Amos's River of Justice

Category: Christianity in the World

  • James 1:5-8

    James 1:5-8

    This entry is part 5 of 12 in the series The Epistle of James

    James 1:5-8 as translated by James B. Adamson, p. 55:

    5  But if any of you is lacking knowledge (of God's way and will), let him ask of God, who gives it to all as a simple (unconditional) gift and chides not (the petitioner for previous ignorance).
    6  But let him ask in faith, with no halting between two opinions: for the man who halts between two opinions is like a sea of waves, the way it is blown and beaten under the winds.
    7  Let not that (sort of) man imagine that he will get anything from the Lord.
    8  A man who is of two minds is unsteady in all his ways.
    (more…)

  • James 1:3-4

    This entry is part 4 of 12 in the series The Epistle of James

    It is necessary to discuss some terms before we begin Adamson’s commentary on James 1:3-4. Otherwise we will have to define the terms in the middle of the discussion. The first term is approbation.

    Approbation is a formal noun meaning approval or praise. Adamson compares approbation in Christianity to a scholastic examination course. It requires endurance under trial and temptation.

    The second term is peirasmos.

    According to an online source: “The matter of significance about peirazo (the verb form) is that it is used in both a good sense and a bad sense. It can have the idea of testing with the purpose of bringing out that which is good, or it can have the idea of testing with the purpose of bringing out that which is bad.”

    (more…)
  • The Epistle of James 1:2

    The Epistle of James 1:2

    This entry is part 3 of 12 in the series The Epistle of James
    Deem it nothing but an occasion for joy, my brothers, whenever (on each occasion when ) you encounter trying assaults of evil in their various forms (The Epistle of James 1:2, translated by Adamson, p. 52).

    James includes verses 2 through 4 in this section but this article will only discuss his commentary on verse 2. I think it’s important to include the citations and notes relevant to his arguments. If I include all three verses in this article it will be too long. I’ll discuss Jame 3-4 in the next article.

    Peirasmos

    According to Adamson, the dominant ideas of the Epistle are the duty and the reward of endurance under peirasmos, a ‘certain and not distant victory’. The words and example of Jesus inspire this approach. He cites Luke 6:22.

    (more…)
  • The Word ‘Salutation’

    The Word ‘Salutation’

    This entry is part 2 of 12 in the series The Epistle of James

    According to James B. Adamson, the word salutation is the usual greeting with which Greek letters of all periods opened. (He cites Acts 15:23 and 23:26.) In Hebrew (and ancient Syriac and modern Arabic) the regular greeting is “Peace!” In Latin it is “Health!” (Salve or Salvete, in Letters Salutem, i.e., salutem dicit). In Greek it is “Joy be to you.”

    (more…)
  • The Epistle of James, Chapter 1

    The Epistle of James, Chapter 1

    This entry is part 1 of 12 in the series The Epistle of James
    James, a bond slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes of the Dispersion, salutation. (James 1:1)

    James B. Adamson begins his commentary with the assumption that James is the brother of Jesus. He argues this point in detail in his introduction. I have chosen not to include that detail because I prefer to start right away with the text of the Epistle and Adamson’s related commentary. However, if anyone is interested in the arguments presented in the introduction, please let me know and I will write about them. Alternatively, readers can order the commentary.

    (more…)

  • The Commentary of James B. Adamson

    This entry is in the series The Book of James With Commentary by James B. Adamson

    I have been working my way through the Book of James using the commentary of James B. Adamson1. As I read, every section seems relevant to our political conversation so I decided that I may as well share it here. This first article in the series will introduce Dr. Adamson and explain his unique approach to James. This is important in my opinion, because it adds to the enjoyment of the work.

    (more…)

  • The Epistle of James, Chapter 3

    This entry is in the series The Book of James With Commentary by James B. Adamson

    In the Epistle of James, Chapter 3, James continues his teachings on wisdom. The first half of the Epistle instructs the Christian on the duty to guard his tongue. Adamson refers to James 1:26 for example.

    If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. (Bible quotations are taken from the Catholic Bible NABRE unless otherwise stated).
    (more…)

  • Mercy and Judgment in 2025

    This is an essay for politicians who seem to have forgotten the important relationship between mercy and judgment in 2025. It’s also for their colleagues and loved ones.

    If you’re wondering why I’m picking on politicians, it’s because there is a raging epidemic of politicians who don’t feel they have to answer to anyone, least of all their constituents. Nor do they bother to respond to the pleas of religious leaders begging them to change their ways. This is particularly reckless behavior because it is the duty of religious leaders to care for their immortal souls.

    (more…)

  • Pope Francis

    I should have known this would happen, but I never considered it. And now it’s time to say good bye to Pope Francis. I have spent quite a bit of time watching other people’s tributes to him. I couldn’t imagine how they could say anything so soon, but of course they aren’t writing blogs on their own schedule. They have editors, managers, and advisors. But their tributes were helpful. I’ll link them at the end.

    (more…)

  • Cardinal Pell’s Delusions of Grandeur

    After Cardinal Pell passed away, I happened to watch a 1993 debate between Pell and Father Uren SJ. Also participating in the debate were Catholic lay people and priests on both sides of the debate. (The two sides sat in separate groups.) The debate was published by Church Militant Australia. Judging by the comments, this organization expected viewers to be sympathetic to Pell and his group. I thought it demonstrated Cardinal Pell’s delusions of grandeur.

    Fighting Vatican II and the Jesuits

    As a non-CatholicI knew nothing about the debates taking place in the decades following Vatican II, so I didn’t realize that Pell was part of a faction that has been fighting Vatican II since the beginning. Nor did I know that this faction is fighting the Jesuits in particular.

    Pope John Paul’s Encyclical on Contraception

    The debate centered on an encyclical letter from Pope John Paul, which contains his teachings on contraception. It became clear that Pell thought it was his job to bring members in line with this encyclical, even though it contradicted previous teachings. His response to objections from other participants, was to act as thought his word should be final. Many of the participants seemed insulted by this approach.

    Father Uren Explains That an Encyclical Can Be Debated

    Father Uren explained that an encyclical letter is not supposed to be above debate. But Pell argued that it should not be debated at all, at least not on television. He stopped short of demanding obedience.

    Why Did This Video Shock Me?

    I am not going to argue any of these points because I am aware that this Pell faction still exists today. What I hope to do is explain what shocked me about this video.  I was shocked because I realized that the insults Cardinal Pell has given to Pope Francis were part of this old debate. Even though this debate is now more than 30 years old, this faction is still determined to keep the Church captive to its own idea of what the Church should be. It wouldn’t matter to me if not for the fact that these people have been successful.

    Hubris is not a strong enough word. Arrogance is better. This is one of the most outrageous things I have ever witnessed. And it may even explain Pell’s support of Donald Trump.

    I thought highly of Cardinal Pell when I saw how he conducted his debate with a well-known atheist, so it pained me when he publicly supported Donald Trump’s bad behavior and criticized Pope Francis.

    There was more than one occasion when he was publicly disrespectful to Pope Francis. Now we know that he was also disrespectful in private. It has come out since his death that he was the author of an anonymous letter criticizing Pope Francis.

    Pell Tries to Influence a Our Election

    Pell’s insults to Francis were hurtful to me when I first heard them. Now that I understand what was going on I can hardly believe this man would carry his fight into the Vatican and rail against a sitting pope. And it wasn’t just Pope Francis who he opposed. He opposed the Jesuits as a group. The conservative Catholics seem to blame the Jesuits for Vatican II.

    You could say that when Pell tried to influence our election It was as if the rest of us didn’t exist. Regardless of Pope Francis’s contributions to the world, all Pell cared about was this obscure debate. Pell lost touch with everything but his own delusions of grandeur. It’s embarrassing.

error: Content is protected !!