Love is the Fulfilling of the Law
ON GOD; Part CXIII
“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (James 3: 13-18).
The last part of this section from the Epistle of the Apostle James is seemingly unrelated to the parts we have been discussing over the last several days but we should note that this last verse is joined to the rest with the conjunction and and therefore must have some relevance to the whole. There are several ways to look at this saying and several meanings that come from them. It is unfortunate that Vincent chose to ignore this verse leaving us only with our other commentaries and the ideas furnished by other translations. Let us look here at some of the alternate translations of this:
- American Standard Version (ASV): “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace“. Here we trade the idea from the King James Version (KJV) that says of them to for them which puts this is a different context based on our understanding that of them can be seen as equivalent to by them.
- New American Standard (NAS): “And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace“. this is the modernization of the ASV in which the translators saw it right to use the same idea from the KJV but with by them in place of of them which does make for us better English sense. Here however the added words the seed whose do not seem to be in the Greek but appear to be added for some reason of clarity.
- New International Version (NIV): “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness“. Here the idea remains constant to the ideas in by them but at the same time the context is changed so that the idea of what it is that is sown changes from the fruit of righteousness to a harvest of one and this does not seem to be the original intent.
- Douay-Rheims (RHE): “And the fruit of justice is sown in peace, to them that make peace“. Here in this version that is used by Roman Catholics we see the idea of righteousness changed to justice which is a narrower definition of the Greek word dikaiosune according to the lexicon2 and which has a different connotation than does righteousness. We should note here that the sowing is to them and not by them which gives this saying a rather different meaning which is similar to the for them of the ASV
- Revised Standard Version (RSV): “And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace“. Here we have the similar understanding as we have in the KJV and the NAS but with the change of fruit to harvest which gives a different connotation because of the underlying understanding that we have of the idea of fruit.
Can we see the issues here and the changes in the meaning of this saying by the apostle? Of course we do not have any way to KNOW what James’ intent was except by the understanding of our own interpretation as Wisdom from above and for the writer this is to see this as the KJV but with the clarification that by them does provide. We should see here that James is speaking of the fruit that is righteousness and that into this word righteousness we can see the words of the Apostle Paul who tells us that “the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:9). This is for us then a rather direct statement saying that the fruit that is righteousness is sown in peace and not in any other way but in peace. We should also see here that, in our understanding, the righteousness is sown by men of peace, those who make peace, which creates a double burden on the man who believes that this is him. First he is a man of peace and then one who is sowing righteousness, planting it throughout, and doing so in peace.
The word translated as peace is also a complex word with a diversity of understanding and, of course, we know only the English usage which is also rather diverse. Peace is translated from the Greek word eirene which the lexicon tells us means: a state of national tranquillity; exemption from the rage and havoc of war; peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous); of the Messiah’s peace; the way that leads to peace (salvation); of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is; the blessed state of devout and upright men after death2. Can we see how little of this make logical sense in the context of our verse from James? Strong’s is a bit more straightforward saying that eirene means peace, harmony, tranquility, safety, welfare, health; often with an emphasis on lack of strife or reconciliation in a relation, as when one has ‘peace with God’; often used as a verbal and written greeting3 and in this we can see more of our understanding of James ideas. As we said Vincent does not address this verse and gives us little understanding of the meanings of peace in his writings which leaves us then with Webster’s defining terms of the English word peace: A state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or agitation; calm; repose; specifically: (a) Exemption from, or cessation of, war with public enemies. (b) Public quiet, order, and contentment in obedience to law. (c) Exemption from, or subjection of, agitating passions; tranquillity of mind or conscience. (d) Reconciliation; agreement after variance; harmony; concord. The eternal love and pees.” Chaucer. &hand; Peace is sometimes used as an exclamation in commanding silence, quiet, or order. Peace! foolish woman.” Shak. At peace, in a state of peace. — Breach of the peace. See under Breach. — Justice of the peace. See under Justice. — Peace of God. (Law) (a) A term used in wills, indictments, etc., as denoting a state of peace and good conduct. (b) (Theol.) The peace of heart which is the gift of God. — Peace offering. (a) (Jewish Antiq.) A voluntary offering to God in token of devout homage and of a sense of friendly communion with Him. (b) A gift or service offered as satisfaction to an offended person. — Peace officer, a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a sheriff or constable. — To hold one’s peace, to be silent; to refrain from speaking. — To make one’s peace with, to reconcile one with, to plead one’s cause with, or to become reconciled with, another. I will make your peace with him.” Shak.1. Also rather diverse and lengthy and in the combination of this all we should see the complexity in understanding this term.
Understanding that language fails us at times we can take from this multiplicity of ideas the following: harmony, concord, felicity, tranquility, calm; repose and reconciliation. All of these can and likely do apply to the various uses of the word throughout the New Testament but for our verse here we are looking for the man of peace doing something in peace and for this let us look closer at the idea of felicity. Webster’s tells us that felicity means, according to the 1828 version: 1. Happiness, or rather great happiness; blessedness; blissfulness; appropriately, the joys of heaven. 2. Prosperity; blessing; enjoyment of good. Can we see that in the first string of defining terms here that we have the state of the man of peace, the man of God, as he enjoys great happiness; blessedness; blissfulness; appropriately, the joys of heaven and can we see that he sows in harmony, concord, tranquility, calm; repose and reconciliation? Can we see that from his High Place nothing but Love can stream forth to others and that in his promotion of righteousness he can only possess these qualities that we itemize above?
Can we see the relationship between Love and Peace?
We will continue with our thoughts on this section from James’ Epistle in the next post.
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
We leave our Quote of the Day from yesterday again today and likely for several days so that we can understand the intent of these affirmations which are intended for use by aspirant and disciples such as we believe that we are. Our opening and general statement on these verses has been moved to the bottom.
In our last post we came across an adaptation of some words by a True disciple of the Christ who we call the Tibetan because he is or rather was an Oriental or, we should say, in the body of an Oriental and who we can call a True disciple because the totality of his Life, of all that he does, is in effort the serve the Christ. We can speak of the Tibetan in the same way that we would speak about any of the apostles and any who give of themselves as the Master instructs. It is unfortunate that the common man in the Christian Church cannot see the extent of the dedication and devotion to the Christ of the Tibetan and so many others down the ages, some of whom likely never uttered His name but yet served Him through serving His brothers in the Human family in cultures and in societies to whom this name is alien but to whom the essence behind the name is the same Avatar of Love and Wisdom, the same Great Son of God.
The message that the Tibetan gives us in the words that we posted yesterday were written in the Fifties but are likely True in all time frames since the Master’s Presence over 2000 years ago. Of a Truth, to all of us who believe that we may be His disciples or aspirants to discipleship, are the words: The desire to do good and to accomplish spiritual ends is ceaselessly gnawing away within his consciousness, and equally True are the rest of the words that make us admit to how little it is that we actually DO. This is the reality of the Master’s telling us of the difficulty of treading this Path, of being a True disciple and so to His affirmation to us of the fact that so few DO actually succeed in any lifetime. We have discussed these things before and spent many posts on the words of the Master and of the Buddha in these sayings:
“strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it“
Matthew 7:14)
How few the birds who escape the net and fly to heaven!
The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
Can we see in the words of the Master and of the Buddha the idea that there are few who can and do make the grade and fully escape from the world of things; very few who can say with the Christ that “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) and can we also understand through the Master’s teachings that this is our objective and our goal……our destiny? As a part of the rarity of those who can and do escape the net and fly to heaven there is the reality of the few who Truly try, who Truly aspire and who follow the words of the Master who tells us ALL that we must “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” while again reminding us of the few saying that “many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in , and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). What are the obstacles to discipleship and the hindrances that keep a man from the Kingdom? they are simply the trials and the tribulations of everyday Life in this world. Our affirmation below reminds us that we must overcome and in the affirmative statement that I, therefore, will to love and tread the Way of Love is the True salvation of each an every one of us. It is not saying or believing or performing any ritual or any prayer, it is DOING and, as we defined yesterday, Will can be seen as our intentional focused attention on the things of God. In the word Will as it is used here can be seen the Power of a Son of God to express Himself through the form and personality of the man. In this is the expression of Love as the Master told us saying: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:39) along with what we commonly call the Golden Rule which is the Master’s saying: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). As we have said so often, this combination of sayings is the True key for ALL men, the True way to the Kingdom and to His Presence; the True way to discipleship. In these two sayings is the reality of the intentional focused attention on the things of God; in these sayings is the totality of the idea expressed below in the words of our affirmation I, therefore, will to love which can be seen as setting one’s course, one’s focused attention, to accomplishing these things. In these also is the Way of Love which can be seen as the Path that leads to the strait gate which opens into the Kingdom of God.
The point here is that in this accomplishment of our intentional focused attention on the things of God…on Love, comes our ability to overcome; that is, our ability to make disappear, All that hinders and obstructs the showing of the Light which Light is the expression of the True Life of the man, the Life that is the Soul, through the form. In the fullness of the saying that we read yesterday by the Tibetan we should be able to see some of what it is that hinders us and understand that it is us ourselves, as personalities in the world, that are the hindrance, and that we also are the obstacle. The words of the Master are clear on being His disciple and on entering into His Kingdom and these things that He gives us as requirements require our ardent effort, our intentional focused attention and it is those who can accomplish these things who can escape the net and fly to heaven.
If we are desirous of the Kingdom and of the High Calling of discipleship, then we must strive, which in a word tells us of the relentless effort that we must provide. Will we make the grade? no one can say but the effort itself will bring us closer to that ultimate goal and provide us with the Holy Privilege of serving the Master, helping to bring about His return, and helping to redeem humanity from the clutches of the world of things. This ALL starts for us in our expression of GoodWill which is as we know Love in Action and as we come closer to the Christ Festival our thoughts on Love and on GoodWill become ever more important. If we can speak this affirmation with the intentional focused attention on the things of God…on Love, we can Truly make some difference in the lives of our fellow man and play some part in the changing of the attitudes of men in the world.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
My Soul has Purpose, Power and Will; these three are needed on the Way of Liberation.
My Soul must foster Love among the sons of men; this is its major purpose.
I, therefore, will to love and tread the Way of Love. All that hinders and obstructs the showing of the Light must disappear before the purposes of the Soul.
My will is one with the great Will of God;. that Holy Will requires that all men serve. And unto the purposes of the Plan I lend my little will.
As we approached the time of the Wesak Festival we noted that there are Three Spiritual Festivals in three consecutive months each falling on the day of the Full Moon in the respective month. The first is the Festival of Easter, the second is the Wesak, the Festival of the Buddha and the third is the festival of the Christ which is coming next at the Full Moon of Gemini which will occur on June the 5th and which is alternatively called World Invocation Day. There is a little more that three weeks between now and the Christ’s Festival and we will try to use that time to attain a better understanding of what this day should mean to us. We will start here today with this set of affirmative sayings regarding discipleship and its requirements from the perspective of the willing disciple. We will get into the source of this saying as well as our thoughts on its meaning and intent over the next few posts and we will leave it here as the Quote of the Day until we can accomplish this. Spoken as the aspirant or disciple in form who is invoking fullness of the power of the Christ Within, he first acknowledges what he must bring to bear on the personalty, then what he must do with this purpose, power and will……LOVE.
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913
- 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
- 3 Strongest Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – 2001
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
- 5 The Dhammapada Translated by Thomas Byrom
