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The wisdom of
"epistle of straw"
It is known among Christians, that Martin Luther, referring to the Epistle of James, one of the books of the New Testament, called it pejoratively, the "epistle of straw." One reason is that it would be contrary to Paul's ideas regarding to the justification by faith and it would not have, in the view of Luther, the necessary foundation in the Gospel.(1)
Before commenting it, let’s remember what James wrote in chapter 2 of his letter:
"My brothers, who takes a man say he hath faith, and have not works?
Can faith save him?
And if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you says unto them: Depart in peace, warm you, and feast upon; and not give them the things needed for the body, what good will come from there?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, it is dead in itself. But someone will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works." (James 2: 14-18.)
In chapter XV of The Gospel According to Spiritism, entitled "Without charity there is no salvation", Allan Kardec inserted, in the opening two known parables told by Jesus.
The first, popularly called the parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew, Chapter XXV, vv. 31-46) is the same as our collaborator Americo Domingos Nunes Filho talks about in the Special that integrates this edition and is one of its highlights.
The second is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke, Chapter X, vv. 25-37).
Both deal with the subject salvation, which it is so costly to Christian theologians and religious in general, although its significance for Protestants, Evangelicals and Catholics is quite different from that on the subject, it is understood by the spirits.
In the two parables Jesus emphasizes the importance of good action and works of charity as fundamental ingredients to the so-called salvation:
I was hungry and you gave me food...
I was thirsty and you gave me drink...
I needed a ceiling and you took me in...
I was naked and you clothed me...
I found myself sick and you visited me...
I was in prison and you came to me...
A man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell in the hands of thieves, who stripped him, covered in wounds and went away, leaving him half dead. A Samaritan was traveling, coming to the place where the man laid and having seen him, he was moved with compassion. He approached him, gave him oil and wine on the wounds and thought; then set him on his horse, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying: Treat very well this man and all that you spend more, I will repay you when I return...
There is none, in all the letters that compose the New Testament, such a great affinity with the thought of Jesus as to what wrote James. (2)
Calling it hidden "epistle of straw" certainly other reasons and produces, for sure, harmful consequences to the spiritual evolution of those who share similar idea. It is also likely to be on that fact the reason that Protestants religions in general, including then the churches called evangelical, it has not given the works and evangelical charity emphasis that they deserve and that Jesus, quite clearly, mentioned in the parables to which we refer.
As rightly says our colleague Americo Domingos Nunes Filho, Jesus taught us that salvation takes place, yes, through love in action, and not by just a faith that, like a barren tree does not produce fruit.
(1) You can check about Luther’s critic to James’ epistle in the link below:
http://joao15-12.blogspot.com.br/2011/11/epistola-de-palha.html
(2) Read about the subject:
http://www.oconsolador.com.br/11/editorial.html
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