Expository Notes on the Epistle of James
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
James, the brother of Jesus, occupied a prominent place in the Jerusalem church, as is mentioned in the book of Acts. The tone of James bears the imprint of his Jewish upbringing, but his insistence in Acts 15 that Christians were not obligated to follow Jewish customs points to his lifelong wrestling between the Gospel of Christ and the ritual of his Jewish past. These seemingly contradictory sentiments are present in the book of James as well.
This epistle has been met with skepticism—most notably by Martin Luther, who thought it contradictory to the Gospel. Ironside, however, explains that James tactfully outlines a living faith—lives exemplified by righteous living and godly behavior. Most importantly, Ironside shows that James deals not with abstruse doctrinal themes but with practical Christian ethics.
Product Details
- Title: Expository Notes on the Epistle of James
- Author: H. A. Ironside
- Publisher: Loizeaux Brothers
- Publication Date: 1947
- Pages: 62
About Harry Allen Ironside
Harry Allen Ironside, one of the twentieth century’s greatest preachers, was born in Toronto, Canada on October 14, 1876. Though his education stopped with grammar school, his fondness for reading and a retentive memory put his learning to use. His scholarship was recognized in academic circles when he received honorary degrees from Wheaton College and Bob Jones University and was invited as frequent lecturer at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Ironside was appointed to the boards of numerous Bible institutes, seminaries, and Christian organizations. He also served as director of the Africa Inland Mission. Ironside preached widely throughout the United States and abroad. He served as pastor of Moody Memorial Church from 1930 to 1948, and during his lifetime, he preached more than 7,000 sermons to over 1.25 million listeners.
Sample Pages from the Print Edition
Top Highlights
“The Holy Spirit used the Apostle Paul in a special way to show the fallacy of the first of these views. He insists that justification before God is never by the deeds of the law but by faith in Christ. James deals with the second error, and makes it plain that the faith that saves is a faith that works, and that no one is justified before God who is not justified practically before men.” (Page 29)
“It is no evidence of God’s displeasure when His people are called upon to pass through great trials. If one professes to have faith in the Lord he can depend upon it that his profession will be put to the test sooner or later.” (Page 12)
“Changeableness is an evidence of an unsubdued will and generally, too, of an inflated ego, which leads one to be occupied unduly with the importance of his own affairs.” (Page 15)
“Remember some forty years elapsed between the patriarch’s justification by faith before God and his justification by works before men.” (Page 31)
“but shows that real faith is never separated from a life of piety.” (Page 11)