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Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 48: James is unavailable, but you can change that!

One of the most challenging New Testament books, James presents many historical, theological, and textual problems. Ralph Martin tackles each one in order and with scholarly precision. He provides detailed textual notes, places the epistle historically, and engages the theological controversies raised by this often maligned epistle.

The centerpiece in this diagram is clearly the analogy of the mirror as illustrating “the perfect law of liberty.” The latter turn of phrase has OT roots, e.g., Ps 18:8[19:7]: “Yahweh’s law is perfect (ἄμωμος) converting the soul” (ἐπιστρέφων ψυχάς; cf. v 21, σῶσαι τὰς ψυχᾶς ὑμῶν), and there are many facets to its background (see earlier). In this context “law” is for James a norm of conduct, and he can write of the equivalence of the obedient and faithful ποιητὴς ἔργου and the ποιητὴς
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