Has God Chosen the Poor? The Influence of Paul on James 2.5a

In his Table Talk, Martin Luther comments on the relationship between James and Paul: ‘These do not harmonize: Faith justifies, and faith does not justify. To him who can make these two agree, I will give my doctor’s cap, and I am willing to be called a fool.’ Luther’s comments are representative of a long-standing tradition of interpretation that views James and Paul as fundamentally opposed to each other, particularly on issues of Torah and justification. Luther’s denigration of James has spawned a sea of scholarship on the James-Paul relationship, with scholars taking up different positions on questions such as the plausibility of a connection between James and Paul, the extent of James’ use of Paul, and James’ purposes in using Pauline traditions.