob Bouma-Sims]

The Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church is based on the liturgy originally written by St James. It was later modified by St Basil and then by St John Chrysostom which is what we use today, except during Lent when we use the Liturgy of St Basil, and on the feast day of St James when we use the Liturgy of St James.

If you do a search for "liturgy of St James", you should find plenty of resources.

Thank you so much! I’ve wanted to attend an Orthodox service for a while, and I will be excited to experience something that started with Jesus’s brother/ cousin.

 

[John 1720]

Besides the Epistle, are there any surviving documents that can be attributed to James, brother of our Lord?

Hi Sir, Just the one epistle, as well as the fragments of his thoughts as recorded in the Book of Acts chapter 15- all other works were said to be apocryphal by the fathers and later historians.

And after they had become silent, James answered, saying,
“Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

• 'After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the LORD who does all these things.’
  • Partial quote of Amos 9:11-15

“Known to God from eternity are all His works. Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

• So James was the main source of germination of the letter which was sent to Antioch

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
Greetings.
Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law" —to whom we gave no such commandment— it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. (1)
Farewell.

(1) Appears to be reminiscent of the Noachian laws.​

 

[John 1720]

The Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church is based on the liturgy originally written by St James. It was later modified by St Basil and then by St John Chrysostom which is what we use today, except during Lent when we use the Liturgy of St Basil, and on the feast day of St James when we use the Liturgy of St James.

If you do a search for "liturgy of St James", you should find plenty of resources.

CHURCH FATHERS: Divine Liturgy of St. James