A Commentary on the Epistle of James, Chapter Two

The fourth edition of this book has been written to clean up some of the poorly worded text in the first three editions and to show important Bible verses rather than just refer to them. An effort has also been made to convert previously used first person speech with more formal third person speech. In looking at the second chapter of the epistle of James, this standalone book considers authorship, the date that the whole epistle was written, and the basis for its acceptance into the biblical canon. With a strong focus on the Greek language, the goal has also been to perform good exegesis on the original text.

In considering the second chapter of the epistle of James, one should note that it focuses on not being a respecter of persons, on everyone's guilt by the law, on faith without works, and on justification by works. People often struggle with the contrast between Paul's writings of faith and between James' writings of works. So the below discussions will show the relationship between the two and how they work together in a Christian's life. The saints of God have been brought together by a common savior for the common cause of exalting and of glorifying their heavenly Father.

There is one note, however, to be made with respect to the organization of this text. Something that the reader of this text might find useful is boxes that show the different passages that are being referenced at the times and in the places where they are being referenced. That way, he or she will not have to jump all over the place or get into or out of the scriptures to locate a particular reference. Hopefully that inclusion will help the reader in trying to understand the various events and to also put them into the right context. So it is hoped that that will make this book easier to read and that the Lord will receive the praise, honor, and glory that He rightfully deserves.