I. Introduction (1:1) The opening verse of Malachi serves as a superscription or introduction to the entire book. It states three important facts: (1) what follows is the word of God, (2) it is addressed to the people called Israel, and (3) it is communicated ... Read More »

The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers. By Warren W. Wiersbe and Lloyd M. Perry. Chicago: Moody Press, 1984. 325 pages. Cloth, $19.95.   Two of the best-known authorities on homiletics have surveyed twenty centuries of preaching from the chronolo... Read More »

Quest for Better Preaching: Resources for Renewal in the Pulpit. By Edward F. Markquart. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1985. 239 pages. Paper, $10.95.   For some of the best thoughts of the best authors on the vital topics of preaching, read this v... Read More »

Outreach Preaching: The Role of Preaching in Evangelism. By Elton P. Richards, Jr. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986. 56 pages. Paper, $4.25.   Richards, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, Pennsylvania, writes to help correct what he cons... Read More »

Preaching. By Fred B. Craddock. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1985. 222 pages. Cloth, $16.95.   With all the new books on preaching, why should we have another one? Read this one by Fred B. Craddock, Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Candler School of... Read More »

There is a widespread conviction that Hebrews is an unusually difficult book. It has commonly been neglected in the course of preaching, study, and devotional reading of the Bible. Three factors in particular appear to have contributed to this situation: (1) t... Read More »

This final chapter in James is rich in the practical guidance which has characterized the entire book. It begins with a condemnation of the sins of oppressive rich people. Patience until the second coming of Christ is the next emphasis, followed by a prohibiti... Read More »

A Protest against Prevalent Evils James 3:13-5:6 In keeping with the working theme of the Epistle of James, a manual of Christian conduct, chapter four falls in the middle of James’s discussion of prevalent evils. His protest against prevalent evils cent... Read More »

Two themes common to the Jewish Wisdom Literature are presented in James 3:1-18, namely, the abuses of the tongue in verses 1-12 and the practical expression of wisdom in verses 13-17. The former theme was reflected in several passages of the Book of Proverbs.... Read More »

What About Your Faith? To believe affects more than just the head, more than the head and the heart; believing most ultimately affect one’s lips and hands. This is James’s point in chapter two. Religious appearance must have substance, not just ima... Read More »

Relating Christianity and Life Our current interest in the Epistle of James may stem from some scholars’ difficulties with the epistle. Some of these difficulties kept the letter from initial admission into the New Testament canon. This brief document st... Read More »

An Outline of James Occasion: This letter was written to a group of Jewish Christians who were facing trials and persecution. Under the threat of this persecution they were tempted to compromise their Christian commitment and relapse into an accommodation to t... Read More »