These commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means.

The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation.

Additional Notes provide a fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new New Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings:

• Context
• Comment
• Theology.

The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain. The letter of James has often been defined in terms of moral earnestness, repentance and consistent social action, leading many to argue that it is not theological. This separation between theology and practice, Douglas J. Moo observes, can all too easily lead people to read Scripture as a book to be analysed rather than a message to be obeyed - the very mindset against which James inveighs. Moo's exposition of these themes illuminates James's rich letter and its message for us today.