James 1:2-4 (RSV)
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The hardest part of the selection is not, I think, the first part thouh that's difficult enough. How can you count it all joy if you're meeting with trials? Aren't trials almost by definition not joyful? Well, no. Trials may well be joyful if they lead to some benefit. For instance, the workout at the gym that leads to muscle growth or greater stamina. One reason for giving up the gym altogether is that the results aren't immediately visible.
The second part is harder. "That you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." That seems a bit overly optimistic, no? Well, let's narrow the phrase a bit - of course, at first it might seem like what James is referring to is faith. But in the next verse he's referring to wisdom, not faith. "If anyone lacks wisdom..." Wisdom can be seen as the completion of mental exercise. The perfect metal state.
But your wisdom depends on your faith and steadfastness. As a perfection, wisdom doesn't waver. but can we attain it? Or are we always wavering in some degree? After all, some say you can't even have faith if you don't at the very same time have doubt. Because faith is something different from what we might otherwise call "sure knowledge." The undoubtable. The undoubted.
Well, perhaps we go back to the opening of the section: "various" and "testing." Both words suggest (at least in English, please don't ask me about Greek) an ongoing process - multiple trials, continuing tests. But then, where is the steadfastness? The perfection, the completedness? "Let steadfastness have its full effect..." Can steadfastness have a partial effect? Apparently, though I wouldn't have thought so. Can perfection and completedness be journeys instead of destinations? Hard to see how. But I think that's suggested here.
The hardest part of the selection is not, I think, the first part thouh that's difficult enough. How can you count it all joy if you're meeting with trials? Aren't trials almost by definition not joyful? Well, no. Trials may well be joyful if they lead to some benefit. For instance, the workout at the gym that leads to muscle growth or greater stamina. One reason for giving up the gym altogether is that the results aren't immediately visible.
The second part is harder. "That you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." That seems a bit overly optimistic, no? Well, let's narrow the phrase a bit - of course, at first it might seem like what James is referring to is faith. But in the next verse he's referring to wisdom, not faith. "If anyone lacks wisdom..." Wisdom can be seen as the completion of mental exercise. The perfect metal state.
But your wisdom depends on your faith and steadfastness. As a perfection, wisdom doesn't waver. but can we attain it? Or are we always wavering in some degree? After all, some say you can't even have faith if you don't at the very same time have doubt. Because faith is something different from what we might otherwise call "sure knowledge." The undoubtable. The undoubted.
Well, perhaps we go back to the opening of the section: "various" and "testing." Both words suggest (at least in English, please don't ask me about Greek) an ongoing process - multiple trials, continuing tests. But then, where is the steadfastness? The perfection, the completedness? "Let steadfastness have its full effect..." Can steadfastness have a partial effect? Apparently, though I wouldn't have thought so. Can perfection and completedness be journeys instead of destinations? Hard to see how. But I think that's suggested here.
posted by Steven at 10:57 AM
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