What did James know that will help us
Ever been standing in a line, waiting to go into an event, suddenly there is a bustle in the crowd, a limousine pulls up, someone you don't necessarily recognize steps out, before they do, the bodyguards precede them, opening the door to the limo. And they are escorted to the door and then go inside, while you're standing there? That's not to hard to take, because you're going to get in, right? But if adjust the circumstances just a bit, from an event, to something perhaps, slightly more important, say, an organ; and suddenly the idea or concept of deference to the wealthy, takes on a whole 'nother level of sting, don't it. Now imagine that you're the wealthy person. Flip the mirror a bit and you begin to see that something is askance, and it may not be you.Let's spend only a moment or two on the subject of making a Greek text from a couple thousand years ago mean what it meant, and should mean and likely does truthfully mean, today. First there are enormous cultural differences between a largely agrarian society and a technological one. Second there are enormous differences between a village structured lifestyle built around a system honoring elders, and what we have today. Third the sheer depth of economic differences, especially in America versus other countries; and the economic environ of Jerusalem in the time of James writing.
Now all that being said, there are therefore plenty of different translations of this spectacular thought available today, here is a sampling:
Berean Bible: 1 My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
NIV 1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
A famous motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar once commented that "life lived only for monetary gain isn't successful - money isn't all that counts, but it's right up there with oxygen." So being paid deference because you possess wealth in merely monetary terms may be, strictly speaking, a downfall within itself? Perhaps this is why so many of the worlds wealthiest and most successful people give their wealth away as philanthropists? They are credited as having good hearts, even though, it is usually said that way, "Even though, they're wealthy." However in our modern context, showing favortism can amount to much, much more, as we'll discuss in the next entry...be sure to share this with your friends, if you like it, and comment yourself -
4 comments:
Hmmmm prejudice.... I think we over simplify this term... I think prejudices don’t fall fully on race,creed or culture... it is often called as hate...but it also can be called when we deify someone just because they are famous.... would you agree?
Prejudice in Greek...which isn't this term favoritism found in James...prejudice seems to be dialogismos: a reasoning
Original Word: διαλογισμός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: dialogismos
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-al-og-is-mos')
Short Definition: a calculation, reasoning, thought, plotting
Definition: a calculation, reasoning, thought, movement of thought, deliberation, plotting.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 1261 dialogismós (from 1260 /dialogízomai, "back-and-forth reasoning") – reasoning that is self-based and therefore confused – especially as it contributes to reinforcing others in discussion to remain in their initial prejudice. See 1260 (dialogizomai).
While favoritism is Strong's Concordance
prosópolémpsia: respect of persons
Original Word: προσωποληψία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: prosópolémpsia
Phonetic Spelling: (pros-o-pol-ape-see'-ah)
Short Definition: partiality, favoritism
Definition: partiality, favoritism.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from prosópolémptés
Definition
respect of persons
NASB Translation
partiality (3), personal favoritism (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4382: προσωποληψία
προσωποληψία (L T Tr WH προσωπολημψία (see Mu)), προσωποληψιας, ἡ (a Hellenistic formation; (see προσωπολήπτης)), respect of persons (Vulg.personarum acceptio), partiality, the fault of one who when called on to requite or to give judgment has respect to the outward circumstances of men and not to their intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high-born, or powerful, to another who is destitute of such gifts: Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; plural (which relates to the various occasions and instances in which this fault shows itself (cf. Winers Grammar, 176 (166); Buttmann, § 123, 2, 2)), James 2:1. (Ecclesiastical writings.)
Two entirely different words...but, it's interesting James has us looking deeply into them in 2018, pretty slick huh, guess living with God for 30 plus years rubs off, huh?
Ok point accepted.. but I still question if the intent is possibly the same... kinda a PC Greek comment.. if we show favoritism are we not in the same being prejudice against the others involved?... I say this also to explain the constant justification of the separation of people’s ... we do this both consciously and subconsciously.. not necessarily with a direct evil intent... I can’t help but think James is warning us of the evil of labels.. We can’t truly love our neighbor if we subject them into a category.... like the Samaritan or the lady at the well.. Until we can walk without our preconditioning we will struggle with obedience... I think that is the crux of what we inherited from Adam... just my humble perception.. Also... Do you think prejudice can be both in disdain and in glorification?
David that's deep, really deep. Fixin to get into the breakout for verse by verse, let's see what it brings out.
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