James

A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary

Criminals in Hong Kong and China are often superstitiously religious. Ironically, both they and police officers worship the same folk god, Guan Gong, who represents righteousness! But their religiosity has no moral consequences – what both groups are seeking is protection from their opponents. Unfortunately, some Asian Christians have a similar model of religiosity. They want God’s protection and blessings, but they do not want God to affect how they live. James will have none of this. He is convinced that our devotion to God must be reflected in the way we live, and so he writes a letter that is full of sound, practical advice. He exhorts us to control our tongues, he speaks against greed, envy, and wrong desires, and he gives wise advice about enduring suffering, praying for ailing believers, and restoring believers who are tempted to depart from the truth. Using Asian applications, this commentary of James highlights the relevance the triune God has in all contexts of life. The Asia Bible Commentary Series empowers Christian believers in Asia to read the Bible from within their respective contexts. Holistic in its approach to the text, each exposition of the biblical books combines exegesis and application. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the Body of Christ in Asia by providing pastoral and contextual exposition of every book of the Bible.