23—Forty Days with James: Waging War

<p>For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ <a href="https://www.douglasjacoby.com/23-forty-days-with-james-waging-war/" target="_blank"><strong>website.</strong></a></p><p><strong>James 4:1-3</strong></p><ul><li>Context: link with chapter 3 – peaceful vs. violent approaches to the problems in our world.</li><li>The peace, shalom, of which James speaks is more than peace in our hearts, or harmony in the church. </li><li>It's not difficult to imagine there were quarrels within the church—but killing?<ul><li>Some spiritualize the word – killing = hating (Matt 5). But this isn’t persuasive.</li><li>Is this referring to outsiders? Not all commentators take these words as literally applying to insiders. But it seems to me the passage makes more sense if James’s words are directed at political violence on the part of insiders.</li><li>After all, “Jesus, like James, confronted political and religious oppositions of his day, when Zealot militarism and Essene passivity stood at opposite ends of the spectrum.”<ul><li>Zealots (those favoring violence as a legitimate means of driving out the Romans, and damaging those who collaborated with them—the Sadducees).</li><li>Essenes (the Dead Sea community that had withdrawn from the system, and were deeply critical of Jerusalem)</li><li>Sadducees – arranged death of James 62, and with the Pharisees the death of Jesus in 30.</li><li>An example of an intention of intramural murder is found in Acts 23:21-22.</li><li>Isn’t it also hard to believe that various Corinthians: Babbled like a kindergarten class in the belief God’s Spirit was moving them? Looked down on the apostle Paul? Denied the literal resurrection of Christ? Were proud that they weren’t disciplining a member in an immoral relationship with his stepmother? Were taking each other to court? Were getting drunk during the Lord’s Supper?</li><li>Is it so difficult to believe some Christians would support violent causes? Or perhaps better said, support causes that sometimes resort to violence? <ul><li>Just listen