IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 999

ON LOVE; PART DLXXXVIII

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α

GoodWill IS Love in Action

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α

“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).

In the last essay we remained stuck on the ideas of faith and works which are presented as a pair by the Apostle James as he tells us that  “as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). This IS the third time that the apostle tells us of the deadness of faith which has NO works as its result and while James IS adamant about this reality of spiritual Life, much of doctrine denies this idea that works have any importance in the salvation of man. Since this stark difference has caused some to ignore James ideas in favor of the more convenient ideas from the Apostle Paul, we found it important to discuss this in some detail while at the same time saying that we will come back to faith and works in its own series of essays.  In our view the reason for this controversy IS based in a lack of understanding of the words of both James ans Paul; Paul’s words are taken out of context and seem to be held in higher esteem that those of James while James’ words are misunderstood as he IS NOT so much saying that one must DO works to have ‘live’ faith but rather he IS saying that True faith results in works without any special effort and that the reality of one’s faith can be seen in the works that it produces.

The whole of the reality of faith and works can be found in the more complete reading of Paul’s words; NOT ONLY those that are on this subject and usually taken out of context like his saying that “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8), but also in the totality of the apostle’s message across ALL of his epistles. As a general theme Paul admonishes men to Love and to express the fruit of the Spirit in the world, among other spiritual ideas and it IS these ideas that ARE the works that James speaks of. Again, while Paul speaks against works that are the machinations of the doctrines of the day, we should try to see these as those same works that the Master speaks against and NOT as that the apostle is speaking against ALL a man’s expression of the fruit of the Spirit. Paul IS saying that these machinations of doctrine ARE NOT a show of faith but are the carnal doings of men in the world; he IS speaking against this carnal approach to God and NOT against those works of the law that ARE associated with the fruit of the Spirit. James tells us largely the same thing and, as we have premised, perhaps because this idea that works are unimportant in faith was commonplace in his view. James tells us that “though a man say he hath faith” (James 2:14) is NOT an answer to salvation because if this man’s faith IS True, it will naturally produce works as we understand this as the fruit of the Spirit. These then ARE two sides of the same coins; for the carnal coin the one side IS works as the machinations of doctrine and on the other IS professed faith which does not result in True works while for the spiritual coin, the one side IS True faith as espoused by Paul while on the other IS the natural works of this faith which IS the fruit that a man bears. The doctrinal errors ARE in seeing carnal faith as True faith and the failure to see the fruit of one’s Life as his works.

We begin now our look at James’ third chapter that begins with an idea regarding masters which is offered to us under the Greek word didaskalos that is rendered as Master referring to Jesus, as master referring to other teachers and as teacher in our King James Bible ². This word is rendered as teacher in many other bible versions and this has resulted in the common doctrinal ideas that greatly confuse this saying which reads:

“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body” (James 3:1-3).

These words regarding being masters or teachers ARE obscure to say the least and most DO NOT rightly understand their meaning as we can see in these ideas presented by commentators:

• Vincent tells us that: Masters (διδάσκαλοι); Literally, and better, teachers, with a reference to the exhortation to be slow to speak (James 1:19). Compare 1 Corinthians 14:26-34. James is warning against the too eager and general assumption of the privilege of teaching, which was not restricted to a particular class, but was exercised by believers generally ⁴.
• John Gill offers a lengthy explanation from which we take this: My brethren, be not many masters; ….he proceeds to consider the evidence of a religious man, suggested in ( James 1:26 ) who is one that bridles the tongue; and enters into an account of the use and abuse of the tongue: and which is introduced by this exhortation; and which seems to be opposed to an affectation among the Jews, to whom James writes, of being called “Rabbi, Rabbi”, or “Mori, Mori”, master, master, condemned by Christ, ( Matthew 23:8 Matthew 23:10 ) . The words may be rendered, “be not many teachers”; or be not fond, and forward, and ambitious of being preachers of the word, but rather choose to be hearers of it, agreeably to the advice in ( James 1:19 ) , “be swift to hear, slow to speak”; not but that the office of a teacher is a good work, and a very desirable one; and spiritual gifts, qualifying for it, are to be coveted with a view to the glory of God, and the good of souls; and to have many teachers is a blessing to the churches of Christ and a large number of them is often not only proper, but absolutely necessary: but then this office should not be entered upon without suitable gifts, a divine mission, and a regular call by a church; and when entered into, should not be performed in a magisterial way, as lords over God’s heritage, and as claiming a dominion over the faith of men, but as helpers of their joy, peace, and comfort; nor according to the commandments of men, but according to the oracles of God. Or it may be, this exhortation may have respect to censorious persons, rigid and severe reprovers of others, who take upon them, in a haughty manner, to charge and rebuke others for their faults; reproof for sin ought to be given; sin should not be suffered upon the brethren; to reprove is not blameworthy, but commendable, when it is done in a right manner, with a good spirit, and to a good end: in case of private offences, it should be privately given, and for public ones, men should be rebuked before all; but then this ought to be done in a gentle manner, and in a spirit of meekness….⁸.
• The Commentary Critical and Explanatory of the Whole Bible tells us that: be not–literally, “become not”: taking the office too hastily, and of your own accord. many–The office is a noble one; but few are fit for it. Few govern the tongue well ( James 3:2 ), and only such as can govern it are fit for the office; therefore, “teachers” ought not to be many. masters–rather, “teachers.” The Jews were especially prone to this presumption. The idea that faith (so called) without works ( James 2:14-26 ) was all that is required, prompted “many” to set up as “teachers,” as has been the case in all ages of the Church. At first all were allowed to teach in turns. Even their inspired gifts did not prevent liability to abuse, as James here implies: much more is this so when self-constituted teachers have no such miraculous gifts ⁸.

Each of these commentaries is different; Vincent see a link to “slow to speak” while Mr. Gill sees the idea of the religious man and offers several ideas including that of Vincent but from a very different perspective, while seemingly assigning the role of teacher as being ‘appointed’ by other authorities. Both Mr. Gill and the writers of the Commentary Critical see the idea of spiritual gifts, as spoken of by Paul, from different perspectives while the latter lays the idea onto the next words on the tongue where this IS seen as the physical organ of speech. Out of this confusion the common understanding is closest to the Commentary Critical, that unless one can govern the tongue, he should not teach; but here we should wonder what it IS that a man could say that would lead to James saying that “we shall receive the greater condemnation“. We should note that the apostle includes himself here as a teacher and subjects himself to the possibility of the “greater condemnation” and even in the next sayings we DO NOT see any clarity in the idea of what it IS that a man would say in error to bring this upon himself.

Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible takes us a bit closer to what we see as the reality here as he tells us: The foregoing chapter shows how unprofitable and dead faith is without works. It is plainly intimated by what this chapter first goes upon that such a faith is, however, apt to make men conceited and magisterial in their tempers and their talk. Those who set up faith in the manner the former chapter condemns are most apt to run into those sins of the tongue which this chapter condemns. And indeed the best need to be cautioned against a dictating, censorious, mischievous use of their tongues ⁸. Here we can see that there IS a natural flow from the last verse on faith and works to this idea of teachers and the idea here can be taken from that: the man whose faith IS NOT supported by works, the man who merely can “say he hath faith“, should not be among those who choose to teach. Of course this IS ALL seen ONLY in a very individual and personal way; ONLY an man himself can say what kind of faith he has and from this can realize that he should or should not be teaching. There IS a deeper aspect here that likely remains unseen and this is the function of doctrine; if a man’s faith is based in doctrine, either the Jews in that day to whom the apostle speaks or the man today whose vision of things spiritual is furnished by doctrine and tradition, he will believe that he IS righteous and in accord with the Truth. This IS how the Pharisees viewed their role as did the scribes and other Jewish leaders but, as the Master shows, they were in tune with their doctrines ONLY and NOT the Truth.

Following upon the reality then of faith and works we can see the role that doctrine can play as men will believe that they are right in their view and that works ARE NOT a necessary sign; they will think more highly of themselves than they ought to and then they will teach their doctrine to others and hold others to their doctrines rather that teach the Truth of the Master’s words. While this may seem a harsh assessment of the apostle’s meaning, we should remember that his tone is always straightforward and blunt while at the same time obscured by his own style of parabolic writing. We should also note that there IS NOT another viable explanation of these words that would have meaning in the context of the apostles theme. To tell men not to be teachers IS NOT his objective to be sure as there IS NO foundation for this in the Master’s words where HE tells his disciples that they should teach telling them “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:7-8). What were these disciples given freely? They were not healed nor raised from the dead, they were not possessed by devils that were cast out; they were ONLY taught by the Master freely of the Kingdom of God and this IS what they are sent to preach. And perhaps this is the reality; that disciples teach, that those who Truly strive teach, and that those whose faith results in righteous works teach and that those whose lives revolve only around their own sense of doctrine should beware; not of condemnation but of the reality of judgment which IS the better rendering of this Greek word.

Perhaps we can relate this then to that other saying from the apostle where when he writes about Love and the transgression of the law when this Love is expressed to particular persons; we read: “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye , and so do , as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:9-12). Here we have the reality of the expression of the man in his speaking and the judgement by the law which he likely misinterprets in his expression of Love that DOES show “respect to persons“. Our current saying can be seen in a similar way as a man teaches his own interpretation of the Truth in place of the straightforward Truth and that the same judgment comes into play and this IS “greater judgment” than if he DID NOT express his own doctrine at all. And this follows into the next saying where the word offend should be seen as error or as stumble; here, speaking of this same man who should beware as a teacher of doctrine over Truth, we can see James view of this teaching and that it IS the man who DOES NOT so stumble or err in his words that IS the perfect man. Can we see the reality here? Can we see how that the apostle IS trying to show that the Truth and one’s expression of the Truth IS perfection and that this man is so rare that he does not even include himself in that group.

We KNOW that the converse of this Truth IS NOT so much a lie but rather the ways of the personality as the Truth IS of God and the converse to this, from the perspective of the man in the world, IS the world and his thoughts, attitudes and actions in the world. John Gill sells us ALL short in his understanding here as he says: For in many things we offend all; Or “we all offend”, slip and fall; no man lives without sin; in many, in most, if not in all things, a good man himself does, he sins; and this extends to the most solemn services, and best works of a good man; there is sin in his holy things, imperfections in all his performances; his righteousnesses are as filthy rags; hence no man can be justified by his works before God, nor is any man perfect in this life, so as to be without sin in himself: the apostle includes himself in this account, and that not out of modesty merely, or in a complaisant way, but as matter of fact ⁸. Can we see here how doctrine can be different from Truth? The Master tells us to “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) and He tells us that we can be as He IS in His perfect nature in the world saying: “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40). Can we see James message here? How that the words of doctrine here are in error compared to the Truth and that the man who expresses and teaches this doctrine as it were Truth should beware of that same judgment; by the very law that is purported to be in the teaching.

Again, there IS NO condemnation here, there IS only judgment and this IS NOT as depicted in doctrine as well; there IS NO judge above ALL concerning the behavior of men, there IS NO Saint Peter at the gate, there IS ONLY the self evaluation of the Life of the man in the world by his own Soul who ever KNOWS the reality of God and the working out of the Good, the Beautiful and the True. There are many things that we say here that ARE against doctrine and this IS because there IS much doctrine that DOES NOT square with the Truths that the Master teaches nor with the fullness of the writing of the apostles. In the multiplicity of doctrines there is much that IS diluted and changed to suit the convenience of men and there are many who unawares believe these things as Truths and then teach them to others. The Master speaks about this very practice as he admonishes the Pharisees and scribes saying “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). We should not be fooled by the use of the words doctrine and commandment here as the meaning IS clear in regard to teaching the errors of the interpretations of men and calling them the Truth of God.

As we close here for today we post again some ideas from the Buddha who tells us these same things from another perspective regarding the Truth of teaching; He says: “First establish yourself in the way, then teach, and so defeat sorrow. To straighten the crooked you must first do a harder thing – straighten yourself” (Dhammapada; on Yourself) ⁵.

 We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Aspect of God	Potency	Aspect of Man	In Relation to the Great Invocation	In relation to the Christ
GOD, The Father	Will or Power	Spirit or Life	Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN	Life
Son, The Christ	Love and Wisdom	Soul or Christ Within	Heart of God	Truth
Holy Spirit	Light or Activity	Life Within	Mind of God	Way

Note on the Quote of the Day

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

This is called by some of the church the Great Commission and so it is. It is however hardly understood and at times grossly misapplied. Somewhere in the centuries that have passed since the Master left us we have come to think that the meaning of this is just to preach the word through any particular doctrine and baptize according to any particular belief. Vincent tells us that the word translated as teach here should be seen as make disciples of ⁴ and the lexicon bears this out. There is nowhere in scripture an actual defining understanding of the concept of baptism and we generally think of it as the immersion into or the pouring on of water and that somehow this clears us of sin. This is but an outward sign however of real spiritual undertaking by the conscious man and it is only when a man is ready to commit to the Master that a baptism can be considered real. We will leave this as the Quote of the Day for a few days and try to find in it some true meaning. Keeping in mind our four points, we should ponder on this.

The Master is speaking to disciples and not the multitudes and these are those that do believe on Him and follow Him and keep His words. Hard sayings for man in the world but claimed by many nonetheless. There IS a reality in the idea that the disciple should be “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” which IS His words that ARE to be kept and in this light we add these ideas from the Buddha: “Love yourself and watch – today, tomorrow, always. First establish yourself in the way, Then teach, and so defeat sorrow. To straighten the crooked you must first do a harder thing – straighten yourself” (Dhammapada; on Yourself)⁵.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!

• ² New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
• ⁴ Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
• ⁵ The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
• ⁸ Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com