The Epistle of James (Black’s New Testament Commentary | BNTC)
Overview
Considered as a part of the Christian canon, the epistle of James is an oddity. It lacks almost all of what might be thought to be the distinctive marks of Christian faith and practice. Luther, in fact, denies that James is the work of an apostle, because of what he sees to be its opposition to Paul in its interpretation of justification. The chief interest of the epistle of James is in its evidence of the way the nature of Christianity was understood by the author, his readers, and perhaps by those who accepted his work as part of Scripture. In his reinterpretation of traditional ideas in new situations, in his insistence on the right practice of prayer and of charity, and in his appeal to the nature of man and the nature of God in establishing rules for conduct, the author of the epistle deserves a continued hearing.
Top Highlights
“The best known comments on the epistle are those of Martin Luther. In his 1522 Preface to the New Testament, he judges that ‘St John’s Gospel and his first epistle, St Paul’s epistles, especially Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, and St Peter’s first epistle are the books that show you Christ and teach you all that is necessary and salvatory for you to know, even if you were never to see or hear any other book or doctrine. Therefore St James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw,1 compared to these others, for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.’” (Page 1)
“The man who commits one offence must accept that he is responsible and answerable not only in respect of the single precept he has broken, but in respect of the whole corpus of law of which that precept is a part.” (Page 112)
“In general, then, James’s environment would seem to be the meeting of Christian, Jewish and Hellenistic thought, at a popular and unsophisticated level.” (Page 6)
“In the first place, he belongs firmly in the world of early Christianity” (Page 2)
“He may say that he has faith, but that is itself an unreal claim, for the faith so isolated from works is a dead thing (v. 17). James’s example of unreal faith is shown in failure to exercise charity, an argument reminiscent of Matt. 25:31–46, where the destiny of the ‘goats’ for eternal punishment and the ‘sheep’ for eternal life is dependent on whether or not they have performed such deeds; and of 1 Jn 3:17–18, where the claim to have the love of God abiding in one cannot be sustained against a lack of compassion for the needy; and indeed of James’s own presentation of ‘true religion’ in 1:27.” (Page 119)
Praise for the Print Edition
. . it maintains the high standard of this series. The exposition is lucid, all the main cruces are discussed in detail, and the lengthy, well-structured introduction presents the conclusions which . . . Laws has formed as a result of her detailed study of the text. . . . In Sophie Laws' James, then, we have what will assuredly come to be one of the standard commentaries on this intriguing and delightful letter.
—The Expository Times
One could hardly fail to be pleased with the content of the work. Laws writes with an engaging style which normally presents her case as clearly as space allows. . . . the challenge of meeting a first-class mind is invigorating. This is not a boring commentary.
—Anglican Theological Review
. . . not only maintains the high standards of the Black's series but also fares well in comparison with . . . scholarly studies in French and German. . . . The book is a fine example of the well-informed and balanced exegesis which typifies British New Testament scholarship.
—Journal for the Study of the New Testament
[This] commentary is surely a success and worthy of careful use. It rarely fails to clarify difficult passages; and it will inform a reader quickly and thoroughly of the relationship of James to Christian hortatory literature. Its moderation, thoroughness, and readability strongly recommend it to pastor and scholar alike.
—Interpretation
Product Details
- Title: Black’s New Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James
- Author: Sophie Laws
- Publisher: Hendrickson
- Publication Date: 1980
- Pages: 218
