1. James, the Brother of Jesus Versus Saint Paul
Summer Fellows Project 2018
By: Elizabeth Fleischer
Working under Alan Fox, Philosophy

2. Summer Fellows Project 2018
For my project this summer, I worked on my undergraduate thesis on the historical rivalry between James, the brother of Jesus and Saint Paul. I will graduate in December of Thus the lions’ share of my work this summer was finishing up my research and organizing and outlining my argument.
Below I will provide a brief outline of each chapter of my thesis and include a abbreviated bibliography.
I worked under Alan Fox, a professor of Philosophy who is also my primary thesis reader.

3. Chapter 1: Who was James, the brother of Jesus?
James’s relationship with Jesus
Full-blood Brother
Assumption: Jesus was the spiritual son of God and was the earthly son of Joseph
Half-blood Brother: Son of Joseph and Mary
Assumption: Jesus was not the son of Joseph but Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit
Step-Brother: Son of Joseph from a previous marriage
Cousin: Idea created by Saint Jerome to emphasize Jesus’s divinity and Mary’s perpetual virginity

4. Chapter 1 Continued James’s Position in the Primitive Church
Apostle
Primary Apostle
Pillar of the Jerusalem Church
Primary Pillar of the Jerusalem Church
James’s superiority over Peter
Proof of James’s power over Peter in Galatians
Proof of James’s power over Peter in Acts
Explanation as to why Peter was later depicted as more powerful in later church documents

5. Chapter 1 Continued
James’s power as a pillar (if not the primary pillar) of the Jerusalem Church
Explanation of Jerusalem’s importance in First Century Judaism
Therefor the importance of Jerusalem in Apostolic Age
Thus James’s position afforded him great power and influence over other churches
Conclusion: James’ power as a pillar of the Church of Jerusalem made him a major obstacle for Paul F f

6. Chapter 2: James’ Beliefs versus Paul
Understood justification to be earned through works (obeying Mosaic commandments) and faith in Jesus Christ
Believed in a hierarchy in Christian communities
The Diaspora Jews were lesser than the Palestinian Jews and the Gentiles were the lowest rung
His title ”James the Just” implies that he was a righteous Jew and thus followed Divine Law
Paul’s Beliefs
Understood justification to be earned through faith in Jesus Christ
Following Mosaic Commandments was acceptable but was not required for justification
Paul believed in emergency conversions and thus believed faith in Jesus was needed more than anything
Believed Gentiles and Jews should be equal in Christian Communities because Jesus created a new order
One in which the Divine Law and social orders in Judea were not important
Remained a devout Jew for the rest of his life

7. Chapter 3: The Jerusalem Council
Explain dating and trustworthiness of sources means that the account to be trusted is Paul’s Letters as opposed to the Acts of the Apostles
Paul comes to Jerusalem to meet with the Pillars (James, Peter and John)
Pillars agree that Gentiles should be allowed to enter Christian communities
They do not agree to complete equality in the community
Gentiles are to be treated in the Christ community as God Fearers (Gentiles who worshipped in Diaspora synagogues) were treated
They were allowed to pray and interact with the Jews but were not their equals
Explanation as to why the letter Acts supposes James wrote was not written by James the Just

8. Chapter 4: Incident at Antioch
When agents of James come to Antioch and see Peter sharing a table (a meal) with a mixed fellowship (Gentiles and Jews) they reproach him
Peter and many other Jews (including Paul’s companion Barnabas) leave the table
Paul rails against this in Galatians as an act of hypocrisy in which Peter applied pressure to Gentile Christians to convert to Judaism to earn equal status
Arguable that Peter and other Jews saw this as an issue of “Gentilization” of Jews rather than Paul’s view of “Judaizing” the Gentiles
Explanation of the laws of Kosher and purity
Reason why Peter was breaking Mosaic law (thus James the Just’s Anger)

9. Chapter 5: Paul’s Collection for Jerusalem
Clear in Galatians that Paul agreed at the council that he would “remember the poor in Jerusalem”
“the poor in Jerusalem” is a reference to the Pillars of the Jerusalem Church
Paul references this collection of funds from the many churches he founded
Paul comes to Jerusalem to give this offering to James (and other Pillars)
Unclear if James accepted this offering
Shortly after arrival Paul is arrested and sent to Rome to be tried and later executed
James does not step in for Paul’s defense in Jerusalem
Possibly telling of the tension between the two Apostles

10. Chapter 6: Why James is no longer “Important”
James the Just’s version of “Christianity” was a sect of :ate Second Temple Judaism
Thus after his death in 62 CE and the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, the center of his Christianity was destroyed
“Jewish-Christians” were scattered throughout the world and never had another central community like Jerusalem
The Christ-movement became more and more popular in Gentile nations
The Jewish Christians were eventually viewed as heretics by the developing Gentile Churches
James is pushed in the background for the sake of the Apostles to the Gentiles: Paul