Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John, and Judah

Top Highlights

“The challenge of faith is the challenge not to be a wave.” (Page 3)

“Translating belief into action, even when it seems impossible or downright dangerous. That is the faith that matters. That is the faith that justifies (verse 24). That is the faith that saves (verse 14). This is near the heart of the message of James: the challenge to make sure that faith is the real thing, that it does what it says on the packet.” (Page 19)

“This is God’s purpose: to set people aside from other uses so that they can be signposts to this new reality, this new world.” (Page 50)

“The Christian faith grows directly out of, and must directly express, the belief that in Jesus the Messiah the one true God has revealed himself to be—love incarnate.” (Page 158)

“The meaning of that statement is striking: we don’t really know who ‘God’ is—until we look at Jesus. Now we see the meaning of our present statement in 1 John 4:12: people don’t really know who ‘God’ is—until they see it revealed in the life of Christians. Until, that is, ‘his love is completed in us’. What God launched decisively in Jesus, he wants to complete in and through us. As Jesus unveiled God before a surprised and unready world, so must we. Love is that important.” (Page 159)