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Commentary on the Letter of James
A verse by verse consideration of the Letter of James
224 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 25, 2016
For the most part of the year, I’ve read tens of Jehovah’s Witnesses literature, partly in order to understand their faith, and partly in order to build up the world in my fiction. Most of the books I read were written by their second president, J. F. Rutherford. While one book was great (Preservation), a few were merely passable, and most were poorly written, thinly-disguised illogical propaganda. I’ve had the misfortune of reading their worst books recently, which made me appreciate the few books properly written as exegesis of the Bible.
This book, Commentary on the Letter of James, is, without question, the best work of JW literature. It proves to me, as an observer, that JW literature could be written in such a way as to propagate their faith without being hypocritical towards other faiths. It is the most lucid, orderly, and intelligent JW book I have read. Sadly, however, its author was excommunicated – probably because he wasn’t as radical as his Governing Body peers, and probably because he was a lot more intelligent than them. This, after all, is how exegesis should be done: one should focus on the text, and use the text as reference for one’s analysis.
Most online reviewers, JW or not, seem to agree with me: by focusing on the textual discussion and analysis of the Book of James, Edward Dunlap had written the most intelligent and intelligible JW book ever. Of course he was excommunicated afterwards and ostracized for focusing on Scripture instead of Watch Tower Society literature ... Wait, isn’t that what Christians are supposed to be doing? Focus on the Scripture in order to serve God well?
I guess the other members of the Governing Body differed from him. Nevertheless, this is the apex of all JW literature I have read. If one were to read only one book from the JW, read this one. Any Christian would appreciate the lucidity and sense that this book contains – and it also doesn’t attack other faiths. It advises prudence in using one’s mouth and tongue, and strong faith towards God. It also functions as a satire against all the other contemporary JW books full of bloat and bluster. Its temperate, assertive voice resounds more than all the empty air most of Rutherford's works possess.
It’s a great thing for me that I was able to read the best book of JW literature as my swansong for this year. It may have been probably a good thing that Mr. Dunlap was excommunicated.
This book, Commentary on the Letter of James, is, without question, the best work of JW literature. It proves to me, as an observer, that JW literature could be written in such a way as to propagate their faith without being hypocritical towards other faiths. It is the most lucid, orderly, and intelligent JW book I have read. Sadly, however, its author was excommunicated – probably because he wasn’t as radical as his Governing Body peers, and probably because he was a lot more intelligent than them. This, after all, is how exegesis should be done: one should focus on the text, and use the text as reference for one’s analysis.
Most online reviewers, JW or not, seem to agree with me: by focusing on the textual discussion and analysis of the Book of James, Edward Dunlap had written the most intelligent and intelligible JW book ever. Of course he was excommunicated afterwards and ostracized for focusing on Scripture instead of Watch Tower Society literature ... Wait, isn’t that what Christians are supposed to be doing? Focus on the Scripture in order to serve God well?
I guess the other members of the Governing Body differed from him. Nevertheless, this is the apex of all JW literature I have read. If one were to read only one book from the JW, read this one. Any Christian would appreciate the lucidity and sense that this book contains – and it also doesn’t attack other faiths. It advises prudence in using one’s mouth and tongue, and strong faith towards God. It also functions as a satire against all the other contemporary JW books full of bloat and bluster. Its temperate, assertive voice resounds more than all the empty air most of Rutherford's works possess.
It’s a great thing for me that I was able to read the best book of JW literature as my swansong for this year. It may have been probably a good thing that Mr. Dunlap was excommunicated.
September 10, 2024
VIRTUALLY THE WATCHTOWER'S ONLY "COMMENTARY" ON A NON-ESCHATOLOGICAL BOOK
This 1979 publication of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses) is of the 4"x6", 190-page format they have favored since the 1970s. It is fairly well-illustrated. With an initial pressing of 1,000,000 copies, it was intended mostly for "internal" JW usage.
(According to Raymond Franz's book Crisis of Conscience, this book was written by Ed Dunlap, who was later convicted by the WBTS of "apostasy" and expelled from the Society.)
Here are some quotations from the book, that often illustrate distinctive doctrines of the WBTS:
"These ('twelve tribes') are not the 12 tribes of literal Israel, as those tribes of natural Israelites were not the 'brothers' of James who were 'holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ... it logically follows that spiritual Israel would be spoken of as having 12 tribes..." (Pg. 12)
"The kind of faith that does not have any action in harmony with its profession not only does nothing for the possessor thereof; it also has no influence with men, and none with God, any more than a dead person can exert influence on the living." (Pg. 79)
"Paul thus quotes (in Romans 4:2-3) the same scripture from Genesis 15:6 that James refers to later in verse 23 of (chapter 2)... The words there contained were spoken of Abraham likely some 35 years before his act of attempting to offer up his son Isaac, the event to which James refers." (Pg. 85)
"In a spiritual sense, (God) is the Father only of members of the true Christian congregation." (Pg. 114)
This 1979 publication of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses) is of the 4"x6", 190-page format they have favored since the 1970s. It is fairly well-illustrated. With an initial pressing of 1,000,000 copies, it was intended mostly for "internal" JW usage.
(According to Raymond Franz's book Crisis of Conscience, this book was written by Ed Dunlap, who was later convicted by the WBTS of "apostasy" and expelled from the Society.)
Here are some quotations from the book, that often illustrate distinctive doctrines of the WBTS:
"These ('twelve tribes') are not the 12 tribes of literal Israel, as those tribes of natural Israelites were not the 'brothers' of James who were 'holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ... it logically follows that spiritual Israel would be spoken of as having 12 tribes..." (Pg. 12)
"The kind of faith that does not have any action in harmony with its profession not only does nothing for the possessor thereof; it also has no influence with men, and none with God, any more than a dead person can exert influence on the living." (Pg. 79)
"Paul thus quotes (in Romans 4:2-3) the same scripture from Genesis 15:6 that James refers to later in verse 23 of (chapter 2)... The words there contained were spoken of Abraham likely some 35 years before his act of attempting to offer up his son Isaac, the event to which James refers." (Pg. 85)
"In a spiritual sense, (God) is the Father only of members of the true Christian congregation." (Pg. 114)
May 8, 2018
A nice, verse by verse study of the Bible book of James.
May 28, 2013
The power of the tongue will always stick with me after reading this.
July 29, 2013
One of my favorites. This is a book I like to re-study every few years.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews