James

The NIV Application Commentary, New Testament #19

by David P. Nystrom, James the Just

Straight to the point, practical, affirming, convicting---that's the book of James. In it, we see a picture of early Christians wrestling to apply the teachings of Jesus to their everyday lives. And we see a community plagued by divisiveness and hypocrisy, with an emphasis on wealth and status. James pulls no punches addressing these issues, calling for a faith that shows itself in moral actions: in speech, in interpersonal relationships, in economic and social justice. He also lays out a theology of the redemptive value of suffering. In our day when the behavior and attitudes of professed Christians are often not much different from the surrounding culture, in our society of great wealth, and in our culture that abhors suffering, the challenging message of James is greatly needed. Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, David Nystrom shares perspectives on the book of James that reveal its enduring relevance for our twenty-first-century lives. This series promises to become an indispensable tool for every pastor and teacher who seeks to make the Bible's timeless message speak to this generation. Billy Graham The NIV Application Commentary dares to go where few scholars have gone before---into the real world of biblical application faced by pastors and teachers every day. This is everything a good commentary should be. Leith Anderson Pastor, Wooddale Church Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don't discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable---but the job is only half done! The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today.

Genres: Christian, Reference, New Testament, Theology, Biblical Studies

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 1997

About the author

David Nystrom has been at William Jessup University for two years. He is an adjunct professor of NT at Fuller Theological Seminary and at Western Seminary. He is married to Kristina and they have one daughter, Annika, who is nine years old. Dave is the author of dozens of articles and two books, The NIV Application Commentary, James, published by Zondervan, and The History of Christianity published by McGraw-Hill.

Reviews

[Benjamin Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The NIVAC series is my go to for sermon prep. David Nystrom, just like the letter of James, challenges the believer in many ways. He does a fantastic job of demonstrating numerous ways in which a believer walks a double-minded life. He uses a rich variety of sources, which the reader can access well in the footnotes. This commentary was fantastic. I would recommend it for anything from devotional reading, to Sunday School prep, to sermon prep, to scholarly paper prep.

You will see reviews stating that he gives too much opinion. This is what I greatly appreciate! He takes the time to bridge the text into the uncomfortable and idolatrous corners of our heart that the initial letter of James "to the 12 tribes scattered" was meant to address. Too often we let the epistles of Scripture sit comfortably 2000 years ago, without seeing just how much of what we normalize is the same sin that God was addressing. I applaud the way that Dr Nystrom wrote this commentary.

[Bob Wolniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful for sermon prep

[Simon O'Mahony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I have not read this cover to cover, the parts I dipped into were somewhat disappointing.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good support material for teaching the book of James.
Some of it is more opinionated than it needs to be.

[Frans Kempe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent Bible Study of James. A bit theological language wise and a bit more scholarly applications made it a bit more difficult than other books in the NIV application series.