1 John 1:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Our fellowship is in the unity of our faith here on earth and in the eternal dwelling place of God in heaven.
1 John 1:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The fullness of joy comes when we are in fellowship with the apostles, as well as of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
1 John 1:6 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The truth is light, so if we do not walk according to it, we are in the dark.
1 John 1:7 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The blood of animal sacrifices was enough to cleanse people from whatever particular sin they had committed, but the blood of Christ is sufficient to cleanse those who walk in love from all sin.
1 John 1:8 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
If you say that you are not a sinner but act otherwise, you are deceiving yourself.
1 John 2:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
When John says that Christ died for the sins of the "whole world," what he means is that he died for the whole church.
1 John 2:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Those who are perishing do not know God, and God will deny that he has even known them, as he himself said: "Depart from me, for I have never known you."
1 John 2:5 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Love sustains all those who try to put God's commandments into practice.
1 John 2:6 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
There are three ways that we dwell in God—by faith, by hope and by love. God dwells in us by patience and humility.
1 John 2:8 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The commandment is true in him because he loved us so much that he died for us, and it will be true in us also if we love one another.
1 John 2:9 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The person who hates is in darkness until he repents or until he discovers love.
1 John 2:10 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Someone who loves his brothers is in no danger of stumbling.
1 John 2:11 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The person who loses sight of love will not know which way to turn when it comes to doing good works.
1 John 2:15 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
A wise father warns his children not to love things which quickly vanish away. This wisdom is the crowning glory of the supreme Maker of all things, and it is well-suited to everyone who is righteous.
1 John 2:16 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The lust of the flesh is what pertains to our physical appetites, whereas the lust of the eye and the pride of life are what pertains to the vices of the soul, such as inordinate self-love, which does not come from the Father but from the devil.
1 John 2:21 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
You all know the truth because you received it in the rule of faith which you professed at your baptism.
1 John 2:23 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
You cannot know the Father if you deny the Son, because no one comes to the Father except through him.
1 John 2:25 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Christ's promise is that we shall receive a hundred times over in this life, and eternal life in the next.
1 John 2:26 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
People want to deceive us in order to teach you some heresy or other. John has written in order to warn us about this.
1 John 3:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
We shall see him as he is because we shall be like him. This is our hope for the future, our love in the present and our faith in both the past and the present.
1 John 3:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
John says that sin and iniquity are the same thing, though there were heretics who denied this. According to some of them, iniquity was a crime deliberately committed, but sin was a fact of nature and therefore not a crime.
1 John 3:5 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
There is no sin in Christ because he was not conceived in sin as we are.
1 John 3:6 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Sinners have not seen Christ with the eye of faith, nor have they known him by putting that faith into practice in the right way.
1 John 3:7 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Let no one deceive you by saying that there is nothing wrong with sin. The devil has sinned all along because there is no truth in him. He is the ultimate deceiver.
1 John 3:18 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
Actions speak louder than words.
1 John 4:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
God's power to save is always much greater than the devil's power to do harm.
1 John 4:17 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
In this world we must do our best to be generous, godly, merciful and patient, imitating God as closely as we can.
1 John 5:9 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The testimony of men refers to the testimony of people like Moses and the prophets, who were all men of God.
1 John 5:10 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
God can never turn himself into a liar, because he is the essence of truth. But an unbelieving man is a liar, because he does not believe in the truth of God.
1 John 5:21 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN
The letter ends as it began, with an admonition to worship the one true God alone. Everything else that John says is contained in this one golden rule.
1 Peter 1:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Peter means that God has acted to redeem us without any help from us. His mercy is great enough to be able to forgive every sin which has been committed in thought, word and deed, from the beginning to the end of the world.
1 Peter 1:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
An incorruptible inheritance must be an infinite one, since everything finite is corruptible. The inheritance of the first Adam was corrupted by sin, but the inheritance of the second Adam can never be touched by the stain of sin.
1 Peter 1:7 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The glory of the redeemed will never fade after they have been raised from the dead, for it will have withstood the fire of temptation, whereas the gold of this world is said to rust.
1 Peter 1:8 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Not even a thousand ironclad tongues can sound out the sweetness of the heavenly blessings.
1 Peter 1:12 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The angels long to look into these things because of the greatness of their love. They meditate on the Spirit and go on doing so forever, because love never comes to an end.
1 Peter 1:22 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Why does Peter talk about purifying our souls but says nothing about the body? The reason for this is that true purity comes from within. If the soul is clean, the body will be cleansed as well.
1 Peter 1:24 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Here we see the two sides of the human being. The outer man is like the flower of the field which is mortal and will pass away, whereas the inner man lives forever by the power of the living God.
1 Peter 2:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
As you have been born again by the Word of the living God, lay aside all malice, for an infant has no malice in him.
1 Peter 2:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Milk has three forms which can be compared to doctrine, that is, the liquid, cheese and butter. Liquid milk is the literal sense of Scripture, cheese is the moral sense, and butter is the spiritual sense. Find a good teacher and you will soon learn these things.
1 Peter 2:5 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
You have been built on a good foundation, that of the apostles, prophets and patriarchs.
1 Peter 2:6 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Everything in this prophecy is written about Christ. There are many living stones in God's temple, but here we are contemplating only the One.
1 Peter 2:7 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Those of you who believe in Christ are more than just stones—you are sons of God!
1 Peter 2:11 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Evil desires are called "carnal" because they operate through the flesh, but in reality they are spiritual, because they come from the soul.
1 Peter 2:12 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
As the head of the church Peter lays down rules for everyday behavior, and by doing so he unites all the members of the church in one overall harmony.
1 Peter 2:16 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
If we have a form of religion on the outside but inside we are opposed to the rulers of the church as well as to kings and princes, we are using our faith as a pretext for evil.
1 Peter 2:19 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
You will be approved by God if you suffer unjustly, because you know that that is exactly what he did.
1 Peter 2:20 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Peter shows here that those who deserve punishment receive no mercy or grace from God if they perish.
1 Peter 2:25 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Error has three causes—darkness, loneliness and ignorance. The Gentile sheep were wandering among idols because of their foolish ignorance, and they found themselves lost in the darkness of sin and in the loneliness of a strange nation. Peter goes on to add that now they have turned to the guardian [bishop] of their souls, because although there are many guardians around who care about the things of the flesh, there are few who can look deep into the soul and take care of it.
1 Peter 3:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The husband is the head of the wife, and so she must be subject to him just as the other members of the body must be subject to the head. Peter wants wives to show their husbands the path of virtue with just the same vitality as so many of them lead their husbands in the opposite direction.
1 Peter 3:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Actions speak louder than words, and the husbands will be persuaded by what they see, not by what they hear from their wives.
1 Peter 3:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
There is nothing wrong with these ornaments in themselves, but they are unnecessary extras for the believer and should therefore be avoided. Most of them were invented by the daughters of Ham, which explains why the prohibition is directed to women rather than to men.
1 Peter 3:5 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Women must remain holy in every state of life, whether they are married, single or celibate.
1 Peter 3:7 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The head can easily corrupt the members of the body, but Peter addresses himself to the latter first, lest it be thought that the lesser might somehow despise the greater. But then he goes on to exhort the greater to treat the lesser members properly. This means, first, husbands must respect the times set aside for prayer and fasting and not demand their marital rights if these are going to be a distraction from other things. Second, men must accept that they are stronger than their wives and therefore have a duty to protect them. Third, both parties are heirs of eternal life which God gives by grace, not by any merit which we may possess, and we do well to remember that "It depends not on man's will or exertion, but on God's mercy."
1 Peter 3:8 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Peter, as the head of the church, calls everyone to unite in harmony, whether they are secular rulers and peasants, princes of the church and monks, or husbands and wives. The same basic principles apply to them all.
1 Peter 3:9 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Of course you should not return evil for good or cursing for blessing either, though some people do. A Christian is called to the exact opposite behavior!
1 Peter 3:10 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The present is evil, but the future is bright. We should always remember that.
1 Peter 3:13 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Who can prevent you from being blessed, for the Scriptures say that no one can take our joy from us.
1 Peter 3:16 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Do not get angry or threaten anyone. Your conscience is the part of you which embraces what is good and which rejects evil. It is like the doorkeeper of a house which is open to friends and closed to enemies.
1 Peter 4:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The will of God which we live by is the witness of the gospel, which kills any interest we may have in human glory.
1 Peter 4:6 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The gospel is preached to the Gentiles who are dead in sin, but this may also refer to the fact that when the Lord was buried in the tomb he went to preach to those who live in hell.
1 Peter 4:7 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Peter is saying that once the gospel has been preached to the Gentiles the end will have come.
1 Peter 4:12 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
The trials and temptations which come to Christians are nothing new. The prophets of the Old Testament suffered exactly the same things. All such trials find their meaning and culmination in the cross of Christ. The servant is not greater than his master. If Christ suffered, how can we expect to get off any more lightly?
1 Peter 4:15 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Our suffering must not be like that of the thief on the cross, who suffered because he was a murderer, even though he himself confessed that Christ had done no wrong. Nor should we be like Ananias and Sapphira, who tried to steal what belonged to God. Even less should we imitate Simon Magus, who denounced the apostles to Nero and who tried to buy their gifts with gold and silver.
1 Peter 4:16 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
If you suffer as a Christian, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Think of James the son of Zebedee or Stephen. However awful the trials you suffer may be, learn to glory in them, not to be upset by them. Christ's glory is revealed in the church when it suffers.
1 Peter 5:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
It is by exhortation and constructive criticism that the flock of the Lord is to be set straight.
1 Peter 5:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Here Peter is telling the leaders of the church exactly what the Lord told him: "Feed my sheep."
1 Peter 5:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
Even though you may have authority over the church in what you say or in the office which you occupy, you should never have a superior attitude toward others.
1 Peter 5:5 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
By "young men" Peter means everyone who occupies a subordinate role in the church. But note that those who are superiors must also act humbly, for humility is what should be common to both.
1 Peter 5:9 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
There is a world of difference between God and the devil. If you resist God, he will destroy you, but if you resist the devil, you will destroy him.
2 John 1:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN
The elect lady is clearly a church to which the letter is written. It is elect in faith and mistress of all virtues.
2 John 1:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN
By "truth" John is referring to the Holy Spirit, because love is always the work of the Spirit.
2 John 1:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN
The saints are always overjoyed to see the results of truth at work.
2 John 1:8 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN
Here John is warning people not to fall away into heresy or to revert back to the Old Testament law once they have received the New.
2 John 1:10 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN
Here you see an example of excommunication in the New Testament, both from table fellowship at home and from table fellowship in church.
2 John 1:13 — INTRODUCTORY OMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN
John unites the leaders of the churches in peace because they are sisters in the faith of the church and daughters of God by baptism.
2 Peter 1:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
In his second letter Peter describes himself both as Simon and as a servant, in order to show that he was humble and obedient. In his first letter he confined himself to the name Peter, which had been given to him by the Lord himself and signified that he was the chief of the apostles, but here he reverts to his original name Simon in order to show those who preferred to forget his Jewish origins that he had not rejected them.
2 Peter 1:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Here Peter is talking about the Scriptures, the miracles which Christ did in the flesh, the work of baptism and the doctrine which was preached, all of which bring us into the enjoyment of eternal life.
2 Peter 1:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Just as God stepped out of his nature to become a partaker of our humanity, so we are called to step out of our nature to become partakers of his divinity.
2 Peter 1:9 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
If these virtues are present, we can see God, but if they are absent, we are blind.
2 Peter 1:10 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Peter is telling us that we should not be content with our baptism but should go on and grow in our faith.
2 Peter 1:11 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Here Peter reminds us that the entrance into heaven is the narrow way of following God's commandments.
2 Peter 1:12 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The people to whom Peter is writing already know what he has to say because they have read his first letter. The truth which he has to share with them is the New Testament, for as Paul said: "The old has passed away, and all things are made new in Christ."
2 Peter 1:13 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Peter thought that it was right to call Gentiles to faith, but the Jews did not. This is why he expresses himself like this here.
2 Peter 1:14 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The Lord Jesus showed Peter that his end was near either by a revelation through the Holy Spirit or by his response to Peter when he said: "Get behind me, Satan" or perhaps by dreams and visions in the night.
2 Peter 1:15 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
By writing to them often Peter hoped to leave something behind him after his death.
2 Peter 1:17 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The one who received glory and honor was not inferior to the one who bestowed these things, because it was in his human flesh that the Son received them, not in his eternal divinity.
2 Peter 1:18 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Tradition says that the transfiguration took place on Mt. Tabor.
2 Peter 1:19 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The light which shone on them was the light of Scripture.
2 Peter 1:20 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
You must take care when interpreting the Scriptures not to be too greatly fixated upon the places, times and people who wrote them down, as if they were merely human compositions. Rather you ought to rely on the clarity and sufficiency of the Spirit.
2 Peter 2:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
It is typical of false teachers that they cannot accept the full equality of the persons of the Trinity.
2 Peter 2:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
They revile the way of truth because they have turned orthodox doctrine into heresy, or because they have rejected the rule given to them at their baptism, or because they have abandoned the way of truth.
2 Peter 2:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The destruction of these people comes from none other than the God of Israel, who is never idle or asleep.
2 Peter 2:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The angels sinned in three ways, by their pride, by their envy and by their lust. In this verse it is made clear that sin can occur even if it is not done overtly in the flesh. It is obvious that the essence of sin is consent to do evil.
2 Peter 2:5 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The ungodliness of those who lived in the time from Adam to Noah was what caused the flood.
2 Peter 2:14 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
These people even greeted one another with kisses which were full of lust. What was meant to be a sign of peace was transformed into adultery by those who had turned away from God.
2 Peter 2:15 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The right way is the way of Christ, who said: "I am the way, the truth and the life."
2 Peter 2:16 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The ass spoke with a human voice so that Balaam would understand what God was saying to him. He had become a madman because of his disobedience to the commandments of God, and dumb animals are wiser than that, since they observe the law of nature.
2 Peter 2:17 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
These people are empty wells of the kind that animals fall into and die in, because there is no water at the bottom.
2 Peter 2:18 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Pride is always vain because it makes people stupid, as they are without God insofar as they are proud.
2 Peter 2:19 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
A man is the slave of whatever vice controls him.
2 Peter 2:20 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
It is always worse to sin knowingly than to sin in ignorance.
2 Peter 2:21 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
To know the way of righteousness is to know Christ and the holy gospel. Peter is talking here about people who have been baptized after professing faith in Jesus but who have then turned away from him.
2 Peter 3:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Peter makes a point of mentioning that this is his second letter, so that the recipients will not doubt its authenticity.
2 Peter 3:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Here Peter prophesies what will happen in the future, for we must always remember that there are prophets in the New Testament too.
2 Peter 3:4 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
People were talking this way as if the flood had never occurred and as if fire had never come down from heaven in the past.
2 Peter 3:5 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
The whole creation is basically formed out of water, even if it is solidified in the form of earth or elevated in the way that heaven is.
2 Peter 3:8 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Just as a man works for a day and afterwards remembers what he has done, so God does not forget even after a thousand years. It may be a long time before he gets round to punishing sinners, but when he does so he uses his power in a single instant.
2 Peter 3:11 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
As you wait for the end of all things, you must live holy lives according to the three laws—the Old Testament, the New Testament and the law of nature—and you must keep faith in the Trinity, which is the law of godliness.
2 Peter 3:12 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
You are waiting for the end as the virgins waited for the bridegroom.
2 Peter 3:14 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
When he returns, Christ wants to find you spotless in your faith and uncorrupted in the chastity of your body.
2 Peter 3:15 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Note that Paul wrote to them not according to the wisdom which he possessed but according to the wisdom which was given to him specifically for that purpose.
2 Peter 3:16 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Peter says this because he himself was overwhelmed by Paul's brilliance.
2 Peter 3:18 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER
Grow in the faith which is yours by baptism and in the knowledge which comes from putting that faith into practice.
3 John 1:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
Things are going well for Gaius because his soul is carrying on in good works as the will of his mind directs him.
3 John 1:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
The truth of Gaius's life was seen in the perfection of his works. He was a man who went about without any guile in thought, word or deed. Instead of that, he followed the commandments of God to the best of his ability.
3 John 1:6 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
Visitors praised Gaius to the rest of the church because of his generous hospitality to those who were in God's service.
3 John 1:7 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
This means that the servants of God have accepted no assistance from those who are not believers.
3 John 1:9 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
This verse teaches us that we ought to bear the abuse of those who insult us with equanimity, but sometimes we have to protest it because if we do not do so, these people will corrupt the minds of those who might otherwise have heard something good about us.
3 John 1:12 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
Demetrius was highly regarded by everybody because of his virtue. Some people take this verse to mean that he was criticized by everyone, but I cannot see how such an interpretation is possible.
3 John 1:14 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 3 JOHN
John means by this that he still has many commands to give them.
James 1:1 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Christ deigned to reveal himself to James after his passion, and eventually it became proverbial to say: "He appeared also to James." James refers to himself as a servant, but we must remember that there are two kinds of servitude, voluntary and involuntary. The involuntary servant is a slave who fears punishment, and therefore his service does not spring from love. But the voluntary servant is really no different from a son.
James 1:2 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Just as the world has to pass through winter before the spring comes and the flowers bloom, so a man must go through many temptations before he can inherit the prize of eternal life. For as Paul said: "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." Temptations come in three ways, by persuasion, by attraction and by consent. Satan persuades, the flesh is attracted, and the mind consents.
James 1:3 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Temptations can be endured by spiritual knowledge and faith in the Trinity.
James 1:4 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Perfection is the love of God, which is that very same "perfect love which casts out fear," that is, the fear of being tempted. Perfection is also patience, which is the guardian of the soul as Scripture says: "By your patience you will gain your souls."
James 1:5 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Why does James tell them to seek wisdom? It is so that they might have God's assurance. Only God should be asked for wisdom, not philosophers or astrologers. God gives wisdom like a fountain which never runs out of water, and he fills everyone whom he enters, but the wisdom of philosophers and other human agents is not given in abundance, and it is soon spewed out.
James 1:6 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
James shows that the basis of human wisdom is faith. Here he may be contending against Simon Magus, who asked the apostles to give him the Holy Spirit but did not ask in faith.
James 1:9 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
This verse applies to Hebrew slaves who were great and proud and high in their own eyes but in their slavery had become the lowest of the low. It is as if he were saying that life was harder for the rich people with whom they were living than it was for them as their servants. The boasting referred to here is not vain glory but joy in times of temptation.
James 1:10 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Scripture says that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled." Wealth is a rich man's flower, but the elements of the universe are out to snatch it away from him. James says very little about the humble man, but it is enough, for he will receive his glory from God. But the rich are condemned at great length, so that no one will be tempted to follow their example.
James 1:16 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
This refers to the deception of the heretics who think that because God rules the physical world in darkness and in light, in drought and in rain, in cold and in heat, so he also rules over human wills with the same determinateness—in good and in bad, in sadness and in joy, in death and in life. Because of this error, James goes on to add that it is "every good endowment and every perfect gift" which comes from the Father of lights.
James 1:18 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Just as the heavenly powers rule over the angelic creatures, so we human beings rule over the lower creation.
James 1:21 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Filthiness and wickedness arise out of anger.
James 1:23 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
There are two kinds of mirrors—large and small. In a small mirror you see small things—this is the Old Testament, which leads no one to perfection. But in a big mirror you see great things—this is the New Testament, because in it the fullness of perfection is seen.
James 1:27 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
James calls God the Father because as far as he is concerned there is no other god who made the world (as the Marcionites and other heretics claim). What he says about widows has to be understood in the light of the fact that there were many who tried to rob them of their possessions, as it says in the Gospel.
James 2:2 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
What James says here applies not just to rings but to any sign of wealth, for the ring is meant to stand for a treasure house of riches.
James 2:5 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Some people say that this is meant to be a comfort to the poor whohave been thrown out of the houses of the rich or who dwell in inferior accommodations. Even if they are poor in material things, they may be rich in faith.
James 2:7 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
This is the name of the God of Israel, which was invoked on your behalf in Egypt, as well as in your baptism.
James 2:8 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
"Love your neighbor" means three different things. The first is corporal, that is, the literal sense of the words. The second is spiritual, according to which we love those close to us even though we may be absent from them. The third is contemplative, by which love itself is beheld. But we have to understand that one leads to another. The corporal inspires us to go on to the spiritual, and that in turn lifts us up to the contemplative. The spiritual may sometimes regress to the merely corporal, but the contemplative never fails us. The corporal and spiritual forms of love are common to human beings and have analogies in animals, but the contemplative is reserved for humans alone.
James 2:9 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
It is a sin to show any class distinction among persons, for the law says: "You shall not be partial in judgment, you shall hear the small and the great alike." Jesus confirmed this when he said: "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."
James 2:11 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Why does James choose these two commandments as his examples? Because they are the ones which deal most closely with loving and with hating one's neighbors.
James 2:12 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
By the New Testament law everyone is born again, free and equal with one another.
James 2:13 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
If you are merciful and lenient to the poor in your judgment, you will have nothing to fear from the judgment of God.
James 2:15 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
These are the words of faith, spoken to those who know that there is only one God, who is the Father of all his children. True love has two sides to it—help for the body and help for the soul. Here James concentrates on the first of these because he is speaking especially to those who are rich.
James 2:17 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Works give life to faith, faith gives life to the soul, and the soul gives life to the body.
James 2:19 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Those who believe but who do not fear God are even worse than the devils. And those who believe and tremble but who do not practice what they preach are just like the devils.
James 2:21 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
When Abraham went up the mountain to sacrifice Isaac, he took four things with him—a sword, fire, a heavy heart and a pile of wood. What does the fire stand for if not the suffering of Christ? What does the sword signify, if not death? What does the wood indicate, if not the cross? And what is the importance of Abraham's heavy heart, if it does not stand for the compassion of the Father and the angels as they beheld the death of Christ? Isaac was an earthly type of Christ and was offered up for us all. According to tradition this occurred on 25 March, the day on which the world was created, the day on which the last judgment will occur. The place where it happened was none other than the one which God would later choose for the site of his temple on Mount Zion, which is so called because Zion means "mirror of life," for it was there that Abraham saw as in a mirror the life which was to be revealed in the New Testament.
James 3:1 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
The apostle here prohibits a large number of teachers, for even our Lord Jesus Christ chose only a few for this role. He had only twelve disciples, and not all of them went on to become teachers of the gospel.
James 3:2 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Perfection consists of righteousness, and silence is the way to achieve it. This is why James connects perfection with keeping one's mouth shut.
James 3:6 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Iniquity stains us in the same way as wood is scorched by fire, and hell burns as if it were a fire.
James 3:11 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
The spring is the heart of man, the flowing stream of water is his speech, and the opening through which it pours is his mouth. The sweet water is sound doctrine, while the bitter water is just the opposite.
James 4:4 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Love of honor and pride and boastfulness is hostile to God, for these things were the undoing of the fallen angels as well as of the first human couple, which is why to this day they are described as "enemies of God."
James 4:12 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
The law of the Bible was given through many agents, like Moses and Elijah and John the Baptist, but ultimately it is still only one law, and there is only one lawgiver.
James 5:1 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
The rich must repent while there is still time for them to do so. James is speaking here of those rich people who have shown themselves to be too stingy to offer any help to the poor.
James 5:3 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
It is true of course that gold does not rust, but James is comparing it to material things which do rust in the course of time.
James 5:4 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
What James means here is not that God has ears but that he can use his power to put right the wrongs which exist on earth.
James 5:14 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
This sickness is the sickness of sin. If someone is struck down by his own thoughts, then he should pray on his own, but if he has committed some sin he should ask for the church's prayers. The custom mentioned here is followed even today, for the grace of mercy is symbolized by oil.
James 5:15 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
The prayer of faith is the consensus of the whole church, as it is said in the Gospel: "Whatever you ask in my name shall be done for you."
James 5:17 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
The apostle regards himself as inferior to the prophets, who performed such miracles. The three years and six months represent the time of the antichrist, but the three years may also stand for the three ages of human history from the creation to the time of David, or they may symbolize the patriarchs, the prophets and the apostles. The miracle mentioned here is meant to encourage believers to persevere in their struggle against the unrighteous, for as in the case of Elijah, even if only one person prays, his prayer represents the common mind of all the righteous.
James 5:20 — INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES
Someone who preaches to sinners in order to convert them will save his soul, even if the people he preaches to are not actually converted.
Jude 1:1 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON JUDE
Jude does his utmost to make sure that nobody confuses him with Judas Iscariot, which is why he confesses that he is Christ's servant and James's brother. Note how he also says that the Father chooses us, Jesus keeps us and the Holy Spirit calls us.
Jude 1:2 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON JUDE
Jude includes a reference to love here because he has noticed that there is a lack of it among his people.
Jude 1:3 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON JUDE
The faith was first delivered to these people by the apostle Paul, who said: "No other foundation can anyone lay, than the one which is already laid."
Jude 1:13 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON JUDE
These people are called wandering stars because they do not follow the sun of truth.
Jude 1:17 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON JUDE
Jude does not specify which apostles he is referring to, but many people assume he means Peter, James and John.
Jude 1:25 — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON JUDE
Praise is given to God alone, for he is the only one who deserves our worship. He is our Savior, because "he has saved his people from their sins." Glory is ascribed to him because he is the victor in every battle; majesty, because the praise of the heavenly virtues is so great; dominion, because he rules over all he has made; and authority, because he has the power to destroy or to set free everything in creation. He exists from the beginning, in the present and forever.
Proverbs 1:20 — LIFE OF ST. HONORATUS, PREFACE 3
It is written: "Wisdom is made known in death," that is to say, the life of the wise man is praised at the end of his life. Wherefore we read also in another place: "Do not praise a man during his lifetime"and again, "Praise not any man before death." Now suppose someone says: praise a man after death, for in the praise of the living there is a possible occasion of vain exultation for the object of the laudation and a note of flattery is attached to the one bestowing it. In many ways, however, it is useful to praise the dead: in the first place, because, while the one is absent who might be gratified by our praise, it is necessary that the whole glory be referred to the bestower of grace; second, because only admiration for his virtue remains when the suspicion of flattery is removed. Therefore, praise of the dead which is proclaimed in the holy congregation of the faithful is full of edification and utterly free from ostentation.