James (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

James, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament / Dan G. McCartney......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
Series Preface......Page 10
Author's Preface......Page 12
Abbreviations......Page 14
Transliteration......Page 20
Map......Page 22
Introduction to James......Page 24
Character......Page 26
Authorship and Date......Page 31
Who Was James?......Page 32
View 1: The Letter Was Written by James Before Paul's Letters
......Page 37
View 2: The Letter Was Written by James After Paul's Letters......Page 40
View 3: The Letter is Pseudonymous
......Page 41
View 4: The Letter Comprises Material Originally From James but Reworked by a Later Editor......Page 42
External Indications and the Church's Reception......Page 43
Internal Evidence: Palestinian Indications
......Page 47
Language Issues......Page 50
Amanuensis or Collator?......Page 51
Historical Context Issues......Page 52
Conclusion......Page 53
Original Recipients and Occasion......Page 55
Was the Audience Christian or Jewish Non-Christian?
......Page 56
Was the Audience Ethnically Jewish or Gentile (or Mixed)?
......Page 57
Location of the Addressees......Page 59
Social Situation......Page 60
Communal Orientation......Page 61
Genre and Purpose......Page 62
Rhetorical Purpose and Origins......Page 63
Similarity to Greek Rhetorical Forms......Page 64
Jewish Literary Background
......Page 66
Old Testament Connections......Page 67
Sirach......Page 68
Wisdom of Solomon......Page 69
Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides......Page 70
Eschatological Motivation for Exhortations......Page 71
James and the Wisdom of Jesus......Page 72
James and the Sermon on the Mount/Plain......Page 73
Conclusion......Page 74
James and 1 Peter......Page 75
Was James a Reaction to Paul (or Later Paulinism)?......Page 76
Controlling Theme: Genuine Faith......Page 79
P. H. Davids and the Double-Opening Theory......Page 82
Rhetorical Approaches......Page 83
Toward Resolving the Structure of James......Page 85
Proverbs as "Closers"......Page 86
The Parallel Structure of James 2 and James 3......Page 88
Summary and Outline......Page 89
Theology......Page 90
Fatherhood of God......Page 91
Christology......Page 92
Eschatology......Page 93
Two Dimensions: Individual and Communal......Page 94
Two Motivations: Past Word and Future Hope......Page 95
James's Specific Areas of Ethical Interest......Page 97
Summary......Page 98
I. Salutation (1:1)......Page 100
II. Overview of the Life of Faith (1:2-27)......Page 104
A. Faith and Wisdom (1:2-8)......Page 106
B. Pride and Wealth (1:9-12)......Page 118
C. Faith and Testing (1:13-18)......Page 126
D. Doing the Word of God (1:19-25)......Page 137
E. True Religion (1:26-27)......Page 150
III. First Discourse: Faith and Behavior (2:1-26)......Page 155
A. Part 1: Faith, Favoritism, and Law (2:1-13)......Page 156
1. Faith and Favoritism (2:1-7)......Page 157
2. Faith and Law (2:8-13)......Page 169
B. Part 2: Faith and Works (2:14-26)......Page 177
IV. Second Discourse: Faith, Wisdom, and Speech Ethics (3:1-18)......Page 199
A. Part 1: Teachers, Tongues, and Turmoil (3:1-12)......Page 201
B. Part 2: Wisdom from Above (3:13-18)......Page 220
V. Third Discourse: Strife in the Church as Lack of Faith (4:1—12)......Page 228
A. Part 1: Lusts and Repentance (4:1-10)......Page 229
B. Part 2: Defamation and Censure (4:11-12)......Page 243
VI. Interjection: Two Oracles of Warning (4:13-5:6)......Page 246
A. Oracle 1: Warning to Merchants (4:13-17)......Page 248
B. Oracle 2: Warning to Landlords (5:1-6)......Page 254
VII. Fourth Discourse: Looking to God (5:7-18)......Page 262
A. Part 1: Faith and Patience (5:7-11)......Page 263
B. Bridge Verse: Prohibition of Oaths (5:12)......Page 268
C. Part 2: Faith and Prayer (5:13-18)......Page 273
VIII. Closing Exhortation: Mutual Responsibility and Blessing (5:19-20)......Page 285
Faith Is Christological (2:1)......Page 290
Doubting, or "Double-Mindedness," Is the Opposite of Faith......Page 291
Salvation Is by Faith......Page 292
Faith Is an Attitude That Is "Quick to Hear"......Page 293
Excursus 2: Faith, Works, and Justification in James and Paul......Page 295
James and Jewish Wisdom Literature......Page 303
Wisdom Is a Divine Gift......Page 308
Wisdom Is Ethical Rather Than Intellective......Page 309
Wisdom Is Eschatologically Motivated......Page 311
Wisdom Is Spiritual......Page 312
Wisdom Is the Teaching of Jesus......Page 313
Conclusion......Page 315
Excursus 4: James and Suffering......Page 316
Suffering Is a Characteristic of the People of God......Page 317
Suffering Is One of the Trials That Are Means to Christian Maturity......Page 318
Suffering Calls Forth Faithful Living (Living by Faith)......Page 321
Conclusion......Page 323
Works Cited......Page 324
Index of Subjects......Page 336
Index of Authors......Page 339
Index of Greek Words......Page 342
Old Testament......Page 344
New Testament......Page 347
Old Testament Apocrypha......Page 353
Old Testament Pseudepigrapha......Page 354
Josephus......Page 355
Classical Writers......Page 356
Church Fathers......Page 357
Other Writings......Page 358