James (The New American Commentary | NAC)

by Kurt A. Richardson

Publisher:

B&H

, 1997

Overview

Since a commentary is a fundamental tool for the expositor or teacher who seeks to interpret and apply Scripture in the church or classroom, the NAC focuses on communicating the theological structure and content of each biblical book. The writers seek to illuminate both the historical meaning and contemporary significance of Holy Scripture.

In its attempt to make a unique contribution to the Christian community, the NAC focuses on two concerns. First, the commentary emphasizes how each section of a book fits together so that the reader becomes aware of the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole. The writers, however, remain aware of the Bible’s inherently rich variety. Second, the NAC is produced with the conviction that the Bible primarily belongs to the church. We believe that scholarship and the academy provide an indispensable foundation for biblical understanding and the service of Christ, but the editors and authors of this series have attempted to communicate the findings of their research in a manner that will build up the whole body of Christ. Thus, the commentary concentrates on theological exegesis, while providing practical, applicable exposition.

Contents

Top Highlights

“What does it mean to be patient until the Lord’s coming? It means to do what God also is doing: enduring human evil for a season.” (Page 218)

“The early rain causes the seed to germinate and the plants to sprout. The later rain strengthens the stalks for the production of the buds, which will make for much harvestable grain when it ripens. In both cases the farmer waited for the sake of the grain in order that the grain (lit. ‘fruit’; cf. 3:17) might be his at harvest time.” (Page 219)

“The imperative ‘stand firm’ could be more literally translated ‘strengthen your hearts,’ meaning to confirm its faith through patient endurance. Highlighting the word ‘heart’ also shows the overall interconnectedness of James’s teaching. The great problem of the double-minded believer is the deceiving of one’s own heart (1:26b). The only hope for the self-deceived is a rigorous purifying of the heart (4:8). Without the heart’s being purified, it is fattened for the day of slaughter (5:5). Instead of a heart that patiently waits for the Lord by active faith, the fattened heart is filled with the self-centeredness and envy that are the primary characteristics of an unmerciful life.” (Pages 220–221)

“James already had stated in the previous chapter that only the implanted Word is able to save (1:21” (Page 129)

“James encouraged them to embrace their trials not for what they were but for what God could accomplish through them.” (Page 58)

Product Details

• Title: James
• Author: Kurt A. Richardson
• Series: New American Commentary
• Volume: 36
• Publisher: B&H
• Print Publication Date: 1997
• Logos Release Date: 2001
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. James › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9781430086123, 9781433675706, 1433675706, 1430086122
• Resource ID: LLS:29.64.9
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-10-09T17:43:56Z

About Kurt A. Richardson

Karl Barth (1886–1968), a Swiss Protestant theologian and pastor, was one of the leading thinkers of twentieth-century theology, described by Pope Pius XII as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas. He helped to found the Confessing Church and his thinking formed the theological framework for the Barmen Declaration. He taught in Germany, where he opposed the Nazi regime. In 1935, when he refused to take the oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler, he was forced to retire from his position at the University of Bonn and deported to Switzerland. There he continued to write and develop his theology.

Barth’s work and influence resulted in the formation of what came to be known as neoorthodoxy. For Barth, modern theology, with its assent to science, immanent philosophy, and general culture and with its stress on feeling, was marked by indifference to the word of God and to the revelation of God in Jesus, which he thought should be the central concern of theology.

Kurt Anders Richardson received his doctorate in theology at the University of Basel in Switzerland and is on the faculty of theology at McMaster University and Trinity College, University of Toronto. He is cofounder of the Society for Scriptural Reasoning and Comparative Theology in the American Academy of Religion and the Method in Systematic Theology in the Evangelical Theological Society. He has published numerous works, including James in The New American Commentary Series.