One Comment

  1. 3k

    That’s a good message about the value of suffering. Those that preach the “health and wealth” gospel, I believe, do their followers a grave disservice. No one wants to suffer but like you point out, what a blessing if it leads you to God.

    With respect to your comments on James and scripture interpreting scripture, I would add that scripture needs to be read through the lens of the Church in that it (i.e. the Church) is “the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim 3:15). For example, I once had a Muslim tell me that the advocate Jesus promised in John 14 was not the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as you and I would interpret it, but rather Mohammed. She was reading scripture through the lens of Islam.

    Meaning no disrespect, I cannot help but wonder if Luther’s opinion of James was a result of his trying to make scripture fit his theology rather than making his theology fit scripture. To his credit though, like St. Jerome with respect to the deuterocanonical books of the OT, at least Luther, in spite of his objections, did defer to the Church’s authority that James indeed belongs in the bible.

    Pax et Bonum, brother.

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