One of my favourite books of the New Testament is the letter of James (even if Martin Luther called an ‘epistle of straw’). While not as theologically rich as Paul’s letter to the Romans, James is full of practical advice for Christians, ancient and modern.
As I was going through James, I decided to read a commentary and I chose the one by Douglas Moo from the Tyndale New Testament Commentary series. I chose it because I have read other commentaries by Moo and because it was short.
Moo’s commentary had everything that I wanted. It is not overly technical and doesn’t get lost in the weeds. He is able to sort through the relevant issues in a short amount of space. He gives a bit more detail on a handful of topics.
Part of the purpose of the TNTC is to keep the commentaries short and accessible. This does mean that there is not much room to go into greater detail. There were times that I wanted to know more but the type of commentary did not allow it.
If you are a New Testament scholar wanting to tackle the thorny issues of James, this is probably not for you. But for pastors, Bible study leaders and people just interested in a quick introduction to James, this one will definitely work.
If you want more detail, you might want to check out Moo’s lengthier commentary on James from the Pillar New Testament Commentary series.
