The book of James infers Genesis 1's political philosophy

Jesus’ Brother Additionally Supports Genesis-1’s Political Philosophy

Study purpose

1.       Interpret and order ideas in the book of James in order to show that James incidentally endorsed the idea “mankind . . . may rule . . . the earth”. See Genesis 1:26-28, NIV and CJB.

a.       Taking Genesis 1 as an ancient Mesopotamian view of actual reality:  If there will be order in living on earth, humankind will pursue civic integrity to the-good.

                                                               i.      “Civic” means responsible to the-good in human connections and transactions.

                                                             ii.      That is, neither the-mystery nor a government can usurp human, reliable responsibility. “The-mystery” represents whatever controls the consequences of human choices. (Previously, I employed “the-God” to express the-mystery.)

1.       Most traditionalists construct a god and few, if any, retain humility toward the-mystery.

2.       It could be physics and its progeny: everything that exists, including lies.

3.       It could be the victor in this competition: evil versus the-good.

4.       It could be Jesus. But I think he was a pivotal political philosopher.

5.       Of course, it is whatever it is.

                                                            iii.      These considerations are, experienced in each generation’s time and space.

                                                           iv.      So far, it seems people allow evil to defeat the-good.

1.       James infers that civic people hope more than act.

2.       Most citizens accommodate chaos rather than rule their way of living.

3.       Few accept their commission expressed in Genesis 1:26-28, or have faith in the Bible as God’s word. To me, “the-mystery” has more impact.

b.      Even though James seems to promote the Torah as Jesus improved it, James’ presence tends to affirm Genesis 1:26-28 (perhaps because his sibling, Jesus, affirmed it).

                                                               i.      The epistle does not suggest that James supported Christianity.

1.       The Complete Jewish Bible’s version uses “Messiah”, not “Christ”. 

      Note: I now realize that CJB calls "James" Ya'akov and that scholars agree "Jesus" spoke Aramaic and was called Yeshua. Yeshua of Nazareth lives when people pursue and improve-to-modern-discovery Yeshua's civic influence to each generation and posterity. Because religious opinion* is imposed, neither Jesus nor Christ represents the person who lived in Nazareth 2000 years ago with his family -- mom and dad, 3 brothers, and unnamed sisters. To discover his influence rather than subsequent impositions, the name is Yeshua.

      *Religion is civility grounded in mystery rather than discovery.

2.       Writers imposed “Christ” centuries after Jesus reportedly warned against denying him (Matthew 10:33). (Jesus did not write.)

c.       Suspecting that James considered Genesis 1, perhaps in conversation with his sibling, Jesus, nevertheless:

                                                               i.      They could not encounter the New International Version with its “may rule”.

                                                             ii.      The siblings were not privy to 2000 years of discovery. For example, humankind now knows the sun is a natural nuclear reactor rather than reasons it a spirit.

1.       The Torah specified that the sun and moon serve all humankind, but Yahweh chose Israel, Deut 4:19-20.

2.       Israelites who worshipped the sun or such could be accused by 2 fellow Jews, convicted by Israel, then stoned to death, Deut 17:2-7.

3.       Humankind benefits from Israel continually improving the Torah.

4.       Waiting for the second coming has endured for 1990 years beyond waiting for Israel’s expectation.

                                                            iii.      Humankind intends to eradicate rather than extol human sacrifice and blood celebration -- even bull fighting.

2.       Mimic, in Baton Rouge, 2000 years later, James’ letter that promotes Jesus’ civic influence.

a.       Foremost, James is warm, addressing the reader, “My brothers and sisters” -- 7 times in 5 chapters.

b.      Even when he chastises evil, he cautions rather than accuses people.

c.       He is addressing Israel, his human faction, yet the-good he proposes applies to humans who pursue the authority expressed in Genesis 1:26-28: may rule to the good.

d.      Yet not all James’ examples seem consistent with Genesis 1:26-28.

                                                               i.      For example, Abraham imposed on his son the binding on the altar and the knife overhead for killing.

1.       I would not dare accuse the-mystery of such needless cruelty.

2.       Perhaps the Abraham story expresses ending human sacrifice.

3.       Israel abolished animal sacrifice in 70 CE, a good choice.

4.       In 2:21, James omits personally approving Abraham’s actions.

                                                             ii.      In all four cases -- Abraham, Rahab, Elijah, and Job, James expressed Israeli opinion rather than supreme judgement.

                                                            iii.      Note that James did not extol Bathsheba’s David: see James 2:11, which equates lawbreaking-by-adultery to murder.

e.      James objects when a person or group, invites death by choosing the-bad.

f.        People who consider such issues collaboratively, mutually promote the-good.

                                                               i.      That’s why I attend both Sunday school class and church service.

                                                             ii.      That’s why I try to initiate talk about civic issues, wherever I am.

                                                            iii.      I do not think civic citizens must participate in church.

3.       Interpret text and infuse modern thought, at least mine, denoted by brackets.

a.       Just as readers would like to comprehend James’ perspective, successive generations may apply humankind’s discoveries to James’ legacy to the-good, lifting James’ intentions. In other words, we may be civic toward dead writers, fellow citizens, and future readers.

b.      We accept that our theism-or-none may and can be humble to the-mystery.

                                                               i.      Thereby, we make no attempt to limit the mysterious constraint,

                                                             ii.      We can collaborate to discern Jesus’ civic influence,

                                                            iii.      We happily practice the-good discovered by any group, such as Israel -- also Sumer, ancients to Israel, and civic nations in their times.

                                                           iv.      We work to record experiences and observations about consequences of human choices, in order to promote the-good, lessen repetition of the-bad, and eradicate evil. (I think Wikipedia is a wonderful resource for this work.)

4.       Jesus is an exceptional if not pivotal political philosopher, and his influence need not ever stop.

a.       Jesus volunteered beneficial civic ideas.

b.      For all I know, Jesus is the/an anointed one.

c.       For all I know, Jesus is the-mystery.

d.      By serenely accepting possibilities b and c, I can pursue Jesus’ civic influence and the mystery.

e.      Jesus’ greatest message to me:  Phil you can pursue the-good, define the-good in circumstances never before encountered, and approach perfection before you die.

5.       No person can characterize the-mystery, yet every citizen discovers and yields-to physics and its progeny, such as psychology.

a.       Observing and accommodating constraints from physics facilitates the-good, and

b.      Humility toward the-mystery helps limit the-bad.

                                                               i.      By not imposing “God”, a person remains open to actual reality including what has not been discovered, such as the mystery.

                                                             ii.      Jesus’ civic influence does not oppose physics and is humble to the mystery.

                                                            iii.      The free civic-citizen responsibly earns the way of living they choose, including tax payments, which she/he votes to appreciate.

c.       The above principles apply to the property-wealthy and to the income-poor.

d.      Unlikely as it may seem with existing education systems, the person who pursues civic perfection may achieve unique, personal happiness before they die. In other words, perfection seems possible when a person pursues errorless living, according to James.

                                                               i.      We may and can reform education departments to inform youth of their opportunity to develop human being (verb) rather than wander into less – animalism, passivism, spiritualism, crime, even evil.

6.       Critical ideas like the above that James either initiated or learned as sibling to Jesus include:

a.       Genesis 1:26-28: the principle that gives freedom from error, James 1:12, 2:8, 2:12, 3:9, 4:5, 4:17.

b.      Influence to the-ineluctable-truth*, James 1:18, 2:5, 4:5, 5:19, 5:20. * see below.

c.       Neglecting Genesis 1:26-28 invites ruin, James 1:6-7, 1:8, 1:23, 2:14.

d.      Rejecting evil must be complete, James 1:2, 1:21, 2:10-11.

e.      Avoid bemusements, James 2:6, 2:8, 2:13, 2:14, 4:4, 1:26, 1:13, 3:1. (Please compare your Bible with my interpretations, at least for the 4 highlighted entries.)

f.        James uses no gospel words like soul, election, everlasting life, atonement for sin, or hate. It seems he encouraged perfection for living rather than for the afterdeath.

g.       James mentions neither Davidic heritage, virgin birth, nor his sisters.

*"Ineluctable" expresses the combination, unavoidable, unchangeable, and irresistible.

Now, turning to the text of James’s epistle:

Who?

^1:1 James, Jesus’s brother, urging fellow citizens to pursue the-good, Israel’s way [rather than to accommodate or nourish the-bad during their life]. A non-theist, such as me, can benefit from James’ advice.

When?

[Perhaps 15 years after Jesus’ unjust execution and 15 to 40 years before the 4 gospel-writers finished; 2000 years ago; at the recent edge of 300,000 years homo sapiens’ development. That is, humankind discovered much about the-good and evil before Bible stories were expressed and written. Also, it seems Paul’s epistles began after James’ letter was completed. James’ epistle may have been the first. In Galatians 1:18-19, Paul says he met with Peter for 15 days and only saw James.]

What?

[The-good according to James, interpreted and advanced 2000 years later -- now.]

[Trust-in and commit-to the Genesis 1:26-28’s 5500 year-old Mesopotamian political message: choose to rule life on earth, to the-good rather than to evil. “Civic” means: reliable responsibility in human connections and transactions. James expresses that Jesus understood Genesis-1’s message. Jesus reportedly expressed the message, for examples, in Matthew 19:3-9, 5:48, John 10:34, and Matthew 18:18.]

The book of James, rearranged under text-suggested topics

Below is my interpretation of the book of James.

Genesis-1 message: rule to the-good your way of living

^1:16 Don’t be deceived, fellow citizens. ¹⁷ Jesus expressed, practiced, and influenced the-good. [Does anyone claim Jesus encouraged the-bad or evil?] ¹⁸ He chose to share the-ineluctable-truth to humankind, the most powerful of all living species that exist on earth.

^1:22 Do not deceive yourselves. Do what Genesis 1:26-28 says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who never discovers their unique potential or purpose. [In fact, they’re like someone who never thought, “I may and can choose to constrain chaos in my way of living”, and therefore never intends constraint.] ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into Genesis 1:26-28 (the principle that gives freedom from error) and continues in it—not forgetting what they have learned, but doing it, appreciates life on earth.

 ^2:12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by Genesis 1:26-28. 

^5:13 Be civic citizens. Is anyone among you in trouble? Hear their concerns and aid their considerations. Is anyone happy? Sing with them songs of appreciation. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Encourage their health care. ¹⁵ Civic integrity among fellow citizens works for the-good; errant fellows may choose to reform. ¹⁶ Therefore disclose personal errors to each other, in order to collaborate for human reform. [I think this is a purpose of Sunday school. People share with integrity and their expressions correct their errors.]

^5:19 Fellow civic-citizens, if one of you should wander from the-good and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns someone from erroneous ways may save them from death and terminate harmful consequences to and from others. [Note: this informs civic influence to facilitate personal reform more than civil coercion or force.]

Jesus’ civic influence

Fellow citizens:

Don’t show favoritism

^2:2 Suppose a person in your meeting is world renowned for aiding humankind, then a citizen who merely practices civic integrity joins. ³ If you show special attention to the accomplished person and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the other, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Doubt

^1:5 If you need wisdom, accept that you may and can practice the image of Jesus. [In situations Jesus never faced in his time, you can create the image Jesus would mimic, if he revisited the earth.] ⁶ Pursue the-good without doubt, because the person who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ The doubter has accepted neither the-good, which may be the-mystery, nor Jesus’ civic influence. ⁸ The person who doubts the-good is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

He volunteered

^2:5 Listen, fellow citizens:  Has not Jesus voluntarily informed fellow citizens, [“ourselves and our Posterity”, quoting the preamble to the US Constitution], that those who reject the world’s evil may and can approach personal happiness, even perfection?

Wisdom

^1:9 Citizens who discover and practice humble integrity may and can appreciate Jesus’ affirmation of the-good. [Yet, if they accept the image of the-mystery and “may rule”, they are sufficient, never knowing the Bible’s reports about Jesus. We may and can greet each human being as possessing the image of the-mystery, unless that person pursues the-bad.  Murderers may be executed under statuary justice.]

^3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their actions for the-good, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or assail the-ineluctable-truth. ¹⁵ Arrogance is neither from the-good nor from Jesus but is earthly and enslaving to the arrogant person. ¹⁶ Arrogant competitiveness causes disorder and evil.

^3:17 But Jesus’ civic influence is first of all pure; then peace-promoting, considerate, collaborative, full of justice and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace realize personal happiness. [Perhaps Jesus, upon revisiting the earth, would want to mimic peacemakers in their time and space.]

Civic integrity

^1:19 My dear fellow citizens: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and resist anger, ²⁰ because anger prevents rule to the-good. ²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent on earth and humbly accept the-good in you. The-good in you can save you from both accidental error and intentional error (sin).

Strength to the-good rather than to financial wealth

^1:10 The civic citizen appreciates and nourishes humility, knowing accomplishments pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹ For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, accomplishments fade from notice, even as the civic citizen faces new opportunity to choose the-good. [The evil doer invites early death.]

^5:5 Now listen, civic-citizens who take pride in the past: weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. ² Your property has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴ Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached Jesus’ and James’ ears. ⁵ You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. [Focus on the-good you may and can next choose to accomplish.]

Perseverance

^1:2 Every good choice you make facilitates perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance to the-good makes a person mature and complete. [Perseverance is a kind of faith and a shield against doubt.]

^4:13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is possible, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is error and loss for them and for humankind.

^5:7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until your death. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because your last opportunity to effect the-good is near. ⁹ Don’t grumble against one another, citizens: everyone faces death. The Judge is ineluctable! Life and death are inextricable.

Reward: life rather than early death

^1:12 Rewarded is the one who perseveres to the-good, because the-good facilitates life.

Failures to the-good

[Individuals may and can bemuse themselves with pursuits other than the-good. James seemed to cite the law, mercy, religious faith, and evil, in order as his text flows.]

The law

^2:6 But you have dishonored the civic citizen. Is it not the judges who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who construct the law to repress the-ineluctable-evidence? ⁷ Does their partnership with the church lessen Jesus, substituting “Christ”? [For all we know, Jesus is the-mystery.]

^2:8 If you really keep Genesis 1:26-28, you rule yourself and neighbor to the-good. You don’t require fellow citizens to behave to the-good when you don’t. ⁹ But if you show favoritism, you err and are convicted by Genesis 1:26-28 as lawbreakers. ¹⁰ For whoever pursues the-good yet accommodates one bad deed is guilty of breaking all of the-good. ¹¹ For, “You shall not commit adultery,” accompanies, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit murder but do commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker. [A surviving lawbreaker reforms by trusting-in and committing-to Genesis 1:26-28’s message: you may and can choose to rule to the-good your way of living. In discerning the-good, the-mystery suffers many labels: God, the Lord God, Yahweh, G-d, the One, the Almighty, and Jehovah, for examples, yet is whatever it is. Israel proposed law Jesus improved, while Jesus kindly met challenges from contemporaries he encountered.]

^4:11 Fellow citizens, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against another or judges them speaks against both the-good and Jesus’ civic influence. When you assail the human-being, you are attempting to deny physics. [For example, if a man thinks he’s really a woman, he enslaves himself if he attempts to change his body before discovering his error/sin.] ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, able to save and destroy: physics and its progeny, such as psychology. But you—who are you to judge another’s image of Jesus? [Physics and its progeny constrain everything -- from the vast universe to the narrow lie.] [Civic citizens do all they can to aid a lawbreaker’s reform.]

Mercy

^2:13 Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not pursued statutory justice. Justice grounded in the-ineluctable-evidence triumphs over judgment. [Physics preserves discoverable ineluctable-evidence, such as DNA. The person who habitually chooses the-bad is constrained by statutory justice. The evil person, for example, the intentional murderer, may be killed under statutory justice.]

Faith and religion

^2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them from erroneous living? ¹⁵ Suppose a fellow citizen is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If someone says to them, “Your reform is not my concern,” but supplies their physical needs, what good is it? Does it serve the supplier’s ego? [It’s feasible and effective to educate and motivate the poor to earn the living they want. Is it possible to reform philanthropists?] ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by effective action, is dead. [The person who doubts her or his power to choose the-good doubts both the-mystery and Jesus.]

^2:18 But someone will boast, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you Jesus’ influence by effective deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder before the mystery. [Caution: God, whatever it is, exists in mystery yet accommodates the good humankind achieves and the bad humankind allows. A civic citizen may develop Jesus’ image, yet that person is neither the-mystery nor Jesus. Jesus called them gods facing death, citing Psalm 82:6-7.]

Evil

^4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against both the-good and Jesus? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of evil becomes an enemy of the-good. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that Jesus jealously longs for humankind to rule to the-good politics on earth? ⁶ But Jesus gives us more favor. That is why Scripture says:

“The-good opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Religion versus humility

^1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their opinions deceive themselves: their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that Jesus accepts, pure and faultless, is like this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. [These civic concerns were expressed in the Code of Hammurabi and in ancient Sumer codes 5500 years ago. In 2024, first response requires expertise, so appreciatively vote for representatives who support reliable first-responders so that the taxes you earn (in order to responsibly pay them) are effective. If you leave your vote for others, they’ll spend your taxes. Self-maintaining your own economic viability is a demand of physics.]

^4:7 Accept the-mystery, whatever that entity is, and comprehend Jesus’ influence to the good. Resist evil rather than nourish it. ⁸ Pursue Jesus and he will influence you. Wash your hands, you errant citizens, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the-mystery and Jesus’ influence to the-good. Jesus will lift you up.

Desire and pleasure

^1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “Jesus is tempting me.” For the-good cannot be tempted by evil, nor does Jesus tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to error; and error, when it is full-grown becomes sin and gives birth to death. [Civic citizens aid statutory justice and thereby constrain evil.]

^4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you murder. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight and steal. You do not have because you do not act for the-good. ³ When you ask Jesus’ influence, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. [Pursuing the-good empowers error-free living, and Jesus’ image is perfection on earth. Human-being, in Jesus’ image, may and can pursue perfection. The-mystery cannot be imaged by any human-being.]

Imposing opinion

^3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow citizens, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

^3:3 [Here, James presents diverse controls that seem to him to work, excluding a fire’s spark, which can rage.] ⁶ Erroneous opinion also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. [One may and can stop his or her corruption when they discover it then terminate it. Then, their perfection is possible.]

^3:7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ and each human-being may and can choose to tame erroneous opinion. [Physics shows erroneous opinion a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Perhaps untamed opinion is the cause of evil.]

^3:9 With personal opinion we praise Jesus, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made to rule the earth to the-good. [Animals, vegetables, minerals, and spirits are not human-beings, and some persons erroneously settle-for or pursue less than human being (verb) – invite death. Terrorists are not human-beings.] ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My fellow citizens, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My fellow citizens, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. But the civic citizen can reflect Jesus on earth by extending his influence in each era and generation.

^5:12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned by observable consequences.

Acknowledgement

I appreciate Nomads Sunday school class at University Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, LA and leader Kenneth Tipton for their 6 week, 2023 discussion of the book of James. I especially appreciate both the New International Version and the Complete Jewish Bible for each Christian and Jewish Christian perspective, respectively. I extrapolate Bible quandaries to my trust-in and commitment-to physics as the constraint on human choice. I do not object to fellow citizens who also rely on the-mystery and am personally humble to that entity, mystery that it is. I appreciate Jesus’ influence on me as well as my wife and children.

prb, October 11, 2023, updated on April 29, 2024

Copyright©2023 by Phillip R. Beaver. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for the publication of all or portions of this paper as long as this complete copyright notice is included. Updated to replace “the-God” with “the-mystery” on October 16, 2023. General update on October 24, 2023.