James, First, Second, and Third John: (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars - CCSS) (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture)

Excellent commentary on the Letter of James and the 3 John books (Doesn't include Gospel of John)Right off the bat in the "Introduction to James", I learned that I have been wrong about something about the Letter. For whatever reason, I've always assumed the author of the Letter of James to be James the Greater, beheaded by King Herod Agrippa about 42 or 44 AD (see Acts 12:2). But the commentary tells us that there are three important early disciples bearing the name "James," and that the author of the Letter is probably James the Just:"Three important figures bear the name 'James' in the New Testament, two of whom were among the original twelve apostles. The first, traditionally called James the Greater, was a son of Zebedee and brother of the apostle John (Matt 10:2; Mark 1:19-20). He was beheaded around AD 44 by King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2) and therefore probably died too early to have written the letter. The second, traditionally called James the Lesser, is referred to as the son of Alphaeus (Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), but the New Testament says nothing more about him. The third James, who became a major leader of the church in Jerusalem, is referred to by Paul as 'the brother of the Lord' and a 'pillar' of the Jerusalem church (Gal 1:19; 2:9). Later writers, including the Church historian Eusebius (263-339), refer to him as the first bishop of Jerusalem. This James has traditionally been considered the author or our letter. ... James was put to death in AD 62 under the high priest Ananus II, a Sadducee, whom Josephus described as arrogant and harsh in his judgments. ...In the early Church, Origen (d. 253), Clement of Alexandria (d. 215), and Jerome (d. 420) referred to him as 'James the Just,' a testimony to his righteous and devout conduct." (PP. 2, 5, 4)Very early on we also learn about James' humility and prayerfulness:"He was in the habit of entering into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people." (4)A few weeks ago in a Kroger, I saw a woman wearing a shirt, reading, "Consider it all joy ..." Those famous words which have intrigued both believer and unbeliever alike because they tell us to be joyful in trial, are rendered here, as, "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4)." We can't be humanly happy about suffering, but by the Power of the Spirit we can be spiritually joyful in the midst of it knowing that it produces perseverance resulting in perfection. As the commentary says, "[T]rials lead to perseverance, perseverance should be perfect, so the person can reach spiritual maturity. In short, trials can lead to human perfection. ... [P]erfect perseverance means to be entirely committed to following Jesus to the end, no matter what trials arise." (18, 19)Don't miss the miraculous healing of a man with throat cancer in Toledo, Ohio, by the reception of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on page 119. This is contained in the section on James 5:13-18. The Church finds the Scriptural evidence for this Sacrament in James 5:14: "Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven." (111)If one were to ask another what he or she thinks the main theme to the Gospel of John (not covered here) and the three Letters of John, one might receive the answer, "Love." More specifically, "God is love." (1 John 4:8,16) But the word "love" is so misunderstood today. When many say "love" they are really referring to "lust." True love puts the love of the other's soul and body first. True love is sacrificial. True love is anchored in the will, and doesn't stop when feelings aren't what they used to be and/or hardship arrives. As the commentary tells us:"[A] Christian ethic of love has penetrated our culture to some degree. ... Yes, God is love, but not all that passes for love is therefore 'God.' ... [I]f we were not in a living relationship with God, we could not truly love. ... if we were not born of God's seed, we could not truly love (see 2:29; 3:9)" (212, 210). Don't miss the section, "St. Augustine on the Centrality of Love", also on page 210.Some other quotes in this commentary I particularly like include:"The prophets are those who spoke in the name of the Lord. They fearlessly addressed kings, powerful elites, and angry crowds bent on their destruction. Proclaiming the truth is a risky business, and the prophets often risked their lives to proclaim God's word. But God never abandoned them, and by his grace they were able to speak God's message, despite being threatened, mocked, and imprisoned." (106)"The wise person is not necessarily the one who is the best educated or most cultured, but the one who wholly submits to God and lives by the precepts of his law ... The fool, on the other hand, knows on some level what is good but rejects the ways of God and seeks to live by his or her own depraved ideas." (76)"Origen (184-253) listed the ways in which one may gain forgiveness of sins: baptism, martyrdom, almsgiving, forgiveness of others, love, penance, and converting 'a sinner from the error of his ways.'" (121)

Like the others books in this series, this is very helpful in further study of James and the three letters of John.

Thank you for quick delivery of this book.. however I was disappointed that the cover came bent vertically from top to bottom. Somewhat damaged.

This book is a wonderful addition to the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series. Professors Anderson and Keating do an excellent job of making the letter of James and the letters of John, respectively, more understandable to both the average person trying to understand scripture better as well as the scholar. Lots of supporting footnote and references to ancient sources, both Jewish and Christian, really help bring these epistles to life.

Professors Anderson and Keating have contributed a first-rate commentary on these crucial letters. Their scholarship is sound, their interpretation insightful, their writing marked by clarity and readability. As a diaconal candidate, this is precisely the kind of go-to resource that is invaluable in my current studies and, I am sure, will be a great help in my future ministry. Highly recommended.

This commentary makes the epistles accessible both academically and spiritually. The explanation of passages give you good explanation of what is being said, as well as how it fits with the rest of scripture. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a solid understanding of the epistles to bring to class, bible study or prayer.

I am in Deaconate formation and Kelly Anderson is one of my teacher, she is superb, she really is a good teacher, love here class it was no brainer i had to get the book. Plus I'm collecting the serious anyway to help me on my preaching so it realy works all around for me. Thanks Kelly.

This is a wonderful series of books that I use for reference.

Clear, concise, and inspiring commentary with practical application by two great scholars whose faith and love for the scriptures shines throughout.