“The Refining of Your Faith”?: Metallurgic Testing Imagery in James

Abstract

Abstract This article proposes that (1) the author of James uses metallurgic imagery in the opening exhortation and (2) a thematic thread runs through Jas 2:1–3:12 in light of the two inextricable qualities of precious metals: genuineness and purity. This case is supported by an examination of the key terms δοκίμιον and δόκιμος in Jas 1, the testing/refining process of precious metals in antiquity, and usage of metallurgic imagery in Jewish and early Christian literature. After making a case for this concept in the prologue and Jas 2:1–3:12, I suggest that the theme also tacitly recurs in other parts of the epistle.