The letter of James includes several topics of importance. But the debate over whether James contradicts Paul is perhaps the most famous topic associated with the letter, and our understanding of James is the worse for it. Martin Luther suggested that the statement “a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (2:24) contradicts Paul’s theology of salvation by faith alone, especially as it is stated in Galatians 2:16. And ever since, it is that controversy that is most strongly associated with James’s letter, overshadowing the rich contribution of the letter to Christian thought.

Karen H. Jobes, Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles, 172.