----- Original Message ----- From: "H Dorrington" <hjdinfl@...> > the group James calls "my brethren "Brethren" in the NT was *always* a mixture of sheep and goats. The warning to those in the audience that claimed to be sheep, looked like sheep, talked like sheep, is to not be forgetful hearers... otherwise, their faith is dead. This is a warning against having a dead faith and and warning against having a worthless religion. Their religion (those who look into a *natural* mirror and forget what they look like vs. 23, 24) is worthless (vs. 26) because their doing does not back up their hearing. (Blessed, btw, is a soteriological/eschatological reality that describes those who are saved... it is not *blessed* vs. un-blessed Christians... there is no such thing as an unblessed Christian). And no, your view isn't novel. It's the one I grew up with. But it is Arminian/victorious-Christian-living/Keswickian/non-Lordship. Here's what Moo says about James 1:22ff (James, TNTC, pp. 81,82). Notice the words *potentially fatal*: "...it would be a fatal misunderstanding to think that James is against listening to the Word. But what James strenuously opposes is any hearing of the word that does not lead to doing. With this emphasis James aligns himself with a widespread Jewish belief of his day. 'Not the expounding [of the law] is the chief thing, but the doing [of it]' said a second-century rabbi (Simeon b. Gamaliel in Mishnah, Abot. 1:17). Paul reflects this Jewish emphasis when he writes: 'it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified' (Rom. 2:13). And James' concern is once again firmly in line with Jesus' teaching: 'Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!' (Lk. 11:28). Jesus' preaching is filled with the overwhelming, amazing wonder of God's sovereign grace reaching down to sinful men in the gospel. But equally prominent is Jesus' summons to radical obedience - an obedience that is the necessary human response to God's grace. Both factors, the gracious initiative of God and the grateful response of man, are part and parcel of the gospel. The Word, through which we are born into new life (v. 18) and which becomes implanted in us (v. 21), is a Word that is to be put into practice. Those who fail to do the word, who are hearers only, are guilty of a dangerous and potentially fatal self-delusion. If the gospel, by nature, contains both saving power and summons to obedience, those who relate to only one have not truly embraced the gospel. That is why James can say that people who only hear the word are deceiving themselves. They think that they have a relationship with God because they regularly attend church, go to Bible studies or read the Bible. But if their listening is not accompanied by obedience, their true situation before God is far different. 'Obedience', says Calvin, 'is the mother of true knowledge of God.'" -- Douglas Moo, James (TNTC), pp. 81,82 Those who are forgetful hearers, according to Moo, are those who "have not truly embraced the gospel". Pastor Chad Richard Bresson Clearcreek Chapel Springboro, OH http://breusswane.blogspot.com To: <soundofgrace@...> Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 7:42 PM Subject: Re: [soundofgrace] Acts 6 and deacons > No, the burden falls on you since you made the claim. I have already > demonstrated that the section that was included in the first chapter was > addressed to the group James calls "my brethren." James continues to write > regarding the testing of their faith. Your assertion is that he is writing > regarding the unsaved which of course have no faith. Later he instructs > them to ask of God if they lack wisdom, obviously not written to the > unsaved. Even later he writes to them about receiving the crown of life > which again is obviously written to the saved. Verse 16 again to "my > beloved brethren" which is not a term used to describe the unsaved even in > Covenant Theology. Even verse 1 of chapter 2 continues to be written to > "My brethren." > > Since you will undoubtedly call my view novel and request commentary to > support that my view is correct while demonstrating the error of your ways > I offer the following: > "(v. 25): Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth > therein, etc. Observe here, [1.] The gospel is a law of liberty, or, as > Mr. Baxter expresses it, of liberation, giving us deliverance from the > Jewish law, and from sin and guilt, and wrath and death. The ceremonial > law was a yoke of bondage; the gospel of Christ is a law of liberty. [2.] > It is a perfect law; nothing can be added to it. [3.] In hearing the word, > we look into this perfect law; we consult it for counsel and direction; we > look into it, that we may thence take our measures. [4.] Then only do we > look into the law of liberty as we should when we continue therein -"when > we dwell in the study of it, till it turn to a spiritual life, engrafted > and digested in us'' (Baxter) -when we are not forgetful of it, but > practice it as our work and business, set it always before our eyes, and > make it the constant rule of our conversation and behaviour, and model the > temper of our minds by it." Matthew Henry > > You have failed to support your claim that the forgetful hearer is only > referring to the unsaved. Obviously it can't be done from the text. > Interpretation of the text leads to understanding, understanding leads to > application, being both hearers and then doers. > > Harry > > Chad Richard Bresson <breusswane@...> wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "H Dorrington" >>I do agree that there is a discussion involving the unsaved that follows >>in >>the later chapters but you have failed to demonstrate that is the case in >>the first chapter. Since you have made the claim the burden of proof falls >>on you. > > The burden of proof falls on you to prove the discussion switches > midstream, > which would be unlike any of the NT authors. > > Pastor Chad > > --------------------------------- > Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates. > -- > Read the Sound of Grace pages at > http://www.soundofgrace.com > > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > soundofgrace-unsubscribe@... > > To view our online archive go to our web page at > http://www.associate.com/groups/soundofgrace > >