There are several unique features of this epistle. It contains no references to specific individuals who were the original recipients. There is no concluding benediction. There is a large number of imperatives in the letter, about one for every two verses. There are many figures of speech and analogies. James also alluded to over 20 Old Testament books. He referred to many Old Testament characters including Abraham, Rahab, Job, and Elijah as well as the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses. One commentator observed that this book "has a more Jewish cast than any other writing of the New Testament."5There are many references to nature. This was characteristic of the Jewish rabbis' teaching in James' day and the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are also many allusions to Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.6Leading themes in James include perfection, wisdom, and the piety of the poor.7
"As soon as we read through the letter of James we say to ourselves, This man was a preacher before he was a writer.'"8
"In style it reminds one now of the Proverbs, now of the stern denunciations of the prophets, now of the parables in the Gospels."9
"The Epistle of James is without doubt the least theological of all NT books, with the exception of Philemon. . . .
"Three doctrines come to the surface more often than any others, and of these the most prominent is the doctrine of God. In keeping with the ethical nature of the epistle is the repeated stress on the doctrine of sin. And, surprisingly, the third most prominent theological theme is eschatology."10
"The epistle of James is no more anti-Pauline than is the Sermon on the Mount."11
"The design of the Epistle is on the one hand to encourage those to whom it is addressed to bear their trials patiently, and on the other hand to warn them against certain errors of doctrine and practice."12
