the month in snapshots

our garden begins! (5/8/22)

Maggie's ready to lead my next meeting

going golfing with one of my buddies

Chloe nailed her final history project.
The first year of homeschooling is in the books!

Naomi likes her new bed (most of the time), though she still 
prefers to sleep with daddy

a coloring party at the kitchen table

snapshots from a family reunion

team building at work: The Escape Room and Taste of Belgium

the year in books [IX]

This month I finished several of my Reading Queue collections. I'm pressed for time - never in life, I think, have I been blessed with such productive busyness - so I'm just going to drop them here. The Top Pick of Collection A, historical fiction of World War Two, is tied between Jeff Shaara's The Eagle's Claw and Heather Morris' The Tattooist of Auschwitz (though P.T. Deutermann's novels rank a quick second). The Top Pick of Collection B, modern unaffiliated fiction, is a tie between Ian McGuire's The North Water and Stephen King's early novel (writing as Richard Bachman) Roadwork. The Top Top Pick of Collection C would be the short history on the Sioux Wars. 

Collection A: Historical Fiction of World War Two

Collection B: Unaffiliated Fiction

Collection B: Native American Short Histories

Dino of the Week: Huayangosaurus

Type Species: Huayangosaurus taibaii

Classification: Dinosauria – Ornithischia – Thyreophora – Stegosauria - Huayangosauridae

Time Period: Middle Jurassic

Location: China 

Diet: Herbivore 

In 1979 the fossilized remains of twelve stegosaurs were discovered in China. These belonged to a new species that lived during the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic. Huayangosaurus looked a lot like its later cousin, Stegosaurus, though it was much smaller at only fifteen feet in length. Huayangosaurus lived twenty million years before Stegosaurus and is one of the earliest known stegosaurs (though Europe’s Lexovisaurus beats it to the punch by a few million years). Huayangosaurus’ primitive placement in the stegosaur ‘family tree’ is evidenced by several factors. First, this stegosaur had a broader skull than later stegosaurs, and its skull had a small opening in front of each eye and another small opening in each half of the lower jaw (these openings are absent in later stegosaurs); second, Huayangosaurus had fourteen teeth at the front of its snout (seven on each side), and later stegosaurs lacked these teeth; third, Huayangosaurus had long front limbs that were three-quarters longer than the back limbs, whereas later stegosaurs had forelimbs that were much shorter than the hind limbs; and fifth, the armor plates that ran in two rows along Huayangosaurus’ back were narrower and thicker than those adorning the backs of its later relatives.

a pair of Huayangosaurus with a herd of Omeisaurus

Huayangosaurus nevertheless resembles a ‘proper’ stegosaur. It had the distinctive double row of plates that characterize all stegosaurs; these plates began at its neck and ran along its back until it reached the hips, at which point the plates were replaced with four spikes. After this series of spikes, the plates resumed until they ended with two pairs of long spikes extending horizontally near the end of the tail. These spikes were undoubtedly defensive weapons against such predators as Gasosaurus and Monolophosaurus. Huayangosaurus, like the earlier Lexovisaurus, had two spikes that protruded either from the hips or the shoulders. The exact placement is unknown, with artistic depictions representing either location depending on artistic fancy. The current general consensus is that, as in Lexivosaurus, they were placed on the shoulders; in this case, they would serve as defensive weapons: if an assailant attacked from the front or from the forward side quadrants, Huayangosaurus could ‘thrust’ its spikes deep into the adversary’s hide. In a world without medicine, such penetrating attacks into an enemy’s organs could often be lethal. Only the most foolish of predators would attempt to make a meal out of the armed stegosaur. 

Dino of the Week: Omeisaurus

Type Species: Omeisaurus junghsiensis

Classification: Dinosauria – Saurischia – Sauropoda – Gravisauria - Eusauropoda - Mamenchisauridae 

Time Period: Middle Jurassic

Location: China 

Diet: Herbivore 

Fossils of several individual Omeisaurus were discovered in Sichuan Province, China, indicating that an entire herd had died and were buried together. These sauropods grew up to sixty-six feet in length and looked a lot like the later Mamenchisaurus (to whose ‘group’ they belong). Omeisaurus had an extremely long neck, stocky limbs, and a short body. The long neck may have been used to reach food high in the trees, or it may have been held horizontally over the ground to feed on large swathes of low-growing foliage. In this second manner of feeding, Omeisaurus would take a few steps forward and then swoop its neck over the vegetation, slowly creating a crescent-shaped swathe of devastated vegetation. This would’ve required less energy than high browsing. Omeisaurus tail was relatively short, and it may have included a club like the later Shunosaurus (though most scientists believe the club did indeed belong to Shunosaurus). 

family devotions: James 5.12-15

~ On Oaths ~

James 5.12

And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment.

James is echoing his brother Jesus in Matthew 5.33-37, where Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil." Jesus' commands regarding oaths revolves around the importance of honesty and keeping your word. Jews swore oaths on heaven and earth, but it was believed that only an oath sworn by God was binding. Thus people would swear by lesser things, and if they failed to keep their word, it wasn't a big deal. Lesser oaths became a cover-up for lying, of hiding intentions of not following through and escaping culpability. The Bible is clear in what God thinks of lying and deception. Here are just a few point-blank verses to hone in the point: 

Proverbs 6:16-19: 'There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.'

Proverbs 12:22: 'Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.'

Proverbs 19:9: 'A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.'

Proverbs 24:28: 'Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.'

Psalm 101:7: 'No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.'

Psalm 58:3: 'The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.'

Psalm 34:13: 'Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.'

Colossians 3:9-10: 'Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.'

Revelation 21:8: 'But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.'

James, writing to Jewish Christians living outside Palestine, is undercutting their traditional practice of taking oaths. He's reminding them that in all things, they need to be men and women of honesty and integrity. Letting our yes be yes and our no be no is a call to honesty in our dealings with others. It's wrong to build false trust by swearing on lesser oaths; if we say we will do something, we need to do it. 

~ Different Strokes for Different Folks ~

James 5.13

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 

The religious life isn't constrained to Sunday mornings, and it isn't restricted by our emotions. The religious life is to be practiced every day and in all circumstances. That doesn't mean that the religious life of the happy will be identical to that of the one suffering: James points out that while the happy are to sing praises, the suffering ought to pray. 

The suffering James has in mind is suffering of any kind, indicated by the Greek word he uses; this includes sickness, mourning the death of a loved one, disappointments of all stripes, persecutions big or small, losses of any kind. Christians are not preserved from suffering; indeed, suffering is assumed. That Christians suffer doesn't mean that God doesn't have their back (though, let's be honest, sometimes it can feel that way in the moment); Scripture is clear that God is in control, and we receive both good and bad from His hand for His purposes and our good. 

God may ordain suffering for us to sharpen us into the godly men and women He desires us to be; as the mid-18th century English Methodist Joseph Benson writes that suffering often comes to the Christian 'so that he may be supported under his affliction, so as to be enabled to bear it with patience and resignation to the divine will, and find it to be sanctified to him, and made the means, as of exercising, so also of increasing his grace, and of purifying him as gold and silver are purified in the furnace.' God may ordain suffering for us to discipline us towards holy living, or to call us to a closer walk with Him. One theologian wrote, 'God sometimes lays his afflicting hand upon his people, when they have been negligent of their duty, and he has not heard of them for some time, in order to bring them near to him, to seek his face, pay him a visit, and pour out a prayer before him.' 

When we experience suffering, we are to pray. Often in suffering, it's difficult to put our thoughts into words; sometimes there are little thoughts but many emotions. How, then, do we pray in such a circumstance? The late 19th century Anglican minister Charles Ellicott writes, 'Long petitions, or many, cannot be always made; mind and body may be too weak and ill; but ejaculations - "Arrows of the Lord's deliverance," as Augustine called them, "shout out with a sudden quickness" - these are ever in the power of the beleaguered Christian.' The mid-19th century Presbyterian pastor Albert Barnes emphasized the privilege of prayer in suffering: 'It matters not what is the form of the trial, it is a privilege which all have to go to God in prayer. And it is an inestimable privilege. Health fails, friends die, property is lost, disappointments come upon us, danger threatens, death approaches - and to whom shall we go but to God? He ever lives. He never fails us or disappoints us if we trust in him, and his ear is ever open to our cries.'

So much for those who are suffering - what are the responsibilities of the happy? These are the folk who are in a good place in life. The Greek word James uses is euthumei, and it means to 'have the mind well.' It is to be cheerful or happy. James says those enjoying this condition in life are to 'sing praises.' 

The Greek word James uses for our English rendition of 'sing' is psallo, and it means 'to touch, twitch, or pluck.' It can refer to touching the beard, twitching a string on a bow, or to pluck the string of an instrument. The word was originally applied to instrumental music. In the context of music, it often referred to playing a lyre or harp (the ancient version of our guitar). While some argue that the New Testament demands hymns or songs be sung without musical accompaniment, the New Testament assumes on many occasions (such as here) that instruments can play a part. 

The joyful Christian is to express his gratitude for God's benevolent favor in His life by worshipping Him. The idea here is a singing from the heart: the psalms, hymns, and 'worship songs' which the New Testament mentions are to be sung in such a way that the heart is engaged. They shouldn't be treated as mere music or external performance. This heartfelt worship, which echoes the seraphim singing day and night around God's throne, is the kind of worship God desires. Paul writes in Ephesians 5.18-20 tells us:

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

The 18th century Presbyterian minister James Macknight writes, 'When rendered cheerful by contemplating the manifestations which God hath made of his perfections in the works of creation, providence, and redemption, or by any blessing bestowed on ourselves, we are to express our joy, not by drinking, and singing profane, lewd songs, but by hymns of praise and thanksgivings offered to God for all his mercies.' Commenting on James 5.13, he writes, 'But as the precept concerning our singing psalms, when cheerful, does not imply that we are not to pray then; so the precept concerning prayer in affliction, does not imply that we are not to express our joy in suffering according to the will of God, by singing psalms or hymns, as Paul and Silas did in the jail at Philippi.” Charles Ellicott weighs in, 'There is a sadness latent in the most jubilant of earthly tunes, but not so with the heavenly; and squiring angels do not scorn to catch our humblest notes, and weave them in their endless song, if they be raised in thankfulness to Him Whom they and all creation praise.'

~ Anointing with Oil ~

James 5.14-15

Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise you up. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

James instructs the sick to call on the church's elders, who will come to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The church's elders were tasked with nurturing life with God in the covenant community, with overseeing doctrinal purity and disciplining wayward members. While historically church deacons have taken on more service-oriented roles in the church, elders have a role, too, as we see here. When elders visit a sick member, they are representative of the whole church body; their prayers are those of the congregation, and it's as if the congregation is gathering around to anoint the sick with oil. 

There's debate about the reason for anointing with oil. Some argue that the oil was used medicinally for the sick person, so that the anointing of oil is just another way of saying 'take aspirin.' However, physicians of the ancient world used oil medicinally for injuries rather than sickness. Oil was used for bruises, welts, and raw wounds; the Good Samaritan of Jesus' parable used oil on a man's injuries; and oil was also applied to scratches and bruises on livestock. Given this, and the fact that anointing with oil has a rich history within Judaism from the days Moses to those of the early church, we should reject this argument.

In Judaism, the purpose of anointing with oil was to sanctify, or to set apart as holy, the person or object being anointed (Exodus 30.29). Only the priests and Tabernacle items were originally anointed, but it was later expanded to include kings (1 Samuel 10.1). A foreigner couldn't be anointed (Exodus 30.33), nor could oil be used on any common person, and it couldn't be duplicated by any Israelite (Exodus 30.32). So it seems that the elders anoint the sick to set them apart as holy before God. While this anointing may have been the practice for sick people of all stripes, it's more likely that it was reserved for those considered near death. Such an anointing would be a symbolic message amidst impending death, and it may also have been viewed as an extension of the prayer offered by the elders. James writes that the prayer offered in faith will result in healing, and 'the Lord will raise up' the sick. James may be asserting that the Lord would raise the sick person to health, or he may be indicating that the Lord will raise the sick person up in the final resurrection. 

James adds, 'If you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.' He is acknowledging that there are occasions when illness is tied to sin. While all of us suffer death and decay as a result of Adam's sin (Romans 5.19), the Bible often correlates a person's suffering with sin (e.g. John 5.14 and 1 Corinthians 11.29-30). In these cases, the anointing of oil and the prayers of the elders are powerful for bringing the person to repentance. Matthew Henry writes:

Observe that the saving of the sick is not ascribed to the anointing with oil, but to prayer. In a time of sickness it is not cold and formal prayer that is effectual, but the prayer of faith. The great thing we should beg of God for ourselves and others in the time of sickness is, the pardon of sin. Let nothing be done to encourage any to delay, under the mistaken fancy that a confession, a prayer, a minister's absolution and exhortation, or the sacrament, will set all right at last, where the duties of a godly life have been disregarded.

Dino of the Week: Monolophosaurus

Type Species: Monolophosaurus jiangi

Classification: Dinosauria – Saurischia – Theropoda - Tetanurae

Time Period: Middle Jurassic

Location: China 

Diet: Carnivore 

Monolophosaurus is named for the single crest atop its skull. This medium-sized predator reached about eighteen feet in length and stood six feet tall at the hips. It had sharp, serrated teeth and a large but skinny head. Its remains were found in fossil rocks containing traces of water, so it may have hunted along lake shores or in coastal regions. Its single crest began on the midline of its snout and continued over the top of its skull to the frontal bones. The top of the crest ran parallel to the upper jaw edge. The frontal bones didn’t contribute to the crest, and they’re unique among theropods in that they have a combined rectangular rather than triangular shape, due to the posterior position of the crest’s rear. Though it had a crest, it wasn’t closely related to the dilophosaurids; in fact, its skeletal anatomy is more closely related to advanced ‘stiff-tailed’ theropods such as Allosaurus. Monolophosaurus may have hunted in packs to take down the sauropods of its day, such as Abrosaurus or Omeisaurus, though pack hunting for this theropod has no evidence in the fossil record; this theory derives from the fact that many early, mid-sized tetanurans such as Allosaurus did, indeed, hunt in packs. 

a pair of Monolophosaurus stalk an ichthyosaur graveyard on a southern Laurasian beach

family devotions: James 4.13 - 5.11

~ The Practical Atheist: Part One ~

James 4.13-17

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

In James 4 and the beginning of James 5, James targets two kinds of 'fake Christians': those who love the world and those who pervert the gospel. The structure of this passage forms a chiasm:

  4.1-10: Warnings for those who Love the World

    4.11-12: Warnings for the Judaizers

  4.13-5.6: Warnings for those who Love the World

In chiasms, the central part - that which is bracketed - is the most important; in this case, the most dire warning is held out against the Judaizers. This makes sense, for rejecting the gospel or living contrary to its message is one thing, but twisting and perverting the gospel - and leading others astray - is quite another. In 4.13 to 5.6 James puts 'flesh and blood' on those who love the world, using a hypothetical example of an arrogant businessman who builds his wealthy empire on the backs of others. This man, though apparently claiming to love God and follow Jesus, is living as a practical atheist: he lives as if God doesn't exist. In James' example, this practical atheism takes two forms: living as if you're in control of your destiny and using this life to pursue your ambitions at the expense of those around you.

God is sovereign and has control over our lives. The boastful arrogance of the presumptuous businessman shows that while he may claim to believe God is sovereign, he lives as if he's in control of his own life. He lives absent an awareness of God's sovereign presence. James isn't saying that making plans is wrong; after all, the Bible tells us to be wise stewards of our time, and laziness and foolishness is condemned from Genesis to Revelation. The issue here isn't that the businessman is planning his business but that he's living as if he's in charge of his own life. He's living as a practical atheist. James says that living in such a way ignores two facts: we aren't in control (none of us knows what will happen tomorrow) and we are vapors, here today and gone tomorrow. The idea of us being ephemeral vapors on this earth is an idea that's littered throughout scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments. Here are just a few examples: 

Psalm 102.11 - My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

Psalm 90.12 - So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 39.5 - Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

Job 14.1-2 - Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.

The Book of Ecclesiastes reads like a survey of King Solomon's accomplishments coupled with a treatise on repentance. Through his life experiences he gained wisdom, learning that wealth, pleasure, and accomplishments are empty. In Ecclesiastes 12.13-14 he gives his conclusion: 'Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.' The boastful businessman in James 4 lives like Solomon: he's ignoring his mortality and (as we will see in James 5) building a kingdom of his own on the backs of others. In both respects he is living as an atheist: he doesn't fear God and he doesn't obey His commandments. All Christians ought to spend their days cognizant of God's presence, honoring and revering Him as their Creator, and obeying Him. The practical atheist does none of this, showing that he doesn't really believe what he thinks he believes. He is self-deceived, which James warns about in 1.22: 'Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”'

~ The Practical Atheist: Part Two ~

James 5.1-6

Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you.

Who is James addressing in this passage? Here the chapter break does us a disservice, implying that James is moving to new content. This isn't the case: he's still addressing the practical atheist, the rich man addressed at the end of James 4. This rich man builds his wealth by exploiting others and spending that wealth on luxuriant, self-indulgent living. James isn't simply condemning people who have money, for wealth in and of itself isn't bad. The Corinthian church met in the home of a wealthy man, and many of Jesus' followers - particularly his women followers - were wealthy. The Bible presents wealth as a gift from God that is part of His provision and is to be used wisely for God's kingdom. The Bible condemns wealth when (a) it is made by unjust means and (b) when it is used frivolously and sinfully. The rich condemned here are those who acquire wealth by unjust means and spend it sinfully.

The wealth which such people have accumulated is their only treasure, and not only will it evaporate on Judgment Day, but it will even testify against them before the throne of God. This is coupled with the cries of those who've been exploited; our just and compassionate God hears their cries and will execute judgment against their oppressors. James calls God but His name 'Lord of Hosts,' identifying Him as the God of the angelic armies. The picture is of God going to war against the oppressors and bloodily defeating them. Their lifestyle of oppression and luxury has fattened their hearts for a day of slaughter, and they will experience that slaughter on Judgment Day. 

~ A Word to the Oppressed ~

James 5.7-11

So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

It's likely that many to whom this letter was written made a meager living by working for exploitive bosses like the ones condemned above. How are oppressed Christians to live? James writes that oppressed Christians are to be patient, waiting for God's sure judgment on their oppressors; they are to endure, and to do so without complaining, hoping in the future of God's new heavens and new earth. It is a good thing to long for Judgment Day, for on that day God will judge all evil and all evildoers. It is a good thing to rejoice in the righteous judgments of the Lord. 

James writes that the Christians aren't to 'grumble' or complain. This is an easy thing to do when under oppression, but complaining is condemned throughout the scriptures. Even in tough times, even when under oppression, we aren't to complain. Complaining is bad because it comes from an ungrateful heart that is ignorant of God's provisions; it's saying that God has failed to be faithful; it's saying that if we were God, we would do things better. When the Israelites complained in the desert wanderings because God didn't provide for them the way they liked, God responded to their ungrateful grumbling by killing a good many of them. Their complaint wasn't empty, as it was against God (Exodus 16.8). We have several commands in the New Testament against complaining, such as Philippians 2.14-16: 'Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.'

James shows the oppressed Christians how to endure by giving two examples: the prophets and Job. More often than not the Old Testament prophets lived in hard times in which God's people were oppressed under foreign rulers or ungodly kings; many of these prophets felt the full wrath of oppressive regimes. Elijah was hunted like a dog; Jeremiah was mocked and imprisoned; and Isaiah was likely sawed in half alive by King Manasseh. These prophets endured hard times with patience as they longed for the future when God would set everything right. The person of Job suffered grievously, losing everything he loved except his life (and it got to the point where he wanted to lose even that, cursing the very day he was conceived). He endured his trials, and the outcome was that God returned to him all he had lost, and with increase! Oppressed Christians are to endure their oppression with patience and without complaining, looking forward to the day when their oppressors are judged and they are rewarded for their endurance. Jesus promises this day will come in Matthew 18.28-29: 'And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that in the renewal of the world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me—you also will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields on account of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life.'

Dino of the Week: Gasosaurus

Type Species: Gasosaurus constructus

Classification: Dinosauria – Saurischia – Theropoda – Tetanurae

Time Period: Middle Jurassic

Location: China

Diet: Carnivore

Gasosaurus’ name literally means ‘gas lizard.’ This isn’t because it had swollen bowels and was necessarily gassy, though that would be fascinating if it were true. In reality, it’s named after the gasoline company that found it while doing construction in Sichuan Province, China. The discovery of this carnivorous theropod clued scientists in to a new bone-bed dating to the Middle and early Late Jurassic. During the Jurassic Period, the area had been a forested lakeside environment, and further digs after Gasosaurus’ unearthing have revealed all sorts of sauropods, theropods, and stegosaurs. The bone-bed is known as the Shaximiao Formation, and it’s divided into an Upper and Lower portions. The ‘Upper’ bone-bed correlates with the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic while the ‘Lower’ bone-bed correlates with the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic. Gasosaurus emerged at the beginning of the Middle Jurassic and remained a staple of the Asian ecosystem into the beginning of the Early Jurassic; its ten-million-year ‘reign’ lasted from about 170-160 million years (a pretty good run for a single species!). 

Gasosaurus was a ‘stiff-tailed’ tetanuran theropod that measured eleven to thirteen feet and likely weighed around 330 to 880 pounds. It had strong legs but short arms, and it shares characteristics with both more developed tetanuran theropods and earlier non-tetanurans, suggesting that Gasosaurus was near the ‘base’ of the emerging tetanurans. It coexisted with other mid-range theropods such as Chuandongocoelurus and Kaijiangosaurus, both theropods found in the Lower Shaximiao Formation. Though it probably subsisted mostly on small- to medium-sized prey, it could have theoretically taken down the more primitive sauropods in its environment, especially if it utilized pack-hunting. In the artistic depiction below, two Gasosaurus are running in the midst of a Shunosaurus herd. Though Gasosaurus and Shunosaurus co-existed, they did so for only the briefest moment at the twilight of Gasosaurus’ prehistoric career. 

family devotions: James 4.1-12

~ Friendship with the World ~

James 4.1-4

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

James sees quarrels and fights among the church as deriving from 'passions' (or sinful pleasures) at war within us. Making such passions your life's priority results in a life characterized by the ruthless pursuit of those pleasures, a life marked by envy (coveting what others have), fighting with others, and even - at times - murder. Even our prayers become tainted: it's all about 'give me what I want!' rather than humble petition. When we live this way - putting our sinful pleasures at the top tier of our life pyramid - we are, in effect, cheating on God. This is why James calls out such people as adulterers: being a Christian involves covenant responsibilities (such as obeying God), and when we violate those responsibilities, we are breaking our covenant promises. Think of it this way: if a husband who has pledged to love only one woman forever places his love on another, he is an adulterer; in the same way, if a Christian pledges his love to God but actually loves something else more, he is breaking the 'love contract' and is an adulterer. In this way those Christians who love the world - those who make 'the world' their priority - are in a state of adultery against God and make themselves enemies of God.

This is rough language, but James is making a critical statement. Just as a tree shows its nature by the fruit it bears, so people show the character of their hearts by the way they live. Hearts 'in love with the world' showcase that love in a myriad of ways, just as those whose hearts are oriented towards god show that orientation by the way they live their lives (lives characterized, by example, by the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5). Those who live for their pleasures will reveal their love in envy, fighting, and the ruthless pursuit of their pleasures; such lifestyles indicate hearts oriented away from God. When Christians pledge their love to God but live contrary to what that love demands, we are rebelling against the covenant contract. It's important to note, of course, that we remain in the contract (it is why we are not merely enemies but also adulterers!). James has good news for those who are adulterers against the covenant, but we'll get to that next week. James' point here is that when you 'love the world' you make yourself an enemy of God. But what does it mean to love the world? We need to define two terms: 'Love' and 'The World' as James uses it.

Love doesn't mean warm, fuzzy feelings. To love something is to have deep affection for it, even if that affection isn't always 'felt.' When you love something, you naturally make it the object of your pursuit, putting it on a pedestal and making it your priority. It's interesting that we are, at our core, creatures designed to worship; we all worship something and are compelled to do nothing else. Even the world's greatest dictators were slaves to their disasters and lived in worship of power. Thus everyone worships; everyone loves; but the question is what (or whom) do we love? What holds our greatest affections? What do we make the priority in our lives?

The World as James uses the term here refers to the whole organized system of evil, made up of varying and changing philosophies that are expressed in the organizations and personalities of human beings. The world is a composite expression of the wickedness of man and the intrigues of Satan's rule, which are both in opposition to the rule and ways of God. James says that to have a deep affection for the world - to make it your priority and greatest pursuit - is to make yourself an enemy of God. Love for the world system and its ways is characterized by a triumvirate of three ruling pleasures: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The Apostle John tells us this in 1 John 2.16, where he writes, Everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world. (NIV) The New Living Translation puts it this way: '[The] world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.' The Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life encapsulate the three task-masters behind worldly love; what do these refer to?

The Lust of the Flesh is the lowest form of worldliness, after which most of the world runs like wild animals in heat. The lust of the flesh encompasses all that is connected to the indulgence of our base animal propensities. Those who worship the lust of the flesh are those who live their lives ruled by their appetites, indulging anything and everything excites and inflames sensual pleasure. Drunkenness, drug use, sexual promiscuity, and pornography are all great temptations to the 'lust of the flesh.' 

The Lust of the Eyes is the lust of covetousness and envy. Those who live by the lust of the eyes are those who live their lives with the aim of accumulating for themselves the vanities of the world: the costliest clothes, the sleekest cars, the most beautiful homes. Their attention isn't on their eyes so much as on the eyes of others; they want to be seen by what they have. The pursuit of the American Dream is, in many ways, an outworking of the lust of the eyes. 

Those who live according to The Pride of Life are those whose lives are characterized by a thirst for honor, applause, and recognition. They thirst for their own kingdoms rather than God's kingdom. The current trend of 'Instagram Influencers' indicates that this driving force of love for the world is well and active.

These three aspects of love for the world infect fallen humanity. Some people express them in greater degrees than others, and each of us experiences a particular draw towards at least one of them. Part of being a Christian is resisting these draws: instead of living for pleasure, we live for purpose; instead of focusing on wealth in the here and now, we seek to accumulate wealth in the world to come; instead of striving to make a name for ourselves, we strive to bring honor and glory to God's name. Because our hearts are naturally in love with the world, resistance to the world is difficult and costly. It will be a struggle, but to make no effort against love for the world is to be a friend of the world and thus an enemy of God.

James says that Christians who make the world and the things of the world a priority in their lives are guilty of adultery against God. This adultery manifests itself in lives characterized by conflict, envy, and tainted prayers. Those who make themselves enemies of God by loving the world need to submit to God in humble repentance, and God will be gracious.

~ Turn to the Lord ~

James 4.5-10

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, 'He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us?' But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James has just finished writing about how friendship with the world is to be an enemy of God. He admits that our propensity as fallen human beings is towards sin, but he holds out hope: there is a way out of our lowly condition. The answer is repentance: turning to God and turning away from sin. Those who repent from 'friendship with the world' - those who make God and His kingdom priority in their lives and who fight against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - will be accepted by God and 'lifted up' from the mire and placed on solid footing before their Creator.

Verse five is a perplexing text that can be translated various ways. James says that God yearns jealously over the spirit he has made to dwell in us. Though this is often taking to be the Holy Spirit, a more common-sense reading is that James is speaking of our basic human spirits. The Greek text can be translated to say that 'our human spirits are corrupted with lustful envy.' In this case, James is admitting that our hearts are naturally drawn towards sin. We are at nature friends with the world and enemies with God. This is a plain Bible teaching. The fact that this sentence is given as a quote ('Scripture says...'), but it's found nowhere in the Old Testament. What do we make of this? Likely James is summing up a principle teaching of the Old Testament, found page after page in the holy scriptures: mankind is a messed-up beast! Thus James' statement that the heart of man is naturally bent towards 'lustful envy' is a teaching concurrent with the Jewish scriptures. The good news, though, is that God gives 'more grace': God's grace is greater than the power of sin, the flesh, the world, and the devil. The question, then, is how do we partake of this power that overcomes our natural bent towards sin? James answers this question by quoting Proverbs 3.34.

Proverbs 3.34 tells us, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' When Old Testament scriptures are quoted in the New Testament, they're usually not used as proof-texts of some particular point but as echoes of biblical concepts or callbacks to Old Testament texts. When James quotes Proverbs 3.34, he isn't calling attention to only that verse but the wider context of that verse. In this case, he is echoing Proverbs 3.29-35. The main point of this passage is that those who humbly seek God and refuse to do wicked will be favored by God. The 'humble' of whom James writes aren't an upper-echelon class of Christians but Christians generally. All Christians are 'humble' before God: to be humble, after all, is to acknowledge your frailty and need and to submit yourself willingly to a higher authority (in this case God). The way to experience God's grace - which is greater than our spirits that are filled with lustful envy - is to submit to God and resist the devil. Both submission and resistance are opposite sides of the same coin of repentance. Repentance is turning, and it involves turning to God and away from sin and the devil. Repentance is the natural by-product of submission to God. It is what happens when a man 'humbles' himself before his creator.

Repentance involves both submission to God and resisting the devil. James, as a good Jewish person, saw all humanity being under one of two masters: either God or the devil. To put your allegiance on one is to stand against the other. Human beings, infected with sin, naturally give their allegiance to the devil - who is the 'head' of all opposition to God - even if they don't know it or even believe it. As such they are naturally opposed to God. To become a Christian involves a changing of allegiance: we make a decision of the will to forsake old allegiances (the devil) and embrace a new allegiance (to God). When this is fleshed out in daily life, it involves submission to our new master and resisting our old master. James uses militant language to describe this submission and resistance, though we lose these militant undertones in translation. To 'submit' is to literally 'line up under,' and the word was used of soldiers under the authority of their commander. The submission James speaks of is a willing, conscious submission to God's authority as sovereign ruler of the cosmos. A truly humble person will give his allegiance to God, obey His commands, and follow His leadership. To 'resist' is to literally 'take your stand against,' so that resisting the devil is taking a stand against him. This involves refusing to live as he wants us to live, refusing to believe his lies, and refusing to willfully sin against God. 

James gives us a flurry of Old Testament echoes to describe the nature of the repentance God requires. Repentance is 'drawing near to God' - it is making God our main priority and pursuing Him rather than our own wants and desires. Repentance involves 'cleansing hands and purifying hearts' - it requires the hard work of turning from sin and learning new ways to live that honor God and obey His commands. Repentance involves turning our laughter to mourning and our joy to sorrow - interestingly, the Greek word James uses for 'laughter' is used only here in the whole New Testament, and it refers to the flippant laughter of those foolishly indulging in worldly pleasures. The picture is of people who give no thought to God, life, death, sin, judgment, or holiness. These are the people who laugh hysterically as they take drugs in night clubs or engage in orgies or drunken revelry. Repentance requires these people to turn from such flippant laughter and to mourn over their rebellion against God. The end result of repentance will be exaltation, being lifted out of the mire of sin-driven, futile lives and placed on solid footing before the creator.

~ Judging the Law ~

James 4.11-12

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

James has just finished writing about how friendship with the world is to be an enemy of God, and the appropriate response to such friendship is to turn from it and to turn to God. This 'turning' is done in humility, and such humility is contrary to judging one another. James instructs his readers to not do two things: to 'speak evil' of one another and to 'judge' one another. The first refers to slander, which is an outflow of what James wrote earlier in 3.1-12. The second refers to 'passing judgment,' and it's different from practical discernment. The Bible tells us to practice discernment; we are to be wise in our dealings with others and discern to the best of our abilities the nature of people and act accordingly.

What, then, is James opposing? There are three ideas: (1) James is addressing slanderous gossip that was spreading like gangrene through the churches, and James is addressing it at the root; (2) he is addressing sinful responses to different issues and hotheaded opinions in the church that would (ultimately) be resolved in the then-future Jewish Council of AD 49/50; or (3) he is opposing Judaizers in the church. The Judaizers were a group of pseudo-Christians who taught that in order to be saved, one had to have faith in Jesus and follow the 'works of the law' (certain Jewish practices, such as circumcision, eating a certain diet, and observing certain holy days). Judaizers believed that many Jewish laws - particularly those that served as 'boundary-markers,' differentiating those in God's covenant from those outside it - were still binding. The Apostle Paul deals with them at length in many letters; it is why he's so adamant that salvation comes by faith alone and not by 'works of the law.' The theory goes that the Judaizers were active in the churches of the Jewish diaspora, and here James is addressing them particularly: they are the ones who are 'slandering' their brethren and 'judging' them as outside the covenant because they were no longer adhering to Jewish boundary-markers and 'works of the law.' The Greek that James writes can be read, He that speaks evil of his brother judges his brother; and he that speaks evil of the law judges the law. The Judaizers were setting up their own tribunals in which they were simultaneously prosecutor, witness, law, lawgiver, and judge (and executioner, as well!).

It's likely that James' motivation in this text is to address either the Judaizers or cliques in the church that revolved around issues to be dealt with at the Jerusalem Council. This background doesn't mean the text has no meaning for us today. There's no excuse for slander or judgment in our churches. We have a tendency to slander brothers and sisters for assumed motives, supposed actions, and for differences in opinion that have nothing to do with the gospel. In politically polarized times, how many Christians are guilty of slandering their brethren who hold opposing political views? James opposes slander and defamation, but this doesn't exclude confronting those who are in sin, which is elsewhere commanded in scripture (Matthew 18.15-17; Titus 1.13, 2.15, 3.10). James is condemning careless, derogatory, critical, and slanderous accusations against others, and his doing so is consistent with scripture (Psalm 50.20; Proverbs 10.18; Romans 1.29; Titus 2.3). Those who do this are speaking evil of the law because they're disregarding God's law, which says not to do this. To do so is to 'judge' the law, because by refusing to submit to it's authority, you're submitting to your own (assumed) authority. You're placing yourself above the law. Thus, in an ironic twist, the Judaizers who presented themselves as defenders of God's law were actually placing themselves above it!

Dino of the Week: Agilisaurus

Type Species: Agilisaurus louderbecki

Classification: Dinosauria – Ornithischia – Neornithischia 

Time Period: Middle Jurassic

Location: China 

Diet: Herbivore 

The small, bipedal ornithischian Agilisaurus is known from an almost complete specimen from China. Its classification in the ornithischian family tree is unknown, and most scientists categorize it as a basal ornithopod (though some have considered it a basal marginocephalian, which eventually led to the ceratopsians and pachycephalosaurs). Agilisaurus was only about four feet long head-to-tail, stood two feet in height, and weighed around eighty pounds. It had a short head with large eyes, and comparisons between its sclerotic rings and those of modern birds and reptiles suggest it was diurnal (active at dawn and dusk) rather than cathemeral like most larger herbivorous dinosaurs (active throughout the day at short intervals). Its teeth were leaf-shaped and larger and pointed at the front. The teeth had wavy enamel, a characteristic previously attributed only to the ‘duck-billed’ hadrosaurs (a type of ornithopod). Its hind limbs were much longer than the forelimbs, and the thigh bone was short compared to the leg bones; these features indicate it was a fast runner that used its long tail for balance while ‘on the foot.’ 

family devotions: James 2.14 - 3.18

~ A Faith That Works ~

James 2.14-26

What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it? If a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking food for the day, and one of you should say to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but does not give them what is necessary for the body, what is the benefit? Thus also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe, and shudder! But do you want to know, O foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works the faith was perfected. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And likewise was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James 2.14-26 is the natural conclusion to what James started writing about in this chapter: partiality. Some Jewish Christians were treating other Christians in varying degrees depending upon their social status; James told them, "This is not the Christ-like thing to do!" He went so far as to say that showing partiality was a transgression of God's law, putting them in the same camp as adulterers and murderers. He implored them to show mercy to one another: instead of treating others according to social stratification, they should treat others with mercy, regardless of their social standing or likableness. Now James goes on to point out that true Christian faith can't help but produce a lifestyle of obedience to Jesus; specifically, genuine Christian faith will result in striving to treat others the way God has treated us. There's a lot to this passage of scripture, and we will devote some time to fleshing it out, but it's easy to miss the forest for the trees. James' argument from the beginning of James 2 up to now is a coherent and logical whole: "If you're a Christian, you must show love and mercy to your fellow believers. If you treat them with partiality, you're disavowing the name of the one to whom you profess loyalty; but if you treat your brethren with love and mercy, then you are showing that your faith in Christ is genuine and made of the 'right stuff.'"

In 2 Corinthians 13.5, Paul tells the Corinthians, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves!" How do we follow Paul's injunction? By looking at our lives! It is possible to delude ourselves; indeed, we do it all the time! In our day and age, it is quite possible to be raised in the church and to profess belief in Christianity without ever truly committing oneself to Jesus. In many parts of the United States, identifying as Christian is a cultural rather than religious phenomenon; we identify as Christians because that's what the people around us do and expect, and we follow suit because we are, at heart, social creatures yearning to conform to the expectations of our heroes and peers. But true faith is more than mental assent; it requires a mental belief in the truth of the gospel message, to be sure, but it goes well beyond mere knowledge. Biblical 'faith in Jesus' is loyalty to Jesus or trusting submission to Jesus. This sort of faith - this 'saving faith' - can do no other than produce obedience to Jesus. This is why Jesus tells us that those who truly love him will obey him; it's why Paul speaks of 'the obedience of faith'; and it's why genuine faith will prove itself in the way we live our lives.

If we are truly committed to Jesus, our obedience to Jesus and the ways of God will be fleshed out in our daily lives. Our 'works' don't save us, but they testify to what is true about us. If we examine ourselves and see a lack of obedience, or even a lack of desire to obey or a lack of effort put towards obedience, then we would do well to question whether our faith in Jesus is genuine or a self-imposed delusion. A faith that doesn't 'work' is a 'dead' faith, and it is the sort of 'faith' that even demons have! The German reformer Martin Luther put it this way: 'If works and love do not blossom forth, it is not genuine faith, the gospel has not yet gained a foothold, and Christ is not yet rightly known.'

I'm reminded of the old adage that 'what we do is who we are.' Jesus says that our actions stem from our hearts. One of the peculiarities of drunkenness is that it reveals who we are: when people get drunk and do things that are 'out of character,' their actions aren't really out of character; rather, drunkenness removes our self-imposed inhibitions, those self-erected barriers that keep us from 'acting out' what goes on in our hearts. In this sense, drunkenness is great at revealing who we are. Jesus says that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit; the things we do and say spring forth from our hearts. When we become Christians, we are given new hearts and new spirits; God implants within us a desire to obey him, and he gives us the ability to do so by breaking our enslavement to sin and empowering us with the Holy Spirit. A Christian who does not desire to obey Jesus, and who thus makes no effort to obey him, is a Christian in name only; the metaphysical (or ultimate) reality for him or her has not changed - he or she remains dead in sin because their faith is not the sort of faith God requires and accepts.

James links one's faith with actions in life. He says, 'Do you see that faith was working together with [Abraham's] works, and by works [his] faith was made perfect?' James is saying that Abraham's faith was brought to its end, or its fullness, by his actions. Just as a fruit tree has not arrived at its goal until it bears fruit, faith has not reached its fullness until it demonstrates itself in a righteous life. Putting it another way, James says that we are justified by works and not faith alone. We must grant that this is confusing, because the testimony of scripture is that we are justified by faith and not works. Where does James get off, contradicting scripture?! We must grant that James' wordage is awkward, and we cannot say that we must perform works to be saved. This goes against the entire scope of scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments. When something odd sticks out, our rule is 'let scripture interpret scripture'; by doing this, we know that James absolutely cannot mean that our obedience saves us. What, then, is he saying? Ultimately he's saying the same thing that he said about Abraham's faith, that genuine faith will show itself true - reach its fullness - in our actions. The Greek word he uses for 'justify' has two general meanings; the first meaning pertains to acquittal, to declaring and treating a person as righteous; the second meaning pertains to vindication, or proof of righteousness. James has the second meaning in mind: he's saying that our faith is vindicated, shown true, by our works. This is a thoroughly biblical idea and not at all at odds with salvation by grace through faith apart from works.

We are justified - declared righteous by God - by faith.
Our faith is vindicated - shown true - by our works.
If our works do not vindicate our faith, then something is wrong.
It's really that simple.

On a closing note, the verb tenses James uses indicate a continued lack of works. He isn't saying that if you struggle to obey or screw up a lot, your faith is in jeopardy. He says in the beginning of the next chapter that we all stumble in many ways. The Christian's obedience to Jesus isn't perfect, and it's not a linear progression of sanctification; in other words, our obedience to Jesus, though increasing gradually as we 'grow into Christ' and mature in our faith, will often be marked by highs and lows. This shouldn't discourage us or make us doubt - but if our lives are consistently marked by a refusal to obey, then we should take James' words to heart and examine ourselves. If lacking in faith, we need to remedy the situation.

~ The Power of Words ~

James 3.1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Words have the power to strengthen, encourage, and build up - and they also have the power to weaken, discourage, and hurt. God expects us to be holy in the way that we speak. There are several sinful ways we can talk, and scripture highlights three big ones: gossip, slander, and cursing. Gossip is when we indulge in rumors about others and spread them without any respect for the truth or kindness towards those involved. Slander is when we cut people down with our words, either to their face or behind their backs. Cursing isn't using 'adult words' but verbally calling bad things down on someone. Because words have power, blessing someone means something and, in the inverse, cursing someone means something, as well. None of us are perfect in the way we speak. We are all tempted to gossip, slander, and curse others. James admits that no one is perfect and everyone, including Christians, fails to do what is right. He says that we all 'stumble' in many ways; to stumble is to sin against God. The Greek form of the word James uses emphasizes that everyone is continually failing to do what is right. 

But James isn't just telling us to watch what we say: he's pointing out that the way we talk - the way we use our wagging tongues - reflects what's going on in our hearts. Paring this back further, the way we talk is a test of our faith. A person's faith (or lack thereof) is demonstrated by the way a person talks. The tongue, then, is a tattletale that tells on our hearts and discloses who we really are. This is the point James is making in verses 11-12: 'Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.' James is building upon his brother's teaching that our actions disclose the condition of our hearts. His brother Jesus says in Matthew 7.17-20: '[Every] good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.' Later on in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, 'It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth - this defiles a person.' (Matt 15.11). A few verses later, in vv. 16-19, he says, 'Are you also still without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and is evacuated into the latrine? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these defile the person. For from the heart come evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, [and] abusive speech.' Jesus' basic idea - which James echoes here - is that the way we live - the choices we make, the things we do, the way we talk - comes from the heart. Those whose hearts love God will tend towards a certain kind of lifestyle; those who do not love God will be bent towards an altogether different way of living. 

Why, though, is James so focused on the tongue? The tongue is a specific barometer of our faith. We see this in Romans 3.10-18, an infamous passage wherein the Apostle Paul showcases human depravity by revealing how sin has infected the core of every person. He writes:

  "There is none righteous, no, not one;
    there is none who understands;
    there is none who seeks after God.
  They have all turned aside;
    they have together become unprofitable; 
    there is none who does good, no, not one.
  Their throat is an open tomb;
    with their tongues they have practiced deceit;
    the poison of asps is under their lips;
    whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
  Their feet are swift to shed blood;
    destruction and misery are in their ways;
    and the way of peace they have not known.
  There is no fear of God before their eyes."

In the text above, Paul established that all people are not only sinners before God but sinful to their core. He shows this by utilizing what's called a gezerah shavah, a Hebrew technique whereby he shows how depravity has affected all the parts of the body. He mentions how peoples' feet are swift to do evil, but he pays particular attention to the way people speak as indicative of our fallen status. In the Bible, the tongue is described as wicked, deceitful, perverse, filthy, corrupt, flattering, slanderous, gossiping, blasphemous, foolish, boasting, complaining, cursing, contentious, sensual, and vile. The tongue is a focal point and vivid indicator of our sinful hearts, and no one is exempt. No wonder, then, that James calls the tongue an 'unruly evil.' The Greek word he uses in verse 8 for 'unstable' refers to a wild animal fighting fiercely against the restraints of captivity; though many wild beasts can be tamed, the tongue cannot be tamed - at least absent the work of God in our hearts, which is exactly what Jesus promises us in the Spirit.

Because Christians are filled with the Spirit, who works inside us to transform our hearts and lives so that we can be obedient to God, Christians are able to mature in self-control and holy talk. Christians ought to be distinct in their talk from other people. This isn't to say that Christians will be perfect in their speech - James actually says the opposite of this! - but it does mean that if we claim to belong to Christ, that claim should be validated by the way we use our tongues.

~ Wisdom from Above ~

James 3.13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James contrasts two types of wisdom: earthly wisdom (which is also unspiritual and demonic) and heavenly wisdom (the wisdom 'from above'). Before launching into an examination of these contrasting types of wisdom, we must know what wisdom is. The Old Testament wisdom literature (the Book of Job to the Song of Solomon) divides wisdom into two realms: man's and God's. Each approaches wisdom differently. At the heart of wisdom is the question, 'How shall we live?' Wisdom is about living skillfully. The wisdom of man seeks to use truth and cleverness to accomplish one's goals; in this vein, 'wisdom' is manipulative; it's about how one manipulates life by shrewd living to reach one's goals. Politicians are wise with worldly wisdom to lie through their teeth, because doing so will help them attain their political ends. The wisdom from above - or 'godly wisdom' - seeks to live skillfully, but it understands 'wise living' in the context of God and His commands. Godly wisdom answers to a higher authority and approaches wisdom through a higher paradigm. The godly wise person, then, isn't the shrewd manipulator but the one who submits to God and obeys Him. This 'true' wisdom has less to do with factual knowledge than with behavior: wisdom is skill in living righteously. 

James asks, 'Who is wise and understanding among you?' The Greek word he uses for 'understanding' can be better translated 'skilled in the art of living'; thus he's asking, 'Who among you is truly wise and skilled in the art of living?' The person who answers 'Me!' should show his wisdom and skill in living by practicing good works (which refers to obedience to God and doing good for others) that are done not for self-seeking ends or self-glorification ('Look how wonderful I am!') but in the 'meekness of wisdom.' Meekness is the opposite of arrogance and self-promotion; the ancient Greeks understood it as 'power under control.' James is saying that those who are truly wise and skilled in living will obey God and follow His will for their lives for the sole purpose of pleasing Him. They don't do good works to look good or as stepping stones to their ultimate personal goals; the wise person practices good works because it is the right thing to do.

This godly kind of wisdom stands in sharp contrast to the wisdom of the world, which harbors 'bitter envy' (a harsh, resentful attitude towards others) and self-seeking hearts. Those whose lives are characterized by bitter envy and self-seeking hearts are rooted in the wisdom of the world, which James identifies as being 'sensual' (in that it is rooted in one's basest desires) and 'demonic' (in that it is promoted by those spiritual powers opposed to God and His kingdom). When this warped type of wisdom is practiced, the fruit isn't 'skillful living' but confusion and moral chaos. An illustration of this would be the fanatical pro-choice movement when it comes to the subject of abortion. Earthly wisdom says that women have every right to make choices for their bodies, even to the point of killing unborn children growing inside them. The root of this conviction is that women should not have their lives dictated by others, but this earthly wisdom also means that children - who are human - can be exterminated at another person's behest. Earthly wisdom wants people to be jailed for not feeding their dogs the highest nutritional dog food while it praises the murder of children. This is the sort of wisdom that leads to confusion and chaos. Heavenly wisdom, however, is of a different caliber altogether. James says that godly wisdom is pure (morally right), peaceable (in that it produces harmony rather than conflict), and gentle. The gentle person will submit to all kinds of mistreatment and difficulty with an attitude of kind, courteous, patient humility without any thought of hatred or revenge. James says heavenly wisdom is willing to yield; the Greek term he uses describes someone who is teachable, compliant, easily persuaded, and who willingly submits to military discipline or moral and legal standards. For believers, this defines obedience to God's standards. Those who are wise from above are merciful to others and show impartiality; such a person is consistent, unwavering, and undivided in his commitment and conviction and doesn't make unfair distinctions. Those who have this kind of wisdom show it in the 'fruit of righteousness,' which is holy living and obedience to God's commands.

We have, then, two kinds of wisdom: earthly and heavenly. Earthly wisdom is characterized by self-seeking patterns of behavior, conflict among people, and bitter envy. It produces confusion and moral chaos. Heavenly wisdom is characterized by holiness and obedience to God. Keeping in mind that wisdom is about living skillfully, we can look at 'godly wisdom' from a different angle: godly wisdom results in good behavior and obedience to God, but it is also more than that. The ancient Greek philosophers, in their pursuit of wisdom, identified as wisdom as the steps taken to lead a fully flourishing human life. Various philosophical schools - such as the Epicurians and the Stoics - sought to answer the same question in different ways: 'What is the best way for humans to get the most out of life while being true to human nature?' Heavenly wisdom seeks to answer the very same question, and the answer given in the Bible helps us understand what 'right living' is all about. The Bible teaches that we are created in God's image. This means that God commissioned us to be His standard-bearers, those who advance His word and rule through the world. As His image-bearers, we are to live a certain way, namely the way He designed us to live. When we make our own wants and desires key in our hearts, we're sinning because we're failing to live as God designed us to live; when we live according to our own twisted moral codes, we're sinning because we're not living according to God's design. Sin is basically 'missing the mark,' and it means missing the mark not only of God's standards but also, on a deeper level, of missing the mark of true human living. When Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead, he not only enabled us to be forgiven of the guilt of our sins but also defeated evil so that the chains that bind to sub-human (or sinful) living are undone. We are filled with God's Spirit who empowers us to obey God. Much of the Christian life is about getting back into the rhythm of who God created us to be. We're learning the rhythms of relationship with God, of expanding His kingdom, of holy (or truly human) living. Ultimately we're learning how to be human again, as God created humans to be, and when we're given 'resurrection bodies' in the coming new heavens and new earth, we will be fully what God intended us to be from the start. In the here and now we're moving that direction, but we're not there yet. All this is to say that the 'wisdom from above' is the wisdom that guides us into a lifestyle fitting for human beings. Because God created us as humans and designed us to live a certain way, 'wise living' - or living in accordance with the reality of who we are as God's creatures - is the true path to fully flourishing human living. It is the answer to Greek philosophy, and this is what the Bible's getting at when we're told that we have 'liberty' in Christ. Woodrow Wilson captured the spirit of this liberty when he wrote:

I have long had an image in my mind of what constitutes liberty. Suppose that I were building a great piece of powerful machinery, and suppose that I should so awkwardly and unskillfully assemble the parts of it so that every time one part tried to move, it would be interfered with by the others, and the whole thing would buckle up and just be checked. Liberty for the several parts would consist in the best possible assembly and adjustment of them all, would it not? If you want the great piston of the engine to run with absolute freedom, give it absolutely perfect alignment and adjustment with the other parts of the machine, so that it is free, not because it is let alone or isolated, but because it has been associated most skillfully and carefully with the other parts of the great structure. 

What is liberty? You say of the locomotive that it runs free. What do you mean? You mean that its parts are so assembled and adjusted that friction is reduced to a minimum, and that it has perfect adjustment. We say of a boat skimming the water with light foot, 'How free she runs,' when we mean, how perfectly she is adjusted to the force of the wind, how perfectly she obeys the great breath out of the heavens that fills her sails. Throw her head up into the wind and see how she will halt and stagger, how every sheet will shiver and her whole frame be shaken, how instantly she is 'in irons,' in the expressive phrase of the sea. She is free only when you have let her fall off again and have recovered once more her nice adjustment to the forces she must obey and cannot defy. Human freedom consists in perfect adjustments of human interests and human activities and human energies.

In the same vein as Wilson perceives, human liberty isn't found in anarchy, isolation, or self-autonomy; rather, it is found in being in rhythm - perfectly adjusted - with what it means to be truly human as God's created image-bearers. True human liberty is found when we first acknowledge that we were designed for a purpose and to live a certain way then when we adjust our interests, activities, and energies around that reality. True liberty is found when we acknowledge that we are created by God for His purposes and submit ourselves wholeheartedly to His design. When we do this, we are on the road to the fully flourishing human life. This isn't just smart: it's wise.