Jakobus der Kleine

saint james the less
St. James the Less

The Apostle James, the Lesser or Younger, son of Alpheus, or Cleophas and Mary, lived in Galilee. He was the brother of the Apostle Jude.

He is also called “the Minor”, “the Little”, “the Lesser”, or “the Younger”, according to translation. He is not to be confused with James, son of Zebedee (“James the Great or Elder”).

He is identified by some as James, the Lord’s brother, thought of by St. Jerome and those who followed him as really the cousin of Jesus.

James the Less was traditionally commemorated with St. Philip either on May 1 or May 3 in the Western Christian calendars.

He wrote the Epistle of James, preached in Palestine and Egypt, and was crucified in Egypt, according to legend.

One of the lesser-known disciples was James. Some scholars believe he was Matthew, the tax collector’s brother. James was a man with a strong personality and one of the fieriest types. Another legend has it that he died as a martyr and his body was sawed into pieces. His apostolic symbol was a saw.

Saint James the Lesser Birth/Early Life

St. James the Less, also called James, son of Alphaeus, or James the Younger, (1st century BC Galilee, Judaea, Roman Empire), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus.

st. james the less, by el greco, c. 1595, oil on canvas - hyde collection - glens falls, ny
St. James the Less, by El Greco, c. 1595, oil on canvas - Hyde Collection - Glens Falls, NY

Saint James the Less Life With Jesus

Jesus called James, son of Zebedee, to be a disciple sometime after the call of James, son of Zebedee, which led to his identification as James “the Lesser.”

He, along with John and Peter, was regarded as early Church pillars, and St. Paul met with him to discuss how best to carry on the Church’s mission.

He was among the first to witness the risen Christ.

According to one legend, James declared after the Crucifixion that he would fast until Christ returned. The risen Jesus appeared to him and prepared a meal for him.

Saint James the Less Life Facts

To avoid confusion with the other Apostle named James, whose feast we celebrate on July 25, James was given the nickname “the Less.”

We believe this means he was younger than the other St. James, known as “the Greater.” Alphaeus’ son was James the Less.

On the day Jesus was crucified, his mother stood alongside Mary at the Cross.

James the Less became an important part of the Church’s growth in Jerusalem after Jesus’ ascension.

According to tradition, he presided over an important meeting of the early Church, the Council of Jerusalem, in the year 50 AD.

St. Paul, St. Peter, and other Church leaders met at this time to discuss whether Gentiles or people who were not Jewish, could become followers of Jesus.

James carefully listened to the discussion and assisted the group in deciding that the Church was open to all and that all people could be saved by living as Jesus’ followers.

"hendrik goltzius, saint james the less, probably 1589, engraving, rosenwald collection, 1943.3.9396"
"Hendrik Goltzius, Saint James the Less, probably 1589, engraving, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.9396"

Accomplishments of Saint James the Lesser

Jesus Christ chose James to be a disciple by hand. He was present in Jerusalem’s upper room with the 11 disciples after Christ ascended to heaven. He could have been the first disciple to see the risen Christ.

Even though his achievements are unknown to us today, James may simply have been overshadowed by the more prominent disciples. Even so, being named one of the twelve was no small feat.

His most significant act was his intervention in the contentious relationship between Christians of Jewish origin and those of pagan origin.

In this regard, he worked with Peter to overcome, or rather integrate, the original Jewish dimension of Christianity with the need not to impose on converted pagans the obligation to submit to all the norms of the Law of Moses.

The Book of Acts has preserved for us the compromise solution proposed precisely by James and accepted by all the Apostles present, according to which pagans who believed in Jesus Christ were only to be asked to abstain from the idolatrous practice of eating the meat of animals sacrificed to the gods, as well as from “impropriety,” a term that probably alluded to irregular matrimonial unions, it was a question of adhering to only a few prohibitions of Mosaic Law held to be very important.

Saint James the Lesser in the Bible

James the Lesser was the son of Alphaeus, while James the Greater was the son of Zebedee (Matthäus 10:3; Mark 3:8; Lukas 6:15). According to 5th-century theologian Jerome and 1st-century bishop Papias of Hierapolis, his mother was Mary of Cleophas (sister of Jesus’ mother).

He was also identified as Jude Thaddeus’ brother and possibly one of Jesus’ brothers (according to Galatians 1:19 and again according to Jerome).

Only a few verses in the Bible mention James the Lesser and what he did for the early church. He was one of the disciples who witnessed Christ’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7), a confidante of Peter when he was on the run from Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:17), and later rose to prominence in the church along with the other apostles. He was also credited as the writer of the Epistle of James.

Like the other disciples, James deserted the Lord during his trial and crucifixion.

saint james the lesser
Jakobus der Kleine

Saint James the Less Life Lessons

While James the Lesser is one of the least known of the 12, we can’t overlook the fact that each of these men sacrificed everything to follow the Lord. In Luke 18:28, their spokesman Peter said, “We have left all we had to follow you!

rembrandt the apostle james the less
Rembrandt The Apostle James the Less

The Death of Saint James the Less

If we connect James son of Alphaeus to James the Just (Jesus’ brother), we learn that he was pushed from the pinnacle of a temple where he was preaching, beaten with a fuller’s club, and stoned to death.

In art, James son of Alphaeus is commonly depicted with a fuller’s club, reflecting the church’s belief that he was the same person as James the Just.

However, according to the tradition that James son of Alphaeus preached in Egypt, he was crucified in the city of Ostrakine.

“On the Twelve Apostles of Christ”, Hippolytus, a theologian who lived in the second and third centuries, allegedly recorded James’ death:

„Und Jakobus, der Sohn des Alphäus, wurde, als er in Jerusalem predigte, von den Juden gesteinigt und dort neben dem Tempel begraben.“

Dies ist derselbe Tod, den die Tradition Jakobus, dem Bruder Jesu, zuschreibt, aber Gelehrte haben wenig Grund, „Über die zwölf Apostel Christi“ zu glauben.

Der Text wurde im 19. Jahrhundert entdeckt, und die meisten Gelehrten glauben, dass es sich um Pseudepigrapha handelt (eine Schrift, die fälschlicherweise behauptet, von jemandem geschrieben worden zu sein).

Infolgedessen verhindern die Zweideutigkeiten und Unbekannten, die Jakobus, den Sohn des Alphäus, umgeben, dass wir wissen, wie oder wo er starb.

Da jedoch die Mehrheit der Zwölf den Märtyrertod starb, wäre es überraschend, wenn einer der weniger bekannten Jünger wie Johannes an Altersschwäche sterben würde.

Sie gaben Familie, Freunde, Häuser, Jobs und alles, was sie kannten, auf, um dem Ruf Christi zu folgen.

Diese gewöhnlichen Männer, die Außergewöhnliches für Gott getan haben, dienten uns als Vorbilder. Sie legten den Grundstein für die christliche Kirche und starteten eine Bewegung, die sich schnell auf der ganzen Welt ausbreitete. Heute sind wir ein Teil dieser Bewegung.

v0033577 saint james the less and saint christina. colour lithograph credit: wellcome library, london. wellcome images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org saint james the less and saint christina. colour lithograph by n.j. strixner, 1829, after lucas van leyden. published:  -  copyrighted work available under creative commons attribution only licence cc by 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
V0033577 Saint James the Less and Saint Christina. Colour lithograph Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org Saint James the Less and Saint Christina. Colour lithograph by N.J. Strixner, 1829, after Lucas van Leyden. Published: - Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Saint James the Less Key Takeaway

Der Apostel Jakobus, der Sohn des Alphäus, wurde auch als Jakobus der Kleine oder Jakobus der Kleine bezeichnet. Er darf nicht mit Jakobus dem Apostel, dem ersten Apostel und dem Bruder des Johannes verwechselt werden.

Im Neuen Testament gibt es den dritten Jakobus. Er war der Bruder von Jesus, ein Leiter der Jerusalemer Gemeinde und der Autor des Buches Jakobus.

Jede Auflistung der 12 Jünger enthält Jakobus von Alphäus, der in der Reihenfolge immer an neunter Stelle steht.

Although the Apostle Matthew (known as Levi, the tax collector before becoming a follower of Christ) is identified as the son of Alphaeus in Mark 2:14, scholars doubt he and James were brothers. The two disciples are never mentioned in the Gospels.

Zusammenfassung Saint James the Less

Der heilige Jakobus der Kleine, der Verfasser des ersten katholischen Briefes, war der Sohn von Alphäus von Kleophas. Seine Mutter Maria war entweder eine Schwester oder eine nahe Verwandte der Heiligen Jungfrau, und aus diesem Grund wurde er nach jüdischem Brauch manchmal Bruder des Herrn genannt.

Der Apostel hatte eine herausragende Stellung in der frühchristlichen Gemeinde Jerusalems. St. Paul sagt uns, dass er ein Zeuge der Auferstehung Christi war; er ist auch eine „Säule“ der Kirche, die der heilige Paulus über das Evangelium konsultierte.

Der Legende nach war er der erste Bischof von Jerusalem und nahm um das Jahr 50 am Jerusalemer Konzil teil. Die Historiker Eusebius und Hegesippus schrieben, der heilige Jakobus sei im Frühjahr des Jahres 62 von den Juden für den Glauben gemartert worden, obwohl sie bewunderte seine Person sehr und gab ihm den Nachnamen „Jakobus der Gerechte“.

Er gilt seit jeher als Verfasser des Briefes, der seinen Namen trägt.

Interne Beweise, die auf der Sprache, dem Stil und der Lehre des Briefes beruhen, zeigen, dass sein Autor ein Jude ist, der mit dem Alten Testament vertraut ist, und ein Christ, der gründlich in den Lehren des Evangeliums verwurzelt ist. Externe Beweise von den frühen Vätern und Konzilen der Kirche bestätigten ihre Authentizität und Kanonizität.

#1. What is the name of James the less mother?

#2. What is the meaning of James the less name?

#3. Saint James the Lesser is the patron saint of

#4. Which mountain was James the less Buried?

#5. When was James the Less feast day moved to May 11 to accommodate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker on May 1?

#6. James the less was an author of which Epistle ?

#7. What is another name for James the less?

#8. Who canonized St James the lesser?

#9. What year did James the less lead a meeting in Jerusalem?

#10. Saint James the Lesser is the patron saint of

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Frequently Asked Questions James the Less

What did James the Just believe?

James the Just, also known as James, son of Alphaeus or James the brother of Jesus, was a leader of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. He is believed to have been a close relative of Jesus and is thought to have played a prominent role in the development of the early Christian Church. According to some traditions, James was a leader of the Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem, and his beliefs likely reflected those of the early Christian community, which would have included belief in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, and belief in the teachings and message of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament.

Why is St James called the lesser?

St. James the Less, also known as James the Just, is referred to as “the Less” to distinguish him from James, son of Zebedee, who is known as James the Greater. This distinction is used to distinguish the two Jameses mentioned in the New Testament.

Wofür ist Jakobus der Kleine der Schutzpatron?

Saint James the Lesser, also known as James the Just, is considered the patron saint of pharmacists. He is associated with them because of the way he was martyred, which is by being beaten to death by a club. This is why he is depicted in art with a club or saw and is associated with pharmacists, who use a pestle, which resembles a club, in their work.

Wie starb St. James the Less?

Saint James the Lesser, also known as James the Just, was martyred by being beaten to death by a club. This is the traditional account of his death, but there is no historical evidence to confirm it. It is said that he was the first bishop of Jerusalem and that he was stoned and then clubbed to death around AD 62. He is venerated as a martyr by the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Church. However, it is important to note that there is no historical evidence to confirm this account and it is based on tradition.

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