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James (brother of Jesus).

James the Just — brother (or half-brother) of Jesus — initially did not believe (John 7:5) but became a believer after seeing the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7). He emerged as the leading figure of the Jerusalem church, presiding over the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 that resolved how Gentile believers would be received. His epistle is the most practically ethical letter in the New Testament. Josephus records his martyrdom in 62 AD — stoned by order of the high priest Ananus.

Timeline

• Brother of Jesus, initially unbelieving (John 7:5)
• Saw the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7)
• Led the Jerusalem church (Acts 12, 15)
• Presided over the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)
• Wrote the epistle of James
• Martyred in Jerusalem (~62 AD per Josephus)

Key verses

• James 1:22 →
• James 2:14-17 →

Why James (brother of Jesus) matters

James represents the bridge between Judaism and Christianity in the first generation. His Council ruling (Acts 15) — that Gentile converts need not be circumcised — is the formal moment Christianity becomes a faith for all peoples. His epistle's insistence that "faith without works is dead" (2:26) sets up the great Reformation-era conversation about how faith and works relate. Luther famously called it "a right strawy epistle"; Calvin and most subsequent readers have found it complementary to Paul, not contradictory.

Related tools

• All 29 figuresThe full index
• Bible verse lookupAny reference, ESV
• Trivia categoryApostle & Bishop