Commentary on James (written by latter WTS labeled apostate Ed Dunlap, registrar for the school of Gilead for years) out of print now....I think it is on some of the older WT-CDs.
The CO says --
by stillajwexelder 72 Replies latest watchtower bible
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james_woods
If I remember right, Ed once told be that it was his hope that they would be doing a series of theme books like "James" on most of the other NT titles. He wanted to get back to more fundamental life value and bible context teachings. I guess the priorities got changed.
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stillajwexelder
God forbid we actually start studying the Bible
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undercover
If I remember right, Ed once told be that it was his hope that they would be doing a series of theme books like "James" on most of the other NT titles. He wanted to get back to more fundamental life value and bible context teachings. I guess the priorities got changed.
I remember when that book came out. I thought then that it would be cool if they did a "commentary on the book of ..." series eventually covering all the Greek Scriptures. I used to wonder why it never went beyond just the one.
God forbid we actually start studying the Bible
Excellent!
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TheListener
This may be an ignorant question but I must ask.
What is the difference in a book like the Commentary on the Letter of James and the other Bible books that are verse by verse discussions? I've heard many say that Commentary on James was the only bible commentary the WTS has actually produced.
Why is the James book considered a commentary when the Revelation book or the Isaiah or the Daniel book(s) aren't? All those books go verse by verse and explain each passage.
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james_woods
Whether you call all those others a "commentary" or not, there was a big difference in the tone and general contextual approach in the "James" (and also the Aid to Bible understanding, for that matter). The James commentary was written at a time when Ed wanted to approach a more "reasonable" application to the context of a verse. He felt that the society was becoming too dogmatic in just picking this verse or another by itself and then jumping to a wholly unrelated place in the NewTest. and chaining that in there. Remember, the popular books of that day were "Evolution", "Truth", and "Babylon the Great" -- topical subject books rather than commentary.
His philosophy was to let the bible writer James tell his story, and just make explanatory comments. The general watchtower disposition was to pick a favorite doctrine or chronology and then force context of various scriptures to tell their story. Ed was of course a "fader" in fact when he wrote this book - but I think he viewed himself as a sort of back-to-basics reformer at the time. As I remember the book, there was really nothing contraversial about it at all; except for the fact that it stuck strictly to the subject of James and did not go afield to prove other points.
Others who knew Ed in those days may differ, but I really think that he believed the society would eventually see reason and reform - right up to the very last when they booted him and his wife out on the street.
James,
p.s. - did we kind of get this thread off of what the CO says?
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stillajwexelder
we did get of thread but all very interesting stuff
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LDH
Blondie we didn't do persecution preaching but there were two elders in our hall who would not allow their photos to be taken because of percieved future persecution.
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Sassy
I just wanted to say HI STILLA...
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Scully
and he finished up by saying "That is why we have gone through the Daniel book again - because some have lost their sense of urgency"
So let me get this straight. The CO believes that the solution to people "losing their sense of urgency" is to bore them to tears?