New Catholic Bible/The Letter of James

**The Letter of James**, as translated by the Catholic Book Publishing Corp in the New Catholic Bible.

## INTRODUCTION

###  **THE CATHOLIC LETTERS**

There are seven New Testament Letters that have this in common: they are in the form of letters, but no one has ever thought of attributing them to Paul. These are: The Letter of James, The First Letter of Peter, The Second Letter of Peter, The First Letter of John, The Second Letter of John, The Third Letter of John, and The Letter of Jude.

Most of these Letters are not addressed to specific communities but deal with general questions that are relevant to a very wide circle of readers. For this reason, they certainly deserved to be grouped together, as they have been since the fourth century, under the title of “Catholic Letters,” i.e., General or Universal Letters, Letters intended for the Church as a whole. The particular destination of the brief Second and Third Letters of John could be a problem in this regard. However, it is very likely that their brevity caused them to be annexed to the First Letter of John as simple appendices that had little effect on the overall title.

These seven Letters gradually acquired authority throughout the Church, all the more so since they carried the signatures of important men: James, Peter, John, and Jude. However, critics disagree widely both as to these attributions and as to the dates of the Letters.

The Catholic Letters do not form a homogeneous group, but they do possess some common traits. We are no longer involved in the great struggles of Paul to affirm—against Jewish claims and pagan illusions—that salvation has been given in Christ Jesus and him alone. We find in these documents a Christianity that is no longer in the early years after its formation; the communities are already more firmly established and have acquired their habitual ways.

The problem the Letters deal with is perhaps that of keeping communities from yielding to wear and tear and becoming lax, of keeping them from losing their taste for essentials and returning to alien ideas.

We have the impression of entering a world that is less familiar to us and of hearing questions that are somewhat alien to us, if not downright bizarre.

These Letters deal with problems that occupied Christianity, or at least parts of it, at the time they were written: e.g., certain false doctrines—a form of Gnosis in Asia Minor (1 John); Gnostic-Antinomian tendencies (2 Peter; Jude); the non-occurrence of the Second Coming (2 Peter); severe sufferings and persecutions of the Christian communities (1 Peter).

At the same time, these Letters do not have a uniform literary form. James, Peter, and Jude have written real pastoral Letters, destined for an entire region of the Christian world. With the circle of addressees increasing, their message turns easily into an impersonal treatise and into the general considerations of a homily or of an episcopal mandate. On the other hand, the Third Letter of John is a private missive, addressed to a benefactor of Christian missionaries.

The first two Letters of John lend themselves to discussion: the First because of its lack of all epistolary structure, and the Second because of the ambiguous way in which it designates its addressees. However, scholars view them as real Letters addressed to a community or communities that the author knows intimately and precisely and that are within the radius of his customary apostolic solicitude. The First Letter of John thus fits the genre of the Letters of James, Peter, and Jude, while the Second is a more intimate communication.

The theology of these Letters is a faithful reproduction of the preaching of Jesus. The sacred authors repeat the teachings of their Master with complete fidelity. Hence, Christian love holds the greatest importance in them, especially in James and above all in John.

The Letters also endow their authors with well-defined personalities. James is a Christian well versed in the sapiential and prophetic schools who masterfully dispenses austere moral teaching. Peter is a pastor of souls who harmoniously unites doctrinal and moral teaching, exhortation and warning. John is the disciple of love who takes on a polemical ardor in the face of attempted deviations from Christianity. Jude is a disciple rooted in a rich apocalyptic foundation who writes as the implacable foe of error.

Comparing the contents of these Letters with the other writings of the New Testament, we find that they contain some doctrinal points that are exclusive to them: the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (James), Christ’s descent to the netherworld (1 Peter), and the final conflagration (2 Peter).

At the same time, these Letters are filled with incisive passages on authentic Christianity. They are replete with reminders to let the Gospel be the life-giving activity that it should be rather than something tasteless due to boastful theories.

### Faith Active in Works

Without the first verse, this writing would have no resemblance at all to a letter. In it we find moral exhortations, striking aphorisms, and finely etched portraits succeeding one another in no discernible order. We also find themes such as courage in trials, concern for true wisdom, and critique of social conditions, which make us think of the great sapiential writings of the Old Testament with their didactic bent. This type of thinking was thus still active in the first Christian generations.

We also find here all the vigor of prophetic invective to denounce abuses and injustice. Jewish, Greek, and Christian ideas all seem to meld together. And though the name of Christ is cited only in an occasional manner, this pressing sermon is an application of the Beatitudes. It is preoccupied with the authenticity of the Christian faith.

In these recommendations that follow one another in rapid succession, we can discern a few prophetic and evangelical concerns.

The Letter of James will always be cited for its concern for the weak and the afflicted, its understanding of poverty and distrust of wealth, its lively attack on social injustice, and its warnings to businessmen.

Apparently, for many Christians of that time, faith seems to have been an occasion for fine discourses or gratuitous considerations apart from any life commitment. James retaliated against such a way of thinking. This has led some to suppose that the author was opposed to the great Pauline teaching concerning salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ (see Rom 3:28).

However, the reality is that Paul and James were speaking of the same thing from different viewpoints. For Paul, faith is an incontestable change and commitment of life; James knows people for whom faith is nothing more than discourses, discussions, and doctrinal debates, without any impact on their existence. For Paul, works are the observances prescribed by the Law on which one would like to make salvation depend by attributing it to people’s merits instead of God’s grace. But it is not in this sense that James speaks of works; for him, they express the commitment to faith, a Christianity in action. In order to understand Paul and James, we must pinpoint the concrete problems that each of them is addressing; they are not the same for each.

The problems of the liturgical assembly hold a large place in the Letter of James. There are references to listening to the word of God, songs of praise, the confession of sins followed by prayer, and the Anointing of the Sick. The author goes even farther. He criticizes the assemblies of worship that follow the style of social gatherings and provide the wealthy with the occasion to pursue their ambition and their success. For him, as well as for the Prophets and for Christ, authentic worship commits one to a fraternal life, and it is above all the sum total of the Christian life that is the true spiritual worship. Outside of this, every Liturgy is only so much ornamentation. True religion is the care of widows, orphans, the sick, and the disenfranchised.

This piece of writing circulated under the name of “James.” Christian tradition has identified this person with James, who, like Jude and Simon, was a “brother of the Lord” (Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3). He was perhaps the son of Alphaeus who is named in all the lists of the Twelve. He had a very important place in the mother community of Jerusalem. Paul mentions him among the witnesses of the Resurrection (see 1 Cor 15:7). He is also found at the Upper Room with the first group of Christians (see Acts 1:12-14).

When Peter left prison, he was concerned to get news of his deliverance to James immediately (see Acts 12:17). After his conversion, Paul got in touch with him (see Gal 1:18-19). James played a decisive role in the Council of Jerusalem; though his mentality was Jewish, he showed himself conciliatory toward and receptive to converts coming from paganism (see Acts 15:13-29).

Beginning with the first scattering of the Apostles in A.D. 36/37, James seems to have taken responsibility for the mother Church; the elders gathered around him; he welcomed Paul when the latter brought the collection taken up in the Churches (see Acts 21:18-26), shortly before Paul’s arrest in the temple (Pentecost, A.D. 58). James died a martyr around A.D. 62. If the present Letter is from that James, it must be dated to around A.D. 60. But Hellenistic influences and an affinity with other Christian writings of a later date prevent too certain an attribution.

The Letter is addressed to “the twelve tribes of the Dispersion,” which is another way of saying that it is addressed to the Church scattered throughout the world, to the true Israel (see Rom 2:29; 9:6; Gal 6:16; Phil 3:3). The term “Dispersion” (in Greek diaspora) signified all the Jews living outside of Palestine (see Jud 5:19; Ps 147:2; Jer 15:7). Here the reference is to Christians of Jewish origin, who are scattered throughout the Greco-Roman world.

Whatever be the case with the author, the date, and the addressees, this document—recognized as inspired—is a strong warning against a purely verbal Christianity and is a call to a faith that has the courage to change lives.

###  **The Divisions of The Letter of James**

The principal divisions of the Letter of James are the following:

The Letter to James may be divided as follows:

**I: Salutation (1:1)**

**II: Exhortation To Practice Patience (1:2-18)**

**III: Exhortation To Practice Faith (1:19—2:26)**

**IV: Exhortation To Practice Christian Living (3:1—5:18)**

**V: Conclusion (5:19-20)**

## CHAPTER 1

### Greeting.

**1** James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: greetings.

### Trials—the Test of a Faith in Progress.

**2** My brethren, consider it a cause of great joy whenever you endure various trials, **3** for you know that the testing of your faith will develop perseverance. **4** And let perseverance complete its work so that you may become perfect and complete, and not be deficient in any respect.

### A Believer’s Prayer.

**5** If someone among you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault, and it will be given to him. **6** But he is to ask with faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. **7** A man like that should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, **8** since he is of two minds and inconsistent in everything he does.

### Rich and Poor.

**9** The brother who is in modest circumstances should take pride in being raised up. **10** Likewise, the one who is rich should glory in being brought low, for he will disappear like a flower of the field. **11** Once the sun comes up with its scorching rays and withers the grass, its flower droops and its beauty vanishes. So too the rich man will fade away in the midst of his affairs.

**12**

### Trials and Temptations.

Blessed is the man who perseveres when he is tempted, for when he has been proven, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

**13**

While experiencing temptation, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. **14** Rather, temptation occurs when someone is attracted and seduced by his own desire. **15** Then the desire conceives and gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it reaches full growth, gives birth to death.

**16**

### Light and Life.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. **17** Every good act of giving and every perfect gift are from above, coming down from the Father of all light. With him there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. **18** By his own choice he gave us birth through the way of truth so that we may be a kind of firstfruits of all his creation.

### Living by God’s Word.

Remember this, my beloved brethren: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to anger. **20** For human anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. **21** Therefore, rid yourselves of everything sordid and of every wicked excess, and welcome in all humility the word that is implanted in you and is able to save your souls.

**22** Be doers of the word and not just hearers who only deceive themselves. **23** For anyone who listens to the word and fails to do it is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror. **24** After seeing his reflection, he goes off and immediately forgets what he looked like. **25** However, the one who looks intently at the perfect law of freedom and perseveres—not forgetting what he has heard but putting it into practice—will be blessed in everything he does.

**26** If anyone thinks that he is religious but does not restrain his tongue, he is deceiving himself, and his religion is worthless. **27** Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and undefiled is this: to come to the aid of orphans and widows in their hardships and to keep oneself untarnished by the world.

## CHAPTER 2

### Rich and Poor in the Christian Assembly.

**1** My brethren, since you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you must never practice favoritism. **2** Suppose a man wearing a gold ring and expensive clothes comes into your assembly as well as a poor man dressed in shabby clothes. **3** If you lavish special attention on the one wearing the expensive clothes and say, “Please sit in this good seat,” while to the poor man you say, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet,” **4** have you not shown favoritism among yourselves and judged by wrongful standards?

**5** Listen to me, my beloved brethren. Did not God choose those who are poor

in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? **6** But you have humiliated the poor man. Furthermore, is it not the rich who oppress you? Are they not the ones who drag you into court? **7** Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?

**8** You will be doing well if you truly observe the sovereign law enjoined in Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” **9** However, if you show partiality, you are committing a sin and stand convicted by the law as lawbreakers. **10** For whoever observes the whole Law but trips up on a single point is held guilty of breaking all of it.

**11** The one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not kill.” Now if you do not commit adultery but you do kill, you have become a lawbreaker. **12** Therefore, always speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. **13** For judgment will be without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy, but mercy triumphs over judgment.

**14**

### True Faith Is Proved by Works.

What good is it, my brethren, if someone claims to have faith but does not have good works? Can such faith save him? **15**

Suppose a brother or sister is naked and lacks his or her daily food. **16** If one of you says to such a person, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat well,” but does not take care of that person’s physical needs, what is the good of that? **17** In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it does not have works.

**18** But perhaps someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and by works I will show you my faith. **19** You believe that there is one God. You do well to assert that. But even the demons believe and tremble.

**20** You fool! Do you want proof that faith without works is futile? **21** Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? **22** Thus, you can see that his faith and his works were active together; his faith was brought to completion by works.

**23** Thus, the words of Scripture were fulfilled that say, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. **24** You can see, then, that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

**25** Likewise, Rahab the prostitute,

was she not also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them away by a different road? **26** For just as the body is dead without a spirit, so faith without works is also dead.

## CHAPTER 3

### Avoid Faults of the Tongue.

**1** My brethren, not many of you should become teachers, for you know that we will face a more severe judgment. **2** For all of us fall short in many ways. Anyone who never makes a mistake in speech has reached perfection

and is able to control every part of his body.

**3** When we put a bit into a horse’s mouth to make it obey us, we also guide its entire body. **4** Or think of ships. Even though they are large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder on whatever course the helmsman chooses. **5** In the same way, the tongue is a small member but its pretensions are great.

Consider how a small fire can set ablaze a great forest. **6** And the tongue is also a fire, a world of evil that infects the entire body. It sets afire the entire course of our existence and is itself set on fire by Gehenna.

**7** For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by man, **8** but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. **9** With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

**10** Out of the same mouth flow blessings and curses. This should not be so, my brethren. **11** Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? **12** Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives or can a grapevine produce figs? Neither can salt water yield fresh water.

**13**

### True Wisdom and Its Opposite.

Who among you is wise and understanding? Prove by your good life that your works are done with the humility that comes from wisdom. **14** But if your hearts are filled with bitter envy and selfish ambition, do not be boastful in defiance of the truth.

**15** Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. **16** For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disharmony and every type of wickedness.

**17** However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, and considerate, full of mercy and good fruits, without any trace of partiality or hypocrisy. **18** And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who are peacemakers.

## CHAPTER 4

### The Need To Control Passions.

**1** What is the source of these conflicts and quarrels among you? Are they not the result of your passions

that are at war within you? **2** You want something that you cannot have, so you commit murder. And you covet something but cannot obtain it, so you engage in quarrels and fights. You do not have because you do not ask. **3** When you ask, you do not get what you want because you do not ask for it with the proper motives, seeking rather to indulge your passions.

**4** Adulterers! Do you not know that love of the world results in enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God. **5** Or do you suppose that it is without reason that Scripture says, “He yearns jealously for the Spirit that he sent to live in us”?

**6** But he has bestowed an even stronger grace. Therefore, it says,

“God resists the proud,

but he gives grace to the humble.”

**7** Hence, be subject to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. **8** Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you waverers. **9** Be sorrowful, lament, and weep. Let your laughter turn to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

**11**

### Do Not Judge Others.

Do not slander one another, my brethren. Whoever speaks ill of a brother or passes judgment on a brother speaks ill of the Law and passes judgment on the Law. But if you judge the Law, you are not keeping it but passing judgment upon it. **12** There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save or to destroy. Who then are you to pass judgment on a neighbor?

**13**

### A Warning against Presumption.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall head off to this or that town and spend a year doing business there and making money.” **14** Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

What is your life, after all? For you are like a mist that appears for a brief time and then vanishes. **15** Instead, what you ought to say is, “If it is the Lord’s will, we shall live to do this or that.” **16** But instead you boast in your arrogance, and all such boasting is evil. **17** Anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits a sin.

## CHAPTER 5

### Woe to the Rich.

**1** Come now, you who are rich. Lament and weep over the miseries that will soon overwhelm you. **2** Your riches have rotted. Your clothes are all moth-eaten. **3** Your gold and silver have corroded. Their corrosion will serve as a witness against you and consume your flesh like a fire. You have hoarded wealth for the last days.

**4** Behold, the wages you fraudulently withheld from the laborers who harvested your fields are crying out, and the cries of those harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. **5** You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have gorged yourselves as on the day of slaughter. **6** You have condemned the righteous man and murdered him, even though he offered you no resistance.

### Patience, for the Lord’s Coming Is Near.

**7** Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Think of how patiently a farmer awaits the precious crop from his fields until they have received the early and the late rains. **8** You too must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

**9** Brethren, do not raise complaints against one another lest you yourselves be brought to judgment. Behold, the Judge is standing at the gates.

**10** As an example of patience in enduring hardship, brethren, consider the Prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. **11** Indeed, those who had perseverance are the ones we call blessed. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and have come to understand the Lord’s purpose in this respect, because the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

**12**

### Do Not Swear.

Above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth, or use any oaths at all. Let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No.” Otherwise you may be condemned.

**13**

### Anointing of the Sick.

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing songs of praise. **14** Is anyone among you sick? He should send for the presbyters of the Church so that they may pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. **15** The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.

**16**

### Confession and Intercession.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

**17** Elijah was a man like us. Yet when he prayed fervently that it might not rain for three and a half years, it did not rain on the earth. **18** Then he prayed again, and the heavens gave forth rain, and the earth once again brought forth its harvest.

### The Peace of Fraternal Love.

My brethren, if one of you should stray from the truth and another succeeds in bringing him back, **20** remember this: A person who brings back a sinner from erring ways will rescue his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

## FOOTNOTES

**James 1:1:**

Only this verse

gives the writing

the form

of a letter.

Concerning

the author

and

the addressees,

**see** **the** **Introduction** **of** **The Letter of James.**
**Servant:**
**see** **note** **on**
**Romans 1:1.**
**Twelve tribes:**

they

prefigured

the new

People of God

**(see** **Acts 26:7;** **And** **Revelation 7:4).**
**James 1:2:**

The Christian

is exposed

to the opposition

of society.

**Joy . . . various trials:**

a teaching

based on the words

of Jesus

**(see** **Matthew 5:10-Matthew 5:12;** **And** **John 10:11).**
**James 1:5:**

A believer’s prayer

requires

lucidity

and

courage

to pursue

a Christian way

of life—

that is, wisdom.
**James 1:9:**

In becoming Christians,

the rich

lose their

privileged position

in society

and

the poor

wait to be enriched

by God.

Both of them

must live in

the spirit

of the poor

of the Bible

**(see** **Psalms 72:4,** **Psalms 74:12;** **Matthew 5:3;** **Luke 1:52).**
**James 1:12:**

Those

who bear trials

patiently

will go

from distress

to

sharing the

joy

and

life

of the Lord.
**James 1:13:**

The passage

from

trials

to

temptations

reveals the depths

of a person—

and is

one more reason

to be vigilant.
**James 1:16:**

Light

and

life

are opposed to

sin

and

death.

They are the grace

of the new birth

through

the

Gospel

and

Baptism.
**James 1:19:**

It costs nothing

to place oneself

among the distracted listeners

and

let oneself go to

the demon of words

for the sake of words.

Hearing the Gospel

for the sake

of putting it into practice

obliges one to notice

the sufferings of others,

to be concerned with truth,

to cling to

the Christian originality

in the face

of current

mentalities

and

morals.
**James 2:1:**

Remaining impartial

is the most difficult

as well as

the most significant

demand of the Bible

and

the Gospel.

But even

in the liturgical assembly

notables are often honored

because of

their fortune

and

their culture,

while the poor

are sometimes

put down.

The Gospel

cannot stand

for such discrimination.

On the contrary,

it calls

for all

to be poor.
**James 2:5:**
**Poor:**

the poor

of the Lord,

who relied on God alone

and

were in turn

loved by God

and

under his protection

**(see** **Psalms 35:10;** **Isaiah 61:1;** **Matthew 5:3;** **Matthew 11:5;** **Luke 6:20;** **And** **1 Corinthians 1:17-1 Corinthians 1:20).**
**James 2:14:**

The main concern

of the Letter

is expressed

in this passage.

The author

attacks a faith

that is satisfied with

words

and

ideas

that do not lay hold

of one’s existence

and

do not find expression

in charity and prayer.

Paul had said

that salvation comes

only through faith in Jesus Christ,

but this is a faith

that

unsettles

and

transforms

one’s life

**(see** **Romans 3:28;** **And** **Galatians 2:16).**

Like him,

James,

too,

gives Abraham,

the model for believers,

as an example,

but at first sight

the two writers

seem to draw contrary conclusions.

In fact,

however,

James regards Abraham’s action

as

a

gesture and expression

of his faith;

in this context,

Paul speaks rather

of the fruits of the Spirit

**(see** **Romans 12–Romans 14;** **1 Corinthians 13:1;** **1 Corinthians 4:20;** **Galatians 5:13;** **And** **Galatians 6:10).**

The two writers

both cite Rahab,

of whom

the Book of Joshua

speaks.

The Letter of James

by no means

minimizes faith;

rather

it demands an authentic life.
**James 2:15:**

These verses

illustrate

a faith

that is faulty

similar to the way

**1 John 3:17**

illustrates

a love

that is faulty.

What is needed

is a faith

that is genuine,

i.e.,

operative.
**James 2:25:**
**Rahab the prostitute:**

the author

of the Letter

is not intending

to approve

Rahab’s occupation

but simply

to commend the faith

she showed

in helping the spies

**(see** **Joshua 2;**
**see** **also** **Hebrews 11:31).**
**James 3:1:**

What is more beautiful

and what more ugly

than the tongue?

All the wisdoms

of the world

repeat it,

and the sages

of the Old Testament

more than once

issued denunciations

against inconsiderate words

**(see** **Proverbs 10:9;** **Proverbs 13:3;** **Proverbs 15:1-Proverbs 15:4;** **Proverbs 18:21;** **Proverbs 21:23;** **And** **Wisdom of Ben Sira 5:11—Wisdom of Ben Sira 6:1).**

Christ had spoken

of the evil

that comes forth

from the mouth of man

**(see** **Mark 7:21-Mark 7:23).**

There is a kind of

passionate outburst

of words

that disfigures society;

with a word

one can

disrupt an assembly,

with a lie

break a friendship

or

unleash a rivalry—

in short,

destroy

the world’s harmony.

We might say

that an infernal power

is at work;

“Gehenna”

was the cursed spot

around Jerusalem

that became

a symbol for hell.

The author is speaking

especially to those

who have

the responsibility

to teach

in the assemblies.

What a perversion

it is

to announce

God’s praise

yet

do harm

to one’s neighbor.
**James 3:2:**
**Perfection:**

so difficult

is the tongue

to control

that those

who are successful

gain control

of themselves

in all other

areas of life

as well.
**James 3:9:**
**In the likeness of God:**

human beings

are made

in the likeness of God

**(see** **Genesis 1:26f);**

hence,

to curse them

is tantamount

to cursing God

**(see** **Genesis 9:6).**
**James 3:13:**

There is a way of life

and

a concept of relationships

that are inspired

by a sense of God.

There is another

that is nothing more

than the

uncontrolled expression

of passions.

The Old Testament

thus opposed

wisdom

and

folly

**(see** **Proverbs 2:6;** **Proverbs 8:22-Proverbs 8:31;** **Wisdom 7:22—Wisdom 8:1;** **Wisdom of Ben Sira 1:1-Wisdom of Ben Sira 1:4;** **And** **Wisdom of Ben Sira 24:3-Wisdom of Ben Sira 24:22).**

Paul distinguished

between

the fruits of the flesh

and

the fruits of the Spirit

**(see** **Galatians 5:22-25).**

The Christian faith

is transmitted

by

mildness,

conciliation,

goodness,

and

peace.
**James 4:1:**

Troubles,

unjust

and

murderous

confrontations,

and

wars

are the scourges of social life,

and

Christians share in them.

Murderous passions

are given free rein

even in the community,

creating

antagonisms

and

divisions.

The desire to possess

and

to monopolize things

seems to be without limits

and takes over the human heart.

Hence,

let all Christians

question themselves

about their innermost

affiliation

and

choice.

Do they really

opt for God

or

do they live under the weight

of their evil passions?

When someone became unfaithful

to God

in the concrete,

the Old Testament

as well as

Christ

designated it as adultery

**(see** **Hosea 3:1;** **Matthew 12:39;** **And** **Matthew 16:4).**

All these evils

are

the result

of a failure to pray.

True prayer

is a drawing

near to God,

and it requires

a reversal

of mentality.
**James 4:1:**
**Passions:**

literally,

“pleasures.”

The author

is not saying

that pleasures

are evil

in themselves;

the evil

consists

only in the way

they are used.
**James 4:5:**
**He yearns jealously for the Spirit that he sent to live in us:**

two other translations

are possible

(because James

is citing a passage

that does not appear

in any extant

Bible manuscript):

“The spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely”

and

“The Spirit he caused to live in us longs jealously.”

The meaning of the translation

in the text

is that God

jealously longs

for our

fidelity

and

love

**(see** **John 4:4).**

The meaning

of the first alternative translation

is that

because of the fall

the spirit of man

that was put in us

at the Creation

**(see** **Genesis 2:7)**

envies intensely—

however,

God’s grace

is able to

overcome that envy

**(see** **Exodus 20:5).**

The meaning

of the second alternative translation

is that

it is the Holy Spirit

who longs jealously

for our full devotion.
**James 4:11:**

Nothing

is more current

in the

thoughts

and

conversations

of human beings

than passing judgment

on others

and

slandering them.

This is a usurpation.

Only God

can pass judgment,

and it is he

who has established a law—

the law of love

**(see** **Leviticus 19:16-Leviticus 19:18;** **And** **Matthew 7:1-Matthew 7:5).**
**James 4:13:**

This is a warning

to those people

who live only

for the glory

of their projects,

the exploitation of others,

and the lure of gain

**(see** **Mark 8:36).**

It reproduces the theme

of human weakness

**(see** **Psalms 39:5-Psalms 39:7,** **Psalms 39:11;** **Psalms 102:3;** **Wisdom 2:4;** **And** **Wisdom 5:9-Wisdom 5:14),**

which obliges people

to put their trust

solely in God

and not in self.
**James 5:1:**

Here,

we hear again

the cries of the Prophets

denouncing the

injustice

and

inhumanity

of riches

**(see** **Isaiah 5:8-Isaiah 5:10;** **Jeremiah 5:26-Jeremiah 5:30;** **And** **Amos 8:4-Amos 8:8);**

we also hear

the voice of Christ

placing us on guard

against

the danger of riches

**(see** **Luke 6:24;** **And** **Luke 18:24-Luke 18:27).**

The Bible has always

seen

the accumulation of goods

as

tarnished by some injustice.

It instinctively feels

how riches give birth

to a type of person

whose sense

of his own

human condition

becomes warped

and

who loses sight

of the

proper relationship

of

fraternity

and

justice

in regard to others.
**James 5:6:**

For the

Old Testament

as well as

for the

New,

the life of believers

tends toward

the final encounter

with the Lord.

The future of human beings

does not rest

in any terrestrial value

in an absolute manner.

It rests in God.

The expectation

of the Lord’s

Second Coming

**(see** **1 Corinthians 15:23)**

is the ultimate basis

for Christian patience

**(see** **James 1:2—James 4:12;** **1 Thessalonians 3:13;** **1 Peter 4:7;** **And** **1 Peter 5:10).**
**James 5:12:**

The Sermon on the Mount

gives us

the same recommendation

in the same terms

**(see** **Matthew 5:34-Matthew 5:37).**
**James 5:13:**

The Church

was to pay

special attention

to the sick.

Catholic tradition

sees in this passage

a testimony to the

Sacrament

of

the Anointing of the Sick.

It was with an appeal

to it

that Pope Innocent I

(in his Letter of March 19, 416,

to Decentius,

Bishop of Gubbio)

justified

the rite

used in the Church

and

declared it

to be a

“Sacrament”;

this doctrine

was later

solemnly defined

by the

Council of Trent

despite the opposition

of the Protestants

(Session 14, November 25, 1551).

The reference to prayer

ends

with the example

of Elijah.

The Jewish tradition

was familiar

with several examples

of Prophets

who had interceded

for the people

**(see** **Genesis 18:22-Genesis 18:32;** **Exodus 32:11-Exodus 32:14,** **And** **Exodus 32:30-Exodus 32:32).**

Elijah

was a very popular figure

both in Jewish tradition

and

in the early Christian tradition

(which identified the coming Elijah

with John the Baptist).
**James 5:19:**

James

regards the return

of a straying brother

to the truth

as a real

rescue from death

**(see** **Matthew 18:12-Matthew 18:13;** **And** **1 John 5:16).**

It would seem

that the sins

“covered,”

i.e.,

forgiven,

are those

of the brother

who had gone astray

(see 1 Pet 4:8)

rather than those

of the brother

who brings him

back to the truth

**(see** **Ezekiel 3:20-Ezekiel 3:21;** **And** **1 Timothy 4:16).**

In speaking of

a

“multitude of sins”

James is perhaps

including

the sins

of both

**(see** **James 2:13).**

## OTHER BOOKS OF THE NEW CATHOLIC BIBLE TRANSLATION

 **THE BOOKS OF THE CATHOLIC BIBLE IN THE NEW CATHOLIC BIBLE TRANSLATION**

### Old Testament

#### Pentateuch/Torah:

1. The Book of Genesis
2. The Book of Exodus
3. The Book of Leviticus
4. The Book of Numbers
5. The Book of Deuteronomy

#### Historical Books:

1. The Book of Joshua
2. The Book of Judges
3. The Book of Ruth
4. The First Book of Samuel
5. The Second Book of Samuel
6. The First Book of Kings
7. The Second Book of Kings
8. The First Book of Chronicles
9. The Second Book of Chronicles
10. The Book of Ezra
11. The Book of Nehemiah
12. The Book of Tobit
13. The Book of Judith
14. The Book of Esther
15. The First Book of Maccabees
16. The Second Book of Maccabees

#### Poetic Books:

1. The Book of Job
2. The Book of Psalms
3. The Book of Proverbs
4. The Book of Ecclesiastes
5. The Book of the Song of Songs
6. The Book of Wisdom
7. The Book of The Wisdom of Ben Sira

#### Prophetic Books:

1. The Book of Isaiah
2. The Book of Jeremiah
3. The Book of Lamentations
4. The Book of Baruch
5. The Book of Ezekiel
6. The Book of Daniel
7. The Book of Hosea
8. The Book of Joel
9. The Book of Amos
10. The Book of Obadiah
11. The Book of Jonah
12. The Book of Micah
13. The Book of Nahum
14. The Book of Habakkuk
15. The Book of Zephaniah
16. The Book of Haggai
17. The Book of Zechariah
18. The Book of Malachi

### New Testament

#### The Four Gospels

1. The Gospel according to Matthew
2. The Gospel according to Mark
3. The Gospel according to Luke
4. The Gospel according to John

#### Pauline Epistles

1. The Letter to The Romans
2. The First Letter to The Corinthians
3. The Second Letter to The Corinthians
4. The Letter to The Galatians
5. The Letter to The Ephesians
6. The Letter to The Philippians
7. The Letter to The Colossians
8. The First Letter to The Thessalonians
9. The Second Letter to The Thessalonians
10. The First Letter to Timothy
11. The Second Letter to Timothy
12. The Letter to Titus
13. The Letter to Philemon

#### The General Epistles/Catholic Epistles

1. **The Letter of James**
2. The First Letter of Peter
3. The Second Letter of Peter
4. The First Letter of John
5. The Second Letter of John
6. The Third Letter of John
7. The Letter of Jude