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James: Wisdom for the Community
The church that James writes to is messy and full of problems - just like the church in our day. This comprehensive study gives the full context of the epistle and background to the words of the brother of Jesus. Contains study questions for review. Perfect for personal or group study.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
About the author
Christopher Morgan
63 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 23, 2026
This is a good, expositional commentary on James. Other than Plummer (in the ESV expository commentary, which I can't review individually), this is probably the best introductory commentary on James. 4.5 stars, if that were possible.
April 14, 2015
You can read my full review here: spoiledmilks dot wordpress dot com/2015/04/04/review-james-theology-in-community/
To some, the most popular NT epistle. James is a hugely practical book. And at the same time, it is a very difficult book to understand. How does one resist the devil and make him flee? When I ask for wisdom, how do I know I do it with the right heart? How do I know when I've received it? Am I also saved by works? Do I know the right thing to do, yet fail to do it? Written in a combined effort by Christopher Morgan and Dale Ellenburg, they have sought to exegete the text and bring, as the subtitle says, wisdom to the community. James is a letter written, like all the epistles, to a community of believers. And it should be taught to a community of believers, and it's lessons learned and lived out among a community of believers.
The Chocolate Milk
To be honest, I haven't read a lot of James commentaries. I had James as a 1 credit class back in Siegen, DE, and I've twice taught on James 4.11-17, once at CCBCY in another James class and once at my church back home. I did receive Moo's James (PNTC) commentary this Christmas, but I haven't really had the chance to go through much of it yet. So this commentary is a first for me to go through, and I can say I have enjoyed it's insights.
The final section of the book was titled the Theology of James, giving thought to many of the themes seen in this short epistle. It ties together the book of James by bringing it's related themes and scriptures, along with relevant OT scripture, into one place. Wisdom is taking God's ways and applying them to one's daily walk. The Bible is not purely a book to use to fill our heads with information so that we can feel better than everyone else, but to show us all how to love our God with all of our heart(s), soul(s), mind(s), and strength(s) together as a community.
The authors are very community-centered, and they challenge the readers to edify and build up the church body to live according to God's commands. Each believer has a responsibility to live in a way that reflects God's Word and that brings about the edification of the body. The authors encourage the Christian (and Christians) to do just that, and they do it in very accessible language so that even those who are unfamiliar with deep theology can understand how they are apart of a family and they have responsibilities to attend to. The focus is good, and the concern is needed.
The Spoiled Milk
Morgan's section on James 1.1 is basically a rehash of what he said in the 'James in Context' section. While he gives a footnote telling the reader that though we just read this in the last section, it's good to review it again to interpret James 1.1. However, we did just read it in the previous section. Rather than reading it again, I skipped over it. One would think that though the information doesn't need to be profound, something new (besides the meaning of 'servant' [doulos]) could be added to bolster the discussion.
While the book is easy to read, both Morgan and Ellenburg are settled in giving us the Greek definition of important words to better understand the context. Helpful? Yes. Does one need to have an understanding of Greek. No, though it is helpful. Is it excessive and a bit overboard? Yes. Sometimes they focus more on giving an accessible understanding of the words than the connections between verses.
Recommended?
I don't have a broad grasp of good James commentaries, though I'm aware of the excellence of Moo [PNTC] (which both Morgan and Ellenburg refer to often) and Davids [NIGTC]. Yet I would say this would be helpful for some pastors, and indeed in study groups (as study questions are even provided near the end of each section). There is a huge (and correct) focus on God's wisdom being imparted to His people for their daily walk with the world around them, especially those who are their own family. Gain knowledge. Use wisdom.
[Special thanks to Derry at Christian Focus for allowing me to review this book! I was not obligated to provide a positive review in exchange for this book.]
To some, the most popular NT epistle. James is a hugely practical book. And at the same time, it is a very difficult book to understand. How does one resist the devil and make him flee? When I ask for wisdom, how do I know I do it with the right heart? How do I know when I've received it? Am I also saved by works? Do I know the right thing to do, yet fail to do it? Written in a combined effort by Christopher Morgan and Dale Ellenburg, they have sought to exegete the text and bring, as the subtitle says, wisdom to the community. James is a letter written, like all the epistles, to a community of believers. And it should be taught to a community of believers, and it's lessons learned and lived out among a community of believers.
The Chocolate Milk
To be honest, I haven't read a lot of James commentaries. I had James as a 1 credit class back in Siegen, DE, and I've twice taught on James 4.11-17, once at CCBCY in another James class and once at my church back home. I did receive Moo's James (PNTC) commentary this Christmas, but I haven't really had the chance to go through much of it yet. So this commentary is a first for me to go through, and I can say I have enjoyed it's insights.
The final section of the book was titled the Theology of James, giving thought to many of the themes seen in this short epistle. It ties together the book of James by bringing it's related themes and scriptures, along with relevant OT scripture, into one place. Wisdom is taking God's ways and applying them to one's daily walk. The Bible is not purely a book to use to fill our heads with information so that we can feel better than everyone else, but to show us all how to love our God with all of our heart(s), soul(s), mind(s), and strength(s) together as a community.
The authors are very community-centered, and they challenge the readers to edify and build up the church body to live according to God's commands. Each believer has a responsibility to live in a way that reflects God's Word and that brings about the edification of the body. The authors encourage the Christian (and Christians) to do just that, and they do it in very accessible language so that even those who are unfamiliar with deep theology can understand how they are apart of a family and they have responsibilities to attend to. The focus is good, and the concern is needed.
The Spoiled Milk
Morgan's section on James 1.1 is basically a rehash of what he said in the 'James in Context' section. While he gives a footnote telling the reader that though we just read this in the last section, it's good to review it again to interpret James 1.1. However, we did just read it in the previous section. Rather than reading it again, I skipped over it. One would think that though the information doesn't need to be profound, something new (besides the meaning of 'servant' [doulos]) could be added to bolster the discussion.
While the book is easy to read, both Morgan and Ellenburg are settled in giving us the Greek definition of important words to better understand the context. Helpful? Yes. Does one need to have an understanding of Greek. No, though it is helpful. Is it excessive and a bit overboard? Yes. Sometimes they focus more on giving an accessible understanding of the words than the connections between verses.
Recommended?
I don't have a broad grasp of good James commentaries, though I'm aware of the excellence of Moo [PNTC] (which both Morgan and Ellenburg refer to often) and Davids [NIGTC]. Yet I would say this would be helpful for some pastors, and indeed in study groups (as study questions are even provided near the end of each section). There is a huge (and correct) focus on God's wisdom being imparted to His people for their daily walk with the world around them, especially those who are their own family. Gain knowledge. Use wisdom.
[Special thanks to Derry at Christian Focus for allowing me to review this book! I was not obligated to provide a positive review in exchange for this book.]
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews