Comments on: James 2:1-13 (Modern American Version) http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/2006/08/james-21-13-modern-american-version/ Creativity && Integration Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:06:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Nathan Aleman http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/2006/08/james-21-13-modern-american-version/comment-page-1/#comment-276 Nathan Aleman Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:55:46 +0000 http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/?p=352#comment-276 Great job bringing the text to life. Your revision speaks powerfully to the leadership men can show by treating women equally. They certainly notice, and it enables fellowship without suspicion. Often our sisters that are walking modestly and humbly with the Lord are neglected in favor of the less modest. How great to offer them encouragement and useful attention. Great job bringing the text to life. Your revision speaks powerfully to the leadership men can show by treating women equally. They certainly notice, and it enables fellowship without suspicion. Often our sisters that are walking modestly and humbly with the Lord are neglected in favor of the less modest. How great to offer them encouragement and useful attention.

]]> By: Justin Smith http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/2006/08/james-21-13-modern-american-version/comment-page-1/#comment-277 Justin Smith Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:55:46 +0000 http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/?p=352#comment-277 Nicely written, Jonathan. This provides a clear example of how we can so readily corrupt the love Jesus taught by only "loving" in circumstances in which we perceive we will benefit. Tragically, when we act this way we miss the essence of that love altogether. This is a very challenging instruction because our hearts are so corrupted that it almost feels normal to discriminate who we show love to based on subtle self-interests. I imagine each church culture has people that it "prefers" to love. We should write each other letters reminding us of the people we are respectively quick to avoid because of the culture we live in. Nicely written, Jonathan. This provides a clear example of how we can so readily corrupt the love Jesus taught by only “loving” in circumstances in which we perceive we will benefit. Tragically, when we act this way we miss the essence of that love altogether. This is a very challenging instruction because our hearts are so corrupted that it almost feels normal to discriminate who we show love to based on subtle self-interests.

I imagine each church culture has people that it “prefers” to love. We should write each other letters reminding us of the people we are respectively quick to avoid because of the culture we live in.

]]> By: Peter Marshall http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/2006/08/james-21-13-modern-american-version/comment-page-1/#comment-278 Peter Marshall Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:55:46 +0000 http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/?p=352#comment-278 Another problem when struggling with favoritism lies not only is making sure you don't promote the rich/pretty, but in recognizing the possibility for favoritism and then demoting the rich/pretty because one is so worried about favoring them too much. I find this is an equally difficult struggle. The question deals with how we value people, and maybe we aren't meant to place value on people at all. Maybe we're suppossed to focus so much on loving our neighbors that we don't worry about who is higher or lower in the hierarchy and therefore worthy of the high value we give them. Unfortunately, but honestly, growing up and particularly, going to high school, ingrained in me some seriously destructive opinions of people- I'm guilty at times. Now these habits are in sharper focus because I recognize the destructiveness when I see it. The hard part is in reshaping my mind in regards to this, and for me knowing when I am giving an honest effort in the reshaping process. I tend to over correct when I do. Another problem when struggling with favoritism lies not only is making sure you don’t promote the rich/pretty, but in recognizing the possibility for favoritism and then demoting the rich/pretty because one is so worried about favoring them too much. I find this is an equally difficult struggle.

The question deals with how we value people, and maybe we aren’t meant to place value on people at all. Maybe we’re suppossed to focus so much on loving our neighbors that we don’t worry about who is higher or lower in the hierarchy and therefore worthy of the high value we give them.

Unfortunately, but honestly, growing up and particularly, going to high school, ingrained in me some seriously destructive opinions of people- I’m guilty at times. Now these habits are in sharper focus because I recognize the destructiveness when I see it. The hard part is in reshaping my mind in regards to this, and for me knowing when I am giving an honest effort in the reshaping process. I tend to over correct when I do.

]]> By: Jonathan Lipps http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/2006/08/james-21-13-modern-american-version/comment-page-1/#comment-279 Jonathan Lipps Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:55:46 +0000 http://www.jonathanlipps.com/blog/?p=352#comment-279 Well said, guys. And Peter is right: In attempting to reshape our minds and habits to love the "unlovely", we must not think that we can achieve this merely by hating the "lovely", or indeed, that any of this has to do with the "lovely" at all. There is not some balance or scale with which we must somehow equalize attention given to "lovely" vs "unlovely" people. Rather, there are people, and we must love them. Some are easier to love (the "lovely") than others (the "unlovely"), and which are who depend on culture, ourselves, and many other factors, but the bottom line is love. I think this discussion on favoritism (and my revision of the James passage in particular) is meant just to highlight one of those factors which makes it easier to love certain people than others (and to love them for selfish reasons) in our particular case. Different people will feel the revision with different force, but I thought many of us could relate to this version of favoritism. Well said, guys. And Peter is right: In attempting to reshape our minds and habits to love the “unlovely”, we must not think that we can achieve this merely by hating the “lovely”, or indeed, that any of this has to do with the “lovely” at all. There is not some balance or scale with which we must somehow equalize attention given to “lovely” vs “unlovely” people. Rather, there are people, and we must love them. Some are easier to love (the “lovely”) than others (the “unlovely”), and which are who depend on culture, ourselves, and many other factors, but the bottom line is love. I think this discussion on favoritism (and my revision of the James passage in particular) is meant just to highlight one of those factors which makes it easier to love certain people than others (and to love them for selfish reasons) in our particular case. Different people will feel the revision with different force, but I thought many of us could relate to this version of favoritism.

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