The Way: Recent Episodes
The Ephesus School
Fr. Dustin Lyon explores scripture to rediscover Christianity so that we can walk in the Way of the Lord.
In a dog-eat-dog world, what do you do if you have unexpected success? Do you tell all your friends and family about it? Do you throw a party? Do you go out for a night on the town?
In our world, we want to celebrate success. We give ribbons and trophies to our kids, and, at work, we have employee-of-the-month programs. Additionally, we expect raises and promotions for our career successes.
Perhaps the last thing success does, is prompt us to see our own brokenness. But, this is what happens when Simon Peter has the best fishing day of his life. He realizes he’s a sinner.
Tune in to today’s program to see how Simon Peter’s repentance leads to the greatest calling of his life and how his example just might help us find our calling as well.
Today’s gospel reading is a hard one to digest. Jesus tells us, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
The implication is that you have to be crucified with Christ. After all, that’s what happens when you pick up the cross.
The last time I checked, there aren’t any appointments for crucifixion in Minnesota, so what does it mean for us today?
Tune in to find out.
Credit scores mean everything to us. They allow us to buy homes, cars, and even work at particular jobs.
If you have a bad credit score, though, functioning in society can be very difficult, if not impossible.
The ancient world had credit scores too, though they called it “honor.” But, their scores weren’t determined through spending habits. Instead, they were born with their score.
But, in today’s Gospel, Jesus offers them a way to get the best score possible. Tune in to find out how and whether we too can get better credit!
Last week, we saw a vision of the Kingdom, a world in which the king grants forgiveness and commissions us to do likewise.
This week, we get a deeper look into what it means to be a citizen of this Kingdom.
As we’ll see, it means rejecting the values of this world and adopting the values of the Kingdom.
It means reorienting out relationship to power and sticking it to the man!
Tune in to find out how, exactly, Jesus calls us to do this.
Last week, the US government announced that they are going to forgive up to $20,000 worth of federal student loans for millions of people.
Some people are overjoyed, but others are angry. They say, “It’s unfair. Why should their debts be forgiven when mine weren’t?”
This goes to show that forgiveness is scandalous business, especially when judged by the values of our culture. But, as a preacher friend of mine wrote on Facebook, that’s the point the Bible is making.
Forgiveness is what the Gospel is about, that’s what the Good News is. It’s how the Kingdom is made present, and how our broken world is healed and transfigured.
Tune in to this week’s podcast to learn more about how forgiveness helps manifest the Kingdom in the here and now.
For the third week in a row, the disciples are challenged to teach the Gospel. But, we aren't surprised to see them strike for the third time.
Their trust continues to waver and Jesus mocks them for it by telling them that if only they had the faith of a mustard seed, they could move mountains.
Huh?
I’ve never seen anyone’s faith move a mountain. What does Jesus mean?
Well, if we properly understand what Jesus is saying, I think we’d all realize that we have, indeed, seen mountains move. Tune in to learn how you too can move those mountains.
When we’re reading scripture, we have to learn to look beyond the surface meaning so that we can see the teaching embedded within the text.
The disciples had to learn this the hard way. When Jesus told them to feed the people, they only thought of physical bread. And, when they were told to go out into the world, they became scarred of a storm.
What they didn’t realize is that bread is more than bread, and storms can be faced when they put their trust in Christ.
The question for us: will we be like the disciples and waver in our faith, or will we be loyal to the commission given to us by our Lord and walk the Way?
There’s an old joke that goes, “You can call me whatever you want, just don’t call me late for supper.”
In my lifetime, I’ve been called a lot of things—some of them good, some of them bad. But, perhaps the strangest thing I’ve been called is salt, which is precisely what Jesus calls us in chapter 5 of Matthew.
Why would he call us salt? What does he mean by it? And, how does it impact our journey of walking the Way?
In today’s episode, we explore this strange name-calling incident and learn about offering ourselves up to God.
As Americans, we like choice. We want to chose what we do, how we do it, and when to do it.
Included in all of this is education. When it comes to college, we want to chose what to study and who’s going to teach us.
But, as we’ll see in today’s Gospel lesson. Jesus bucks this tradition. He doesn’t let Simon, Andrew, James, and John chose him. Instead, he choses them.
In today’s episode, we’ll see how Jesus’s calling of his disciples is a journey into death and exile. We’ll also see how the “Calling the Disciples” is best represented, not by an image of fisherman in a boat responding to Jesus, but by the Descent into Hades icon!
This past Sunday was Fathers’ Day in the United States. This is a day we set aside to recognize the important role that dads play in our lives.
But, on this day of all days, we read this from the Gospel, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.” Yet, at the same time, the Bible also tells us to, “Honor our father and mother.”
Is Jesus opposing Moses? Did Jesus really mean what he said?
Today, on The Way, we look at how the gospel message disrupts our lives and forces us to make some tough choices.
We’ll also take a look at how that choice might just disrupt our family lives!
This week, we witnessed the tragedy of yet another school shooting.
It’s clear that there’s evil in the world doing its worst.
However, Jesus is working to birth “new creation”—one in which evil has been stamped out.
The Good News is that we are all invited to be a part of this new world.
The only requirement is that we must drink “living water” and be “born from above.”
How does this happen? Through an encounter with the scriptural Christ.
Tune in to hear about two different encounters, and find out if they are able “see” as Christ asks them to.
Sometimes, it feels like life is a battle for power.
Unfortunately, it also feels like when someone gets power, it goes to their head and all sorts of bad things happen and people get hurt.
Yet, Jesus challenges our human power with authority that was given to him by his Father. When Jesus does this, what happens to the paralytic? How does society react?
Tune in to find out!
This past Sunday, we remembered both Joseph of Arimathea, who asked for the body of Christ, and the Myrrh-Bearing women, who went to the tomb to anoint the body.
Both these stories are a test of sorts
The real question is: did they pass the test, or did they fail miserably?
In today’s episode, we find out who walked the Way and who didn’t.
What does the Kingdom look like? How does it treat people. Have a listen to St. John's homily and find out!
Life, in general, is full of ups and downs.
But, what happens when our spiritual life is also full of ups and downs?
Is this normal? Should we expect this? Or should we be concerned?
Today, we learn about the “desert” experience and how we are firmly anchored in place.
At the midpoint of Lent, Orthodox Christians are reminded of the journey they’re on: the Way to resurrection by Way of the cross.
As a part of this mid-Lent celebration, we sing a hymn about that cross which goes, in part, like this: “Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victory to the faithful over the enemy …”
But, if you know Greek and you’ve seen the original hymn, you know that this hymn is purposely mistranslated! There’s something hidden.
Today, we’ll discover what this hymn actually says, and we’ll learn a bit more about how the meaning of the cross was purposely flipped for early Christians.
On the second Sunday of Lent, the Orthodox Church celebrates St. Gregory of Palamas, a 14th-century bishop of Thessaloniki.
St. Gregory taught that God is truly present in the world, especially through silent prayer.
Also on this Sunday, the Orthodox Church also reads the Gospel passage about the paralytic who is lowered through the roof of a house so that Jesus can forgive his sins.
But, what does the celebration of St. Gregory have to do with this paralytic?
As we’ll see in today’s episode, walking the Way is not only about understanding the connection between the two, but it's about living in trust.
On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we remember the Triumph of Orthodoxy over Iconoclasm.
Many of us like to celebrate this event by parading around the church holding our icons. We imagine we’ve won a great victory for truth over lies.
But, how, exactly was this victory won? Does it look like other victories? Is is the same sort of victory that the Emperors won in battle?
As we dig into this celebration, we may be surprised by our discovery, and how we’re supposed to walk the Way in light of this “triumph.”
Our world is built on credit, which is, essentially, building a life on a mountain of debt.
We go to school and accumulate school debt. We graduate and buy a car. Now we have a car loan to pay off. If our job doesn’t support our lifestyle, we don’t hesitate to build debt on our credit card. When the time comes, we look to buy a house and we go deeper in the hole with a mortgage. And, if you’re like most Americans, you’re probably in debt due to medical costs.
While there are ways out of debt, there is one debt that St. Paul says is acceptable. In fact, it’s the one debt we need in order to walk the Way!
There’s an old saying, “You are what you eat.”
But, during Lent, the Christian tradition is to fast from meat, wine, dairy, and oil. Is the Church worried we’re going to become chunks of meat and blobs of oil?
Today, we learn about how fasting is connected to freedom and love.
If you’re like most kids, you probably had arguments with your parents when you were a kid, and I bet those arguments intensified when you became a teenager.
As your blood boiled in frustration, I bet your teenaged-self wished your parents were dead; then you’d be free. Out of anger, you may have even vocalized this thought out loud.
If you did say it out loud, how did your parents react? I bet it wasn’t pretty.
When the prodigal son asked for his inheritance early, he was basically telling his father that he wished his father were dead. But, instead of getting angry, the father appeased his son and gave him the inheritance he asked for.
In the end, however, the inheritance was a curse for the son who would soon learn that walking the Way means that his father doesn’t treat him fairly!
In America, we have a saying, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” This saying encompasses the attitude that one will get ahead in life through education and a good hard day’s work.
But, what if this saying was a complete outright lie? Our fallen world may work this way, but the reality of the Kingdom is very different.
In order to walk the Way, we need to have a completely different understanding of how we become successful in the Kingdom.
It’s one thing to be rejected by a stranger, but it’s another thing entirely to be rejected by a friend or a family member. It hurts. But what happens when you’re rejected by the Son of God! Is there any hope for you after that? In Sunday’s Gospel lesson, Jesus rejects the Canaanite woman. What happens next and what we’re supposed to learn from this passage will cause us to walk The Way in an entirely different way.
Living according to the instruction of the gospel is always hard, especially when that instruction challenges our way of life or our perspective of the world.
As many of you probably know, one of the most famous Orthodox theologians of the 20th century was Fr. Alexander Schmemann. He was dean of the seminary I went to (St. Vladimir's), and his life's work was to teach about the Eucharist (which means, "thanksgiving").
He died on December 13, 1983, but his last liturgy was on Thanksgiving Day. Since Thanksgiving was this week, I thought it'd be appropriate to recount his words here. It was entitled, "Thank you, O Lord!"
This week, the Nativity Fast began for Orthodox Christians around the world. This 40-day period, is a time in which we prepare for the Nativity of our Lord according to the flesh.
But, as we watch our diets and take meat out of our lives, an important question comes up: is the impossible burger permissible? It’s not technically meat, but it looks, smells, and tastes like meat …
So, does it fit the fast?
The Bottom Line: when we fast, we have to be sure we don’t miss the forest for the trees.
If I were to ask you what feast Christians celebrate on January 6th, what would you say?
It probably depends on which Christian tradition you were brought up in. If you are a western Christian, you’d probably say “Epiphany.” But, if you’re an eastern Christian, you will probably respond “Theophany” instead.
Now, they are the same feast and, at the same time, they aren’t. There are some major theological differences in the emphasis between east and west, but, I’m much more interested in the difference between the words.
What exactly does “Epiphany” mean and what exactly does “Theophany” mean? And, what does the difference in definition tell us?
The Bottom Line: Our 4th type scene is “Theophanies,” which is a revelation of God.
In the Gospel of John, we hear the story of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at a well. Most sermons focus on the foreignness of the Samaritan woman: her identity as a “Samaritan” is contrasted with Jesus’s identity as a “Judean.” This then leads the preacher to speak about the inclusive nature of the Gospel.
However, this scene is a type-scene, one that goes back to Genesis. So, if it’s a type-scene, we must ask: what is the hearer supposed to recognize about this scene?
Well, the answer is that we’re supposed to recognize that two future spouses are meeting. This is their introduction to each other, an introduction that’ll eventually lead to wedding bells.
Now, this story—about Jesus and the Samaritan woman—just got interesting. If this scene is really an “encounter with a future spouse,” what then is John trying to say? What’s his point?
The Bottom Line: When two folks at a well meet, their just might be wedding bells about to ring!
One motif that appears over and over again in the Bible is the image of the barren woman.
All the matriarchs of Genesis had problems having children: Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel; and the motif appears again in the New Testament: St. John’s mother had a hard to time having children too.
Why would this motif appear so often in scripture?
What literary purpose does it serve for the authors of scripture?
What’s the spiritual meaning?
The Bottom Line: The motif of the barren woman reminds us that it’s God who bestows life.
If you could go back in time and speak with a 1st-century Roman about crucifixion and how the empire used them, what would they say?
They might say that "... By [the cross] barbarian nations are subdued, by it the scepters of kings have been secured …"
Or, they might say that the cross, “"... grant[s] victory to the faithful over the enemy …"
If they had said either of those things, they would be absolutely correct!
The cross was an instrument of torture that the Romans used to keep subjected peoples—such as Galileans, Judeans, and other nations—in line. The Romans wanted to instill fear to prevent uprisings and revolts against them.
But, isn’t that we Christians also say about the cross? That it grants victory and subdues barbarian nations?
Yes … yes it is. So, how can both the Romans and the Christians say the same thing about the cross? After all, one put people on crosses while the other hung on them.
The Bottom Line: For Christians, God’s victory comes through defeat!
One of the first type-scenes, or conventions, in scripture that we’re going to look at is Annunciations.
“Annunciation” is a Latin word that essentially means, “announcement.”
But, for the original biblical readers, what would they have expected when an announcement was made to someone from a messenger of God?
What would they have expected the message to be?
To whom and for what purpose would they have expected the message to be delivered?
And, do we get “announcements” from God today?
The Bottom Line: In understanding Annunciations, we may realize that an angel is making an announcement to us as well!
We all know that the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and, if we want to understand the Bible, we either need to learn the original languages or find a translation we understand.
But, far too often, we think of translation and understanding in a much too narrow way. We limit “translation” work to translating the actual words.
What we don’t think about is translating context.
Surprisingly, this context includes reoccurring scenes that become a pattern. The original biblical readers would be expecting this when hearing scriptural stores.
The Bottom Line: Understanding type-scenes in the biblical literature will enhance our understanding so that we can walk the Way.
When is a story not just a story?
When is bread much more than water, yeast, and salt?
When is the command to “feed” someone more than a command to give someone actual food?
When you’re dealing with the Bible, that’s when!
The Bottom Line: Sometimes we have to look past the miracles and signs to see what scripture really getting at, to see how it’s feeding us with the bread of life.
In today’s podcast, we continue our exploration of the Law and its relationship to Christians.
However, this week we get a twist.
Though the early Jewish-Christians in the Book of Acts don’t advocate for circumcision, they do apply some legal restrictions on Gentile-Christians.
Why would they do that? What’s going on?
The Bottom Line: the Law serves a greater purpose to guide us on the Way that leads to life.
This week, we continue our exploration of the Law and its relationship to us as Christians.
But, before we go further, we should pause and define what we mean by the Law.
Are we referring to the Law that’s given to Moses in Exodus? Or, do we mean the whole thing: the Five Books of Moses? Or, perhaps, something else?
Once we’ve decided that, we can turn our attention to how the Law was used by the early Christians in the Acts of the Apostles to see what light that might shed on the issue.
The Bottom Line: Understanding the Law is an instructional process that strengthens our Christian walk on the Way.
Last week we looked at how the Old Testament is a mosaic in which Jesus can found. We learned that we can encounter Christ through the text of the Hebrew Bible.
But, does the reverse happen? Do we see the Old Testament in the New Testament? If so, how?
The Bottom Line: the New Testament isn’t just a continuation of the Old Testament story, it actually “sums” up the Old Testament in way that allows us to understand Christ in a much deeper way.
Perhaps one of the most confusing parts of the Bible is understanding the relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament. And, in turn, understanding our relationship as “New Testament people” to the Old Testament.
Typically, we see ourselves as no longer being bound by the laws found within the Old Testament.
But, in this upcoming Gospel reading, Jesus says that the law will not pass away ... not one letter, not one stroke?
How are we to understand this? What did Jesus mean?
The Bottom Line: to appreciate how the Law will not pass away, we have to understand not what the Old Testament is about, but rather whom it’s about.
One function of scripture is to tear down our idols, our premeditated perception of God or those things we submit to in place fo God. This frees us so that we can worship the true God. Scripture does this in various ways.
The Old Testament, for example, proclaims an unseen God, compared to the gods who exist as visible idols. This breaks our attachment to the gods we create in our minds and the ones we submit to in place of the Almighty.
It also proclaims a God who willingly destroys his own temple, freeing us of the notion that God lives at a specific place during a particular time of history, and is a god for a particular ethnic group.
And, finally, it proclaims a God who mocks us for using traditional forms of worship, such as sacrifice and incense, in order to force us to see the good in others and love our neighbor.
The New Testament continues this tradition. There, we see how the gospel usurps the Roman household—which has the paterfamilias or Caesar as its head—and uses this societal structure. But, instead of Caesar being at the top, Jesus is. This causes us to question who is really in control: earthly powers or Christ?
Now, this may sound all fine and good, but does scripture still function this way for us today? I say, “Yes!” … a resounding, “Yes!”
The Bottom Line: Many of the qualities we value as Americans are usurped by the gospel and given a fuller meaning that can only be found through the gospel.
Do you remember being a teenager?
Do you remember ignoring your parents when you were a teen? You were probably thinking, “Ugh, why do I have to listen to my parents? They don’t know anything. Besides, they can’t control me and my life!”
If you’re the parent of a teenager now, you also know what I’m talking about.
But, did you know, this “teenage” mindset is exactly the sort of mindset we should have as Christians.
The Bottomline: We’re called to ignore the powers of this world because true power comes from above.
We all know that the Christian feast of Pentecost is the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. This story is told in the New Testament book of Acts.
But, did you know that there’s a Pentecost celebrated in the Old Testament as well? The original celebration was an agricultural feast. Later, it came to be a celebration of the giving of the Law.
So, if we see the gift of the Holy Spirit as a gift of the spiritual law, then the New Testament celebration of Pentecost seems to be a fulfillment of the Old Testament Pentecost.
However, on the day we celebrate this feast, the Orthodox Church assigns us a Gospel reading that’s about the Feast of Tabernacles.
Huh? Did the Church get the feasts mixed up, or is something more going on?
The Bottom Line: Like Dorothy pulling back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz, the Church’s combination of the Feast of Pentecost with the Feast of Tabernacles allows us to also pull back the curtain to see greater depth to the feasts.
Have you ever said something that you wish you could take back?
I bet the moment you said it—right away—you knew you shouldn’t have. You could see the shock, hurt, and pain of your words on faces of your loved ones.
Perhaps, you started apologizing in the hopes that you could, somehow, swallow your words as if they had never left your lips.
But, it was too late. Your friendship, your reputation, was broken.
If only there was a reset button.
The Bottom Line: Our fallen human nature is like those words we shouldn’t have said, but scripture tells us that by hearing the words of Jesus, are relationship with God is recreated.
If you read church news or online blogs, it’s easy to get disillusioned: there’s so much bad news.
Combine this with a bad experience with Christians or a church and it’s no wonder that over 50% of Americans no longer affiliate with a Christian denomination.
After all, the church seems to have proven itself to be full of hypocrisy and self-aggrandizing.
But, did you know that the criticism leveled against the modern church were first leveled against us by the Bible?
The readings from these past few Sundays serve as a warning for us today that we have to walk the Way or else we’ll become just like the religious authorities of Jesus’s day who turned the Temple into a den of thieves.
The Bottom Line: The Good News is that even when institutions go bad, the message of Christ’s resurrection still breaks out!
As I thought about the theme of one of the Easter Sundays, the Myrrhbearing Women, I wondered: what’s the deeper symbolic meaning that the first witnesses of the resurrection were female? Then, the answer came to me through the movie Shrek.
This upcoming Sunday is the Sunday of Joseph the Arimathea and the Myrrh-Bearing Woman.
Although the story of the women finding Jesus’s tomb empty is told by several of the evangelists, I want to narrow in on John’s telling of the story.
It’s only in John’s Gospel that Mary mistakes Jesus for a gardener. And, it’s only in John’s Gospel that Jesus tells Mary not to “touch him” because he has not yet ascended (past tense) to his Father because he is in the process of ascending (present tense).
But, what does this mean? Why would Jesus say this?
Perhaps a clue comes from Jesus’s teaching earlier in the Gospel. And, perhaps, as we’ll soon discover, it has to do with eating his flesh (bread) and drinking his blood (wine).
The Bottom Line: It isn’t the appearance of Jesus to us that saves, but our faith in what has been written by John that saves
There’s an old saying: knowledge is power.
Many of us live by this proverb. We go to college—or send our children to college—so that we can acquire the knowledge we need to get good jobs and live happy lives.
While I think this is a good thing—a very good thing—it also had a negative side affect. When we view knowledge as a means of getting ahead, then knowledge becomes a commodity that can be monetized: we have knowledge that someone else doesn’t have and, if they want to benefit from this knowledge, either by learning it themselves or through its application, they have to pay us.
In this way, knowledge divides us and allows us to set ourselves up above others. We become an educated elite, a tension that many feel in our nation today.
Knowledge worked the same way in the ancient world. For example, the temple authorities used their knowledge of scripture to set themselves up as an elite group of folks who lived off the backs of the average Galilean and Judean. Jesus repeatedly criticizes them for this.
But, in the resurrection, the tables are turned.
The Bottom Line: no matter how hard we try to monetize the Good News and lock it up so that only we benefit from it, it’ll break free of the sealed tomb and the locked room!
In anticipation of Passover this Sunday, when we will celebrate the rising of the Anointed One from dead, here is the Passover homily read at every Orthodox Church around the world in the early hours of the morning.
Blessed Resurrection to you all!
(James 5:13-20)
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (NRSV)
Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up—and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (NET)
Is anyone among you suffering evil? Let him pray. Is anyone of good cheer? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you ill? Let him summon the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is ailing, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he should be someone who has committed sins it will be forgiven him. Therefore fully acknowledge your sins to one another, and pray on one another’s behalf, so that you might be healed. An upright man’s petition, when it is put into effect, is very powerful. Elijah was a man, with feelings like ours, and he prayed a prayer that it might not rain, and no rain fell upon the earth for three years and six months; And again he prayed, and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth, and anyone should turn him back, Be aware that the one who turns a sinner back from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover over a multitude of sins. (David Bentley Hart)
Are any among you suffering? Let them pray. Are any cheerful? Let them sing psalms. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over the sick person, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. Faithful prayer will rescue the sick person, and the Lord will raise them up. If they have committed any sin, it will be forgiven them. So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
When a righteous person prays, that prayer carries great power. Elijah was a man with passions like ours, and he prayed and prayed that it might not rain – and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
My dear family, if someone in your company has wandered from the truth, and someone turns them back, know this: the one who turns back a sinner from wandering off into error will rescue that person’s life from death, and cover a multitude of sins. (N.T. Wright)
Κακοπαθεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν, προσευχέσθω· εὐθυμεῖ τις, ψαλλέτω· ἀσθενεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν, προσκαλεσάσθω τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ προσευξάσθωσαν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἀλείψαντες o[αὐτὸν] ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ⸂τοῦ κυρίου⸃. καὶ ἡ ⸀εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως σώσει τὸν κάμνοντα καὶ ἐγερεῖ αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος· κἂν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς, ⸁ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ. ἐξομολογεῖσθε oοὖν ἀλλήλοις ⸂τὰς ἁμαρτίας⸃ ⸆ καὶ ⸀εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων ὅπως ἰαθῆτε. Πολὺ ⸇ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη. Ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν, καὶ προσευχῇ προσηύξατο ⸂τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι⸃, καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνιαυτοὺς τρεῖς καὶ μῆνας ἕξ· καὶ πάλιν προσηύξατο, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ⸉ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν⸊ καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐβλάστησεν τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς.
Ἀδελφοί oμου, ἐάν τις ἐν ὑμῖν πλανηθῇ ⸂ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας⸃ ⸄καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ τις⸅ αὐτόν, ⸂γινωσκέτω ὅτι⸃ ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ σώσει ⸆ ψυχὴν ⸄αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου⸅ καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν. ⸇
(James 5:7-12)
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (NRSV)
So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment. (NET)
So, brothers, be long-suffering until the arrival of the Lord. Look: The farmer awaits the precious fruit of the earth, remaining patient over it until it receives the early and the late rains. You be patient too, strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s arrival has drawn near. Do not murmur against one another, brothers, so that you might not be judged—look: The judge is standing before the doors! Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering evil and of patience. Look: We consider those who persevere blissful. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the ending that came from the Lord—that the Lord is lavishly compassionate and merciful. But before all else, my brothers, do not swear—neither by the heaven nor by the earth nor by any other object of oaths; rather let your “Yes” be “Yes” and your “No” be “No,” so that you may not fall under judgment. (David Bentley Hart)
So be patient, my brothers and sisters, for the appearing of the Lord. You know how the farmer waits for the valuable crop to come up from the ground. He is patient over it, waiting for it to receive the early rain and then the late rain. In the same way, you must be patient, and make your hearts strong, because the appearing of the Lord is near at hand. Don’t grumble against one another, my brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. Look – the judge is standing at the gates! Consider the prophets, my brothers and sisters, who spoke in the name of the Lord. Take them as an example of longsuffering and patience. When people endure, we call them ‘blessed by God’. Well, you have heard of the endurance of Job; and you saw the Lord’s ultimate purpose. The Lord is deeply compassionate and kindly.
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear. Don’t swear by heaven; don’t swear by earth; don’t use any other oaths. Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’. That way, you will not fall under judgment. (N.T. Wright)
Μακροθυμήσατε οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἕως τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου. ἰδοὺ ὁ γεωργὸς ἐκδέχεται τὸν τίμιον καρπὸν τῆς γῆς μακροθυμῶν ἐπʼ ⸀αὐτῷ ἕως ⸆ λάβῃ ⸇ πρόϊμον καὶ ὄψιμον. μακροθυμήσατε ⸆ καὶ ὑμεῖς, στηρίξατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἡ παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου ⸇ ἤγγικεν. μὴ στενάζετε, ⸂ἀδελφοί, κατʼ ἀλλήλων⸃ ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ἰδοὺ ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν. ὑπόδειγμα ⸀λάβετε, ἀδελφοί, τῆς ⸁κακοπαθίας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας ⸆ τοὺς προφήτας οἳ ἐλάλησαν oἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ⸀1κυρίου. ἰδοὺ μακαρίζομεν τοὺς ⸀ὑπομείναντας· τὴν ὑπομονὴν Ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε καὶ τὸ ⸁τέλος κυρίου ⸀1εἴδετε, ὅτι ⸀2πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ⸂ὁ κύριος⸃ καὶ οἰκτίρμων.
Πρὸ πάντων δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ὀμνύετε μήτε τὸν οὐρανὸν μήτε τὴν γῆν μήτε ⸉ἄλλον τινὰ ὅρκον⸊· ἤτω δὲ ⸆ ὑμῶν τὸ ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ, ἵνα μὴ ⸂ὑπὸ κρίσιν⸃ πέσητε.
(James 5:1-6)
Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you. (NRSV)
Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you. (NET)
Come now, you who are rich, weep, howling out at the miseries that are coming for you: Your riches have spoiled and your garments have become moth-eaten; Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have kept treasure in the last days. Look: The wages of the workers who have reaped your lands, which have been unfairly held back by you, clamor aloud, and the outcries of those who have reaped have entered the ears of the Lord Sabaoth. You lived on the earth in dainty luxury and self-indulgence. You have gorged your hearts on a day of slaughter. You have condemned—have murdered—the upright man; he does not oppose you. (David Bentley Hart)
Now look here, you rich! Weep and wail for the horrible things that are going to happen to you! Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will bear witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have stored up riches in the last days! Look: you cheated the workers who mowed your fields by keeping back their wages, and those wages are crying out! The cries of the farm workers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived off the fat of the land, in the lap of luxury. You have fattened your own hearts on a day of slaughter. You have condemned the Righteous One and killed him, and he doesn’t resist you. (N.T. Wright)
Ἄγε νῦν οἱ πλούσιοι, κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις⸆. ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν σέσηπεν καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γέγονεν, ὁ χρυσὸς ὑμῶν ⸂καὶ ὁ ἄργυρος κατίωται⸃ καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτύριον ὑμῖν ἔσται καὶ φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ⸆ ὡς πῦρ. ἐθησαυρίσατε ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις. ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς τῶν ἐργατῶν τῶν ἀμησάντων τὰς χώρας ὑμῶν ὁ ⸀ἀπεστερημένος ἀφʼ ὑμῶν κράζει, καὶ αἱ βοαὶ τῶν θερισάντων εἰς τὰ ὦτα κυρίου σαβαὼθ ⸁εἰσεληλύθασιν. ἐτρυφήσατε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς oκαὶ ἐσπαταλήσατε, ἐθρέψατε τὰς ⸀καρδίας ὑμῶν ⸆ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς, κατεδικάσατε, ἐφονεύσατε τὸν δίκαιον·⸆ οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται ὑμῖν.
(James 4:11-17)
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?
Boasting about Tomorrow
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin. (NRSV)
Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge. But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge—the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes. You ought to say instead, “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast about your arrogant plans. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin. (NET)
Do not speak against one another, brothers. Whoever speaks against a brother or judges a brother speaks against Law and judges Law; if you judge Law, you are not a doer of Law, but a judge. There is one Lawgiver and judge, he who has power to save and destroy. But who are you who judge your neighbor?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall journey into this city, and spend a year there, and engage in commerce, and make a profit”: You who do not know what your life will be like on the morrow—for you are a vapor, appearing for a short while and then vanishing— You should instead say, “If the Lord will it, we shall both live and also do . . .” this or that. But now, in your pretentiousness, you boast; all such boasting is wicked. Therefore, when someone knows to do the good and does not do it, it is sin for him. (David Bentley Hart)
Do not speak evil against one another, my dear family. Anyone who speaks evil against another family member, or passes judgment against them, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge! There is one lawgiver, one judge who can rescue or destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbour?
Now look here, you people who say, ‘Today, or tomorrow, we will go to such-and-such a town and spend a year there, and trade, and make some money.’ You have no idea what the next day will bring. What is your life? You are a mist which appears for a little while and then disappears again. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live, and we shall do this, or that.’ But, as it is, you boast in your pride. All such boasting is evil. So then, if anyone knows the right thing to do, but doesn’t do it, it becomes sin for them. (N.T. Wright)
Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε ⸂ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοί⸃. ὁ ⸆ καταλαλῶν ἀδελφοῦ ⸀ἢ κρίνων τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καταλαλεῖ νόμου καὶ κρίνει νόμον· εἰ δὲ νόμον κρίνεις, ⸁οὐκ εἶ ποιητὴς νόμου ἀλλὰ κριτής. εἷς ἐστιν o[ὁ] νομοθέτης ⸋καὶ κριτὴς⸌ ὁ δυνάμενος σῶσαι καὶ ἀπολέσαι· σὺ o1δὲ τίς εἶ ⸂ὁ κρίνων⸃ τὸν ⸀πλησίον;
Ἄγε νῦν οἱ λέγοντες· σήμερον ⸀ἢ αὔριον ⸁πορευσόμεθα εἰς τήνδε τὴν πόλιν καὶ ⸀1ποιήσομεν oἐκεῖ ἐνιαυτὸν ⸆ καὶ ⸀2ἐμπορευσόμεθα καὶ ⸀3κερδήσομεν· οἵτινες οὐκ ⸀ἐπίστασθε ⸁τὸ τῆς αὔριον ποία ⸆ ἡ ζωὴ ⸀1ὑμῶν· ⸂ἀτμὶς γάρ ἐστε⸃ ἡ πρὸς ὀλίγον φαινομένη, ἔπειτα ⸀2καὶ ἀφανιζομένη. ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς· ἐὰν ὁ κύριος ⸀θελήσῃ καὶ ⸁ζήσομεν καὶ ⸀1ποιήσομεν τοῦτο ἢ ἐκεῖνο. νῦν δὲ ⸀καυχᾶσθε ἐν ταῖς ἀλαζονείαις ὑμῶν· ⸁πᾶσα καύχησις τοιαύτη πονηρά ἐστιν. εἰδότι οὖν καλὸν ποιεῖν καὶ μὴ ποιοῦντι, ἁμαρτία αὐτῷ ἐστιν.
(James 4:1-10)
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, “God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says,
“God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.”
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (NRSV)
Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.
Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy. Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”? But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. (NET)
Where do the conflicts and where do the battles among you come from? Is it not from there—from the pleasures waging war in your bodily members? You desire and you do not have; you murder and covet and you are unable to obtain; you fight and wage war; you do not have because you do not ask; You ask and do not receive because you ask in an evil fashion, so that you might spend on your own pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the cosmos is enmity with God? Whoever therefore resolves to be a friend of the cosmos is rendered an enemy of God. Or do you think it in vain that the scripture says, “The spirit that has dwelt within us yearns to the point of envy”? But he gives greater grace. Hence it says, “God opposes the arrogant but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore, be subordinate to God, but oppose the Slanderer and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-souled men. Be distressed and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to dejection. Be humbled before the Lord and he will lift you up. (David Bentley Hart)
Where do wars come from? Why do people among you fight? It all comes from within, doesn’t it – from your desires for pleasure which make war in your members. You want something and you haven’t got it, so you murder someone. You long to possess something, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war. The reason you don’t have it is because you don’t ask for it! And when you do ask, you don’t get it, because you ask wrongly, intending to spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers! Don’t you know that to be friends with the world means being enemies with God? So anyone who wants to be friends with the world is setting themselves up as God’s enemy. Or do you suppose that when the Bible says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit he has made to dwell in us’, it doesn’t mean what it says?
But God gives more grace; so it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit to God, then; resist the devil and he will run away from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Make your hands clean, you sinners; and make your hearts pure, you double-minded lot. Make yourselves wretched; mourn and weep. Let your laughter turn to mourning, and your joy to sorrow. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (N.T. Wright)
Πόθεν πόλεμοι ⸂καὶ πόθεν μάχαι ἐν ὑμῖν⸃; οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν, ἐκ τῶν ἡδονῶν ὑμῶν τῶν στρατευομένων ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ὑμῶν; ἐπιθυμεῖτε καὶ οὐκ ἔχετε, φονεύετε καὶ ζηλοῦτε καὶ οὐ δύνασθε ἐπιτυχεῖν, μάχεσθε καὶ πολεμεῖτε, ⸂οὐκ ἔχετε⸃ διὰ τὸ μὴ αἰτεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς, αἰτεῖτε ⸆ καὶ οὐ λαμβάνετε διότι κακῶς αἰτεῖσθε, ἵνα ἐν ταῖς ἡδοναῖς ὑμῶν δαπανήσητε. ⸆μοιχαλίδες, οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ἡ φιλία τοῦ κόσμου ⸇ ἔχθρα ⸂τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν⸃; ὃς ἐὰν οὖν βουληθῇ φίλος εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου, ἐχθρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ καθίσταται. ἢ δοκεῖτε ὅτι κενῶς ἡ γραφὴ λέγει· πρὸς ⸀φθόνον ἐπιποθεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα ὃ ⸁κατῴκισεν ἐν ἡμῖν, μείζονα δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν; διὸ λέγει·
ὁ θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται,
ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν.
ὑποτάγητε οὖν τῷ θεῷ, ἀντίστητε ⸀δὲ τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ φεύξεται ἀφʼ ὑμῶν, ἐγγίσατε τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐγγιεῖ ὑμῖν. καθαρίσατε χεῖρας, ἁμαρτωλοί, καὶ ἁγνίσατε καρδίας, δίψυχοι. ταλαιπωρήσατε καὶ πενθήσατε ⸂καὶ κλαύσατε⸃. ὁ γέλως ὑμῶν εἰς πένθος ⸀μετατραπήτω καὶ ἡ χαρὰ εἰς κατήφειαν. ταπεινώθητε ⸆ ἐνώπιον ⸂τοῦ κυρίου⸃ καὶ ὑψώσει ὑμᾶς.
(James 3:13-18)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. (NRSV)
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace. (NET)
Who among you is wise and knowledgeable? Let him display his works by comely conduct in wisdom’s gentleness. But, if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast and speak falsely against the truth. This is not the wisdom that descends from above, but is earthly, natural, daemoniacal; For where there are jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every squalid deed. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, reasonable, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, unfeigned. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. (David Bentley Hart)
Who is wise and discerning among you? Such a person should, by their upright behaviour, display their works in the humility of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and contention in your hearts, don’t boast, and tell lies against the truth. This isn’t the wisdom that comes from above. It is earthly, merely human, coming from the world of demons. For where there is jealousy and contention, there you will get unruly behaviour and every kind of evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from above is first holy, then peaceful, gentle, compliant, filled with mercy and good fruits, unbiased, sincere. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (N.T. Wright)
⸀Τίς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων ἐν ὑμῖν; δειξάτω ἐκ τῆς καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πραΰτητι σοφίας. εἰ δὲ ⸆ ζῆλον πικρὸν ἔχετε καὶ ἐριθείαν ἐν ⸂τῇ καρδίᾳ⸃ ὑμῶν, μὴ ⸀κατακαυχᾶσθε ⸄καὶ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας⸅. οὐκ ἔστιν ⸉αὕτη ἡ σοφία⸊ ἄνωθεν κατερχομένη ἀλλʼ ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης. ὅπου γὰρ ζῆλος καὶ ⸀ἐριθεία, ἐκεῖ ⸆ ἀκαταστασία καὶ πᾶν φαῦλον πρᾶγμα. ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους ⸀καὶ καρπῶν ⸆ ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος, ⸇ ἀνυπόκριτος. καρπὸς δὲ ⸆ δικαιοσύνης ἐν εἰρήνῃ σπείρεται τοῖς ποιοῦσιν εἰρήνην.
(James 3:1-12)
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh. (NRSV)
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly. For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell.
For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water. (NET)
Not many of you should become teachers, brothers, as you know that we shall receive a greater judgment. For we all falter in numerous ways. If anyone does not falter in speech, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. And, when we insert bridles into the mouths of horses to make them comply with us, we also direct their whole body. And look at how ships, which are so enormous and which are driven by powerful winds, are directed wherever the pilot’s impulse determines by a tiny rudder; So also the tongue is a small bodily member, yet it boasts of great things. See how immense a forest so tiny a fire ignites. And the tongue is a fire, iniquity’s cosmos, defiling the whole body, and setting aflame the wheel of generation, and being itself set aflame by Hinnom’s Vale. For every nature—both of beasts and of birds, both of reptiles and of creatures of the sea—is being tamed, and has been tamed, by human nature, But from among human beings there is no one able to tame the tongue: a restless evil full of lethal venom. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who have been born according to God’s likeness; Out of the same mouth comes blessing and curse. It is not fitting, my brothers, that these things happen thus. Does the fountain issue forth from the same spout as both sweet and bitter? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a vine figs? Neither can what is salty produce sweet water. (David Bentley Hart)
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters; you know that we will be judged more severely. All of us make many mistakes, after all. If anyone makes no mistakes in what they say, such a person is a fully complete human being, capable of keeping firm control over the whole body as well. We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, and then we can direct their whole bodies. Consider, too, the case of large ships; it takes strong winds to blow them along, but one small rudder will turn them whichever way the helmsman desires and decides. In the same way, the tongue is a little member but boasts great things. See how small a fire it takes to set a large forest ablaze! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is a world of injustice, with its place established right there among our members. It defiles the whole body; it sets the wheel of nature ablaze, and is itself set ablaze by hell. Every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, you see, can be tamed, and has been tamed, by humans. But no single human is able to tame the tongue. It is an irrepressible evil, full of deadly poison. By it we bless the Lord and father; and by it we curse humans who are made in God’s likeness! Blessing and curses come out of the same mouth! My dear family, it isn’t right that it should be like that. Does a spring put out both sweet and bitter water from the same source? Dear friends, can a fig tree bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water yield fresh. (N.T. Wright)
Μὴ πολλοὶ διδάσκαλοι γίνεσθε, ἀδελφοί μου, εἰδότες ὅτι μεῖζον κρίμα λημψόμεθα. πολλὰ γὰρ πταίομεν ἅπαντες. εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ ⸀πταίει, οὗτος τέλειος ἀνὴρ ⸁δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα. ⸂εἰ δὲ⸃ τῶν ἵππων τοὺς χαλινοὺς εἰς ⸄τὰ στόματα⸅ βάλλομεν ⸀εἰς τὸ πείθεσθαι ⸉αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν⸊, καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα ⸉1αὐτῶν μετάγομεν⸊. ἰδοὺ καὶ τὰ πλοῖα ⸆ τηλικαῦτα ὄντα καὶ ὑπὸ ⸉ἀνέμων σκληρῶν⸊ ἐλαυνόμενα, μετάγεται ὑπὸ ἐλαχίστου πηδαλίου ὅπου ⸇ ἡ ὁρμὴ τοῦ εὐθύνοντος ⸀βούλεται, ⸀οὕτως καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα μικρὸν μέλος ἐστὶν καὶ ⸂μεγάλα αὐχεῖ⸃. ἰδοὺ ⸁ἡλίκον πῦρ ἡλίκην ὕλην ἀνάπτει· oκαὶ ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ· ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας ⸆ ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν, ⸀ἡ σπιλοῦσα ὅλον τὸ σῶμα καὶ φλογίζουσα τὸν τροχὸν τῆς γενέσεως ⸇ καὶ φλογιζομένη ὑπὸ τῆς γεέννης. πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων τε καὶ πετεινῶν, ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων ⸉δαμάζεται καὶ δεδάμασται⸊ τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ, τὴν δὲ γλῶσσαν οὐδεὶς ⸉δαμάσαι δύναται ἀνθρώπων⸊, ⸀ἀκατάστατον κακόν, μεστὴ ἰοῦ θανατηφόρου. ἐν αὐτῇ εὐλογοῦμεν τὸν ⸀κύριον καὶ πατέρα καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ ⸁γεγονότας, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος ἐξέρχεται εὐλογία καὶ κατάρα. οὐ χρή, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτως γίνεσθαι. μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τὸ ⸂γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν⸃; μὴ δύναται, ἀδελφοί μου, συκῆ ἐλαίας ποιῆσαι ἢ ἄμπελος σῦκα;⸆ ⸂οὔτε ἁλυκὸν⸃ γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ.
James 2:18-26
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. (NRSV)
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.
But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (NETS)
Yet someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” You show me your faith without the works, and I will show you faith by my works. You have faith that God is one? You are doing well. Even the daemonic beings have that faith, and they tremble. But are you willing to recognize, O you inane man, that faith without works yields nothing? Was not our father Abraham made righteous by works, offering up his own son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? You see that faith cooperated with his works, and by the works the faith was brought to completion, And the scripture was fulfilled: “And Abraham had faith in God, and it was accounted to righteousness on his part,” and he was called a friend of God. You see that a human being is made righteous by works, and not by faith alone. And, likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also made righteous by works, sheltering the messengers and sending them forth by a different path? For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (David Bentley Hart)
But supposing someone says, ‘Well: you have faith, and I have works.’ All right: show me your faith – but without doing any works; and then I will show you my faith, and I’ll do it by my works! You believe that ‘God is one’? Well and good! The demons believe that, too, and they tremble! Do you want to know, you stupid person, that faith without works is lifeless? Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by his works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You can see from this that faith was cooperating along with the works, and the faith reached its fulfilment through the works. That is how the scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, and he was called ‘God’s friend’. So you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she gave shelter to the spies and sent them off by another road? Just as the body without the spirit is dead, you see, so faith without works is dead. (N.T. Wright)
Ἀλλʼ ἐρεῖ τις· σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις, κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω· δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν oσου ⸀χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων⸆, κἀγώ ⸉σοι δείξω⸊ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν ⸇. σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι ⸂εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός⸃, καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν.
Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ⸀ἀργή ἐστιν; Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον; βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις ⸀συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ⸆ ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη, καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα· ἐπίστευσεν oδὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην καὶ ⸀φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη. ὁρᾶτε ⸆ ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον. ⸂ὁμοίως δὲ⸃ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ⸀ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα; ὥσπερ oγὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς ⸆ πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ⸇ ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.
(James 2:8-13)
"Now, if you fulfill what, according to scripture, is a royal law—“You shall love your neighbor as yourself”—you are doing well; But if you are respecters of persons you are committing a sin, being convicted by the Law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet falters in one thing, has become answerable for everything. For he who has said, “Do not commit adultery” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now, if you do not commit adultery yet do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of Law. Speak and act like persons about to be judged by a Law of freedom. For the judgment on the one who has shown no mercy will be merciless; mercy triumphs over judgment." (David Bentley Hart)
"Supposing, however, you keep the royal law, as it is written, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’; if you do this, you will do well. But if you show favouritism, you are committing sin, and you will be convicted by the law as a lawbreaker. Anyone who keeps the whole law, you see, but fails in one point, has become guilty of all of it. For the one who said, ‘Do not commit adultery’, also said, ‘Do not murder.’ So if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act in such a way as people who are going to be judged by the law of freedom. Judgment is without mercy, you see, for those who have shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment." (N.T. Wright)
"You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." (NRSV)
"But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment." (NETS)
Εἰ μέντοι ⸂νόμον τελεῖτε βασιλικὸν⸃ ⸋κατὰ τὴν γραφήν⸌· ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν, καλῶς ποιεῖτε· εἰ δὲ προσωπολημπτεῖτε, ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεσθε ἐλεγχόμενοι ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου ὡς παραβάται. ὅστις γὰρ ὅλον τὸν νόμον ⸀τηρήσῃ ⸁πταίσῃ δὲ ἐν ἑνί, ⸂γέγονεν πάντων ἔνοχος⸃. ὁ γὰρ εἰπών· μὴ ⸂μοιχεύσῃς, εἶπεν καί· μὴ φονεύσῃς⸃· εἰ δὲ οὐ ⸄μοιχεύεις φονεύεις⸅ δέ, ⸀γέγονας ⸁παραβάτης νόμου.
Οὕτως λαλεῖτε καὶ οὕτως ποιεῖτε ὡς διὰ ⸀νόμου ἐλευθερίας μέλλοντες κρίνεσθαι. ἡ γὰρ κρίσις ἀνέλεος τῷ μὴ ποιήσαντι ἔλεος· ⸀κατακαυχᾶται ἔλεος κρίσεως.
(James 1:27-2:7)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? (NRSV)
Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their adversity and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to? (NETS)
Pure and undefiled religion before the God and Father is this: to watch over orphans and widows in their affliction, to keep oneself unstained by the cosmos.
My brothers, hold to the faith of our Lord of glory, Jesus the Anointed, without any respecting of persons. For if a man were to enter your synagogue with gold on his fingers and in splendid attire, and a destitute man in begrimed attire were also to enter, And you were to look at the one wearing the splendid attire and say, “Here, be finely seated,” and were to say to the destitute man, “Stand over there” or “Seat yourself below my footstool,” Have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges whose deliberations are wicked? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the destitute within the cosmos, as rich in faithfulness and as heirs of the Kingdom he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the destitute man. Do not the rich oppress you, and haul you into law courts as well? Do they not blaspheme the good name that has been invoked upon you? (David Bentley Hart)
As far as God the father is concerned, pure, unsullied devotion works like this: you should visit orphans and widows in their sorrow, and prevent the world leaving its dirty smudge on you.
My brothers and sisters, as you practise the faith of our Lord Jesus, the anointed King of glory, you must do so without favouritism. What I mean is this: if someone comes into your assembly wearing gold rings, all dressed up, and a poor person comes in wearing shabby clothes, you cast your eyes over the person wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Please! Have a seat up here!’ but then you turn to the poor person and say, ‘Stand there!’ or, ‘Get down there by my footstool!’ When you do this, are you not discriminating among yourselves? Are you not turning into judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. Isn’t it the case that God has chosen the poor (as the world sees it) to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor man. After all, who are the rich? The rich are the ones who lord it over you and drag you into court, aren’t they? 7The rich are the ones who blaspheme the wonderful name which has been pronounced over you, aren’t they? (N.T. Wright)
θρησκεία ⸆ καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμίαντος παρὰ o1τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ αὕτη ἐστίν, ⸀ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὀρφανοὺς καὶ χήρας ἐν τῇ θλίψει αὐτῶν, ⸂ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν⸃ ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου.
Ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ ἐν προσωπολημψίαις ἔχετε τὴν πίστιν ⸂τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς δόξης⸃. ἐὰν γὰρ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς ⸆ συναγωγὴν ὑμῶν ἀνὴρ χρυσοδακτύλιος ἐν ἐσθῆτι λαμπρᾷ, εἰσέλθῃ δὲ καὶ πτωχὸς ἐν ῥυπαρᾷ ἐσθῆτι, ⸂ἐπιβλέψητε δὲ⸃ ἐπὶ τὸν φοροῦντα τὴν ἐσθῆτα τὴν λαμπρὰν καὶ εἴπητε⸆· σὺ κάθου ὧδε καλῶς, καὶ τῷ πτωχῷ εἴπητε· σὺ στῆθι ⸄ἢ κάθου ἐκεῖ⸅ ⸀ὑπὸ τὸ ὑποπόδιόν ⸁μου, ⸂καὶ οὐ⸃ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν; Ἀκούσατε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί· οὐχ ὁ θεὸς ἐξελέξατο τοὺς πτωχοὺς ⸂τῷ κόσμῳ⸃ πλουσίους ἐν πίστει καὶ κληρονόμους τῆς ⸀βασιλείας ἧς ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν; ὑμεῖς δὲ ἠτιμάσατε τὸν πτωχόν. ⸀οὐχ οἱ πλούσιοι καταδυναστεύουσιν ⸁ὑμῶν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἕλκουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς κριτήρια; ⸀οὐκ αὐτοὶ βλασφημοῦσιν τὸ καλὸν ὄνομα τὸ ἐπικληθὲν ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς;
(James 1:17-26)
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.” (NRSV)
All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does. If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. (NETS)
Every good gift, every perfect gift, comes down from above, from the father of lights. His steady light doesn’t vary. It doesn’t change and produce shadows. He became our father by the word of truth; that was his firm decision, and the result is that we are a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, get this straight. Every person should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Human anger, you see, doesn’t produce God’s justice! So put away everything that is sordid, all that overflowing malice, and humbly receive the word which has been planted within you and which has the power to rescue your lives.
But be people who do the word, not merely people who hear it and deceive themselves. Someone who hears the word but doesn’t do it, you see, is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror. He notices himself, but then he goes away and quickly forgets what he looked like. But the person who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and goes on with it, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer who does the deed – such a person is blessed in their doing.
If anyone supposes that they are devout, and does not control their tongue, but rather deceives their heart – such a person’s devotion is futile. (NT Wright)
Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of the Luminaries, with whom there is no alternation or shadow of change. Having so resolved, he gave birth to us by a word of truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits from among his creatures.
Know this, my beloved brothers: Let every man be swift to listen, slow to speak, slow to indignation; For a human being’s indignation does not accomplish God’s justice. Hence, putting away every defilement and surfeit of evil, receive in gentleness the implanted word, which can save your souls. And become doers of the word, and not only hearers, thus deluding yourselves. Because, if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing the face he was born with in a mirror; Because he has observed himself and gone away, and has immediately forgotten what he was like. For the one who has gazed intently into the perfect law, which is one of freedom, and has stayed there next to it, becoming not a forgetful listener but instead a doer of work—this one will be blissful in what he does. If anyone fancies himself religious while not bridling his tongue, but instead deceiving his own heart, his religion is empty. (David Bently Hart)
πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον ἄνωθέν ἐστιν ⸀καταβαῖνον ⸁ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν φώτων, παρʼ ᾧ οὐκ ⸀1ἔνι ⸂παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα⸃. ⸆βουληθεὶς ἀπεκύησεν ἡμᾶς λόγῳ ἀληθείας εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἀπαρχήν τινα τῶν ⸀αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων.
⸀Ἴστε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί· ⸂ἔστω δὲ⸃ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ταχὺς εἰς τὸ ἀκοῦσαι, βραδὺς εἰς τὸ λαλῆσαι, βραδὺς εἰς ὀργήν· ὀργὴ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς δικαιοσύνην θεοῦ ⸂οὐ κατεργάζεται⸃. διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίας ἐν πραΰτητι⸆ δέξασθε τὸν ἔμφυτον λόγον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς ψυχὰς ⸀ὑμῶν.
Γίνεσθε δὲ ποιηταὶ ⸀λόγου καὶ μὴ ⸉μόνον ἀκροαταὶ⸊ παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς. oὅτι εἴ τις ἀκροατὴς ⸀λόγου ἐστὶν καὶ οὐ ποιητής, οὗτος ἔοικεν ἀνδρὶ κατανοοῦντι τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ· κατενόησεν ⸀γὰρ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀπελήλυθεν καὶ εὐθέως ἐπελάθετο ὁποῖος ἦν. ὁ δὲ παρακύψας εἰς νόμον τέλειον τὸν τῆς ἐλευθερίας καὶ παραμείνας⸆ οὐκ ἀκροατὴς ἐπιλησμονῆς γενόμενος ἀλλὰ ⸇ ποιητὴς ἔργου, oοὗτος μακάριος ἐν τῇ ποιήσει αὐτοῦ ἔσται.
⸂Εἴ τις⸃ δοκεῖ θρησκὸς εἶναι ⸆ μὴ ⸀χαλιναγωγῶν γλῶσσαν ⸁αὐτοῦ ἀλλʼ ἀπατῶν καρδίαν ⸀1αὐτοῦ, τούτου μάταιος ἡ θρησκεία.
James 1:12-16
“Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved.” (NRSV)
“Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.” (NETS)
“How blissful the man who endures trial, because—having become proven—he will receive the crown of the life that he has promised to those who love him. Let no one who is being tempted say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is incapable of temptation by evil things, and himself tempts no one. But everyone is tempted by his own desire, being drawn away and enticed; This desire, having conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin fully grown bears death as its offspring. Do not go astray, my beloved brothers.” (David Bentley Hart)
“God’s blessing on the man who endures testing! When he has passed the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Nobody being tested should say, ‘It’s God that’s testing me’, for God cannot be tested by evil, and he himself tests nobody. Rather, each person is tested when they are dragged off and enticed by their own desires. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin; and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear family.” (NT Wright)
“Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὃς ὑπομένει πειρασμόν, ὅτι δόκιμος γενόμενος λήμψεται τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς, ὃν ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. μηδεὶς πειραζόμενος λεγέτω ὅτι Ἀπὸ θεοῦ πειράζομαι· ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἀπείραστός ἐστιν κακῶν, πειράζει δὲ αὐτὸς οὐδένα. ἕκαστος δὲ πειράζεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἐξελκόμενος καὶ δελεαζόμενος· εἶτα ἡ ἐπιθυμία συλλαβοῦσα τίκτει ἁμαρτίαν, ἡ δὲ ἁμαρτία ἀποτελεσθεῖσα ἀποκύει θάνατον. μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί.”
The Bottom Line: the riches of this life pass away but the poor can exult in their elevation.
“And let the lowly brother exult in his elevation, But the rich man in his abasement, because he will pass away like a flower in the grass; For the sun rose with a scorching heat and withered the grass, and its flower fell away, and the loveliness of its face perished; thus also will the rich man fade away amid his undertakings.” (James 1:9-11 David Bentley Hart)
“Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position. But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever.” (James 1:9-11 NETS)
“Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.” (James 1:9-11 NRSV)
"Καυχάσθω δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου παρελεύσεται. ἀνέτειλεν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν τῷ καύσωνι καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο· οὕτως καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται." (James 1:9-11)
Bottom Line: Wisdom is already embedded in scripture, and, if we are to have faith, we have to take a step on the Way.
The Bottom Line: Our trials lead to patience which, ultimately, leads to us becoming fully-developed, complete, and missing nothing.
James 1:1-4
The Bottom Line: Jesus does announce the coming of a new kingdom, but it’s one not of this world.
The Bottom Line
Understanding Jesus in light of the Old Testament puts Jesus and his teaching into context, and this year, St. Stephen helps us do that.
The Bottom Line
One of the biggest mysteries of the nativity story reminds us that Jesus is the one who brings hope into the world.
The Bottom Line
To grasp the fullness of scripture, you have to include a study of the languages that scripture was written in, but, in the end, you’ll be deeply rewarded.
The Bottom Line
As we prepare to meet Christ this Christmas as a members of a royal priesthood, we are called to walk the Way by bringing healing into our world.
Bottom Line
To reach our full potential, and prepare ourselves for Christ’s nativity, we have to give up our attachments to this world.
Bottom Line
Besides the biblical command to care for the “least of these,” scripture also directs us to lead by offering our “first fruits.” In this way, we become a servant leader and example for others.
Takeaways
The rich man (in Luke 12:16-21) hoarded his treasure in barns, but then his life was taken from him. Keeping his fruit fruits to himself did him no good.
On the other hand, Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac. This was a test of Abraham's faith and loyalty. In the end, because Abraham was willing to offer his first fruits, all of humanity was blessed.
We see the same example in the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple. The Virgin Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, offered Mary to God when she was only three. She went to live in the Temple and be raised by the consecrated virgins. Because Joachim and Anna were also willing to offer their first fruits, the world was blessed when Mary became the Theotokos, the one who bore God.
As servant leaders, we also are called to offer our first fruits to God. Through our offering, we can be a blessing to others.
Wrapping Up
As Christians, we all called to walk the Way by being servant leaders.
As learn our Bible, cultivate an awareness of what it’s saying, and put ourselves under its authority, we realize that it’s calling us to care for the least of these and to offer our first fruits.
On the the night that Jesus was betrayed, he became the ultimate example of a servant leader.
First, by washing his disciples feet—a job that was reserved for slaves—Jesus summed up his entire ministry. To be first in the kingdom, you must became last, serving your neighbor like the Good Samaritan.
And, secondly, he showed us what it means to offer our first fruits by allowing himself to be betrayed, mocked, and crucified. For us, he offered his life … God’s first fruits.
Now, we’re called to follow Christ. We’re called to serve the least of these in our own communities. And, we’re called to offer to God our own first fruits, the best we have to offer.
By doing this, we’ve truly become servant leaders who know how to walk the Way.
Check out the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative by clicking here.
Bottom Line
Once we’ve cultivated a watchfulness of scripture and willingly put ourselves under its authority, we find that it tells us to love our neighbor, especially the “least of these.”
Takeaways
We’ve been looking at what is means to be a Christian leader, a servant leader. We’re now on step 4 of our journey and I hope you can see how it all flows together. How one step builds to the next one.
- Firstly you have to become biblically literate.
- Secondly, once you’ve done that, then you can cultivate a watchfulness of what the Bible says and how you're living your life. Do they match? Or, is there’s a mismatch?
- Thirdly, you have to willingly place yourself under the authority of scripture. If you’re going to lead as Christ did, then we have to be willing to do as scripture says.
Now, in step 4, we’re starting to look at what actions scripture prompting us to do. What does a servant leader do? What does it mean to “be” Christian?
Most of us have preconceived ideas about what it means to be Christian … or what it means to be religious. And, often, these ideas inform us about how to “be” church.
But, our ideas of what God wants from us don't always match what scripture is asking of us.
This isn’t new. It was the same for the Old Testament folks as well.
They thought being religious was about making the right animal sacrifices in the temple.
They thought being religious was saying the right prayers and being seen praying those prayers.
They thought being religious was eating the right foods: keeping kosher.
They thought being religious was keeping the feasts.
And, they thought that being religious was fasting by the rules.
But, what they weren’t doing was listening to what God wanted. And, what God wanted was to for them to love their neighbor.
- Isaiah 1:11-20
- Isaiah 58
God doesn’t want outward religiosity. He wants us to love our neighbor, to care for the “least of these.”
Isaiah’s condemnation of Israel is the same condemnation that Jesus gives to the Pharisees
- Matthew 23:25-32
Sometimes if feels like we fall into these same traps.
- We’re concerned with whether we’re fasting correctly
- We’re concerned with festal celebrations, services, and rubrics
- We’re concerned with praising the saints
But, all the while, we let the starving family in our own community go hungry. We ignore the single mother struggling to get by. We turn a blind eye to someone who may not be in our social or cultural circle.
In short, we often ignore the Bible’s command to care for the least of these … the very thing God punished Israel for not doing.
And, unfortunately, we have no excuse. Israel and the pharisees serve as a warning for us. We’ve seen how God hates such hypocrisy.
But, by becoming a servant leader, we can step up to walk The Way and care for the "least of these."
I encourage you to check out the website of the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative. You'll be glad you did!
Bottom Line
The third step in being a Christian servant-leader is to lead as one under authority.
Takeaways
These past two weeks, we’ve been looking at “servant leadership.” As Christians, we are all called to lead by the example of Christ, and the example he gives us is a servant washing his disciple’s feet.
The Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative has given us some steps to help us become more Christ-like in the way we lead.
You’ll recall that the first step is to learn our Bible. If we don’t read our Bible, how can we know what God is asking of us? After all, it’s the instruction book for life.
The second step, once we’ve become biblically literate, is to cultivate a watchfulness of our conduct and motivations. Do they match the example given to us by scripture? If not, what do we need to change in our lives?
The third step, the one we’re going to talk about today is learning to lead as one under authority.
As Christians, we’re under the authority of Christ and the instruction, or dare I say, “obligation,” to walk the Way as given to us by scripture.
Yes, we’ve been freed from sin and evil. Yes, when Christ trampled down death by death, we were redeemed from slavery to death. But, as one of my professors used to say, this doesn’t mean that we’re free to do as we wish.
Our freedom from sin and death means that we’ve been liberated from one master so that we can serve another one: Jesus Christ, whom we call “Lord.”
Even St. Paul begins his letters by reminding his readers that his is a “slave” of Jesus Christ. If Paul is a slave of our Lord, then so are we.
The difference between serving death and Christ is that Christ is merciful and gives us life. His proclamation is the good news.
But, Paul wasn’t the only one under authority in scripture. Even the prophets with their glorious prophecies were under authority. Instead of saying what they wanted, they were obligated to say the words put into their mouths by God.
- Isaiah: a cleansing coal touches his lips. Then, after asking God to “send him,” he’s given the words to say (Is 6)
- Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you … I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then the Lord touches Jeremiah’s lips and gives him the words to say. (Jer 1)
- Ezekiel: after having a vision of God’s chariot, God makes him eat the scroll so that he has the words of prophecy against Israel (Ez 1-3)
But, perhaps, my favorite story is that of Jonah. Jonah didn’t want to be a prophet. He didn’t want to be under the authority of God. But, as we shall see, he picked up how to lead as a servant of God in no time at all!
Each of these prophets was called to lead. But, it wasn’t haphazard. It was servant leadership that was under the authority of the word given to them by Christ.
Remember God’s word leads to life. It leads to blessings.
I encourage you all to check the website of the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative (click here). You'll be glad you did!
Bottom Line
After increasing our biblical literacy, it’s time to slow down and cultivate a watchfulness of what scripture is teaching us about leadership and living.
Take Aways
If the Bible is our foundation, then, as we read and learn, we have to learn to listen carefully for God’s voice.
- Story of God calling Samuel as a child (1 Sam 3)
It may not always be easy to hear what God is calling us to do because, often, he’s calling us to repentance—and that’s no fun.
But …
When we learn to cultivate this watchfulness, then we see God’s guidance and that allows us to act on it. When we do, then our lives are transformed.
- Young ruler who couldn’t follow Christ (Luke 18:18-30)
- Vs.
- Zacchaeus whose house found salvation (Luke 19:1-10)
There are many ways for us to be like Zacchaeus, cultivating watchfulness of our conduct and motivations—making sure we’re staying faithful and loyal to what God is calling us to do.
One way we can begin to practice this watchfulness is through confession.
King David had to learn this lesson the hard way. When he ignored God’s commands, God sent a prophet to force David to cultivate watchfulness of his conduct and motivations, which, eventually led David to a confession of his sins.
- Nathan vs. David (2 Sam 12:1-15)
As baptized believers, we have put on Christ. He is the coat that we put on to go outside into the desert to walk the Way. This is a calling for all Christians. And it includes servant leadership.
The first step on our journey is to grow in biblical literacy and accountability. We spoke about that last week.
The second step of our journey is to cultivate watchfulness of conduct and motivations. We have to become like Samuel, listening for God’s voice in the night.
We have to learn to slow down.
This is what allows us to stay on the path as we walk the Way!
To learn more, click here to go to the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative's website.
Bottom Line: Christian leadership is “servant leadership” and it must start with a foundation built on scripture.
Takeaways
- The Bible has high praise for King Josiah, "Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him." (2 Kings 23:25) These accolades are because Josiah led with a foundation built upon scripture. And, in this way, he's an example of how we should strengthen our leadership skills.
- We may be tempted to go to Barnes and Noble to buy the latest leadership book, but, as Christians, we should be guided by the commands given to us by God. We need scripture to give us a good foundation for servant leadership just as Jazz musicians need music theory to play beautiful solos.
- Even Christ built his leadership skills upon the Bible. When he was tempted by the satan in the desert, Jesus responded with words from the Old Testament. Jesus was able to carry out the Father's will because he knew his Bible.
- Our task, if we want to be Christian servant leaders, is to begin by reading and obeying the Word. This is how we begin our walk on the Way.
If you'd like to learn more about servant leadership or more about the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative, click here.
Bottom Line: Scripture is a great foundation upon which we can build our prayer lives.
To pick up a copy of Gary's books, including the ones we discussed on the podcast--Kneeling with Giants and Love Your Bible--visit his author's page on Amazon.
I also encourage everyone to check out Gary's website: garynealhansen.com. There, he regularly posts about scripture and prayer, as well as theology, spirituality, and community.
Bottom Line: Sowing seed in “good soil” is a metaphor that means you’re responding completely—body, mind, and soul—to God’s instruction as it’s found in scripture.
Takeaways
- In the parable of the sower, Jesus mentions seeds, which represent the instruction of God (the gospel). He says these seeds can fall on different types of ground: the road, the rocks, among the thorns, and on good soil.
- The different types of ground represent the different responses people have to the gospel.
- To the ancient, Semitic person, the complete person was not “body, mind, and soul,” nor was it “body and soul,” as we think of it today. For them, the complete person involved three zones, which modern academics have labeled emotion-fused zone, self-expression zone, and purposeful action.
- These names are our terminology. The biblical writers referenced these zones using concrete images of the body.
- They referred to the emotion-fused zone by referencing the heart or the eyes (those things that allow us to see, gain insight, understand, choose, love, think, or value). This zone had to do with the will, intellect, judgment, and personality.
- They referred to the self-expression zone by talking about the mouth, ears, tongue, and lips (those things that allow us to speak, hear, sing, swear, curse, listen, or even remain silent). This zone had to do with communication, especially if it’s self-revealing, but also listening and responding).
- The purposeful action zone was expressed through the arms, legs, hands, and feet (those things that allow us to walk, sit, stand, touch, or accomplish). This zone had to do with external behavior or interaction with the environment.
- When Jesus describes the good soil, he makes reference to each of these zones, meaning that to be "good soil," one has to respond completely to God’s instruction.
- When Jesus explains what the other types of ground mean (the road, rock, and thorns), it’s clear, from our understanding of the three zones, that the reason the seeds don’t bear fruit is that they haven’t completely responded to the gospel.
The Bottom Line: To love, to do good, and to lend—even to your enemies—hits at the heart of the social world of the first-century.
Takeaways
- The Roman world—and the Roman household—is structured around what we call a patron-client relationship. The opening of The Godfather is a perfect example of how this worked.
- A patron would do favors (in Greek, χάρις or “grace”) for his clients, who, in turn, were expected to be loyal (in Greek πίστις or "faithful").
- To love (ἀγαπάω) is properly understood as “attachment” to some group: your family, your village, your ethnic group, or to the patron-client relationship. It was not an internal, psychological state as we think of it today. It should always be understood as “group” language.
- Likewise, doing “good” or “lending” (in Luke 6:31-36) should also be understood within the context of the patron-client relationship.
- In Luke 6, Jesus is not just talking about being a “good person” or being “kind” to those you don’t like. Instead, he’s reorienting our entire outlook on life, including how we make our living. It’s a challenge to live our lives in such a way that God is our patron and we completely walk the Way by depending on him.
Bottom Line: Sometimes, a fisherman has to listen to the carpenter’s advice to push out into deep to catch the fish. And, sometimes, this carpenter’s advice is what we, as God’s assembly, need to hear as well.
Takeaways
- When we first encounter Simon, he’s cleaning his nets even though he hadn’t caught any fish. We imagine he’s frustrated, as we sometimes are when we work hard but don’t get the results we want.
- But then, he encounters Jesus who borrows his boat and tells him to “push out into the deep.”
- On the “literal level,” this story is about how Jesus gains his first disciples.
- But, on the “spiritual level,” it’s a story about moving past our own comfort zones and traditions to preach the gospel all over the world.
- Our response should be like Simon’s: a confession of our sins and a willingness to drop everything to follow Jesus.
Bottom Line: To pick up your cross and follow Jesus implies a responsibility to walk the Way.
Takeaways
- Crucifixion in the ancient world was a humiliating and painful way to die. After being stripped naked and hung on the cross, it could take days to die from exhaustion or asphyxiation.
- The Romans crucified non-citizens as a way to keep subjected peoples in check and it wasn’t rare. The Romans crucified thousands of people outside the city walls as a warning for all to see.
- Crucifixion functioned similarly to the way lynchings functioned in the American south.
- Knowing all of this, Jesus was still obedient to the Father and continued to walk the Way to crucifixion. He was one under authority, responsible for carrying out his mission.
- He asks us to also take up our crosses and follow him—to walk the Way … there’s no “Sunday only” Christianity being promoted here.
- And, as difficult as taking up the cross may be, it’s the Way that leads to transfiguration.
The Bottom Line: Using 2nd Temple literature to give us a broader understanding of the worldview of Jesus’s time, helps us draw deeper meaning from the New Testament text.
Takeaways
- Enoch, an apocryphal work written just before the time of Jesus, tells us about how the fallen angels came and corrupted humanity just after creation. But, it also tells us how God deals with these fallen angels—specifically one named Azazel. God binds him and throws him out.
- In Matthew 22, Jesus us the parable of a wedding feast. When the host of the feast finds that one of his guests doesn’t have a wedding suite, or garment, on, he binds him and throws him out. This reminds us of the binding of Azazel in the Book of Enoch.
- Bringing Matthew and Enoch together, Fr. John reflects on the meaning of the wedding suite, which he sees a robe of righteousness that represents God’s justice in the world, a justice that brings the oppressor to account.
- The parable, in Matthew, also shows us how God is renewing God’s call for Israel to be a light to all the nations so that everyone can come to the wedding banquet.
- Fr. John also reminds us that the wedding suit is a free gift given to us by God, but we have the responsibility to continue to walk the Way.
- In summary, looking at Enoch and the parable in Matthew, we see God’s announcement of how he’s going to deal with evil and bring his kingdom to bear on the world. In short, how he’s going to put everything in its place and bring justice to the world.
Bottom Line: Table-Fellowship—what we know as Communion—is living out God’s future kingdom in the present.
Takeaways
- The prophet Isaiah had a vision of what the world will look like when God comes to put everything right. It will be a grand banquet where all nations recognize the God of Israel and he brings justice to the world by making sure there is enough for everyone. This is Isaiah’s Kingdom of God.
- The early church, as preached by Paul, made Isaiah's future Kingdom a present reality through table-fellowship. By including everyone in this meal, who was willing to submit to the Law and live as if circumcised in heart, they were able to demonstrate the community’s communion with God and one another.
- However, this communion was threatened by both Judean and Gentile culture. The Judeans threatened it by insisting that Gentiles practice Judean observances of the Law, such as circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, and food-laws. The Gentiles threatened it by insisting on celebrating table-fellowship through Roman banquet practices that divided people into stations.
- However, when everyone partakes of the same bread—that is, the teaching given to us by Christ, which is the bread of life—then it’s possible to overcome the obstacles and bring the kingdom into the present.
Bottom Line: To see what Paul means by “works of the law,” it behooves us to see how the early Church Fathers defined that concept.
Takeaways
- In Romans and Galatians, Paul says that “works of the law” are not a means of justification. “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.” (Rom 3:28). “Yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” (Gal 2:16) But, theologians through the years have defined “works of the law” in different ways, and this has affected how we believe someone is “saved.”
- The “Old Perspective” defines “works of the law” as any human effort, including good works and pious deeds, that one performs in an attempt to justify oneself. However, because of our inability to perform such works perfectly, they believe that there's nothing anyone can do for their salvation. Thus, in their view, we are “saved” by “faith only.” The scholars we talk about that fall into this perspective include Martin Luther (1483-1546), John Calvin (1509-1564), Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976), and Douglas Moo (b. 1950).
- The “New Perspective” refers to biblical scholarship that began in the 2nd-half of the 20th-century. According to these scholars, Paul’s “works of the law” refer specifically to Jewish observances—such as circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, and food laws—that are meant to separate Jews from Gentiles. In other words, they function as identity markers that indicate that one is a part of the Jewish nation. They argue that Paul rejects “works of the law” because God’s promises, which are fulfilled by Jesus, are intended for all nations—not simply Jews—and so these identity markers are unnecessary. The scholars that we talk about who represent this view are E.P. Sanders (b. 1937), James Dunn (1939-2020), and N.T. Wright (b. 1948).
- Matthew Thomas, in his book Paul’s “Works of the Law” in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception, argues that the best way to determine what Paul actually meant is to see what the Church Fathers had to say. After all, they wrote shortly after Paul died. What he discovers is that they define “works of the law” similarly to the “New Perspective” scholars. In other words, the Fathers define “works of the law” as signifying Jewish identity (e.g. circumcision, Sabbath-keeping, and food laws) and not pious deeds or works in general. So, for Paul, walking the Way (i.e, performing pious deeds) is still a part of our path to salvation. This can be summed up as loving God and neighbor. Some of the Church Fathers we talk about include St. Justin Martyr (d. 165), St. Irenaeus of Lyon (130-202), and Origen (184-253).
I encourage all my listeners to pre-order Paul’s “Works of the Law” in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception by Matthew J. Thomas at either InterVarsity Press (click here) or Amazon (click here).
Bottom Line: If God is the Lord of creation, then the nations are called to walk the Way together under the instruction of the scriptural God.
Takeaways
- As the Israelites entered into Canaan for the fist time, we have this idea that the nations who already lived in the land were annihilated. However, this is not the case. The Israelites were to co-exist with the other nations.
- A major theme of the Mosaic Law, God’s instruction to his people, is justice for all peoples, including the foreigner who lives among you.
- God’s concern is for the entire world, not just the Holy Land. Therefore, the example of Israel in Canaan is just that: an example that should be extended to all peoples around the entire world.
- The image of peace through obedience to God’s instruction is the vision offered to us in the prophets and it’s a challenge to our modern conceptions of nationalism, immigration, and concern for our own ethnic interests.
Bottom Line: It’s in the Syrian wilderness, away from the corrupting influence of humanity, that the Shepherd gives his Word so that we can walk the Way!
The Takeaways
- The Old Testament always speaks in concrete images, so the image of a shepherd in the field is not a philosophical, abstract image. Scripture actually envisions the people, living by “Shepherdism,” in an actual geographical location that is much larger than Bible maps usually depict. This is the Syrian Wilderness.
- The Syrian wilderness is important because all the shepherds and tribes have to live together. They wander until they find an oasis and they exist in peace under the command of God’s word and instruction.
- God’s instruction is given to us in the wilderness. In fact, key moments of instruction are always in the wilderness: the Law of Moses is given in at Mt. Sinai and Jesus gives his Sermon on the Mount away from the cities.
- The words for “word” and “wilderness” in Hebrew are related, which reinforces the idea that God’s word gives life even in the wilderness away from the laws of the king. This connection is clear in the Song of Solomon.
Photo: Ubari Oasis (photograph by Sfivat, distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license).
Bottom Line: There is an inner narrative coherence through the entirety of scripture.
The Takeaways
1) The inner narrative of the Bible plays out in 7 different “acts.”
- The Origins
- The Patriarchal Period and Covenant
- The Exodus and Judges
- The Monarchy (The United and Divided Kingdoms)
- The Exile and the Prophets
- The “In-Between" History and Its Importance
- The Unexpected Fulfillment through Jesus Christ
2) After God creates the world, humanity ends up exiled into a fallen and broken world. But, from the very beginning, God acts to rescue us and “re-create" us as his people.
3) However, over and over again, humanity fails to heed God’s instruction and we end up exiled.
4) But, through Jesus, humanity is finally rescued and everyone is called to become a part of God’s people, fulfilling the promise originally given to Abraham.
5) God’s promise is offered to everyone through grace free of charge, but it comes with a charge: we are to be a people of love: loving God and loving our neighbor.
Bottom line: The solution to our ego and pride, which tells us that we can “do it” on our own, is to learn to humble ourselves and become like a shepherd depending fully on God.
The Takeaways
- One of the Bible’s major objectives is to humble us so that we realize that we are under the care of God; we’re dependent on him for everything, including life. In other words, we can’t “save” ourselves.
- In order to get this point across, scripture constantly gives us a sharp critique of humanity and our institutions, including the concept of kings and cities. These concepts are critiqued because inherently embedded in them is the idea that humanity can rule and protect itself apart from God. This is the “sin” or “problem” of humanity. (So, what’s the solution … find out in today’s episode of The Way)
- The Bible’s alternative is what Fr. Paul Tarazi calls, “shepherdism.” A shepherd, looking after his flock in the field, is out in the elements and, therefore, completely dependent on God for everything.
- Some of the “greats” of the Old Testament were shepherds: Abel, Moses, and David (before he was a king). The prophets predict that when God returns to rescue his people from their exile, a new shepherd will rise to look after God’s “flock.” And, indeed, Jesus is considered the “Good Shepherd.”
Summing Up
So, how does this help us to understand the Bible?
Well, as we read through the various stories, we are now able to recognize if scripture is being critical of human activity. If the answer is, yes, then we know that it’s trying to break our ego so that we can fully depend on God.
We can ask ourselves when we see this: what characteristic aspect of pride or ego is being displayed? How is scripture showing us the downfall of such intentions? What’s the proper response or how can we turn to God instead?
We can also recognize “shepherding” images in scripture. These images show us how God cares for us through his instruction and how we can learn to trust God and walk the Way.
As we read through the story, the questions become: how do the characters submit to God? What’s the result or outcome? If the character is a shepherd, how are they listening to God’s command? What actions do they take? Or what instruction do they act on? What sort of leadership qualities are being displayed by being a shepherd instead of a king?
I think you’ll find that Shepherdism appears all over scripture and, if you pay close attention, it’ll show you how to walk The Way.
Photo: Hermes Kriophoros (photograph by Wikipedia, distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license).
Takeaways
1 - In Galatians 3, Paul understands the Law to be a sort of custodial guide (in Greek, pedagogue). In the ancient world, this was a slave who played the role of the parent. They were responsible for the education of a child: teaching them to read and write, and taking them to school. They were often strict and formed a life-long relationship with the children they raised.
2 - All societies and cultures are founded upon violence. And, within our societies, violence is perpetrated by conflict between people. Like a teacher on the playground, the Law sets boundaries to eliminate the violence. And, sometimes, the teacher has to put a “curse” on you by putting you in timeout.
3 - But, Jesus reveals the true intent of the Law: to promote harmonious relationships within a community. We call this the gospel: loving God and neighbor. If everyone were to live by this intent, there wouldn’t be a need for boundaries. There’d be no need for a teacher on the playground because everyone would be looking out for everyone else. This is why Paul says we’re no longer under a custodial guide and why boundaries are no longer necessary (Judean/Greek, slave/free, male/female).
4 - Walking The Way of the gospel is hard. We continue to purposely set up boundaries precisely so we can incite conflict and violence. We do it in politics (my party is always right while the other party is dooming our country) and we do it in religion. For example, Orthodox Christians have set up a boundary between “us” and the Turks precisely so that we can denounce Turkey using Hagia Sophia as a mosque again. However, the gospel of love asks that we love our neighbor, turn the other cheek, and walk the extra mile because God causes the sun to shine on everyone. So, how should the Orthodox respond in light of the gospel?
Photo: Relief found in Neumagen near Trier, a teacher with students (photograph by Shakko, distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license).
The Takeaways
1 - When Jesus says "you are the light of the world" and "a city set on a hill cannot be hidden," he's referencing ideas taken from the prophets.
2 - The prophets tell us that God destroyed the physical temple because God's real temple is not limited to a particular place or time. Instead, his temple is wherever people gather to learn his instruction.
3 - The light that Jesus refers to is the instruction that's contained in the Bible.
4 - Scriptural instruction isn't about the nature of God or Christ. Instead, it shows us how to love one another.
5 - When we imitate the disciples and go around proclaiming this Good News, we become God’s moveable temple. We are the light that shines in the darkness. And, as we proclaim God’s instruction to the world, we are truly walking The Way.
Image: Eigerøy fyrstasjon (photograph by Nanco Hoogstad, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license).
Image: a relief of the suovetaurilia, a roman sacrifice that included pigs (photograph by Marie-Lan Nguyen, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license).
Bottom Line: Scripture reorients our perspective so that we can see God at work in the world.
Scripture Verses:
“In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month … a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. All the army … broke down the walls around Jerusalem …[and] carried into exile the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon—all the rest of the population. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest people of the land to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil.” (2 Kings 25:8-12 edited)
“For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly act justly one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors forever and ever.” (Jeremiah 7:5-7)
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: … I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and mighty arm, in anger, in fury, and in great wrath. And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both human beings and animals; they shall die of a great pestilence. Afterward, says the Lord, I will give … the people in this city—those who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine—into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, into the hands of their enemies, into the hands of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword; he shall not pity them, or spare them, or have compassion.” (Jeremiah 21: 3, 5-7 edited)
“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. … But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33)
Does the Bible seem out-dated and irrelevant? Does it seem like the Bible is a relic of a bygone era? What does a text that’s thousands of years old have to say to us today? After all, we don’t live nomadic lives in a desert, we don’t travel to temples to make animal sacrifices, nor do we fear for our lives from Roman soldiers. And, on top of all that, the Bible is full of tales about God interacting with humans, performing miracles, destroying cities, and becoming a man. It all seems like the mythology of ages past. Well, believe it or not, the Bible knows us better than we know ourselves. Its critique of human power and civilizations still has the power to expose our own arrogance. By calling us to obedience to the scriptural God, scripture transforms us and we are freed from our slavery to the Pharaoh's of our day so that we can walk The Way.