ACC ~ James 3 v2

OUR IMPERFECTION. AUGUSTINE: Who then would ever dare to call himself perfect? SERMONS 23.

ALLAYING GOD’S JUDGMENT. SEVERUS OF ANTIOCH: If one of Christ’s own disciples can talk like this, we must make it our business to press toward the opposite direction, so as to allay the God and judge of all things for those times when in the weakness of our humanity we have fallen into wrongdoing, failing to pay heed to our salvation. CATENA.

AVOID FOOLISH TALK. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: The effective proof of a sound mind and perfect thought is to have nothing faulty on our tongue and to keep our mouths closed when necessary. For it is better to be guided by worthy speech, which is able to know and to express the fullness of all praise. For the most useful talent is to be able to speak wisdom when talking about how to live well. Foolish talk should be foreign to the saints. CATENA.

PRAY FOR HEALING. PACHOMIUS: We all fall very often, but let us pray to the merciful God, and if we watch over ourselves in the future, he will heal us. COMMUNION 1.68.

PERFECT SILENCE. HILARY OF ARLES: Perfection consists of righteousness, and silence is the way to achieve it. This is why James connects perfection with keeping one’s mouth shut. INTRODUCTORY TRACTATE ON THE LETTER OF JAMES.

CONTROL THE TONGUE. BEDE: James reminds us here that even good people are not perfect and that we all need to be led by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for there is no one who can go through life without ever sinning at all. Nevertheless, there are different kinds of sins, and James singles out one area of our lives where perfection is attainable, namely, control of the tongue. We may be imperfect, but we can still learn to avoid deception, abuse, cursing, pride, boasting, envy, quarreling, lying, perjury and so on. CONCERNING THE EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES.

SINS OF THE TONGUE. OECUMENIUS: James shows from the faults of the tongue that there is nobody who goes through life without sinning. From this he proves that nobody is perfect. COMMENTARY ON JAMES.

Jas