A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Y
Abraham, example of, 153–55
adultery, 84
adversity, joy in, 310–12; perseverance through, 296; source of, 22; times of, 300; virtues of, 27. See also affliction, suffering
affliction, used by God, 309, 311, 313
ambition, 205–6
angels, as friendly guardians, 83
anger, 61, 104–7; prayers offered in, 222; speaking without, 89–92
anointing, of the sick, 303–6
apostolic authority, 46
apotelestheisa, 74
astheneo, 304
atonement, 235
authority, 40–43, 46, 247; of judging, 257; over all the earth, 184–85; and wisdom, 205. See also power, political power
belief, meaning of, 160
Benedict of Nursia, 296
Bible, world of, 9
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, 163–64, 193
brothers, as a term, 248, 250; use of, 46–47, 55, 298
Catherine of Genoa, 294–96
charity, relation to wealth, 112
Christian community, 90, 92, 195; creation of, 16; division of, 223; egalitarian, 117; and false teaching, 319–20; and favoritism, 113; idea of, 321–22; and mercy, 323; model of, 140–45; of mutual care, 28; and the rich, 55; and the world, 226. See also church, community
Christology, 285, 306; of James, 24–25, 120
church, control of, 176; discord in, 209; favoritism in, 114–17, 119; judgment within, 255; leadership in, 42–44, 184, 259; slander within, 258; and state, 244; as successor to Judaism, 39; and truth, 46; of twentieth century, 197; and the world of evil, 189. See also Christian community, community
church architecture, 135
Churchill, Winston, 198–200
Church of Christ, 195
Clinton, Bill, 201
commands, of God, 101
communism, 80
community, call to, 243; confession and, 315; idea of, 44; marked by mutual care, 15; and the poor, 147; practice of, 68; and sacrifice, 233, 236; and status, 22. See also Christian community, church
compassion, 101; community of, 141, 143; for one another, 84–86
complaining, avoidance of, 286–87
compromise, bane of, 226
confession, 318; and community, 315
consumerism, 134–35
contrition, 230
conversion, 319
covenant, with God, 233
creation, 77
culture, captivated with wealth, 261; and Christianity, 241; sick and dangerous, 132–39; standards of, 131. See also world
cursing, question of, 181
Daniel, the book of, 22
Day of Atonement, 320
deeds, and faith, 146–57
demons, 152
desire, 73; results of, 84; prayers offered in, 222
devil, resistance to, 222, 228, 236, 245, 247
dikaiosynen theou, 91
dipsychos, 53
discipline, 322–23
divorce, 142–43
double-mindedness, 74, 117, 224, 229, 264; of the tongue, 180; and the unstable, 53–54, 64
doubt, asking without, 51–52; and faith, 74; helpful effects of, 61–62
emotion, 61
endurance, and perfection, 48, 68–69
envy, 204
epistrepho, 320
epithymia, 73
eschatology, language of, 231, 292–93; meaning of, 289–90; reference to, 307
ethics, marginalization of, 265
Eusebius, 21
evangelicalism, 135, 195, 216, 241, 244, 310; and money, 324; and structures, 245; and wealth, 276
evangelism, 163
evil, 56, 92; boasting as, 253; capacity for, 82–83; and Satan, 73; source of, 79; steps in, 221; structures of, 109, 161, 167–68; and the tongue, 184; world as, 98
faith, of Abraham, 153–55; in action, 52; and deeds, 146– 57; and double-mindedness, 54; and doubt, 74; dynamic of, 18; justification by, 156, 158; of the poor, 120; and practice, 88; and prayer, 306–9; proof of, 17; testing of, 48; two kinds of, 161; and works, 98
false teachers, 174–78, 205, 208, 216, 227, 230, 251, 318–19, 322
false wisdom, 203–4; bondage to, 235
fate, 76–77
Father of lights, 75
favoritism, 113, 181; in American culture, 136–39; based on wealth, 228; in the church, 114–17, 119, 206; opposed to God, 222; against the poor, 121; in the Roman empire, 123–30; showing of, 157, 223; sin of, 241; and status, 131; to the wealthy, 147
forgiveness, 228, 243; and discipline, 323; of God, 16; leadership and, 241; not asked for, 298; promise of, 230, 234–40; and sin, 318
Foster, Richard J., 87, 312–13, 315–16
Gehenna, 182–83, 203, 229; the term, 18
Geyser, A. S., 20
gift of healing, 308
glossa, 178
Gnosticism, 8
God, character of, 86–87; loyalty to, 44, 47; James’s use of, 37
gossip, 104
government, 244. See also political power
grace, doctrine of, 163
hapax legomena, 19
happiness, self-perception of, 63–64; and wealth, 263–64
Havel, Vaclav, 15
healing, 303–10
hearing without doing, 94–95
hell, 182
Hellenistic world, 19
Holy Spirit, 159, 227–28; as counterpart to evil, 58; discerning of, 314–15; and wisdom, 26, 50
homosexuality, 136
honor, in the Roman empire, 130, 132
human rights, 244
humanity, 102; as intended by God, 94; in James, 60–62, 68; to love, 298
humility, 89, 92–93, 205, 230; attitude of, 243
integrity, 264–65
Israel, 40–41; election of, 118
James, authorship and date, 19–21; Christology of, 24–25; and his letter, 16–18; relevance of, 26–28; and the Synoptics, 17; teaching of, 21–26
Jesus, ethical teaching of, 249; and the law, 99–101, 122–23; temptation of, 48
Jewish Christians, 38
Jews, 38; understanding wisdom, 50
joy, 225; in adversity, 310–12; self-perception of, 63–64; and trials, 46, 48
Judaism, 39; experience of, 159; and holiness, 94, 98, 100; poor in, 56; Satan in, 58; theology of, 71
judgment, 157; against the wealthy, 271–73; coming of, 268; of God, 91; in Isaiah, 187; on ourselves, 249–50; and the poor, 298; on someone else, 254–55; warning of, 292; and wealth, 278, 282–83, 287
justice, 101–2, 212, 241, 255; prophetic notion of, 19
justification, by faith, 156, 158
kakia, 92–93
kingdom of God, 42, 101, 290, 295; nearness of, 231
kosmos, 178
law, deeds of, 157, 159; demands of, 98–100; of freedom, 94–95; intention of, 101; Jesus’ teaching on, 99–101, 122–23; of love, 18; of sin, 136
leadership, in the church, 42–44, 184, 259; and forgiveness, 241; and power, 188; temptations of, 191
letters, first-century kinds of, 33–34
listening, 90
Lord, James’s use of, 37
lure, as temptations to sin, 81–84, 86; of the world, 107
Luther, Martin, 156
makrothymeo, 284
Menn, Alexandr, 193–94
mercy, 218; and righteousness, 325
Merton, Thomas, 294
Mishnah, 235
mišpat, 101
money, addiction to, 274–77; and adversity, 22; fascination of, 261–63; love of, 278–83; making of, 251–52; power of, 324
moral filth, freedom from, 108, 110
Mother Teresa, 297
Muggeridge, Malcolm, 296–97
Myers, David, 63–64
nontheist, 244
Nouwen, Henri, 294–95
oaths, taking of, 300–303
Origen, 20
orphans, 101–2; care for, 27, 242; visiting, 157; and widows, 97
pain, 61
passions, cultivation of, 224; power of, 230
patience, biblical examples of, 287; call to, 284–85; and Christian growth, 292, 295–96
patriotism, 192
peace, 225; biblical notion of, 210–16; at any price, 219–20
perfection, and endurance, 48–49, 68–69
Perkins, John, 168–71
plousios, 55
political power, danger of, 188; moral neutrality of, 186–87; pitfall of, 191–92; pursuit of, 207
poor people, attitude toward, 113, 116–17; bestowed honor, 132; blessedness of, 17; and the church, 251; defender of, 271; exaltation of, 16, 45; exploitation of, 223; faith of, 120; and Israel, 118; in Judaism, 56; lack of concern for, 54–55; responsibility of, 109; righteousness of, 25–26; risk of, 138, 148; sins against, 268; sufferings of, 21, 269; warnings against, 298
poverty, distress of, 97; as a trial, 59–60; and wealth, 45, 54–56
power, abuse of, 185–86, 189; from a biblical perspective, 183–84; among Christians, 194; desire for, 195; of money, 324; of prayer, 315–17; of the tongue, 198; and wealth, 278–83
prayer, in adversity, 310–13; and anointing, 303–10; answered, 225; confidence in, 51; offered in anger, 222; opens our minds, 62; power of, 315; as pure speech, 300; for the sick, 314; theology of, 18; and trials, 45; for wisdom, 66
pride, 230
promiscuity, bent to, 136
proud people, God’s opposition to, 228
ptochos, 118
Rahab, example of, 155
relativism, 133
religion, 96–97
reward for faith, 80–81
rhyparia, 92
rich people, castigated, 54–56, 64; fading of, 252; penitence of, 26; favoritism of, 119–20, 148; humility of, 16; warnings against, 268
righteous, prayer of the, 316
righteousness, 102, 241, 255; of God, 91–92; harvest of, 210; and mercy, 325
Romans, the, 41–42, 56; economy of, 256; and fate, 76–77; social world of, 123–30, 132, 148–49, 175, 228; and wealth, 276
sacrifice, 231–36
šalom, 211
salvation, 93, 228, 307; by faith, 158–59
Satan, attributing difficulties to, 73; challenging God, 22; and gehenna, 203; influenced by, 319; influence on the tongue, 182–83, 189; and political institutions, 244– 47; as source of adversity, 23; as source of evil, 228–29; subtlety of, 47–48; and temptations, 84; and trials, 56–59
Scripture, against favoritism, 121–23; timely nature of, 8
secular humanist, 243–44
ṣedaqah, 101
selfish ambition, 73, 204, 206
selfishness, inventory of, 270–73
servant, James as, 34–37; term for, 34–36, 40
servanthood, and authority, 43
sick, the, 303–8
sickness, God’s use of, 309–10; as signs of sin, 59; caused by sin, 307–9
sin, desire to, 75; of favoritism, 121; and forgiveness, 318; in institutions, 144; in James, 23–24, 27–28; as having its own penalty, 190; pollution of, 231–32; power of, 81–85, 243; problems of, 79; self-propagation of, 110–11; recognition of, 325; of rash speech, 96; related to sickness, 307–8; and Satan, 57; and temptation, 48
sinners, 229
slavery, in America, 109; in the first century, 34–36, 40, 274
sophia, 50
status, 123–32, 225; and adversity, 22; favoritism based on, 131; of the rich, 120,
submission to God, 209, 218, 236
success, lure of, 81–82
suffering, of Christians, 312–15; and prayer, 303–4; sign of God’s activity, 22; used by God, 288, 293–94
swearing, 300–303
teachers, guide, 173; and pure speech, 174–76
television, 134
temple, and sacrifice, 231
temptations, 107; author of, 85; of leadership, 191, 196; origin of, 73; and trials, 21, 78–80
testing, linked to Satan, 47–48; theology of, 21
Thomas à Kempis, 296
tolerance, in a democracy, 162
tongue, danger of, 173; influenced by Satan, 182; power of, 176, 177–80, 188–89, 194, 198; problem of, 223; and speech, 175; taming of, 180; use of, 301
Torah, 235
trials, a challenge, 21; and clarity, 56; encountering, 47; purpose of, 71; question of, 45; and Satan, 56–59; and temptations, 78–80
truth, 85; idea of, 211–12; practice of, 319; word of, 77
twelve tribes, the, 38–41
vows. See oaths
wealth, and charity, 112; and the church, 90; desire for, 25–28, 267; difficulty of accumulating, 262; and evangelicals, 276; favoritism based on, 228; and happiness, 63, 263–64; and poverty, 54–56; and power, 278–83; symbols of, 116; trust in, 269
wealthy people, attitude of, 269; as brothers, 298; judgment against, 271–73; treatment of, 301
widows, 101–2; care for, 27, 242; and orphans, 97; visiting, 157
wisdom, appearance as foolishness, 118; asking for, 228; defining, 210; divine gift of, 42, 45, 50, 65–66, 203–5, 207; of experience, 117; function of, 58–59; idea of, 26; of our world, 63–66, 205–7
Word, birth by, 93; of God, 110; growing within us, 153; reception of, 89
world, 230; allure of, 107, 295–96; as evil, 98; friendship with, 16, 226, 228, 251; opposition to God, 178; pollution of, 242. See also culture
world of evil, 189–91