Introductory Formulae and Jesus’s Teaching in James

What is it about?

While many scholars note the presence and influence of Jesus’s teaching in James, this study seeks to focus on whether there are any recurrent words or phrases that may introduce, indicate, or ‘demark’ the presence of Jesus’s teaching within James. This study analyses the presence of the words ‘hear’ and ‘listen’, ἀδελφός language, and the phrases ἄγε νῦν and ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί and their potential connection with Jesus’s teaching found within the epistle of James. As a result, this study notes the correlation between the use of these phrases and the subsequent presence of Jesus’s teaching, which suggests the potential for these phrases to ‘demark’ or introduce the presence of the words of Jesus in James’s epistle. Consequently, this study suggests that these key words and phrases function in the introduction to Jesus’s teaching within James, highlighting the upcoming presence of a Jesus saying to the audience.

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Why is it important?

The key suggestion offered in this article is that the epistle of James may use key words or phrases to introduce of "demark" the sayings of Jesus within the letter. This is important in conversation linked to the letter of James as well as research into the sayings of Jesus, especially in conversations relating to orality, memory, and historical Jesus study.

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