Previously we looked at James Chapter 3 and discovered that the word TEACHER referred to TEACHERS OF THE LAW, specifically PUBLIC OFFICIALS and all those who deal in the law for a living. Then we looked at TEACHER LIABILITY in James chapter 3. Now we’re going to look at James’ BEAT-DOWN of these public officials and legal people.
So let’s take a look at the word STUMBLE. Here’s the relevant verse:
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. (James 3:3)
The Greek word James uses for STUMBLE is πταίομεν (ptaiomen). My main objective in looking at this word was to determine how EARLY RABBINIC LITERATURE used it, that is, before and during the time James wrote his letter. That’s one of the best ways to discover the meanings of these words. Basically, you’re going on a hunt … doing detective’s work. I’m not much of a detective, but ‘out of necessity’, I do it!
The first place I went to find some meaning was Liddell and Scott’s Greek Lexicon. That book just gave the general use and meaning of the word among the Greeks, with no connections to Jewish literature or rabbinic law. Check it out for yourself:
So then I broke-out Hatch and Redpath’s Concordance to the Septuagint. That gave me more to work with, because it lists all the OT verses that contain that LXX (Septuagint) Greek word (πταίείν), along with its associated Hebrew words from the original text. That gave me a “lexical field” (synonyms) in both languages. Note that only two Hebrew words are translated into the LXX Greek, one of which dominates. That Hebrew word (NaGaF) means STRUCK-DOWN, such as DEFEAT in a physical war. In contrast, Sirach and 2 Maccabees use the Greek word metaphorically or figuratively with no associated Hebrew words (because the original text is Greek only). So that got us on track a bit more. You’ll also notice in brackets at the end of the list a few verses from two other versions of the OT (yet having no Hebrew original text). Check it out:
At that point I turned to Jastro’s Dictionary of Mishnaic Hebrew to see if I could get anything out of the RABBINIC meanings of the Hebrew words underlying the Greek in the LXX. The Jastro’s entry showed a meaning similar to the LXX Greek:
So then I turned to TDNT, which offered nothing of further value (it was similar to Liddell & Scott) in my search for the meaning of this term in the minds of 1st Century LEGAL JEWS. Basically, they conflate meanings between the various writers who use this term, favoring the Greek-speaking world instead of the Hebrews. In the end, they say it means SIN or STUMBLE. But then, we’re back to where we started, with no specific idea of what the word really means to us today.
Finally, I turned to the Eerdman’s International Standard Bible Encyclopedia to see what it had to say. It had an excellent discussion under STUMBLING BLOCK (σκάνδαλον), but nothing about the Greek word James uses. So that was of no value for this study. One intriguing note about STUMBLING BLOCK (σκάνδαλον): The translators of James Chapter 3 translated the Greek word πταίοw as STUMBLE. STUMBLE appears to be the same as STUMBLING BLOCK, by reason of the recurrence of the word STUMBLE. So naturally I assumed that STUMBLE meant basically the same as STUMBLING BLOCK, which means COMMIT SIN in the sense of break the law. But as we see above, that’s NOT how the authorities translate πταίοw. So you have to wonder WHY THE CONFUSION? Wouldn’t the text have been more meaningful IF it showed the CORRECT TRANSLATION? I sure think so! Because of that translation I had to work hard to get my brain straightened-out so I could see what James was saying in Chapter 3. All that work because of a BAD TRANSLATION!
So, all of the above EXPERT WITNESSES seem to agree on the meaning of the Greek word translated into STUMBLE, as applied to 1500 years’ of NON-GREEK word-usage, which includes the NT era. That leads me to believe that James’ term STUMBLE really means GET STRUCK-DOWN or DEFEATED. At least that’s what a 1st century JEW would think.
Since James is focusing on LEGAL persons, we have to think in those terms. So in a modern-day LEGAL or POLITICAL forum, where do we find the idea of GETTING STRUCK DOWN or DEFEATED? Although I’m no expert, it’s OBVIOUS to me that happens WHEN A HIGHER COURT NEGATES A LOWER COURT’S DECISION OR A BAD LAW. Since James is linking TEACHERS OF THE LAW with STRICTER JUDGMENT and with STUMBLE, we can RE-TRANSLATE our text by substituting our new meanings in place of the old meanings, and arrive at this: James is WARNING the PUBLIC OFFICIALS and LEGAL PEOPLE that their BAD LAWS and PARTIALITY IN JUDGMENT will result in their DEFEAT at God’s FINAL JUDGMENT. Remember that we’re talking about the WORLD OF WORDS here, not common everyday life among us ‘little people’. We’re talking about the place in society where POWER IS BROKERED USING WORDS, the result being HARM TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.
So, James 3:1-2 appears to be telling us that public officials will answer to God at a future Judgment where God will hold them accountable for their legal work and its social effects, which includes all the pain an suffering they caused us ‘little people’. After all, isn’t that what THE LAW and JUSTICE does? Doesn’t it DEVELOP SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS BY CRAFTING SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS ACCORDING TO LAW USING POLICE POWERS? Frederick Bastiat has a lot to say about that in his book, The Law. This kind of work is such a serious job that those who do it for a living MUST be VERY CAREFUL how they discharge their official duties. But when CORRUPTION enters the picture, the LIABILITY involved is off the charts! That’s especially true when the corruption comes from COMMERCE (bankers and businessmen). It’s one thing when public officials inadvertently err, but it’s quite another thing when they DELIBERATELY DO WRONG. It’s CATASTROPHIC when the corruption becomes INSTITUTIONAL!
Another way to say that is: When public officials do wrong in office, God will strike them down on Judgment day. And God will do that according to a much stricter standard than we common folk will be judged by. And when they do it to God’s people, the standard will be EVEN STRICTER YET! The apostle John talks about a FUTURE JUDGMENT in Revelation 20. One of his potent sayings is found in Revelation 14:11: “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” “The beast” being symbolic for GOVERNMENT! Granted, John uses apocalyptic language. But when you know the traditions, you can’t miss the point!
Christ also talks about this FUTURE JUDGMENT in his parables and other apocalyptic texts, such as Matthew 24. The apostle Paul does too at various places throughout his letters, such as 1 & 2 Thessalonians. All of that will be looked at future blogs. You see the apocalyptic theme repeatedly in the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as in the apocrypha and pseudopigrapha (such as Enoch, with his endless rants!). The FINAL JUDGMENT is a very well-established ancient world-view for Jews (and Christians). That’s just history. So we have to take James’ view on it seriously. He’s not making-up anything new. He’s just leaning on well-established tradition.
Pragmatically-speaking, what could be the SOCIAL EFFECT of BAD LAWS and BAD JUDGMENTS? Here’s Jesus’ description of it during his time:
They [the public officials] tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. (Matthew 23:4) [metaphoric saying about regulatory oppression]
Pragmatically-speaking, what could be the SOCIAL EFFECT of POLITICS and ADMINISTRATIVE CORRUPTION? Here’s Jesus’ description of it during his time:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. (Matthew 23:25) [metaphoric saying about maintaining appearances while living lawless]
That is what James is condemning in the TEACHERS OF THE LAW. They were DESTROYING SOCIETY instead of PROTECTING IT. Apparently, the problem was so bad that James went off on a rant about it in Chapters 4 to 5, which mostly targeted THE RICH. But here in Chapter 3 he’s nailing the LEGAL PEOPLE. And as usual, the two were in cahoots! The RICH + GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS = POLITICAL OPPRESSION. And this was happening in CHRISTIAN SOCIETY. We’re talking about Christians who were JEWS no less! Instead of being GUARDIANS OF THE TRUTH as Israel’s SAGES (“wise”, v 13) being professed FOLLOWERS of JESUS, these TEACHERS OF THE LAW made themselves into DEVILS (“demonic”, v 15!). And you can bet it all had to do with the MONEY and POWER involved. When doesn’t it?
When it comes to James’ era, we have to wonder if things were as bad as they are today. According to Emil Schurer’s, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, you find that politics back then wasn’t much different from what it is today. Only back then they didn’t have the TECHNOLOGY we have today, which makes legal plunder much easier today than back then. The Roman Emperor Vespasian’s life is a prime example of POLITICAL CORRUPTION BY THE RICH. He entered office as a reformer for the oppressed. But after his 2nd bout with death, he had a ‘change of heart’. I believe he was poisoned both times. And WHO authored those assassination attempts? THE MERCHANTS IN ROME, of course! They were the “prominent people of the city”. Today we call them THE RICH.
What about Herod the Great, that half-breed Edomite-Jew? How in the world could he get into office in 2nd Temple Israel when he was UNFIT BY GENEALOGY? Just follow the money! What about Herod Antipas? Although known as “a friend of the Jews”, being a Jew himself, what’s up with Caesarea Philippi (for example)? It was built on a BURIAL GROUND and was DEDICATED TO THE DIVINE ROMAN EMPEROR. Talk about WILLFUL IDOLATRY in Israel?? Isn’t that the “unpardonable sin” that got them kicked out of the land in the first place?! What JEW would live on a burial ground?? Moreover, Caesarea Philippi was known for its pagan practices. Who authorized that in Israel of all places? Certainly not the common man. I doubt the Pharisees would have tolerated it if they could defeat it. In any case, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Just follow the money behind those wielding political power. Isn’t that what James is telling us?
In sum: James Chapter 3 does NOT focus on THE TONGUE. It does NOT focus on PEOPLE’S ORDINARY SPEECH. It does NOT focus on RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS. It does NOT focus on “Lishon haRa”. Instead, James Chapter 3 focuses on PUBLIC OFFICIALS and LEGAL PEOPLE, and the way they USE WORDS in their DAILY JOBS to HELP or HURT good people, and to PUNISH or ENRICH bad people. In the end, GOD will judge ALL “teachers of the law” for their WORDS. It should be obvious there’s a gigantic difference between today’s religious interpretation of James’ message, and the message James himself actually intended to convey to his readers.
Next blog we’ll take a look at some more of the key terms in James Chapter 3, and see the message James has for us.
Reality Bible 