When Paul recalls his early journey of faith, he makes a curious remark:
“But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)” — Galatians 1:19-20
At first glance, this looks like a genealogical note. Yet in scripture, relationships aren't about flesh and blood—they symbolise inner states of consciousness and faculties of the mind.
The Lord: The Awakened Identity
In Paul’s writings, the Lord represents the inner “I AM”—revived imagination, the divine source from which all states arise. This is not a historical person outside of us but the recognition of God within: the foundation of every manifestation.
Brother: Kinship of Essence
A brother is one who shares the same life, the same Father. Symbolically, it points to a state of consciousness that reflects the divine essence, though it is not identical with the Lord Himself. To be called “the Lord’s brother” is to be counted as kin to the awakened “I AM.”
James: The Supplanter Transformed
The name James comes from the Hebrew Ya‘aqov (Jacob), meaning supplanter. Jacob symbolises the persistence and struggle of faith—the wrestling within consciousness that eventually brings about transformation.
In the story of Jacob, persistence leads to the birth of Israel, the new identity. In Galatians, James stands as that same faculty, but now recognised as “the Lord’s brother.” Persistence is no longer a struggle; it has become aligned with the divine nature itself.
The Symbolic Picture
- The Lord = awakened divine identity (I AM).
- Brother = likeness of essence, kinship with God.
- James = persistence, the wrestle that supplants the old self.
Thus, James the Lord’s brother symbolises persistence transfigured—faith’s struggle that becomes a witness to the divine life. What once wrestled against now testifies as kin.
The Message for Us
Paul’s remark is not incidental. It is a profound truth: the very persistence that once seemed a burden becomes the companion of awakening. Your Jacob becomes James, and James is recognised as kin to the Lord.
This tells us that persistence in holding to the inner vision is not separate from God—it is born of the same source. The wrestle itself is sanctified, for it shares in the life of the awakened “I AM.”