James 2
First, a note on “Desire”: James 1:14-15 tells us that “one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it if fully grown, gives birth to death.” In many ways, this verse shares with
… View MoreThe Letter of James
Two “James” are well-known in the history of the early church, James the brother of John and a son of Zebedee, martyred in 44 CE by Herod Agrippa, and James, the brother of Jesus, leader in the Jerusalem church from about 36 CE until his martyrdom in 62 CE. Given the
… View MoreHebrews 12
Hebrews 12:1-17: Having spoken of faith of the history of faith from which the Jewish Christians to which he is writing draw their strength and inspiration, the author again encourages perseverance and endurance. “The race easily lent itself as a metaphor for moral and ethical struggle, involving as it did rigorous training, self-discipline,
… View MoreHebrews 11
Hebrews 11:1: The writer concluded the previous chapter by saying that the readers were not those who would shrink back, but were those who had faith. He will now spend time delineating what it means to have faith. We find not a “definition” of faith; after all, the word “faith” will sometimes indicate
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