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James Chapter 3

James Chapter 3

(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
The Tongue
  1. My brothers, not many of you should become teachers, *knowing that we will receive greater judgement,
  2. for we all stumble in many ways.  If someone doesn’t stumble in speaking, this is a perfect man, able to even bridle the whole body.
  3. And if we put bits into horses’ mouths for them to be influenced by us, we also direct their whole body.
  4. Also look at the ships: while being so great and being propelled by fierce winds, they are directed by the smallest rudder wherever the impulse of the man steering decides.
  5. In this way also, the tongue is a small part and boasts great things. See how such a small fire ignites such a great forest.
  6. The tongue is also a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is appointed among our parts defiling the whole body, even igniting the course of nature, and being ignited by Gehenna.fn“Gehenna” Most translations translate this “hell”.  It’s a Hebrew word that the Holy Spirit chose to transliterate into Greek, and as with all Hebrew words in the New Testament, the BOS Bible has followed that example.  Symbolically, it’s where the Jews believed the wicked were punished in the afterlife.  Further, Israel’s wickedness in this valley provoked God to prophesy and then bring about Israel’s captivity by Babylon, (Jeremiah 19:1-11, and 2 kings 25:1-12) making it one of the most infamous landmarks in Israel.
  7. For every race of both beasts and birds, of both reptiles and aquatic animals is being tamed and has been tamed by the human race.fnSome say this verse is an allusion to Genesis 9:2
  8. But no one among men is able to tame the tongue; it’s a completely unstable evil, full of deadly poison.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 140:3
  9. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, the men who have been made in the likeness of God.fnquotation/allusion to Genesis 1:26-27
  10. From the same mouth comes out a blessing and a curse.  My brothers, these things ought not to be this way.
  11. Can fresh and bitter water flow from the same spring’s opening?
  12. My brothers, a fig tree isn’t able to produce olives, is it?  Or a grape-vine, figs?  Neither is a saltwater spring able to produce fresh water, is it?
  13. Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him demonstrate his works from good conduct in the gentle strengthfn“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. some who is strong but applies their strength gently. of wisdom.
  14. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and lie against the truth.
  15. This isn’t the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, sensual,fn“sensual” This Greek word is also used in 1 Corinthians 2:14 and Jude 1:19 to indicate what is natural for animals, i.e., the base instinct toward pleasure without wisdom and reason. demonic.
  16. For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, chaos and every wicked deed are also there.
  17. But the wisdom from above is indeed pure first, then peaceful, compassionately just, inclined to obedience, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and without hypocrisy.
  18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by the men making peace.

 

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