"...if James is the son of Alphaeus, then the fact that he offers the judgment is no longer a “problem,” but, instead, an important piece of positive evidence for the viewpoint that James (and the Twelve) are in Acts 15:19 exercising (at least in some measure) the authority given them by Jesus in Luke 22:29–30." (p. 98)According to a 2016 PhD dissertation by L.S. Ojala (supervised by Martinus C. de Boer, author of Galatians: A Commentary, John Knox, 2011), the "James" of Acts was "the son of Alphaeus".
I will quote at length (pp. 79-80):
"Although the majority of modern scholars identify the James of Acts 12:17; 15:13; and 21:18 as James the brother of Jesus, this conclusion does not arise inherently from Acts. It is, rather, an interpretation imported mainly from the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. Some scholars have acknowledged that it is more natural to identify the James of Acts 12:17 as James of Alphaeus; however, this possibility has not, it appears, been given much serious consideration.
The findings of this chapter demonstrate the difficulty (if not impossibility) of identifying the James of Acts 12:17; 15:13; and 21:18 as the brother of Jesus in light of Luke’s literary methods. In light of Luke’s methods of distinguishing characters with the same name from each other, of introducing named characters, and of keeping track of previously named characters, James of Alphaeus is most likely the person meant by Luke in Acts 12:17 and afterward. This identification fits well with what is indicated of James’s relationship to Peter prior to Acts 12:17, as well as in ch. 15. Moreover, this identification fits very well with the depiction of James as one of the “apostles and elders” at the Jerusalem Council who has the authority to offer a “judgment” on the matter of Gentile circumcision.
This would also explain why Luke omits from his source (Mark 6:3) the names of the brothers of the Lord. The brothers do not play any central role individually or collectively in Luke’s narrative and therefore to name them is unnecessary."
https://research.vu.nl/ws/portalfiles/p ... tation.pdf
At the Last Supper, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them:
"...I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Luke 22:29-30).
James is Brother of Lord vs.
James is son of Alphaeus
Who is James?
Luke does not identify vs.
Identified in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13
Why Is James Present at Meeting?
Luke does not explain vs.
He is one of the twelve
Why can James “judge”?
Luke does not explain vs.
This capacity is part of his apostolic role (Luke 22:29–30)
What is James’s Relationship with Peter?
Luke does not explain vs.
Both are apostles, co-leaders(Acts 1:13)
"The purpose of this chart is to illustrate why, from the perspective of this dissertation, the identification of James as the son of Alphaeus provides essentially an interpretive key to recognizing the role in which Luke wished to portray James at the Meeting. This identification results in an interpretation that is grounded in what Luke actually says about James, rather than on speculations regarding the brother of the Lord that are based on outside sources." (p.100)
Statistics: Posted by gryan — Thu Jul 18, 2024 4:22 am