CAF Bible Study - James

[Church_Militant]

I think that’s a very good analogy – sort of like when the landing craft went aground on the reef at Tarawa, and the Marines had to wade neck-deep (and sometimes deeper) through the lagoon.

None of us is without sin, the issue is, do we surrender ourselves to it, or do we keep trying?

Now maybe some folks know why I call myself “Church Militant”.

 

[lak611]

In my mind perseverance is like warfare (spiritual in this case). If we are set back… we recover, regroup, and then get back in the battle. It doesn’t mean that we never fall. It means we will die trying.

Paul says the same thing in 1 Corinthians. From the Douay-Rheims Version, “1Co 9:24 Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize. So run that you may obtain.
1Co 9:25 And every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself from all things. And they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown: but we an incorruptible one.
1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air.
1Co 9:27 But I chastise my body and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.”

 

[Efrain]

Excellent job all! Sorry I dropped in a little late.

James 1:15 Then desire concieves and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. NAB

I was reading a study guide on the book of Revelations and the author Father Alfred McBride stated that the evil angels rebeled against God by their spiritual sins which is pride and envy. All sins are related to these and when we try to satisfy our own flesh desires we welcome more sin which escalates and snow balls into greater which brings death. When we become envious and selfish we hide from God and seek our own pleasures (addictions, idolotry, materialism, etc.) and becomes a hard cycle to break. Envy the root of all sins.

 

[lak611]

Excellent job all! Sorry I dropped in a little late.

James 1:15 Then desire concieves and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. NAB

I was reading a study guide on the book of Revelations and the author Father Alfred McBride stated that the evil angels rebeled against God by their spiritual sins which is pride and envy. All sins are related to these and when we try to satisfy our own flesh desires we welcome more sin which escalates and snow balls into greater which brings death. When we become envious and selfish we hide from God and seek our own pleasures (addictions, idolotry, materialism, etc.) and becomes a hard cycle to break. Envy the root of all sins.

Paul says the same thing in Romans. From the Douay Rheims Version, “Rom 1:28 And as they liked not to have God in their knowledge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do those things which are not convenient.
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all iniquity, malice, fornication, avarice, wickedness: full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity: whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Detractors, hateful to God, contumelious, proud, haughty, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Foolish, dissolute: without affection, without fidelity, without mercy.
Rom 1:32 Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death: and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.”

 

[vern_humphrey]

Excellent job all! Sorry I dropped in a little late.

James 1:15 Then desire concieves and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. NAB

I was reading a study guide on the book of Revelations and the author Father Alfred McBride stated that the evil angels rebeled against God by their spiritual sins which is pride and envy. All sins are related to these and when we try to satisfy our own flesh desires we welcome more sin which escalates and snow balls into greater which brings death. When we become envious and selfish we hide from God and seek our own pleasures (addictions, idolotry, materialism, etc.) and becomes a hard cycle to break. Envy the root of all sins.

How shall I put this without sounding uncharitable? If you hang around these forums long enough, you will see people argue anything. And when you show them in scripture or in the Catechism that they are wrong, they want to argue with scripture.

It seems that those who want the Church and morality to go their way are so proud they think they can change or challenge the Church and the Apostles.

 

[Church_Militant]

Excellent job all! Sorry I dropped in a little late.

James 1:15 Then desire concieves and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death. NAB

I was reading a study guide on the book of Revelations and the author Father Alfred McBride stated that the evil angels rebeled against God by their spiritual sins which is pride and envy. All sins are related to these and when we try to satisfy our own flesh desires we welcome more sin which escalates and snow balls into greater which brings death. When we become envious and selfish we hide from God and seek our own pleasures (addictions, idolotry, materialism, etc.) and becomes a hard cycle to break. Envy the root of all sins.

You’re not late! Just stick around.
[SIGN]WELCOME![/SIGN]

 

[Pug]

I read the part about how it is from our desire that sin is conceived and then leads to death, and then I read the part in 1:17 about how every good doing and perfect gift is from above, and I wonder. To me they almost seem in contrast.

Is it a contrast of death and life? Death is from sin, and life is from the rebirth that was freely given by God.

Is it a contrast of the source of our good and bad deeds? Our bad deeds spring from desire and then sin, and our good deeds spring ultimately from God, perhaps especially after we are part of his firstfruits.

Or maybe there is a paragraph of thought that begins with, “Blessed is the man who endures trial/temptation,” and ends with, “firstfruits of his creatures.” A failure to endure is the desire/sin thing and a success is bearing fruit.

I certainly do know that I am clear on the basic things in James, like, my tongue is like a fire…

 

[Traditional_Ang]

If I may use your analogy, what if a person isn’t sure if the bridge is going to support them, but they cross it anyway, afraid?

Nobody:

There’s a story in the Midrash that the Apostles were probably familiar with - When Moses and the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea, God waited until an old man walked into the water up to his neck before parting the Sea in front of the Israelites.

I’m pretty sure that he was pretty much like the man you were describing who wasn’t all that sure about the bridge, but walked out on it anyway.

James said the Demons are certain that Jesus is Lord and trembled because of it - They know the Bridge will hold and refuse to use it.

Most of us have faith like the man who walked out into the Red Sea, or the man who wasn’t all that sure the bridge would hold but used it to get across the river anyway.

I hope this makes sense.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[LilyM]

Nobody:

There’s a story in the Midrash that the Apostles were probably familiar with - When Moses and the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea, God waited until an old man walked into the water up to his neck before parting the Sea in front of the Israelites.

I’m pretty sure that he was pretty much like the man you were describing who wasn’t all that sure about the bridge, but walked out on it anyway.

James said the Demons are certain that Jesus is Lord and trembled because of it - They know the Bridge will hold and refuse to use it.

Most of us have faith like the man who walked out into the Red Sea, or the man who wasn’t all that sure the bridge would hold but used it to get across the river anyway.

I hope this makes sense.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

Our Lord said ‘blessed are they who have not seen, and yet believe’. In that instance he was referring to our faith in him, but that statement could easily be applied in your bridge analogy, nobody.

We can’t always ‘see’ what the end result will be of our actions - we don’t always know all the variables. In such situations all we can do, and what we should do, is ask God’s guidance and proceed on whatever course seems best and most in accord with God’s will, based on the limited information we have.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

In my mind perseverance is like warfare (spiritual in this case). If we are set back… we recover, regroup, and then get back in the battle. It doesn’t mean that we never fall. It means we will die trying.

Church Militant"

That’s one reason “Three Falls” are included in the “Stations of the Cross” - Not because of the Falls, but because our Lord gets up and keeps going after every single one.

Another Scripture might be useful here

Eph. 6:10-18 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and supplications. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

And, since this is a Spiritual war, it is best to bring those weapons best suited to Spiritual Warfare… And to Remember that the Army that is united is the army is that will win - There are no “Armies of ONE!” As St. Augustine said, “A Christian by himself is no Christian at all.”

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[nobody]

Nobody:

There’s a story in the Midrash that the Apostles were probably familiar with - When Moses and the Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea, God waited until an old man walked into the water up to his neck before parting the Sea in front of the Israelites.

I’m pretty sure that he was pretty much like the man you were describing who wasn’t all that sure about the bridge, but walked out on it anyway.

James said the Demons are certain that Jesus is Lord and trembled because of it - They know the Bridge will hold and refuse to use it.

Most of us have faith like the man who walked out into the Red Sea, or the man who wasn’t all that sure the bridge would hold but used it to get across the river anyway.

I hope this makes sense.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

Good story, thank you.
Peace

 

[vern_humphrey]

I read the part about how it is from our desire that sin is conceived and then leads to death, and then I read the part in 1:17 about how every good doing and perfect gift is from above, and I wonder. To me they almost seem in contrast.

Is it a contrast of death and life? Death is from sin, and life is from the rebirth that was freely given by God.

Is it a contrast of the source of our good and bad deeds? Our bad deeds spring from desire and then sin, and our good deeds spring ultimately from God, perhaps especially after we are part of his firstfruits.

Or maybe there is a paragraph of thought that begins with, “Blessed is the man who endures trial/temptation,” and ends with, “firstfruits of his creatures.” A failure to endure is the desire/sin thing and a success is bearing fruit.

I certainly do know that I am clear on the basic things in James, like, my tongue is like a fire…

Saint Augustine enlarges on this – good and the ability to do good come to us through Grace. In the absense of Grace we can neither do nor be good. Evil is therefore the absense of Grace (or the absense of good.)

Augustine had dabbled in Manacheanism, the Persian Dualist religion, which pre-supposes a :“good god” and a “bad god.” His aim was to show how this attractive concept was false – there is only God, Who is only good.

 

[Efrain]

I believe thats why our Lord Jesus says so beautifully in:
Mt 11:29-30 Take up my yoke upon you, and learn learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart. And you shall find rest in your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden is light.(Douay Rheims)

Yet

Mt 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Douay Rheims)

It is our greatest joy to serve the Lord even we are burning at the stake. It is when our own will and desires contrasts that of our Lord’s will that we choose to live in death, spiritual voidness.

 

[katy]

One of my greatest difficulties is identfying what is my will and what is God’s. It is so hard to tell the difference. Sometimes I think if I want to do something, I probably shouldn’t. But how do I know that, either? Driveth me nuts sometimes.

 

[vern_humphrey]

One of my greatest difficulties is identfying what is my will and what is God’s. It is so hard to tell the difference. Sometimes I think if I want to do something, I probably shouldn’t. But how do I know that, either? Driveth me nuts sometimes.

That’s why we have the sacrament of penance. In other religions, one can simply decide “Well, I was right,” or “Well, I might have been wrong, but God has forgiven me.” We Catholics do not act as judge and jury over ourselves – we must obtain absolution from a priest.

 

[Efrain]

Indeed. I learn the hard way sometimes. I realize my inequities usually right after the fact and I can correct myself. I recommend reading “Spiritual Excercises” by St. Ignatius Loyola. Briefly he states that we have to review ourselves for any wrong doing and seek corectness.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

In James 1:12, what is the definition of “endures trial”?
-accept the trial joyfully?
-accept it, but grudgingly?
-accept it, but wavering?
-anything but running away?

Nobody:

I don’t think very many of us endure trials cheerfully without wavering. The best most of us can do is to face the challenges life hands us and to persevere through those challenges.

Here is the James 1:12-15 in The Message:

*Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.*

As has been said, the Greek word translated as “trial” ot “testing” in v. 12 has the same root as the word translated as “tempted” in vs. 13 & 14.

I think that as you contemplate these verses, you may want to recall who James was writing them to and how bad their situation was. And, then you might want to think of these Scriptures:

1 Corinthians 10:13 The Message - No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

And…

Hebrews 12:1-13 NIV

*Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”*
*Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.*

I hope all of these help to answer your question.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[Traditional_Ang]

One of my greatest difficulties is identfying what is my will and what is God’s. It is so hard to tell the difference. Sometimes I think if I want to do something, I probably shouldn’t. But how do I know that, either? Driveth me nuts sometimes.

Katy:

That’s one reason the Church suggests that Catholics avail themselves of the services of a Spritual Director.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[katy]

Katy:

That’s one reason the Church suggests that Catholics avail themselves of the services of a Spritual Director.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

I only wish I knew where to get a reliable one. Fortunately, we at my parish do at least have pastors who take their responsibilties as confessors seriously. That helps.

 

[Church_Militant]

16: Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
17: Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
18: Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
19: Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20: for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
21: Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23: For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror;
24: for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
25: But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.
26: If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

17: Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change

.My friends, look at this. Every good and perfect gift is from God! So every good thing we can readily offer thanks to God.

19: Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
20: for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God

.Anger…boy who can’t learn from this? Imagine when you’re in a hurry in the car and the dude ain front of you takes more than a half-second to get going when that light turns green…

21: Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

This is another jewel from St. James! From Matthew 12:34: You brood of vipers! how can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
35: The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
36: I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter;
37: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

That tells us all that we need to put a premium on what we say. How often I have offered an Act of Contrition for things that I have said to this screen even though it never made it to the keyboard. Still I consider it a work of grace that those things never get any farther than they do.

One of my greatest difficulties is identfying what is my will and what is God’s. It is so hard to tell the difference. Sometimes I think if I want to do something, I probably shouldn’t. But how do I know that, either? Driveth me nuts sometimes.

Katy,
Stick around. St. James deals with that as well.
Pax Domini sit semper nobiscum.