NT365 Book Study: Letter of James
Overview
In Book Study: Letter of James (NT365), Dr. William Varner presents the practical meaning and unifying thought of the Letter of James in a way that will help you effectively communicate them to others. This study presents a fresh perspective on James the man and also James the letter, showing how the emphasis on works complements rather than contradicts Paul’s emphasis on faith. Walking you through each chapter of this letter verse by verse, Dr. Varner will illustrate how reading James as a Wisdom book reveals its practical meaning and relevance for today.
Top Highlights
“‘James is an Epistle of straw because it has nothing of the gospel in it,’ said Martin Luther” (source)
“James is fond for using the expression ‘my brothers’ or ‘my beloved brothers.’ He does that, I believe, when coupling it with a command to introduce a new section in the book. We’re going to look through those fourteen sections, each of which begins with the expression ‘my brothers’ and a command.” (source)
“I like to say that James is actually the most Jesus-soaked book in the nt after the Gospels, of course. Jesus appears by name, by the word ‘Lord,’ or by His own sayings and teachings in every paragraph of the book. James is, in my opinion, the most Jesus-saturated book in the nt after, of course, the Gospels.” (James 1:1)
“Wisdom sometimes is called ‘knowledge applied.’ It is that grace that comes from God to show us how to live life in a practical way. Wisdom is never theoretical. It’s always practical, just like the book of wisdom in the ot, the book of Proverbs.” (James 1:5–8)
“they’re trials of faith. They are tests, or trials, that cause the believer the temptation of not trusting God.” (James 1:1–4)
- Title: NT365 Book Study: Letter of James
- Author: William Varner
- Series: Logos Mobile Education
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Print Publication Date: 2016
- Logos Release Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Courseware
- Subjects: Bible. N.T. James › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. James › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Education › Bible. N.T. James--Commentaries; Education › Bible. N.T. James--Criticism, interpretation, etc
- Resource ID: LLS:NT365VARNER
- Resource Type: Courseware Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-06-06T21:31:13Z
Dr. William Varner is Professor of Bible and Greek at The Master’s College in Santa Clarita, California. After earning degrees from Bob Jones University and the Biblical Theological Seminary, he served as a pastor in Pennsylvania for seven years, during which time he earned another master’s degree and took his first trip to Israel—an experience that would leave an indelible mark on his ministry. While serving for 17 years with The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry in New Jersey, he earned a third master’s degree (in Jewish Studies at Dropsie College, now the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania) and a doctorate (at Temple University in Philadelphia).
Besides teaching Bible exposition courses and Greek Exegesis at The Master’s College, Dr. Varner is Director of IBEX, the college’s overseas campus in Israel, and has led 46 study trips to Israel. He has also pastored the Sojourners fellowship in Grace Community Church for 16 years.
Dr. Varner is the author of several books, including The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah, Awake O Harp: A Devotional Commentary on the Psalms, and The Letter of James. He has also written over 100 articles appearing in academic journals and popular magazines. He loves participating in Civil War reenactments, reading the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien and Daniel Silva, and traveling overseas with his wife Helen.