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James Chapter 1

James Chapter 1

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Endurance and Wisdom

(Parallel teachings: Romans 5:3–5; 1 Peter 1:6–7)
(Thematic parallels: Job chapters 1-42 )

  • 1 James, a slave of God and of the Anointed Lord Jesus, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion,fn“the Dispersion” refers to the Jews who were spread across – i.e. dispersed – throughout the Roman Empire. greetings.
  • 2 My brothers, consider it all joy when you fall into various trials,
  • 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
  • 4 And let endurance have its perfect work so that you might be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
  • 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from Godfnquotation/allusion to Proverbs 2:6 – the One giving generously to all and not criticizing – and it will be given to him.
  • 6 Yet let him ask in faith, doubting nothing.  For the man doubting is *like a sea wave, being blown by the wind and being tossed by the breeze.
  • 7 For that man must not think that he will receive anything from the Lord.
  • 8 That man is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.
  • 9 But let the brother of a low position boast in his high position,
  • 10 and let the rich man boast in his lowness because he will pass away like a grassy flower.
  • 11 For the sun rose with its scorching heat and withered the grass, and its flower fell, and the beauty of its appearance perished.fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 40:6-8, Job 14:2, and Psalm 103:15-16 (also quoted/alluded to by 1 Pet 1:24-25); also quite possibly an allusion to the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:2-23, Mark 4:3-20, and Luke 8:4-15  In this way also, the rich man will wither in his pursuits.
  • 12 Blessed is the man who endures a trial, because after having become approved, he will receive the crown of life that [the Lord] promised to the men ^loving Him.
  • 13 Let no one who’s being tempted say: “I’m being tempted by God.”  For God is unable to be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one.
  • 14 But each man is tempted, being drawn away and enticed by his own cravings.fn“cravings” is literally “craving”
  • 15 Then having conceived, a craving gives birth to sin; and having been accomplished, sin gives birth to death. CFParallel teachings (that sin causes death): Romans 5:12, 6:16, 6:23, 7:5, 7:13. See also 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 (death is God’s enemy, and He will defeat it).
  • 16 Don’t be misled, my beloved brothers.
Doers of the word

(Parallel teachings: Matthew 7:21–27)

  • 17 Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lightsfnquotation/allusion to Genesis 1:3, 14-18 and Psalm 136:7-9. Also possibly to Job 38:7, which connects the morning stars with the “son of God”, which is a title of angelic beings in the Old Testament (perhaps mostly clearly in Job 1:6) with whom there’s no change or shifting shadow.
  • 18 And having been resolved, He birthed us by the word of truth,fnquotation/allusion to Genesis 1:26-27, and the broader creation narrative in Genesis 1 (also quoted/alluded to by John 1:1-3) for us to be a kind of firstfruitfnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Leviticus 23:10-11, and Exodus 23:19 (also quoted/alluded to by 1 Cor 15:20, 23; Rom 8:23) of His creatures.
  • 19 [So then,] *know this, my beloved brothers, and let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,fnquotation/allusion to Proverbs 17:27, Proverbs 14:29, and possibly Ecclesiastes 5:1-2
  • 20 for man’s anger doesn’t produce God’s righteousness.
  • 21 Therefore, having set aside all filthiness and abundant wickedness, welcome the implanted wordfn“the implanted word” is a possible quotation/allusion to Ezekiel 36:26-27 and Jeremiah 31:33 (also quoted/alluded to by Hebrews 8:8-12, 10:16-17) in gentle strength,fn“gentle strength” this Greek word is often translated “meek” or “gentle”.  However, it doesn’t mean the absence of power as “meek” would suggest. Instead, it specifically refers to strength or power that is gently exercised, without undue harshness. i.e., someone who is strong but applies their strength gently. the word able to save your soulsfn“soul” this Greek word (ψυχή/psuché) refers to the animating force of living things, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Rev 8:9; see also Gen 1 and footnotes). It’s virtually identical in meaning to the Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. It’s frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has some overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). See also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
  • 22 And become doers of the word, and not hearers only (who are deceiving themselves.)
  • 23 Because if someone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this man is *like a man considering his natural face in a mirror.
  • 24 For he considered himself, and *departs, and immediately he forgot what kind of man he was.
  • 25 But the man who carefully inspected the perfect law (the law of liberty) and remained in it didn’t become a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work.  This man will be blessed in his deeds.fn“deeds” is literally “doing”
  • 26 If someone [among you] appears to be religious while not bridling his tongue (but deceiving his heart), this man’s religion is worthless.
  • 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to look after the fatherlessfn“fatherless” could also be translated “orphan” and refers to anyone who has lost father or both parents. Since an orphan is fatherless by definition, “fatherless” was chosen to capture both meanings. and widows in their distress,fnquotation/allusion to Deuteronomy 10:18 and Isaiah 1:17, and possibly Deuteronomy 24:19-21 and to keep yourself unsullied by the world.

 

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