St James Bishop of Jerusalem

[Augustine3]

Hi,

What evidence do we have that St James was in fact the Bishop of Jerusalem?

God bless,

 

[fred_conty]

Hi,
I believe the Act of the Apostles brings this out.

 

[TimothyH]

Fred is correct.

Peter spoke in Acts 15 about the gentiles having recieved the word of God and gave testimony as to why they should not be forced into circumcision. But it was James who stood up and made the proclamation official. This was because James was the local Bishop and Peter was acting in deference to James due to the fact that Peter was in territory which was under Jame’s jurisdiction.

The same thing happens today. A president does not give foreign policy speeches on foreign soil, or at least they are not supposed to. The governor of one state will not go to another state and make policy speech nor will he travel to another state and make a public proclamation about what the local governor should and should not do.

Remember when the president of Mexico came to the USA and lectured Americans on what they should and shouldn’t do? Remember the uproar? It is the same thing, simple respect from one leader to another.

The unbroken tradition of the Church also states that James was Bishop. We can’t discount that value.

Does anyone know if Eusebius says anything about it?

-Tim-

 

[StrawberryJam]

Hi,

What evidence do we have that St James was in fact the Bishop of Jerusalem?

God bless,

Interesting question, my guess is through the inferences in the bible and the preservation of his role kept intact in the Eastern church.

 

[Jim_Dandy]

QUOTE

The martyrdom of James ‘the Lord’s brother.’

1. When Paul appealed to Caesar and was sent to Rome by Festus, the Jews were disappointed of the hope in which they had devised their plot against him and turned their attention to James the Lord’s brother, who had been elected by the apostles to the episcopal throne at Jerusalem.
   END QUOTE

Eusebius, Bishop of Caesaria, History of the Church, translated by G.A. Williamson, Dorset Press, 1965, p. 99.

This History was written in the first quarter of the fourth century, finished shortly before the Council of Nicea in 325.

 

[steve53]

QUOTE

The martyrdom of James ‘the Lord’s brother.’

1. When Paul appealed to Caesar and was sent to Rome by Festus, the Jews were disappointed of the hope in which they had devised their plot against him and turned their attention to James the Lord’s brother, who had been elected by the apostles to the episcopal throne at Jerusalem.
   END QUOTE

Eusebius, Bishop of Caesaria, History of the Church, translated by G.A. Williamson, Dorset Press, 1965, p. 99.

This History was written in the first quarter of the fourth century, finished shortly before the Council of Nicea in 325.

Josephus doesn’t talk about Paul, of course, but does state that in A.D. 62 James, the brother of Jesus, was sentenced to death along with some other Christians by a hastily assembled Sanhedrin council presided over by High Priest Ananus, the son of Ananus. This was between the Procurators Fetus and Albinus- Festus and died and Albinus was en route from Rome, so there was a power vacuum of sorts in Judea. There was an outcry by the Jewish people over this action by the Sanhedrin and the High Priesthood, so Agrippa II removed Ananus after only three months in office.
Antiquities XX

 

[patrick457]

Josephus doesn’t talk about Paul, of course, but does state that in A.D. 62 James, the brother of Jesus, was sentenced to death along with some other Christians by a hastily assembled Sanhedrin council presided over by High Priest Ananus, the son of Ananus. This was between the Procurators Fetus and Albinus- Festus and died and Albinus was en route from Rome, so there was a power vacuum of sorts in Judea. There was an outcry by the Jewish people over this action by the Sanhedrin and the High Priesthood, so Agrippa II removed Ananus after only three months in office.
Antiquities XX

And now Caesar, upon hearing the death of Festus, sent Albinus into Judea, as procurator. But the king deprived Joseph of the high priesthood, and bestowed the succession to that dignity on the son of Ananus, who was also himself called Ananus. Now the report goes that this eldest Ananus proved a most fortunate man; for he had five sons who had all performed the office of a high priest to God, and who had himself enjoyed that dignity a long time formerly, which had never happened to any other of our high priests. But this younger Ananus, who, as we have told you already, took the high priesthood, was a bold man in his temper, and very insolent; he was also of the sect of the Sadducees, who are very rigid in judging offenders, above all the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed; when, therefore, Ananus was of this disposition, he thought he had now a proper opportunity [to exercise his authority]. Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done; they also sent to the king [Agrippa], desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done was not to be justified; nay, some of them went also to meet Albinus, as he was upon his journey from Alexandria, and informed him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble a sanhedrim without his consent. Whereupon Albinus complied with what they said, and wrote in anger to Ananus, and threatened that he would bring him to punishment for what he had done; on which king Agrippa took the high priesthood from him, when he had ruled but three months, and made Jesus, the son of Damneus, high priest.

The elder ‘Ananus’ whom Josephus talks about BTW is the high priest Annas.