Following the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines
In order to understand the extract from the book of James, it is necessary to consider every important word as a part of the paragraph and even in relation to the whole Bible. The first word that catches the readers’ attention is ‘keep’ in the first sentence of the extract 2:8-11. The word ‘keep’ is relatively new and could not be present in the extract in its current form. Moreover, it is hard to understand the meaning of the word in the sentence, since it is linked with the noun ‘law’. What did the translator mean by ‘keeping the law’? The synonyms of the word include preserve, hold, desire and sustain. ‘Keeping the law’ essentially means preserving it deeply in one’s heart in order not to commit a sin. It also means to desire it and to hold it close to oneself no matter where one goes. This can be proved by the fact that the word ‘keep’ precedes the word ‘love’, which also explains the main idea of the extract. Nowadays, people generally think of a relationship between genders or children and parents when they hear the word ‘love’. However, in this context, the word means something different, since loving a neighbor cannot be compared to spousal or parental love. Loving one’s neighbor is compared to loving oneself. Such love does not cross the line, yet it is necessary for a healthy life. The word ‘love’ does not come directly from Latin and have changed throughout history, yet in many languages in the world, including German, Sanskrit and Dutch, the word sounds pretty much the same.
The next word that has to be taken notice of is the word ‘whole’. It comes from the Greek word holos which means entire and full. Here, however, “the whole law” does not mean the law in its entirety, since the following clause indicates “just one point” that one breaks. Therefore, it is used here in order to emphasize the importance of small details in religious person’s life. The passage claims that even if a person lives entirely sinless life in accordance with the Christian doctrine, but makes a single mistake, the mistake is going to be fatal. This lets the readers know that Christians are not able to choose which laws to follow in order to appear righteous, and which to ignore, for God cannot be deceived.
Another notable word is ‘adultery’. In fact, this word is mentioned in the Bible many times, and comes from the Latin adulterare which has pretty much the same meaning. Adultery means being unfaithful to one’s spouse voluntarily and is considered to be one of the worst sins. In this extract, adultery is compared with murder, which once again proves the seriousness of the sin’s nature. Nowadays, people shiver when they hear news about murders, but many seem to completely ignore the ugliness of adultery. It is sad to acknowledge that the development of modern technologies and the rise of democracy have forced the word to lose its primeval meaning. The extract reminds the Christian readers that adultery is just as bad as murder, although it often does not involve any physical harm or death. This brings us to the next essential word, which is ‘commit’. It is interesting because it is used with both ‘adultery’ and ‘murder’, thus making the two equal. The word comes from the Latin committere which means to bring together and to unite. ‘Commit’ is also related to ‘commitment’, which means that adultery is a commitment that both parties voluntarily agree to. Commitment usually involves a big investment and oftentimes consequences. Therefore, Christians ought to remember that they will have to pay for breaking the ethical law.
It is important to note that the Bible views physical and moral damage as the equal ones. This is the part that we are missing in our modern lives, where physical damage (murder, rape and domestic violence) are considered to be serious crimes, while moral damage (vocalized biases towards certain races, verbal abuse, bullying and etc.) is treated less seriously. People can get into jails for their entire lives for killing someone, but they will never pay the full price for making someone feel hurt, abused or damaged. The extract from James reminds us that there exists moral damage that God does not tolerate.
