Commentary on James
COMMENTARY ON JAMES
1:1
^ AMES, a servant of God and of our Lord Jesus I Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the disI persion, greeting. About this James the apostle
Paul said, James, Cephas, and John, who appeared to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, as we were among the gentiles, they however among the circumcised.
Therefore, because he had been ordained an apostle for the circumcised, he took care both to teach those present from among the circumcised by speaking to them and also to encourage, instruct, rebuke and correct the absent by letter. To the twelve tribes, he says, which are in the dispersion.
We read that after blessed Stephen was slain by the Jews, a great persecution broke out at that time in the church which was at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were dispersed throughout the districts of Judea and Samaria.
Therefore he sent a letter to these who were dispersed, who suffered persecution for righteousness
sake,
and not only to these but also to those who, having received the faith of Christ, were not yet taking care to be perfect in works, as the following parts of the Letter assert, and even to those who were persevering in separation from the faith and, more than this, were eager to persecute and disturb it among the believers, as far as they were able. All these, then, were in dispersion because of different calamities, exiles from their native land and harassed by their enemies in countless slaughters, deaths and hardships wherever they were, as church history amply demonstrates. But we read also in the Acts o f the Apostles that they had already been l.Ga2:9
2. Ac 8:1
3. Mt 5:10
Commentary on James 1.1—1.2 dispersed far and wide by the time of the Lord's passion, for Luke says, For there were living at Jerusalem devout
Jews from every nation which is beneath the sky;* quite a few of these nations are even given by name when there follows,
Parthians and Medes and Elamites and those who live in Mesopotamia,
and so on. Therefore, he encourages the righteous not to fall away from the faith in temptations, he reproves sinners and advises them to refrain from sinning and to make progress in virtues lest what they had received as sacraments o f the faith might turn out to be for them not only fruitless but also a cause o f damnation; he advises unbelievers to do penance for killing the saviour and for other wicked deeds in which they were involved before heavenly punishment descending either invisibly or even visibly strikes.
1] joy when you have encountered different temptations. He begins his advice with the more perfect that he may in due course come to those whom he saw to be less perfect, in need o f correction and of being brought to the height of perfection. And it should be noted that he does not say simply, 'rejoice', or 'think it a joy', but, think it complete joy, he says, when you have encountered different temptations.
Think it worth complete joy if it happens that you undergo temptations on account of your faith in Christ, This is a grace, if anyone on account of his consciousness of God undergoes
[tempta tions], suffering unjustly, 1:2
My brothers, think it complete!
as Peter says; and as his fellow apostle Paul, The sufferings of this time are not worthy
[of being compared] with the future glory which will be revealed in us;
and all the apostles went joyful from the presence of the council since they were counted worthy of suffering insult for the Name of Jesus.
We ought there fore to be saddened not if we are tempted but if we have been overcome by temptations.
4. Ac 2:5
5 ^ 2:9
6. 1 P 2:19
7. Rm 8:18
8. Ac 5:41
Commentary on James 1:3—1:5
1:3
Knowing that the testing of your faith works patience.
For this reason, he says, you are being tempted by adversities, that you may learn the virtue of patience and that through this you may be able to show and test that you have in your heart a firm faith in the future reward. What Paul says,
Knowing that tribulation works patience, patience proof,
ought not to be considered contradictory to this passage but rather in agreement. For patience works proof, be cause he whose patience cannot be overcome is proven perfect. This also is taught here thoroughly in what follows, when it is said:
1:4
Let patience have a perfect work. And again, the testing of faith works patience, because that love of reasoning causes the faithful to be trained through patience, that through it the degree of the perfection of their faith may be tested.
1:5
If anyone of you, however, stands in need of wisdom, let him beg it from God, who gives to all abundantly and does not reproach, and it will be given to him. All saving wisdom, indeed, must be begged from the Lord, because, as the wise man says, All wisdom is from the Lord God and was always with him,
and no one is able to understand and be wise of his own free will without the help of divine grace, although the Pelagians argue a lot [about this]. But here particularly he seems to be talking about that wisdom which it is necessary for us to use in temptations. If anyone of you, he says, is not able to understand the usefulness of temptations which befall the faithful for the sake of testing, let him beg from God that there be given him the realization by which he may be able to recognize with what great kind ness the father chastises the sons whom he carefully makes worthy of an eternal inheritance. And he says advisedly, who gives to all abundantly, so that no one, aware of his own
9. Rm 5:3-4 10. Si 1:1
Commentary on James 1:5—1:8 frailty, may lack confidence in being able to obtain what he requests, but rather each one should recall that the Lord has heard the desire of the needy
and as the same one says elsewhere, The Lord has blessed all who fear him, the lowly with the greater }
But since many people request many things from the Lord, which however they do not deserve to receive, he adds in what way they ought to make thenrequest, if they want to get their wish:
1:6
Let him beg, however, in faith, in no way hesitating, that is, let him, by living well, show himself to be worthy of being heard when he begs. For anyone who remembers that he has not obeyed the Lord's commands rightly loses hope that the Lord pays attention to his prayers. For it has been written, The prayer of one who closes his ear that he may not hear the law will be detestable.
For he who hesitates is like a wave of the sea which is tossed and carried about by the wind. Anyone who hesitates about attaining heavenly rewards because his consciousness of sin pricks him, at the onslaught of temptations easily abandons the position of faith by which in peace and quiet he appeared to serve God and he is carried away at the will o f the invisible enemy as if by a blast of wind through different kinds of errors of vices.
1:8
The double-minded man is indecisive in all his ways.
In all his ways, he says, in adversities and in prosperity.
The man, however, is double-minded, who both bends his knee to entreat the Lord, sends forth words of entreaty, and yet because his consciousness 1 4 accuses him within, he lacks confidence in being able to obtain what he requests.
The man is double-minded who wishes both to rejoice here with the world and to reign there with God. Likewise the man is double-minded who in the good he does looks not for reward inwardly but for approbation outwardly. Hence it is
11. Ps 10:17 (Vulg. 9:38) 12. Ps 115 (113):13
13. Pr 21:13, 28:9
14. conscientia
Commentary on James 1:8—1:11
well said by a wise man, Woe to the sinner entering the land by two ways.
A sinner enters the land by two ways indeed when he both shows that what he seeks by his work is God's approbation and the world's in his thoughts. All such as these, however, are indecisive in all their ways, because they are both very easily discouraged by the adversities of the world and ensnared by prosperity, so that they turn aside from the way of truth.
1:9—10 Let the humble brother, however, glory in his exaltation. He says that it is fitting for you to think it complete joy when you have encountered different tempta tions,
because everyone who endures adversities humbly for the Lord will receive from him proudly the rewards of the kingdom. But let the rich man glory—is understood from the previous part of the verse—in his humility. It is clear that this has been said by way of mockery, which in Greek is called irony. So, he says, let him remember that his glory, in which he takes pride about his wealth and looks down on or even oppresses the poor, must come to an end, that having been humbled he may perish for ever with that rich man clothed in purple who looked down upon the needy Lazarus.
1 7 For he will pass away like the blossom of hay.
The blossom of hay is pleasing both to smell and to see, but very quickly it loses the grace of its beauty and sweetness, and therefore the present happiness of the wicked which cannot be long-lived, is most properly likened to it.
1:11
For the sun has risen with its heat and has dried up the hay, and its blossom has fallen off. He refers to the sentence of the very strict judge, by which the temporal loveliness of the condemned is in the end consumed, as the heat o f the sun. Yet the elect also flourish, but not like hay. For the righteous will flourish like a palm tree.
The righteous 15. Si 2:14
16.Jml:2
Lk 16:19-21 18. Ps 92:12 (91:13)
Commentary on James 1:11 flourish for a short while, for they will quickly dry up like the hay and they will soon wither like the plants of herbs.
The righteous flourish like trees because their blossom, that is, their very sure hope, waits for everlasting fruit, and their root, that is, charity, remains fixed and immovable. Because of this, indeed, the wise man says, Like a vine I have brought forth fruit and my blossoms a sweet smell.
Accordingly, Naboth, a righteous man, preferred to die rather than have the vineyard of his fathers turned into a garden of plants.
2 1 To change the strong works of the virtues, which we have received from the teaching o f the fathers, for the short-lived pleasure o f the vices, is in truth to convert the vineyard of our fathers into a garden of plants. The righteous, however, wish to lay down their life before preferring to choose earthly over heavenly goods. Hence it is well said of them in the psalms that they will be like a tree that has been planted beside streams of water, which will give its fruit in its time
and so on. But what of the unrighteous? And the loveliness of its appearance has vanished, he says, so too the rich man will languish in his ways. He is talking not about every rich man but one who trusts in the uncertainty of riches. For in con trasting a rich man with a humble brother, he has shown that he was speaking about that sort of rich man who is not humble. For even Abraham, although he was a rich man in the world, nevertheless received a poor man after his death into his bosom, a rich man he left in torments.
2 3 But he did not leave the rich man because he was rich, which he himself also had been, but because he had scorned being merciful and humble, which he himself had been; and on the con trary, he did not receive Lazarus because he was poor, which he himself had not been, but because he had taken care to be humble and innocent, which he himself had been. There fore, such a rich man, that is, one who is proud and wicked
19. Ps 37 (36): 2 20. Si 24:23
21. I K 21:2-13
22. Ps 1:3
23. Lk 16:22
Commen tary on James 1:11—1:13
and places earthly ahead of heavenly joys, will languish in his ways, that is, he will perish in his evil actions because he has neglected to enter the Lord's straight way. But when he falls off like the hay under the sun's heat, the righteous on the contrary like a fruit-bearing tree endures the heat of the same sun, that is, the severity of the judge, unblemished, and in addition brings forth fruits for which he will be rewarded for ever. Properly there is added then:
1:12
Happy the man who endures temptation, for when he has been tested he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. This is like the saying in the Apocalypse, Be faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life, 2* which God has promised, he says, to those who love him, clearly advising that one ought more to rejoice in temptations the more definitely evident it is that on those whom he loves God often places a heavier burden of temptations, that through the training of tempta tions they may be proven perfect in faith. When however they have been proven to be truly faithful, that is, perfect and unblemished, lacking in nothing,
justifiably may they receive the promised crown of eternal life.
1:13
Let no one, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God. Up to this point he has discussed temptations which we bear outwardly with the Lord's assent for the sake of being tested. Now he begins to treat of those which we sustain inwardly at the devil's instigation or even at the persuasive frailty of our nature. Here first he refutes the error of those who think that, just as it is clear to us that good thoughts are inspired by God, so also evil ones are produced in our mind at his instigation. Let no one, therefore, when he is tempted, say that he is tempted by God, with that tempta tion, namely, which the rich man falling into will languish in 24. Rv 2:10
25.Jml:4
26. Jm 1:11
Commentary on James 1:13—1:15
that is, let no one, when he has committed robbery, theft, calumny, murder, rape, or other things of this kind, say that he felt he had to perpetrate them because of God's compulsion, and therefore that he was quite unable to avoid doing them. For God is not the intender[ his ways; 2] of evil—there is understood—temptations; for he himself tempts no one, with that temptation, namely, which deceives the unfortunate into sinning. For there is a twofold kind of temptation, one which deceives, the other which tests.
According to that which deceives, God tempts no one; according to that which tests, God tempted
Abraham;
about that, too, the prophet begs, Test me, Lord, and tempt me 2S 1:14
Each one, in fact, is tempted, drawn on and lured by his own concupiscence, and so on, drawn on from the right way and lured into evil. About this verse Jerome writes against Jovinian:
2 9 Just as in good works, (he says) the perfecter is God, For it depends not on the will or striving but on God
and helping us to be able to reach the goal, so in evils and sins the seeds are our own prompting, perfection the devil's.
When he sees that on the foundation of Christ we have built hay, wood, straw, he adds fire; let us build gold, silver, precious stones, }s having mercy, 3 1 and he will not dare to tempt. Although even in this let there not be definite and secure possession. In truth a lion sits in ambush in hiding that he may kill the innocent
3 2 And, The furnace tests the vessels of the potter, the temptation of tribulations, however, righteous men
1:15
Then concupiscence, when it has conceived, brings 26. Jm 1:11
27. Gn 22:1
28. Ps 26 (25):2 29. Jer. Adv. Iov. 2.3; PL 23:286D-7A 30. Rm 9:16 31. 1 Co 3:12 32. Ps 10:8 (9:29)
33. Si 27:6
Commentary on James 1:15
forth in sin, but sin, when it has been carried out, produces death. 'Temptation is carried out in three ways, by sugges tion, by delight, by consent,'
3 4 by the suggestion of the enemy, or by the delight, or even by the consent of our frailty. But if even at the enemy's suggestion we are unwilling to take delight in or to consent to sin, temptation itself carries us on to the victory by which we may deserve to receive the crown of life. If in fact at the enemy's suggestion we begin gradually to be drawn from the right intention and lured into vice, we offend by taking delight but we do not yet incur the death-penalty. But if bringing forth evil action also follows the delight in wickedness conceived in the heart, then the enemy departs victorious from us, already blame worthy of death. May we illustrate this by examples: Joseph was tempted by the words of his mistress, but because he did not have the concupiscence of lust, he was able to be tempted by suggestion alone and not also by delight or con sent; therefore he escaped victorious.
3 5 David was tempted by the sight of another's wife, and because he had not yet conquered the desire o f the flesh, he was drawn on and lured by his own concupiscence,
and when he carried out the crime he had conceived he incurred, even by his own admis sion, 3 7 the sentence of guilt, which however he escaped by repenting. Judas was tempted by acquisitiveness, and because he was greedy, 3 8 being drawn on and lured by his very own concupiscence
he tumbled to destruction by consenting.
Job was tempted in many ways, but because he put neither possessions nor health of body above divine love, he was able to be tempted indeed by the enemy's suggestion but was quite unable to consent or even delight in sin.
4 0 What is said, therefore, that sin, when it has been carried out, produces death, contrasts with what was said above about him who endures temptation, for when he has been tested he will 34. Greg., Horn. ev. 1. 16. 1; PL 76:1135C.
35. Gn 39:7-9 36. Jm 1:14
37. 2 S 11:2-12:13
38. Jn 12:6
39. Jm 1:14
40. Jb 1:22
Commentary on James 1:15—1:18
For just as someone who when tempted wins the rewards of life, so certainly someone who when lured by his own concupiscences is overcome by temptation rightly incurs the ruin of death. receive the crown of life.
1:16
Accordingly, do not make the mistake, my most beloved brothers, namely, o f judging that the temptations to vices take their origin from God, although we should know that some, when the deserts of earlier wicked deeds demand, have fallen again into other crimes with the just permission of the strict judge. Hence there is that statement of the apostle, And just as they did not prove to have God in mind, he handed them over, filled with all iniquity, to an unseemly realization, that they would do things that are not fitting
1:17
Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights. After he has taught that the vices by which we are tempted are present in us not from God but from ourselves, he shows on the contrary that whatever good we do we have received as a gift from God.
Hence he also calls him the father of lights, because he knows that he is the author of spiritual charisms. That statement of the apostle Paul, For what do you have that you have not received?
agrees with this. With whom there is no change or shadow of alteration. Because there is no changeableness in the nature o f God nor does his light occur, as does the light of this world, with any shadow of alteration, it is cer tainly apparent that he sends us only the gifts of light and not also the darkness of errors.
1:18
For he begot us willingly by the word of truth. The Lord says also in the Gospel, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you;
and in the prophet Hosea, I shall love them voluntarily
4 5 Consequently he expands what he had 41. Jm 1:12
42. Rm 1:28-9 43. 1 Co 4:7
44. Jn 15:16
45. Ho 14:5
Commentary on James 1:18—1:19
said, therefore, that every best gift and every perfect gift comes down from God by adding that he has changed us from sons of darkness into sons of light through the water of regeneration, not because of our merits but because of the generosity of his will. That we may be some beginning of his creation. Lest from his saying, he begot, we should think that we become what he himself is, he shows that a certain preeminence in creation has been granted us by this adop tion. Someone has translated these verses: 'Willingly he begot us by the word of truth, that we may be the first-fruits o f his creation', that is, that we may be better than the other created things we behold. For the law that commanded that the first-fruits o f crops and living things be consecrated to the Lord 4 6 ordered that the first-fruits of gold and silver, that is, all the best metals, be brought for the work of the taber nacle 4 7 and the prophet Jeremiah said about the ancient people of God, Israel is holy to the Lord, the first-fruits of his crops
1:19
You know, my beloved brothers. It is well known to you, he says, that you had it in yourselves to slip into vices; it came about from the Lord, however, that you were enlightened, not by your own effort but by grace from on high anticipating you. However, let every man be quick to listen, slow however to speak and slow to anger. From this point on he has instructed the hearer by moral commands.
And properly he first advises each to lend his ear rather quickly to someone teaching, but only later to open his mouth to teach, because it is foolish for anyone to wish to preach to others what he himself had not learned. Let anyone who loves wisdom, therefore, first beg this from God, as he advised above, 4 9 then let the humble hearer seek out a teacher of truth, and all the while let him not only most carefully restrain his tongue from idle conversations
46. Ex 22:29-30 47. Ex 25:2-3 48. Jr 2:3
49. Jm 1:5
Commentary on James 1:19 but also hold back from preaching the very truth which he has recently learned. Hence Solomon, writing about differences of times, says, There is a time for keeping silence and a time for speaking.
Hence the Pythagoreans, who were endowed with the capacity to teach natural knowledge, order their listeners to keep silence for five years and thus at last they allow them to preach.
5 1 The truth is more safely heard than preached, for when it is heard humility is safeguarded, but when it is preached it is difficult for [the preacher] to escape some minimal boasting. Hence Jeremiah, describing the life of a well-instructed young man, reckons the restraint of keeping silence among the first pursuits of the virtues. It is good for a man, he says, when he has borne the yoke from his youth; he will sit in solitude and be silent.
And slow, he says, to anger, because the maturity of wisdom is only acquired with a quiet mind. For it has been written, Because anger abides in the bosom of a fool.
He does not forbid the swiftness of anger in such a way that he approves its slowness, but he is rather advising that even at a time of agitation and quarreling we avoid letting anger creep in, or if by chance it does creep in that we restrain its violence behind the barrier of our mouth, and when the hour of crisis has passed, we more freely cleanse it entirely from our hearts gradually.
Or at least he has commanded us to be slow to anger that we may not change the calmness of our countenance into harsh ness for just any reason except for a definite one. For example, if we perceive that those around us, particularly those who have been entrusted to us, are not otherwise able to be corrected, we may show towards them harshness of word or even of a more severe judgment, provided that the condition of our mind remain calm, as far as human nature allows. I believe that Phinehas, 5 5 Elijah, 5 6 and Peter 5 4 Samuel, 5 7 were slow to anger, and yet they destroyed sinners
50. Qo 3:7
51. Jer., Comm. in Eccle. 3. 7; CC 72:276, 116/8.
52. Lm 3:27-8 53. Qo7:10
54. Nb 25:6-8
55. 1 S 13:7-14
56. 2 K 1:3-4
57. Jn 18:10
Commentary on James 1:19—1:21
by the sword or by a word. But even Moses, though he was a very mild man, went forth from Pharaoh, whom he saw was incorrigible, exceedingly angry,
after having threatened him with a punishment that he also eventually brought down on him.
1:20
For the anger of man does not bring about the righteousness of God. The meaning is easy, that he who heedlessly gives in to the vice of anger, although he may appear righteous to people, in the divine judgment he is not yet perfectly righteous. But this can be understood more deeply, because it has been said to the Lord, But you, O Lord of virtues, judge with serenity.
Any sort of human judge judges someone failing in his duty with serenity of mind, even if he judges justly; but he is not able to imitate the justice of divine judgment, into which emotion does not know how to enter.
1:21
Wherefore, casting aside all uncleanness and profusion of wickedness, in meekness accept the implanted word.
First he orders that they cleanse both body and mind from vices, that they may be able to be worthy to receive the word of salvation. For anyone who does not first turn aside from evil is not able to do good.
6 0 Indeed, he speaks of all uncleanness, both o f body and o f soul; wickedness, however, belongs particularly to the perversity o f the inward man. Accept, he says, the implanted word of God, that is, accept by learning the word we place in your hearts by preaching. Or at least it should be interpreted thus, 'The word which was implanted in you on the day o f your redemption, when God willingly begot
you, accept even now more perfectly by carrying out in deeds what you already hold in mystery'. Which is able to save your souls, even if you suffer temptations in your body or are destroyed
58. Ex 11:8
59. Ws 12:18
60. Ps37 (36):27
61. Jm 1:18
Commentary on James 1:21—1:26 by the wicked in death.
1:22 However, be doers of the word and not hearers only, and so on. So also Paul says about the adherents of the law,
Hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but doers of
and in the Apocalypse when John had said, Happy is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy of this book, he immediately added, and keep the things which have been written in i t the law will be made righteous; 6 3 1:25
But he who has looked at the perfect law of liberty and remained in it. He calls the grace of the Gospel the per fect law of liberty. For the law brought nothing to per fection;
and elsewhere, For you have not received the spirit of slavery again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons;
and again, For where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty;
and the Lord himself says, // the Son has liberated you, you will be truly at liberty.
Having become not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be happy in his action. Happiness is pre pared not by an empty hearing of the word but by carry ing it out in deed, just as the Lord, speaking to his disciples, says, / / you know these things, you will be happy if you do them.
1:26
If anyone, however, considers himself religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his heart, his religion is worthless. He had advised them above not only to hear the word of God but also to do it. Now he adds that even if someone appears to carry out in actions the commandments of God which he has learned, if he has not also bridled his tongue from slanders, lies, blasphemies, foolish conversations, even from the very act of speaking too much, and from the 62. Rm 2:13
63. Rv 1:3
64. Heb 7:19
65. Rm 8:15
66. 2 Co 3:17
67. Jn 8:36
68. Jn 13:17
Commentary on James 1:26—2:1
other things in which he is accustomed to sin, in vain does he boast o f the righteousness of his works, as Paul, showing his approval of the thought of a pagan poet, says, Evil con versations corrupt good morals.
1:27
For religion pure and stainless before God and the Father is this. Admirably he added, before God and the Father, because there are those who appear religious to other people, when they are held by God to be idolaters. Hence
Solomon also says, There is a way which appears righteous to people, but in the end leads down to death.
To visit orphans and widows in their tribulation and to keep oneself stainless from this world. Because he had said that the doer of the work would be happy in his action,
7 1 now he says what actions are particularly pleasing to God, namely, mercy and innocence. For when he orders us to visit orphans and widows in their tribulation he implies all the things we ought mercifully to do for our neighbor. How much this avails at the very time of judgment will be manifested when the judge comes to say, As long as you did it for one of the least of
In turn, when he commands us to keep ourselves stainless from this world he shows in detail all things in which it behooves us to keep ourselves spotless. Among these are also those things that he had advised us above to observe, that we be slow to speak and slow to anger. these my brothers, you did it for me 7 3 2:1
My brothers, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, while showing favoritism toward individuals. He shows that those, to whom he was writing, were indeed imbued with the Gospel faith but devoid of works. And because he had taught that the commandments of the Lord must be carried out in giving offerings for the poor but saw on the contrary that they had instead done for 69. 1 Co 15:33
70. Pr 14:12
71. Jm 1:25
72. Mt 25:40
73. Jm 1:19
Commentary on James 2:1—2:4 the rich for the sake of earthly advantages what ought to be done for the poor for the sake o f eternal rewards, therefore he rebuked them as they deserved. And aptly at the begin ning of this statement he calls our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory, that we may remember that his orders are rather to be obeyed, who when he is the brightness of glory
rewards with everlasting glory whatever is given to the poor for love of him, rather than any honors accorded persons of consequence, concerning whom it has generally been said that all flesh is hay, and all its glory like the blos som of hay
1 5 and so on.
2:2—3 And indeed if there has entered into your gathering a man having a golden ring, in clean clothes, yet there has also entered a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay atten tion to him who is wearing excellent clothing and say, 'You sit here,' but to the poor man you say, 'You stand there,' or,
'Sit below my footstool.' In the explanation o f this thought let us use the words of blessed Augustine:
7 6 If we apply, (he says o f this) a distinction between sitting and standing to church honors, it must not be considered a light sin to have the faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, while show ing favoritism to individuals. For who would put up with having a rich man chosen to a place of honor in the Church when a poor man, more learned and holier, is rejected? If, however, it is a question of everyday seatings, who does not sin here, if indeed he sins, whenever he so judges within himself that that man appears to him better the richer he is.
He appears to have indicated this by appending:
2:4
Do you not judge among yourselves and have become 74. Hebl:3
75. Is 40:6, 1 P 1:24
76. Aug., Ep. 167.18; CSEL 44:605, 10-606, 3
Commentary on James 2:4—2:7
judges of wicked thoughts? There follows:
2:5 Hear, my most beloved brothers. Observe more care fully, he says, that those are richer in the eyes of the world are not better in the divine judgment. Has not God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?
By the poor he means the humble and those who because of their disregard for visible things but because of their faith in invisible riches appear contemptible to this world. For God, our Lord Jesus Christ, has chosen such as these by saying,
Do not fear, little flock, because it has been pleasing to your Father to give you the kingdom.
He chose such as these when he created poor parents for himself, by whose devo tion he might be brought up on coming into the world, but nevertheless he made them famous and noble because of their anticipation of the future kingdom.
2:6 You, however, have dishonored the poor, namely on account o f him to whom it was said, 'You stand there,' when to the one having a golden ring it was said,
(You sit up here.' Do not the rich oppress you by their power and drag you to courts?
2:7
Do they not blaspheme the good name that has been called down upon you? Here he shows more clearly who are the rich, whose humiliation and destruction he had discussed above, 7 8 those undoubtedly who prefer their riches to Christ, and further, separated from faith in him, also oppress with their power those who believe, dragging them to judgments of the more powerful and blaspheming the name of Christ which is above every name.
That quite a few o f the leading men both of the gentiles and particularly of the Jews did this in the apostles' time is sufficiently clearly shown both in the 77. Lk 12:32
78. Jm 1:10-11 79. Ph 2:9
Commentary on James 2:7—2:11
Acts of the same apostles and in the Letters of the apostle Paul.
2:8—9 If, nevertheless, you carry out the royal law accord ing to the scriptures, 'You shall love your neighbor as your self,' you do well; but if you show favoritism to individuals you commit sin, being refuted by the law as transgressors.
See how he calls transgressors those who say to a rich man, 'You sit here\ and to a poor man, 'You stand there'. And lest they should consider it a slight sin to transgress the law in this one matter, he went on and added:
2:10-11 For anyone who has observed the whole law and offends in one thing has become guilty of all. For he who said, 'You shall not commit adultery', also said, 'You shall not kill'. But if you do not commit adultery, and yet you kill, you have become a transgressor of the law, on account o f what he had said, 'being refuted by the law as transgressors'.
Since this is so, the consequence, it appears, unless it may be shown to be understood in another way, is that someone who has said to a rich man, 'You sit here\ and to a poor man, 'You stand there\ paying greater honor to one than to the other, is both an idolater and a blasphemer and an adulterer and a murderer, and, lest I rake up everything, which is long, he must be judged guilty of all crimes, for by offending in one he has become guilty of all.
It must be asked, therefore, If someone who has observed the whole law offends in one thing, how does he become guilty of all? Is it perhaps because the fullness of the law is charity 80--by which God is loved and our 80. Rm 13:10
Commentary on James 2:11 — 2:12
neighbor, and on these commands o f charity 'depend the whole law and the prophets,'
—that quite rightly he becomes guilty of all who acts against that on which all depend? No one, how ever, sins except by acting contrary to [the law], because, ' You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
Love of neighbor does not bring about evil; the fullness of the law, how ever, is charity.'
Accordingly, he becomes guilty of all by acting against that on which all depend.
Why, therefore, may sins not be said to be equal?
Is it perhaps because he who sins more seriously acts more flagrantly against charity, less who sins more lightly? Nevertheless, even if he has offended in one thing, he is guilty of all, because he acts contrary to that on which all depend.
2:12 So speak and so act as if you were beginning to be judged by the law of liberty.
The law of liberty is the law of charity, about which he says, 8 3 Tf, nevertheless, you carry out the royal law according to the scriptures,
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself^, you do well'
8* By stating this, therefore, he says, by acting in this way, you see to it that by loving your neighbor you deserve to be loved by God; by showing mercy to your neighbor you become worthy of mercy in the divine judgment.
Alternatively: Just as the law of slavery is what was given by Moses, so the law of liberty is the grace of the Gospel
81. Mt 22:40
82. Rm 13:9-10 83. Jm 2:8
84. Aug, Ep 167. 3. 16-19; CSEL 44:590, 16-91, 10; 603, 13-4; 604, 9/13, 17/18; 606, 4/7
Commentary on James 2:12—2:13
and the apostle bears witness who says, For you have not received the spirit of slavery again in fear but you have received the adoption of sons by which we cry, 'Abba, Father which came through Jesus Christ, 1;
and again, For where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty
8 1 Therefore he says, So speak and so act as if about to be judged by the law of liberty, for this is when you begin to be judged.
For anyone who despises the law of Moses will be judged more seriously than someone who despises the natural law; likewise will he be judged more seriously who disregards the recognized grace of the Gospel than he who disregards the commands of the law of Moses. For, Everyone to whom much has been given, much is asked from him, and to whom they have entrusted much, they will seek more.
Hence the apostle also says, For if any word spoken by angels has been made steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience has received the just retribution of its wages, how shall we escape if we have neglected such great salva tion? when it had first been told by the Lord, it was confirmed for us by those who heard;
and again, Anyone making void the law of Moses dies without mercy on [the word] of two or three witnesses; how much worse punish ments do you consider are deserved [by him] who has despised the son of God and held the blood of the covenant, (in which he has been made holy) profane, and outraged the spirit of grace?
Each sense, however, leads to one conclu sion, that responding to divine grace by righteous works, we should be kind to one another, merciful, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven us.
2:13
For there will be judgment without mercy on him who has not acted mercifully. He will be judged without mercy who, when he was able to do so, did not act mercifully
85. Jn 1:17
86. Rm 8:15
87. 2 Co 3:17
88. Lk 12:48
89. Heb 2:2-3 90. Heb 10:28-9 91. Eph 4:32
Commentary on James 2:13—2:14
before he could be judged. Since this may be properly felt about all who are without mercy, it is clear in every way that the greater the mercy each one has obtained from the Lord, the more unjust he is in denying mercy to a neighbor needing it and the more justly has he paid the penalty for his wickedness. Hence the Lord advises prudently, Do not judge that you may not be judged, do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and it will be forgiven you, give and it will be given to you.
There will be judgment, therefore, without mercy to anyone who has not acted mercifully.
But mercy triumphs over judgment, because just as the one who has not acted mercifully will be sorrowful when he is condemned by God's judgment, so the one who has acted mercifully will exult and rejoice.
Alternatively: Mercy triumphs over judgment.
It was not said, 'Mercy conquers judgment', for it is not opposed to judgment, but, 'triumphs over\ because more persons are joined by mercy, but those who have shown mercy. For, Happy are the merciful, since God will have mercy upon them.
Also, Mercy triumphs over judgment, mercy is placed ahead of judgment. In someone in whom there has been found a work of mercy, although he may by chance have something for which he may be punished at the judgment, the fire of sin is extinguished as if by the water of mercy.
2:14 What advantage will it be, my brothers, if anyone says that he has faith, but he does not have works? and so on.
From here on he discusses more thoroughly the works o f mercy, that he may console those whom in the preceding thought he had greatly terrified, by advising how even daily sins, without 92. Lk 6:37-8 93. Aug., Ep. 167. 19; CSEL 44:607 1/5 94. Mt 5:7
Commentary on James 2:14—2:17 which there is no living here, may be atoned for by daily remedies. [He has done this] lest the per son who when he has offended in one thing be comes guilty of all 95 by offending in many things, because we all offend in many things,
may bring before the judgment seat of so great a judge a great load of his guilt that has been gradually col lected and may not find that mercy which he has not done, but rather by forgiving and giving he may deserve to have his debts forgiven him and the promised things given.
9 7 2:15-17 If, however, a brother or sister be naked and in need of daily sustenance, one of you may, however, say to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and fed,' but not give them the things which are necessary for the body; what advantage will that be? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself. It is evident that just as words of concern alone do not help a naked or hungry person if food or clothing is not provided, so faith observed in name only does not save, for it is dead in itself if it is not made alive by works o f charity, by which it may be made to come to life. Nor is that contrary to this statement which the Lord uttered, He who believes and is baptized will be saved
for it must be understood there that only he truly believes who carries out in deed what he believes. And because faith and charity cannot be se parated from one another—as Paul bears witness by saying, and faith which works through love 99 —appropriately the apostle John brings forward a statement about charity akin to James' about faith, saying, Anyone who has the world's substance and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the charity of God remain in him?
95. Jm 2:10
96.Jm3:2
97. Aug., Ep 167. 20; CSEL 44; 608, 4/13 98. Mk 16:16
99. Ga 5:6
100. 1 Jn 3:17
Commentary on James 2:19
2:19 You believe that God is one, you do well; the demons also believe and they tremble. You should not think you are doing something great by believing that God is one, for the demons also do this, nor do they believe only in God the Father but also in God the Son. So it is Luke says, The demons also went out from many shouting and saying, 'That you are the Son of God; 1 and rebuking them, he did not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
And they do not only believe, they also tremble.
So the legion, who were besieging the man, cried out to him in a beseeching voice, 'What is there between me and you,
Jesus, Son of the most high God? I earnestly entreat you by
Therefore, those who do not believe that there is a God, or believe and do not fear, must be judged slower-witted and more shameless than the demons. But it is no great thing to believe there is a God and tremble if one does not also believe in him, that is, if love for him be not held in the heart. For it is one thing to believe him, another to believe that he exists, another to believe in him.
God, do not torment me/ 1 0 3 To believe him is to believe that the things he speaks are true; to believe that he exists is to believe that he is God; to believe in him is to love him. Many, even the wicked, are able to believe that the things he speaks are true; they believe that they are true and do not wish to make them their own because they are too lazy to do anything about them. Even the demons were able to believe, however, that he is God.
But they alone know how to believe in God who love God, who are Christians not only in name but also in action and [way of] life, because without love faith is empty; with love it is the faith of a Christian, without love the faith of a demon. Therefore, anyone who does not wish to believe that Christ is God still does not imitate the demons. He believes that Christ [is] but hates Christ, he makes a confession of 101. Lk4:41
102. Mk 5:7
103. credere Mi... credere ilium ... credere in ilium.
Commentary on James 2:19—2:21 faith out of fear o f punishment not out of love of a crown.
For they too were afraid of being punished. Accordingly, when blessed Peter, confessing the Lord, said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living G o d , 1 0 4 he appears to utter by his mouth almost the same words as the demons; but their confession, because it was uttered with hatred for Christ, was rightly condemned, his, because it came forth from inward love, was rewarded.
2:20-21 Do you wish, however, O foolish man, to know that faith without works is worthless? Was not our father
Abraham made righteous by works? and so on. Since the apostle Paul, preaching that man is made righteous by faith without works,
was not well understood by those who took this saying to mean that when they had once believed in Christ, even though they might commit evils and live wickedly and basely, they could be saved by faith, [James] explains how the passage of the apostle of Paul ought to be understood to have the same meaning as this letter. And all the more therefore he uses the example of Abraham about faith being useless if it does not issue in good works, because the apostle Paul also used the example of Abraham
1 0 6 to demonstrate that man is made righteous without deeds. For when he recalls Abraham's good deeds which accompanied his faith, he shows well enough that the apostle Paul does not teach by Abraham that man is made righteous without works to the extent that anyone who believes it has no respon sibility to perform good works, but for this reason instead, that no one should think he has come to the gift of righteous ness which is in faith by the merits of his former good deeds.
In this matter the Jews wished to set themselves above the gentiles who believed in Christ, because, they said, they had come to the grace o f the Gospel by the merits of the good works which are in the law, and therefore many of those
104. Mt 16:16
105. Rm 3:28
106. Rm 4:1-25
Commentary on James 2:21
who believed were scandalized that the grace o f Christ was being given to uncircumcised gentiles. Hence the apostle Paul says that a man can be made righteous by faith without works, but [he means] previous works. For how is the person made righteous by faith able to act, if not righteous ly? When, therefore, James says, Was not our father
Abraham made righteous from works, offering his son Isaac upon the altar?, he intentionally advised that an example o f good work was to be learned from the patriarch himself, challenging those among the Jews who had believed they like good off spring, were following the actions of their first and most out standing ancestor. And since he was advising them not to fall away in temptations and to prove their faith through works, he chose an example from the patriarch, by which he might be able to instruct them in each virtue. For what greater temptation, except for those which concern injuries to one's own body, can happen than that someone, an old man, should be compelled to slay his only and most beloved son? Would he delay giving a tunic or his own food to the poor for the sake of divine love when he did not delay giving over to death immediately at the order of the Lord the son whom he had received as his heir when he was an old man?
Accordingly, this statement of blessed James agrees with what Paul says, By faith Abraham, when he was tempted, offered Isaac, and he was offering his only-begotten son who had received the promises, to whom it was said, 'That in Isaac will your seed be called,' thinking that God is able to
Indeed, in one and the same action of blessed Abraham James has praised the outstanding quality of his works, Paul the constancy of his faith; and neverthe less Paul has brought forward a statement not dissimilar and different from James. For they both knew that Abraham was perfect both in faith and in works, and therefore each of them has emphasized in preaching on him the virtue which raise even the dead.
107. Heb 11:17-19
Commentary on James 2:21—2:23 he perceived his hearers needed more. For because James was writing to those who held that faith without works was wasted, fittingly he brought forward that example in which the superior faith o f Abraham which was also previously praised by the witness of scripture 1 0 8 showed itself, because it had not become listless and useless in his heart but had flamed up and was now ready to obey the divine commands.
But because Paul was instructing those who were boasting of their works without the grace of faith, he showed that with out faith it is impossible to please Gody
and in order to refute and correct their rashness, having gathered together the examples of all the patriarchs, he clearly taught that all were approved by the witness of faith.
So too, he referred especially to the faith with which Abraham offered Isaac, reckoning, he said, that God is able to raise even the dead.
He added, therefore, the work of faith of him who thereupon chose to offer his son because he believed that God would immediately raise him up; for he believed that he would be raised up by God after death because he believed what he had heard was true, 'That in Isaac will your seed be called.'
Blessed James also afterwards explains this con nection between each virtue, saying:
2:22-23 You see that faith worked together with his works, and by his works his faith was preserved? And the scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called a friend of God. Paul treated o f this witness most emphatically to the Romans, clearly teaching that so great is the virtue of faith that as soon as its mysteries are perceived it can make a righteous person out o f an irreverent o n e .
1 1 3 For because Abraham believed God with so great and lively a faith that he was ready in his mind 1 1 4 to do everything God 108. Gn 15:6
109. Heb 11:6
110. Heb 11:39
111. Heb 11:19
112. Heb 11:18
113. Rm 4:5
114. animo
Commentary on James 2:23—2:25
ordered, deservedly was his faith accounted for righteous ness by God, who knew his heart. And that we also might know his faith by which he was made righteous, God tempted him, ordering him to offer his son, and by his works his faith was fulfilled, that is, how perfect it was in his heart was tested by the performance of works. Nowadays, too, if anyone coming recently to the faith receives baptism and then, intending with his whole heart to observe God's commandments, shortly goes home from this light, then surely he has gone home made righteous by faith without works, because, by the determination of God himself, in whom he believed he did not have time to test his faith; but those who, having received the sacraments of faith, live on for a long time and do not take care to follow up with good works, must have it impressed upon them what blessed
James, after bringing forward the example of the faith together with the works o f Abraham, at once appended, saying:
2:24 You see that a person is made righteous from works and not from faith only. What he says, from works, means from the works o f faith, because no one can have perfect works without faith but many faith without works if they lack the time for works. Of them it has been said, He was taken away lest wickedness change his understanding or craftiness deceive his mind.
2:25 In the same way, however, was not the harlot Rahab made righteous from works, receiving the messengers and sending them out by another way? Lest they plead that they are not strong enough to imitate the works of such a great ancestor, Abraham, especially when no one now would compel them to offer their sons to God to be killed but God himself through the scriptures prohibited this to be done,
115. Ws4:ll
Commentary on James 2:25 he adds also the example of a woman, an iniquitous woman, a foreign woman. Yet she, by works of mercy, by showing hospitality to the servants of God even at risk to her life, deserved to be made righteous from sins, to be enrolled as a member of the people of Israel, to be counted on the list of their royal lineage, to mingle with the families of our Lord and saviour himself 1 1 6 which have descended from the patriarchs, to be plucked from the devastation o f the vanish ing fatherland, whose perfidy she rejected. By these examples, therefore, of a woman turned towards better things, he per suades his listeners to avoid the ruin of a vanishing father land and to remember to sever themselves as well by fruitful works from this land from whose heinous deeds they had withdrawn by believing, since they deserve to be joined to the ranks of the saints and to belong to the community of their Redeemer. And he urges them, therefore, to receive the messengers of Jesus, that is, to listen gladly to the preachers of the word of the Gospel, and although they know that they were rejected by their fellow countrymen or hounded to death—as their Acts teach frequently hap pened—they themselves, on the contrary, having received from them the plan of salvation, may send them back in peace to the Lord Jesus. The aforementioned book of the Acts of the Apostles tells how Gamaliel, the teacher o f the blessed apostle Paul, 1 1 7 a man respected at one time by the entire Jewish people 1 1 8 and now still more respected by the whole church of Christ because of the revelation of the relics of the blessed protomartyr Stephen,!
3] did this: when the council of the Jews was determined to kill the apostles, he counteracted their proposals by a wiser plan and, having rescued the apostles from their plot, sent them back unharmed to preach the Gospel of Jesus.
1 1 9 116. Mt 1:5
117. Ac 22:3
118. Ac 5:34
119. Ac 5:33-40
Commentary on James 3:1—3:2
3:1
Do not a number of you, my brothers, become teachers, knowing that you are taking on a greater judgment. The Acts of the Apostles teach that there was in their day great eager ness among believers to spread the word more widely, so much so that Apollo, a man very learned in the scriptures, knowing only the baptism of John, preached Christ faith fully; nevertheless, because he was wise, as soon as a teacher was present, he very easily filled in what he was missing and then returned perfect to the task of preaching.
1 2 0 Others with greater ineptitude, coming down from Judea to Antioch, were teaching that unless believers from among the gentiles were circumcised according to the law of Moses they could not be saved, and brought no small labor o f investigation to sound preachers.
1 2 1 Blessed James, therefore, removed them and teachers of their kind from the responsibility of [preaching] the word lest they be an obstacle to those able to carry it out properly. Knowing, he says, that you are taking on a greater judgment.
For just as someone who per forms his ministry well wins for himself a good station,
1 2 2 so he who tries to grab the responsibility of teaching for him self without being taught, who proclaims Christ from mixed motives, 1 2 3 deserves judgment o f condemnation more than if he should perish alone in his wicked deed.
3:2 For we all offend in many things. He did not say, 'you offend', when he was accusing those whom he saw to be less perfect both in knowledge and in action, and it was these he was removing from the chair of authoritative teaching, fear ing that either by preaching error they might do harm to the little ones and by being heard first might turn aside their ears from hearing the more learned or they might at least taint by the disrepute of improper conduct those things which they were preaching properly and in this way obscure the life of gospel perfection by their unsavory reputation. No,
120. Ac 18:24-8 121. Ac 15:1-2 122. 1 Tm 3:13
123. Ph 1:17
Commentary on James 3:2 he said, we offend, although a very great apostle o f Christ was speaking, and he appended, in many things, and added, [we] all, that all might more carefully acknowledge themselves imperfect in acting or speaking the more they know most definitely that not even the perfectly good and those who proceed under the guidance o f the grace o f the Holy Spirit are able to pass along the way o f this life without committing some offense, according to what has been written elsewhere,
The heavens are not clean in his sight,
and as Solomon says, that there is not a righteous person on earth who does not sin.
If anyone does not offend in word, this is a per fect man. How can he say that the man is perfect who does not offend in word, when he has just said, We all offend in many things? Is it because the elect are able to offend even in many things and yet remain perfect? Yes, it must be under stood in this way. For there are different kinds of offenses.
The elect offend in one way, the condemned in another; Solomon is a witness who says, For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked will sink down into evil
For although the righteous may offend perhaps through the frailty o f the flesh or through ignorance, never theless he does not cease to be righteous, because just as there is daily and unavoidable offense of this kind, so also there is the daily remedy o f prayers and good works that quickly raises up the righteous offender, so that he may not tumble to the ground and befoul with the dust of vices the marriage dress o f charity and faith. If anyone, therefore, does not offend in word, this is a perfect man-a word, namely, whose utterance human weakness is not able to avoid, as a word of deceit, slander, cursing, pride, boasting, making excuses in sins, 1 2 7 jealousy, argument, heresy, lying, perjury, but even of worthless and also of unnecessary speaking in these things that appear necessary-certainly everyone keep ing himself from offense in this kind of word, this is a perfect
124. Jb 15:15
125. Qo 7:21
126. Pr 24:16 127. Ps 141 (140):4
Commentary on James 3:2—3:4
man. For, He who guards his mouth and his tongue guards his soul from difficulty.
He can also lead his whole body around with a bridle. This verse is connected with the pre vious one. If anyone, he says, does not offend in word, this is a perfect man, and he can also lead his whole body around with a bridle. This is to say clearly, 'If anyone avoids a slip of the tongue, which is almost unavoidable, this person by fixed habit of the same restraint also learns how to keep guard over the other members of his body, which are more easily restrained, to keep them from turning aside from the right way'.
3:3 For if we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also control their entire body, you understand, 'how much more fitting is it that we put a bit of restraint in our mouths to make them obey our creator, since through guarding the tongue we may also be able to maintain uprightness of works?' But if we read, as certain manuscripts have it, 'For just as we put bits into the mouths of horses', there will be no difficulty, because it is joined to what is said in what follows, so also the tongue indeed is a small mem ber,
and so on.
3:4
Look at ships also; though they are large and are threatened by strong winds, they are brought around by a small rudder to where the action of the helmsman wishes.
The large ships on the sea are the minds of men, whether good or bad, in this life; the strong winds by which they are threatened are the very appetites o f the minds by which they are naturally driven to do something as a result of which they may reach a good or a bad end; the rudder by which the ships of this world are brought around where the inclination of the helmsman wishes is the very intention of the heart by which the elect, after having passed through the waves of this
128. Pr 21:23
129. Jm 3:5
Commentary on James 3:4—3:5 world, arrive at the happy harbor of the heavenly fatherland; the condemned, however, killed by the stormy errors o f this life, as it were by Scylla and Charybdis, which they did not know how to escape, perish. And because from the abun dance of the heart the mouth speaks,
properly he adds:
3:5
So also the tongue is indeed a small member and exalts great things. Certainly it exalts great rewards if the action of the mind at the helm directs it well, according to that saying of Solomon that, The understanding person shall take the rudder;
but if [the mind directs the tongue] badly on the other hand, it exalts great evils of destruction for itself and its connections. So Solomon also says, Death and life are in
It exalts life, therefore, if it teaches the church well, death on the contrary if it behaves perversely, for it is opposed to those who, destitute o f both life and knowledge, presumed to teach and thereby did greater harm to the church. But if, as is found in certain manuscripts, it be read, 'it boasts[ the hands of the tongue.
4] of great things', that boasting certainly ought here to be understood concerning which in what follows, after he had listed very many vices of the tongue, he added, But now you boast in your proud deeds; all such boasting is evil.
From this, too, the mother of blessed Samuel restrains us by a devout admonition, saying, Do not continue to speak of lofty matters, boast ing.
The tongue, therefore, boasts of great things; looking down on the interpretations and words of others, it holds itself up as extraordinarily wise and eloquent. Look at how great a fire ignites so huge a forest. How great, he says, rather than 'how small'. Accordingly, certain other manuscripts have it as, 'Look at how small a fire.' For just as from a small spark a spreading fire often ignites a great forest, so an unrestrained tongue, feeding on its own trivialities, destroys
130. Lk 6:45
131. Pr 1:5
132. Pr 18:21
133. Jm 4:16
134. 1 S 2:3
Commentary on James 3:5—3:6
the great stuff of good works, many fruits o f the spiritual life, after it has spoiled them, but it also often devours count less leaves of speech which appeared excellent.
3:6
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness.
The tongue is a fire, because by speaking evilly it consumes the forest of the virtues. Hence the wise man says about the foolish, And the opening of his mouth is a setting on fire.
That saving fire which, devouring wood, hay, straw, 1 3 6 enlightens the secrets o f the heart is contrary, namely, to this destructive fire. Holy teachers are set on fire by it both that they themselves may burn with loving and that by preaching they may set others on fire with fiery tongues, as it were.
About them it has been well written that, There appeared to them separate tongues of fire, as it were, and it settled upon each one of them, and all were filled with the Holy
Spirit
It is rightly said of the uncontrolled tongue, however, that it is a world of wickedness, because almost all villainous deeds are either planned by it (as robberies, rapes), or carried out by it (as perjuries, false witnesses), or defended by it (as when some sinner by making excuses denies the evil he has committed and by boasting feigns a good that he has not done). And having been set on fire by hell, it sets on fire the wheel of our life. By hell, he says, 'by the devil and his angels', for whom hell was made 1 3 8 and who always every where take with them the torments of flames, whether they fly in the air or wander on the earth or beneath the earth or are kept [there. They are] like a person with a fever who, even if he is placed on ivory beds or in sunny places, still cannot avoid the heat and the chill of the illness within him. So therefore the demons, even if they are worshipped in golden temples or move around through the air, always burn with hellish fire and, being reminded from their own punishment, they also suggest through envy to 135. Si 20:15
136. 1 Co 3:12
137. Ac 2:3-4 138. Mt 25:41
Commentary on James 3:6—3:7 gullible men, the fuel of vices from which they too may perish. As the opposite of this, the holy city o f God, the new
Jerusalem, is said to come down from heaven from G o d , 1 3 9 because undoubtedly whatever heavenly we do on earth, we have surely received help from heaven to do it. He says, however, the wheel of our life, the ceaseless advance of our earthly life by which we are continuously moved from the day of our birth right up to death as if by the always turning wheel of a carriage. Hence Solomon, when he said well,
Remember your creator in the days of your youth before the time of affliction comes,
a little further on added, And the wheel above the cistern is broken, and the dust returns to the earth it came from.
The tongue, therefore, sets on fire the wheel of our life when by speaking evil things it spoils the whole condition of our way of life. Likewise he says the wheel of our life, because having lost our inner stability as a result of the first sin we are carried away this way and that by an unsettled mind and in running hither and thither in our uncertain examination o f all things do not know where salvation is, where danger is. This wheel o f our life is, however, set on fire by the fire of the tongue which does harm when the vice o f inborn disorder is increased by foolish and even harmful discourses.
3:7
For every kind of beasts and birds and serpents, even of other things, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.
We read in Pliny that the most dreaded o f serpents, the asp, was tamed in Egypt by the head of a family and emerged daily from its cave to get its allotted portion of food from his table. We read likewise in the writings of Marcellinus the Companion that a domesticated tiger was sent from India to the ruler Anastasius.[ 5] He wishes it to be understood, therefore, that the tongue of the depraved sur passes beasts in cruelty, birds in fickleness and exaltation,
139. Rv 21:2
140. Qo 12:1
141. Qo 12:6-7
Commentary on James 3:7—3:11
serpents in deadliness. For there are people like beasts who have sharpened their tongues like a sword
there are people like birds who have placed their mouth into the sky
1 4 3 and whose mouth has spoken lies,
there are people like serpents about whom it has been said, The poison of asps is under their lips.
3:8
No one, however, is able to tame the tongue. This thought can be understood properly in two ways: both that no learned good man can tame the tongue of those who ne glect to restrain themselves from foolish outbursts; and that there is no one who speaks who does not occasionally lapse by his tongue. Accordingly, it has been truthfully said about a perfect man when he was at the critical point of a very great temptation, In all these things Job did not sin with his lips.
And yet after he heard the words of God he chided himself for the inappropriateness of his silly speech, saying, One thing
I spoke whichlwish that I had not said, and another, to which I shall not add further.
A restless evil, full of deadly poison.
He adds, a restless evil to what he had said to the effect that it could not be tamed when beasts and birds are tamed, full, in fact, he says, of deadly poison, that he might explain why he said it was untameable when it is clear that even serpents can be tamed. After this he adds more about the harshness of the poison:
3:10—11 And from the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. It is not fitting, my brothers, that these things be thus. Does a fountain pour forth sweet and bitter water from same opening? Just as sweet and bitter water are not able to bubble forth at the same time from one opening o f a fountain but even if they be combined in a vessel or well the sweet indeed becomes bitter from the bitter, the bitter, however, is unable to be changed into sweet after being mixed with the 142. Ps 64:3 (65:4) 143. Ps 73 (72):9
144. Ps 144 (143):8
145. Ps 140 (139):3
146. Jb 2:10
147. Jb 39:35
Commentary on James 3:11—3:12 sweet, so blessing and cursing are in no wise able to come together in one mouth; but [in] anyone who is accustomed to bless God in praying or in preaching his word without avoiding also cursing people, it is clear that the bitterness of cursing destroys the sweetness of his blessing. For, A small amount of yeast leavens the whole dough,
and, Praise is not admirable in the mouth of a sinner,
Accordingly, if you make a pipe with a double mouth by which the water may come in, a single one from which it may go out, and in one you let in bitter water, in the other sweet, without any doubt when they come together at the one opening o f the way out each will appear thoroughly combined and bitter, because certainly when something sweet and bitter are mixed the sweet is much more easily turned into bitter than the bitter into sweet. From this example it is inferred that just as evil conversations corrupt good morals,
as the apostle bears witness, so also they corrupt good words.
3:12 My brothers, can a fig tree yield olives or a grapevine figs? It is obvious that just as a tree is unable to lose its natural ability to produce its own fruit yet produce the fruit of another tree, so the person who curses can in no way have the fruit of blessing, even though he appears at the time to speak some good. But if anyone wishes these things to be analyzed at a deeper level, there can be understood in the fig tree, with whose leaves our first parents covered their private parts after recognizing their sin, 1 5 1 the covering of making excuses, by which they attempted then both to turn aside the reproof of the creator from themselves and to lay it on the creator himself, 1 5 2 and now very many foolish persons turn aside their heart into an evil word to make excuses in sins;
there can be recognized in the olives the fruits of mercy, in the grapevine the warmth of love. For I, like a 148. 1 Co 5:6
149. Si 15:9
150. 1 Co 15:33 151. Gn 3:7
152. Gn 3:12-13 153. Ps 141 (140):4
Commentary on James 3:12—3:13
fruitful olive tree in the house of the Lord, have hoped in the mercy of my God,
that is, just as he who produces the fruit of mercy has himself hoped for mercy from the Lord, and he likewise says, And your cup which inebriates, how excellent it is,
which, it is clear, has been said about the charity of God that has been poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Therefore, the fig tree cannot produce olives, because anyone who tries to make excuses for himself in sins rather than accuse himself by no means bestows the works of devotion which are done in propitiation for sin on his neighbors with a perfect heart but rather with a proud one, nor [is] the grapevine [able to produce] olives, because anyone who perfectly inebriates himself with divine love no longer accuses anyone except himself for his sins.
3:13
Let him who is wise and learned among you show from his good way of life the result in the meekness of wisdom. Because he had imposed silence on wicked teachers and had forbidden to hold the rank o f teacher those whom he beheld having neither perfection o f life nor restraint of tongue, subsequently he advises that if anyone among them may be, or may appear to himself to be, wise or learned, let him show his learning more by living wisely and according to learning than by teaching others. For he who brings about the good which he can with a meek heart and a wellcontrolled mouth certainly gives plain evidence of a wise mind. For, The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.
But someone who is more prone to preaching the word than to doing it very often through love of boasting, through eagerness for strife, through skillfulness of eloquence, through envy o f other teachers, through ignorance o f the catholic truth, incurs guilt for his foolishness. To him is well
154. Ps 52:8 (51:10) 156. Rm 5:5
155. Ps 23 (22): 5
157. Pr 9:10
Commentary on James 3:13—3:15 suited that saying o f Solomon that Where there are many words, there is often need}
Hence even here there is also properly added:
3:14
But if you have bitter zeal and strife in your hearts, do not glory. He says bitter zeal, because there is also a sweet zeal by which even the apostle Simon deservedly received the name of a perfect heart, 1 5 9 which Elijah also had when he said, J have been greatly zealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken your cove nant,
as did the apostle Paul; For I am jealous of you, he says, with the jealousy of God.
There is also a good kind of strife which the Lord orders us to have, saying, Strive to enter through the narrow gate}
Do not glory, he says, and be liars against the truth, because truth itself proves that they are not worthy of glory who, bringing forth words of wisdom from their mouth, bear bitter zeal and eagerness for unfruitful strife in their heart.
3:15
That is not the wisdom coming down from above but [wisdom which is] earthly, animal, 1 6 3 diabolical. Paul also says that Animal man does not perceive the things which are of the spirit of God}
It must be noted, however, that animal man or animal wisdom is not derived from [the word] animal but from anima [meaning soul, life-giving principle] ;[ 6] the apostle bears witness that The first man, Adam, was made into a living soul}
the last Adam into a life-giving spirit;
but it is not the spiritual which is first but the animal}
The evidence of the Greek language shows that this [word animal] is derived from anima [meaning 'life-giving principle'], for in this language, i//uxi?,
'life-giving principle', is the origin of y^vx^ov, 'physical'. In 158. Pr 14:23
159. Lk 6:15
160. 1 K 19:10
161. 2 Co 11:2
162. Lk 13:24
163. animalis: physical 164. 1 Co 2:14
165. in animam viventem 166. in spiritum vivificantem 167. 1 Co 15:45-6
Commentary on James 3:15—3:16
turn, although animals may appear to have received their name in Latin from anima [meaning life-giving principle], in Greek they have a diverse and different etymology, for they get their name from the fact that they are alive, since among the Greeks $cor\ means 'life', f coa 'animals'. When, therefore, the apostle in his Letters speaks very often of carnal man, he calls him animal, he calls him spiritual. He says that the Lord himself who, in body and soul was filled with the Holy
Spirit, was spiritual, as is every one of the elect who, naturally being made up of body and soul, also receives the grace of the Holy Spirit according to the measure of the gift of Christ,
by which he is enlightened. But he calls carnal or animal the person who, having no spiritual grace, knows only how to think about or do those things which are naturally implanted in the senses o f the flesh and soul.
Deservedly, therefore, contentious and proud wisdom is mentioned as being earthly, animal, and diabolical, because as long as the soul seeks earthly glory, so long as it, remain ing alone, bereft of spiritual grace after the sentence of the first sin, thinks only of those things which are naturally im planted in it and, being justifiably deceived by the evil spirit turns to doing those things which are frenzied and harmful.
3:16
For where there is zeal and strife, there also is instability and every perverse work. With all care, he says,
For all the fruit of action is in the sight of the internal arbiter o f the same sort as the root of the heart, and every work of the keep your heart, for from it life proceeds. person who has concealed the wickedness of envy or strife in his heart is warped, however straight he may appear to men to be, on account of the instability of his mind wavering this way and that because it has neglected to attach itself to the one anchor of the heavenly vision.
168. Eph4:7
169. Pr 4:23
Commentary on James 3:17—3:18
3:17
But the wisdom from above is, first of all modest, then peaceful, restrained, docile, in agreement with what is good.
This is the meekness of wisdom
which he instructed above that we should have, opposed certainly to the zeal of bitter ness and foolish strife; by it the virtue and teaching of holy preachers are in turn joined together in the peace of charity and concord. First, he says, it is modest, then peaceful, modest because it understands modestly, yet peaceful be cause through pride it separates itself very little from the company of its neighbors. Restrained, indeed, docile, in agreement with what is good, because surely it behooves a wise man to give assent to the persuasion o f the good—as Peter, though agitated, bowed to Paul's rebuke—
1 7 1 but to reject with one's entire effort, either by teaching or living, the teaching of the wicked. Full of mercy and good fruits. This is also the good way o f life which above 1 7 2 he advised the wise and learned to show, namely, by being merciful in mind
1 7 3 manifesting outwardly the fruits of that same mercy through works of devotion. Judging without pretense. The more modest wisdom personally makes use of this virtue, the more it utterly lacks a blasphemous and contentious wisdom. For it is very necessary for anyone who wants to appear more learned and more perfect than others to work at being able to correct his neighbor artfully, as if he were less keen-witted
[than himself], and also that he may sometimes deceitfully pretend to have done or said those things to which he is a stranger.
3:18
But the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. Everything we do in this life is the seed of future reward, yet the reward itself is the fruit of present works, as the apostle bears witness who says,
For whatever a man sows, this also shall he reap, and anyone 170. Jm 3:13
172. Jm 3:12
171. Ac 15:1-30, Ga 2:11-14 173. animo
Commentary on James 3:18—4:1
who sows in the flesh from the flesh will reap corruption, but anyone who sows in the spirit from the spirit shall reap eternal life.
And therefore it is said properly that The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
For the fruit of righteousness is eternal life which is a reward for righteous works, because those who seek peace and follow after it 1 7 4 cover the ground of their heart with the very peace for which they are eager, as it were with the best sow ing, so that through the daily increase of good action they may be able to reach the fruit of heavenly life about which it has been written elsewhere, Those who sow in tears will reap in joy,
and so on to the end of the psalm. The con demned also sow and reap, however, because in the judgment they will receive what they deserve. But they are said to reap not fruit but corruption, because they do not enjoy
1 7 6 eter nal goods—fruit indeed is called so after fruition—but in return for the corruption in which they lived they will pay the penalty of eternal punishment.
4:1
Why are there wars and quarrels among you? Are they not from this?, that is, from zeal and contentiousness which he had forbidden above?
1 7 7 So also here in explaining the same thing more extensively, he goes on, saying, From your lusts that war in your members. Lusts war in our members when the hand or the tongue or a combination of the other members immoderately obeys those things which a base mind perversely suggests; concerning this he says in the earlier part of this Letter, Each one, in fact, is tempted, drawn on and lured by his own lust,
and so on. Lusts, however, can be understood in this place as also referring to earthly goods, that is, desires for a kingdom, for riches, honors, dignities. For it is on account of these things and and countless other things of this sort that quarrels and 173. Ga 6:7-8 174. *s 34:14 (35:15) 175. Ps 126 (125):5
176. fruuntur 177. Jm 3:14
178. Jm 1:14
Commentary on James 4:1—4:4 wars are frequently carried on among the evil.
4:2
You quarrel and make war, and you do not have, because you do not ask. He says, You quarrel and make war for the sake of temporal glory and you are not able to pro cure it, surely for the reason that you have not taken care to ask the Lord to bestow upon you all those things that lead to salvation. For if you would ask him with devout inten tion, he would grant you necessary earthly things to use now and good things from above to enjoy forever.
4:3 You request and you will not receive, because you request wickedly that you may indulge in your concu piscences. He had just said that they did not ask and now he says that they request wickedly, because in the sight o f the inward witness he who requests wickedly already appears to request nothing. He, however, requests wickedly who, des pising the commands of the Lord, desires benefits from above from the Lord; he also requests wickedly who, having lost the love of things above, seeks only to obtain the lowest goods, and these not for the support o f human frailty but for the superfluity of unnecessary pleasure. For this is what he
[means when he] says, that you may indulge in your concu piscences.
4:4
Adulterers, do you not know that the friendship of this world is an enemy of God? He properly calls adulterers those whom he rebukes for having abandoned the love of heavenly wisdom and turned instead to the clutches of worldly friendship, whom he saw despising the Creator to serve mammon. Indeed he had said above concerning the open enemies o f God, Do not the rich oppress you by their power and drag you to judgments? Do they not blaspheme the good name that has been called down upon you?
179. Jm 2:6-7
Commentary on James 4:4—4:5
But that you might not consider enemies o f God only those who openly blaspheme him, who persecute the saints for their faith in him, and condemn them by unjust judgments, he shows that they are also enemies of God who after faith and confession of his name become slaves to the delights and love of the world, who are faithful in name only and prefer earthly to heavenly things. He also insists more urgently upon this in the following verse, appending, Whoever, therefore, wishes to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.
Therefore, all lovers of the world, all seekers after trifles, are enemies o f God; all belong to those of whom it is said,
Look, how your enemies, O Lord, will perish.
They may enter the churches, they may not enter the churches, they are enemies of God. For a time they are able to flourish as grass, but when the heat of judgment appears they will perish and the loveliness of their countenance will vanish.
1 8 1 4:5
Or do you think that the scripture says idly, namely, that scripture which, forbidding the faithful fellowship with the wicked, speaks thus through Moses, You shall not enter into a covenant with them or with their gods, they shall not dwell in your land, lest by chance they make you sin against me if you serve their gods, which will definitely be a stumbling-block to you,
and again, You shall not do their works but you shall destroy them and break their images,
'Does the spirit that dwells in you have a desire for envy?'
This must be read as a question of rebuke, as if it said, 'Does the spirit of grace with which you were signed on the day of your redemption desire this, that you envy one another?
Certainly it is not the good, but the wicked spirit that brings about in you the vice of envy.' This is similar to the manner of speaking in the psalm, A brother will not redeem, will a man redeem?
For it is understood thus, 'If Christ, 180. Ps 92:9 (91:10) 181. Jm 1:10-11 182. Ex 23:32-3 183. Ex 23:24
184. Ps 49:7 (48:8)
Commentary on James 4:5—4:6 who deigned to become a brother to us through his human ity, did not redeem us, is some mere man in a position to redeem us?' Certain people have explained this thought,
'Does the spirit that dwells in you have a desire for envy?' thus: 'He has a desire against envy, that is, he desires that the disease of envy be overcome and rooted out of your minds'.
Others understand it as said of the spirit of man, so that the sense would be, 'Do not have desires, do not cling to the friendships of this world, because while the spirit o f your mind desires earthly things it certainly desires to envy, while you envy others having those things which you yourselves desire to possess.'
4:6
But he gives greater grace. The Lord gives greater grace than does the friendship o f the world, because this grants earthly goods for a time and things that are to be lost with sorrow; he bestows the eternal joy of life. On what sort he bestows this grace, however, he explains in succession:
Wherefore he says, 'God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.' God indeed punishes thieves, perjurers, disso lute persons, and other sinners, as despisers of his command ments, but he is said particularly to resist the proud, because they certainly are punished with a greater penalty who trust in their own strength, who neglect to be made subject to divine power by repenting, who refuse to seek the help of grace from above, as if they are sufficient by themselves to achieve salvation. But, on the other hand, he gives grace to the humble, because they who in the midst of the wounds of their vices humbly put themselves in the hands of the true physician rightly receive the gift of the hoped-for cure. It must be noted, however, that blessed James has set this thought about the proud and humble from the parables of 1 8 5 according to the ancient translation,!
7] just as Peter also did in his Letter.
Solomon 1 8 6 In its place in our edition, 185. Pr 3:34 (LXX)
186. 1 P5:5
Commentary on James 4:6—4:8
that comes from the original Hebrew, there is the reading, He himself will deceive mockers and will give grace to the meek.
For the Lord will deceive mockers according to what Paul says about those who, refusing to receive him who comes in the name of his Father, will accept the antichrist coming in his own name.
1 8 8 Because they did not receive the love of truth that they might be saved, he says, therefore God sends them the working of error that they may believe a lie.
He deceived mockers when, while the Jews were say ing, If he is the king of Israel, let him come down now from
he patiently endured until, dead and buried, he might overcome both their insults and death itself by his swift resurrection. He will give grace, how ever, to the meek, because he bestows both the perfection of their good work and the gifts of a blessed everlasting life on those who humbly follow him. the cross, and we believe him, 4:8
Draw near to the Lord, and he will draw near to you.
Draw near to the Lord by following his footsteps through humility, and he will draw near to you by freeing you from your difficulties through his mercy. For not everyone is far from God by distances, but by dispositions.
1 9 1 For though both he who is inclined to virtues and he who falls away in the filth of vices dwell in one place on the earth, the one is far from God, the other has God near. Hence the psalmist also says, The Lord is near to all who call upon him in
that salvation is certainly of which we sing, The Lord is my light and my salvation. truth,
and again, Salvation is far from sinners,
And the Lord himself, when he was urging us to draw near to him, saying, Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you,
immediately pointed out that this was to be fulfilled not by 187. Pr 3:34 (Vulg.) 188. Jn 5:43
189. 2 Th 2:10-11 190. Mt 27:42
191. affectibus 192. Ps 145 (144): 18
193. Ps 119 (118)2155 194. Ps 27 (26):1
195. Mt 11:28
Commentary on James 4:8—4:11 the feet but by actions when he appended, Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart.
Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. This is truly [the way] for us to draw near to the Lord, namely, by having cleanness of work and simplicity of heart. The innocent in hands, he says, and the person with a clean heart, he will receive a blessing and mercy from the Lord.
And this is truly how the Lord draws near us, by giving to us, who seek in simplicity, the gifts of his devotion. For the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee deceit and will remove himself from thoughts that are without understanding.
4:9—10 Be wretched and grieve and weep; let your laughter be turned into grief and your joy into sorrow. Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. Do not love to be made rich, he says, and to rejoice in this world, but mindful of the heinous deeds you have done see instead to this, that through the short-lived miseries and poverty and passing lamentation of this life you may reach the eternal joys o f the heavenly kingdom rather than beg, grieve, pay the penalty of torments everlastingly in return for temporal joy and wealth which you have amassed through wicked labor.
4:11
Do not slander one another, my brothers. This vice of slander also refers to the deadly poison of the tongue about which he says, You quarrel and make war.
He who slanders his brother or judges his brother, slanders the law and judges the law. He who slanders his brother slanders the law as if it did not decree properly when it forbade slander, saying though the prophet, I pursued the one who slanders his neighbor in secret,
and in Leviticus, You shall not be an accuser and whisperer among the people.
It can also be 196. Mt 11:29
197. Ps 24 (23):4-5 198. Ws 1:5
199. Jm 4:2
200. Ps 101 (100):5
201. Lv 19:16
Commentary on James 4:11—4:14
understood thus, He who slanders his brother who carries out the commands of the law slanders the law and judges the law for giving such commands. For example, the law com manded, You shall not be mindful of the injury of your fellow-citizens.
Therefore he who slanders his brother and judges his brother whom he sees gladly sustaining injuries for the love of God, certainly slanders the law and judges the law which commanded us to forget injuries.
4:12 But who are you who judge your neighbor? He exposes the rashness of the one who takes delight in judging his neighbor and does not take care to examine the uncertain condition of his own frailty and temporal life. And some times because through a flick of the right hand of the most
High these who were judging their neighbor are made subject to the power o f him whom they are judging, sometimes he survives while they are taken out of the world, he goes on to expose the rashness of those also who, having no certainty about their own life, project their mind into the future over the income from a much longer time, for there follows:
4:13
Look, you who now say, 'Today or tomorrow we shall go to that city and shall indeed spend a year there and shall carry on business and shall make a profit.' He notes the many aspects of the foolishness present in an arrangement of this sort, because, namely, they both make a plan about the increase of profits and think that they will live a long time and assert that where they will spend a year is within their power, and in all these things they reject calling to mind the investigation of the judge on high.
4:14 For what is your life? It is a mist appearing for a little while and after that it will be driven away. He does not say,
'What is our life?' but he says, What is your life? because the 202. Lv 19:18
Commentary on James 4:14—4:17 righteous then begin to live more truly when they reach the end of this life. For the enemies of the Lord, as soon as they are honored and exalted, will vanish utterly like smoke.
But it must not be imputed that this is the same opinion that the wicked are described as having said to each other in the book of Wisdom, Because we have been born from nothing and after these things we shall be as if we have not been, since the breath in our nostrils is smoke and speech [is] sparks to make our heart beat, because the body will be extinguished ash and the spirit is scattered like a gentle breeze.
For they reached these conclusions who believed that there was no life except this one, saying with Epicurus,
'After death there is nothing, and death itself is nothing'.
Blessed James, however, brought it up to teach that the life of the wicked is short for the present, yet eternal death will follow it in the future, according to that saying of blessed
Job, They spend their days in good things and in a moment they go down to the lower world.
4:17
For some, one who knows the good and does not do it, this is a sin, therefore. Throughout the whole text o f this
Letter blessed James has shown that they to whom he wrote had the knowledge to do good things and at the same time they had so learned a right faith that they presumed to be able to become teachers even for others; but still they had not yet attained perfection of works or humility of mind or restraint o f speech. Hence it terrifies them now to no small degree that he says amidst other words of rebuke and encouragement that someone who knows how to do good and does not do what he knows has a greater sin than the one who fails through ignorance, although neither the one, who has sinned unwittingly, can be entirely free from guilt, for the ignorance of good is itself no small evil. Truly the 203. Ps37 (36): 20
204. Ws 2:2-3 205. Jb 21:13
Commentary on James 4:17—5:3
Lord says, then, The servant who knows the will of his master and has not made preparations and acted according to his will shall be beaten much; but the one who does not know and has done things worthy of blows shall be beaten lightly.
5:1
Come now, you rich, weep, bewailing the miseries that will come upon you. Now, while it is the acceptable time, while it is the day of salvation,
avoid, he says, the future miseries of punishments by weeping and giving alms.
5:3
Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness for you and will eat up your flesh like fire.
Not only does the visible fire of hell torture the wicked and unmerciful rich in torments but also the very memory of decayed and worthless riches by which they might have been able to redeem their nefarious deeds will very easily burn up their souls no less before the judgment and after the resurrection their flesh as well, when they begin to be seriously angry with themselves for having been unwilling to cleanse their wicked deeds by alms. Accordingly, the corro sion of riches had been turned into a witness of wickedness and into an increase of punishment for that rich man clothed in purple when he heard through the rebuke of Abraham,
Son, remember that you received good things during your life, and Lazarus in like manner evil things}
By the word 'flesh' can also be understood those fleshly delights which the corrosion of riches eats up like fire while the raging flame tortures the dissolute soul outwardly and the piercing sorrow of its obstinacy accuses it no less inwardly. It also happens rather often in this life that some persons lose the riches which they were putting to evil use and, having lost their resources, they begin too late to regret that they held them without fruit and lament that they have not given their possessions to the poor when, because poverty is impending,
206. Lk 12:47-8 207. 2 Co 6:2
208. Lk 16:25
Commentary on James 5:3—5:5 they themselves are forced to beg. You have heaped up as treasure wrath in the last days, when having neglected the nakedness and hunger of the poor you rejoiced in accumu lating treasures of money for yourselves, not foreseeing that you were yourselves heaping up wrath o f the internal judge for yourselves. Although this has not yet appeared, it remains already most certain in the last days, that is, when the end of the days o f time will be at hand.
5:4
Look, the pay of the workers who have harvested your land [and of him] who has been defrauded by you cries out.
How great is the wickedness of the proud who, when they have sufficient riches, disdain not only to receive and help the poor who come occasionally, but are also unwilling to give to their very tired hands and household servants the due reward of their labor. Blessed Job implies that he is careful to avoid this vice of ungodliness when he says, If my land cries out against me and its furrows with it weep tears, if I have eaten its fruit without payment and have afflicted the soul of its farmers, may thorns spring up for me instead of grain and
And their cry has reached the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. He calls him the Lord o f sabaoth, that is, the Lord of hosts, to terrify those who think the poor have no protector. With this place agrees that o f the psalmist, For the poor man is committed to you, you will be the helper of the orphan; weeds instead of barley.
and does what has been written in the book of blessed Job, For God will not listen in vain, and the Almighty will have regard for the pleas of in dividuals.
5:5
You have feasted upon earth. Having neglected hea venly joys to which you were able to come through afflic tions and fasts, you like only carnal feasts, which such great hunger and thirst will follow in future that not even one
209. Jb 31:38-40 210. Ps 10:14 (9:35) 211. Jb 35:13
Commentary on James 5:5—5:6
drop of water can then somewhere be acquired by which your burning tongue may be cooled for a little while.
2 1 2 And you have nourished your hearts in self-indulgence.
They nourish their hearts in self-indulgence who, according to the word of Ecclesiastes, do not prevent their heart from enjoying every wish and from delighting itself in the things which they have prepared, and they count it their due if they themselves make use of their own labors,
2 1 3 having no care for the support and solace of the poor.
5:5-6 On the day of slaughter you have denounced and slain the righteous man; he did not resist you. He calls the Lord [our] Saviour the righteous man; about him the blessed first martyr Stephen speaks, Which of the prophets have your ancestors not persecuted? And they slew those who brought the message about the coming of the righteous man, of whom you have now been the betrayers and murderers.
From that place where he says, Come now, you rich, weep, wailing
it is clear therefore that blessed James is addressing those rich men who had conspired to kill the Lord and who had not yet received the faith in his name by which they might be saved; about them he also speaks above to believers,
Do not the rich oppress you by their power and drag you to the courts? Do they not blaspheme the good name that has been called down upon you?
And because he is writing to the twelve tribes which are in dispersion, 2 1 7 he thus advises the faithful to do the works of faith that he may also urge those who had not yet believed to be converted to faith in the Lord and at the same time to the works of faith, recalling to their memory that they slew the son of God and, as if they had done nothing wicked, they gave themselves in addition to self-indulgence and avarice and did not take care to expiate such great wickedness by repentance and alms.
212. Lk 16:24
213. Qo 2:10
214. Ac 7:52
215. Jm 5:1
216. Jm 2:6-7 217. Jm 1:1
Commentary on James 5:5—5:9
What he says about avarice eating up their flesh like fire and how they have stored up wrath for themselves at the last days 2 1 8 is especially fitting for them. For it becomes evident that this was fulfilled in their case after the slaying of James himself, when the city of Jerusalem and likewise the whole province of Judea was taken and destroyed by the Romans in punishment, manifestly, for the blood of the Lord and for the other heinous deeds that they had committed.
5:7 Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. After he had rebuked the proud and unbelieving, he again turns to those who had been oppressed by thenwickedness, encouraging them to be patient and implying that the end of these tribulations is close at hand, namely, either when they are taken away to the Lord and receive the fruit of their patience or when their persecutors are deprived of their power to persecute. Look, the farmer waits for the prized fruit of the land, bearing [it] patiently until he receives the early and the late, and so on. If he labors so patiently for the fruit of the land which he waits for and hopes in time will come forth, how much more ought you to hold up under all adversities now for the fruit of the heavenly reward which you can possess for ever? For indeed you will receive the fruit in time, the life, namely, of the soul after death; you will also receive later on at the judgment the incorruption of your flesh, or at least the early in the works of righteousness, the late in the reward of your labors according to the saying of the apostle, You have your fruit in sanctification, the end, in fact, eternal life.
5:9
Do not complain, brothers, against one another, as if you suffer greater adversities than you deserve, and your per secutors, when they have committed very great abomina tions, appear to bear no adversity, that you may not be
218. Jm 5:3
219. Rm 6:22
Commentary on James 5:9—5:11
judged, with that judgment, namely, of condemnation from the fact that you blame the just judge as if he judges wickedly. Look, the judge stands before the door, who will render both to you the rewards of patience and to your adversaries the punishment they deserve. He stands before the door, however, either because he stands ready to know all things that you do or he will come quickly to pay both to you and to your persecutors what each of you has deserved.
5:10 Accept, brothers, from the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name, the example of the issue of wickedness and long-suffering, of labor and patience. See, he says, that the prophets who were so holy, so free from sin that the Spirit of God spoke his mysteries to men through them, had a bad issue by suffering death from the faithless, as Zechariah,
Uriah, and the Maccabees, martyrs, and in the New Testa ment John, Stephen, James the son of Zebedee, and very many others, and yet they chose not to complain about this sort of issue but rather to bear it with long-suffering.
Others sustained long labors but bore them patiently and without murmuring, as Noah in building the ark through a hundred years, Moses in saving and leading the people through forty years, David in having suffered exile without fault, Joseph in enduring slavery by his brothers' deceit. To each of these, however, he added an outstanding example and one that could be imitated, saying, 5:11 You have heard of the endurance of Job and you have seen the end of the Lord. You have known by reading, he says, the labor and patience of Job, and how by the Lord's compassion he received twice as much of all he lost through the wickedness o f the enemy.
2 2 0 You yourselves, standing by, have also seen the fate of the Lord on the cross which he bore with long-suffering and have also learned through the 220. Jb 42:10
Commentary on James 5:11—5:13 preaching of the Gospel the glory o f the resurrection and his ascension into heaven. Because the Lord is merciful and compassionate, that either in the present he may free his own from temptations and glorify them even before men while they are alive for the firmness of their faith or crown them in secret after death and not even thus take away from men the memory of praise which they have deserved.
5:12 Above all things, however, my brothers, do not swear, and so on. Because he wishes to draw out the deadly poison of the tongue entirely in his hearers, having forbidden them from slandering one another, having prohibited them from judging their neighbor, having restrained them from com plaining against one another in adversities, which are obvious sins, he adds also what to some people appears slight, that he may remove the custom of swearing at all. For this also is clearly evident that it must not at all be taken lightly by those who carefully weigh that thought of the Lord in which he says, Every careless word which men have spoken they will render an account of on the day of judgment.
That you may not fall under judgment. I restrain you from the fault of swearing, he says, for the reason that in swearing often to the truth you may also sometimes fall into perjury, and also that you may be further from the vice of perjury the more you do not wish to swear solemnly to the truth except under pressing necessity. But he also falls under the judgment of guilt who, although he never commits perjury, nevertheless swears solemnly to the truth more frequently than is necessary, because certainly he sins by the very carelessness of overmuch speaking and offends the judge who has forbidden both a useless word and every oath.
5:13 Is anyone of you sad? Let him pray with a quiet mind and sing psalms. He who above restrained the brethren from 221. Mt 12:36
Commentary on James 5:13—5:15
complaining against one another in difficulties now himself shows what must on the contrary be done. If any oppressive sorrow, he says, has come upon any o f you either by an injury brought on perhaps by other people or by a besetting fault or by an overwhelming, domestic loss or if you have been made sad for any reason at all, you should by no means gather at that hour to murmur against one another and place the blame on God's judgments but rather come together at the church and on bended knee pray to the Lord that he may send the grace of his consolation, lest the sadness of the world which brings death swallow you u p .
2 2 2 You yourselves also drive away the harmful disease of sadness from your heart by the frequent sweetness of psalm-singing.
5:14-15 Is anyone sick among you? Let him bring in the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him.
Just as he had given advice to the one who was sad, so he gives advice also to the one who is sick, how he should be on his guard against the foolishness of murmuring, and accord ing to the measure of the wound he assigns as well the measure o f the cure. He admonishes the one who is sad to pray for himself and sing psalms, but commands the person who is sick either in body or faith that as the blow he has suffered is greater he should remember to cure himself with the help of more persons, and this of the presbyters; and let him not report the reason for his weakness to the younger and less learned, lest by chance he receive from them some harmful advice or counsel. And let them pray over him, he says, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person. We read in the Gospel that the apostles also did this.
2 2 3 And now the cus tom of the Church holds that those who are sick be anointed with consecrated oil by the presbyters, with the prayer that goes with this, that they may be cured.
222. 2 Co 2:7, 7:10
223. Mk 6:13
Commentary on James 5:15—5:1 7 Not only for the presbyters, but, as Pope Innocent writes,
2 2 4 even for all Christians is it lawful to use the same oil for anointing at their own necessity or that of their [relatives], but the oil may be consecrated only by bishops. For what he says, with oil in the name of the Lord, means with oil conse crated in the name of the Lord or at least that when they anoint the sick person they ought also to invoke the name of the Lord over him at the same time. And if he [has com mitted] sins, they will be forgiven him. Many persons on account of sins committed in the soul are struck with sickness or even death of the body. Hence the apostle says to the Corinthians, because they had been accustomed to receive the body of the Lord unworthily, Therefore, many among you are sick and weak and many have fallen asleep.
If, therefore, the sick [have committed] sins and have con fessed them to the presbyters of the Church and have sincerely tried to leave them behind and to amend, these will be forgiven them. But sins cannot be forgiven without a firm promise of amendment. Hence properly there is added:
5:16-17 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for each other, that you may be saved. However, in this statement there ought to be this distinction, that we confess our daily and minor sins to one another as peers and believe that we are saved by their daily prayer; in turn, according to the law, 2 2 6 let us make known the uncleanness of more serious leprosy to the priest and take care to be puri fied in the manner and for the length of time his judgment has decreed. For the continuous prayer of the righteous person can accomplish much. Elijah was a man like us, sub ject to suffering, and he prayed assiduously that it would not rain upon the earth, and it did not rain for three years and six months. He illustrates by an appropriate example how
224. Ep. adDecentium (PL 20.554B-5A) Cf. Bede, Act. Ap. (CC 121:
39-40, 22/27) 225. 1 Co 11:30
226. Lv 13:49, 14:2-3
Commentary on James 5:17—5:19
much the unremitting prayer of the righteous person can accomplish, when Elijah by praying only once closed up the heavens for such a long time, 2 2 7 kept showers away from the earth, denied fruits to mortals, and again, when he wished, when he ascertained that it was time, when he saw that the heart of the proud king o f an idolatrous people was inclined to repentance because of the prolonged ill results of famine, he prayed only o n c e 2 2 8 and restored the fruits of water which he had denied to the earth. For it continues thus:
5:18 And again he prayed, and the heaven gave forth rain, and the earth gave forth its fruit. He prayed once, therefore, both before and afterwards, and yet the one man Elijah obtained as much as the constant prayer of very many righteous persons can accomplish. But lest our frailty take fright, thinking itself unable to do things like so great a prophet who was worthy o f being taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot, 2 2 9 blessed James when he was about to speak of his prayer, advisedly began thus, Elijah was a man like us, subject to suffering. For he was a man, and yet second to no man in virtue, like us of fleshly origin, subject to suffering as we are because of the frailty of both mind and body. For he showed that he was frail in body by asking for food from the widow of Zarephath; 2 3 0 he made it clear that he was also subject to suffering in mind when, after he had restored water to the earth and killed the prophets and priests of idols, being terrified at the threats of one unimportant woman, he fled into the desert.
2 3 1 How much it is worth with the Lord to pray for the sick and to call those who con fess their sins back to their lost salvation he makes clear by appending:
5:19-20 My brothers, if anyone of you has strayed from
227. 1 K 17:1
228. 1 K 18:41-5
229. 2 K 2:11
230. 1 K 17:8-11
231. 1 K 19:1-4
Commentary on James 5:19—5:20 the truth and someone has brought him back, he ought to know that whoever has brought a sinner back from the error of his way will save his soul from death. Because in the earlier parts of this Letter our tongue is restrained from evil or useless speaking, fittingly is it made clear at the end what particularly we ought to be speaking. We are ordered, there fore, to pray and sing psalms to the Lord as often as we are struck by any adversities, likewise to confess our sins to one another and to pray for each other, that we may be saved; to provide care, as far as we can, not only for the temporal health of our neighbors but much more for their eternal wel fare. For if it is a matter for great reward to snatch the body, which is going to die in the end, from death, how worth while is it to set free from death the soul which will live for ever in the heavenly homeland? It must be noted surely that certain manuscripts have, 'he will save his own soul from death', and from the ambiguity o f the Greek it can also correctly be interpreted this way. And in truth the one who corrects someone who strays through this gains for himself the higher rewards of heavenly life. He will save his soul from death, he says, and covers a multitude of sins. Anyone who turns a sinner back from straying, through this act of turning him back both hides his sins from the sight of the inward judge by the superimposition of a better life and by curing his neighbor conceals as well his own misdeeds, however he offends, from the gaze of him who sees all things, according to the saying of the psalmist, Blessed are they whose wicked deeds have been forgiven and whose sins have been con cealed.
In urging this, blessed James is not forgetting what he says earlier on, Do not a number of you, my brothers, become teachers.
For there he is removing those who were imperfect in their own lives from the office of teaching, which they were seeking through vainglory; but here he is teaching those who are instructed in every way they ought
232. Ps 32(31):!
233. Jm 3:1
Commentary on James 5:20
to do concerning the salvation of their neighbors out of love for the brotherhood. For what he proposes here for a teacher to do, in another place is mentioned as what charity does; as when blessed Peter says, Because charity covers a multitude of sins.
And it must not be overlooked that this turning back of someone who strays is accomplished not only by speaking but very often also by acting well. For if anyone shows his neighbors the examples of good action and turns them back to imitating the works of almsgiving or hospitality or of the other virtues which they had neglected, even though his tongue be silent, he actually executes the office of teacher and obtains from the devoted judge a sure reward in return for the salvation of his brother whom he has corrected.
234. 1 P4:8
NOTES TO COMMENTARY ON JAMES
1. Latin omne. Normally, omnis means 'all'. But that it may also mean 'complete' is shown by Horace, C 3. 30. 6: 'non omnis moriar';
Ep 1. 1. 11; 'et omnis in hoc sum\ 2. Latin intemptator. A. Souter, A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1949), s. v., suggests that the Latin word is an unintelligent translation of the Greek word meaning
'inexperienced in, unacquainted with'.
3. The sources of the story of the revelation of the burial place of the body of St Stephen by Gamaliel are given by M. L. W. Laistner,
Retractatio in Actus Apostolorum (Cambridge, Mass.: The Mediaeval Academy of America, 1939) 115,22-116,5; 121, 13-122,3.
4. Latin exultat. Bede first adopts the Latin reading, exaltat, meaning 'exalt'. Here he gives an alternate explanation of the verse if the reading exultat, 'boast', is used instead of exaltat.
5. See M. L. W. Laistner, 'Bede As a Classical and a Patristic Scholar,' Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 16 (1933) 77-8.
Laistner suggests the possibility that Bede, either through a lapse of memory or an inability to check his sources, confused a story related by Pliny (Nat. Hist. 8. 25. 65) about a tame tiger exhibited at the dedication of the theater of Marcellus with a story told by Marcellinus
(MGH auct. ant. 11, 72) about an elephant and two giraffes sent to the emperor Anastasius from India. No one seems to have located the source of the tale about the tame asp in Egypt.
6. Bede's derivation and interpretation here of Latin and Greek words is almost impossible to convey in English. He derives the Latin adjective animalis from the Latin noun anima and not from the noun animal, which normally would be translated 'animal'. The problem is further complicated when Bede brings in the Greek equivalents, psyche, 'life-giving principle', and psychicon, 'physical', since the English word 'psychic', which comes from these Greek words, has quite a different connotation. Bede also equates the Latin word animalia,
'animals', with the Greek word zoa, 'living things', having as its base the Greek noun zoe, 'life'.
7. One cannot always be sure exactly what Bede means by the
Notes to Commentary on James
expression, 'ancient translation'. It could refer to the old Latin transla tions, made before Jerome's Latin Vulgate, or to the Septuagint Greek, which was frequently the basis for the old Latin translations. Bede possibly had in mind here the Septuagint Greek, since he continues by contrasting the version given by James and Peter in their Letters with the Latin Vulgate translation made by Jerome from the original Hebrew text of the book of Proverbs.
