Description: This definitive commentary sheds exegetical and theological light on the book of James for contemporary preachers and students of Scripture. Listening closely to the text while interacting with the best of scholarship, Aida Besancon Spencer shows what this epistle meant for the early church and what it means for us today. In addition to its perceptive comments on the biblical text, this volume examines James's four key themes: speaking wisely, using wealth, persevering in trials, and becoming doers of the Word. Spencer offers astute guidance to preachers and teachers wanting to do a series on James, with homiletical trajectories for each passage to show how historical narrative can be presented from the pulpit and in the classroom. --
Brief description: Aida Besancon Spencer (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Senior Professor of New Testament at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Spencer has worked as a community organizer, social worker, minister, and educator in a wide variety of urban settings. Her other publications include 2 Corinthians in the Bible Study Commentary Series and Paul's Literary Style.
Review Quotes: "Aída Besançon Spencer makes a genuine contribution to our understanding and application of the letter of James as she examines it afresh while faithfully adhering to academic exegetical tradition. In elucidating the meaning of the text, she painstakingly displays a literary analysis of it that reflects both the original language and the historical background of the letter. Her skillful use of Old Testament references and her handling of complex exegetical problems provide us a comprehensive treatment of the Letter of James.
"Besançon Spencer's thoughtful commentary is driven by the text itself, and she masterfully shows the flow of the letter and how its parts interrelate to create a whole. In addition to a detailed exposition of the text, she brings out some theological implications as well as the relevance of the text for pastoral applications."--Dr Awilda González Babb, NT Adjunct Faculty, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (7/7/2020 12:00:00 AM)