James 1:17-18
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
17 all good giving and every perfect gift[a] is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. 18 (A)He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.[b]
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- 1:17 All good giving and every perfect gift may be a proverb written in hexameter. Father of lights: God is here called the Father of the heavenly luminaries, i.e., the stars, sun, and moon that he created (Gn 1:14–18). Unlike orbs moving from nadir to zenith, he never changes or diminishes in brightness.
- 1:18 Acceptance of the gospel message, the word of truth, constitutes new birth (Jn 3:5–6) and makes the recipient the firstfruits (i.e., the cultic offering of the earliest grains, symbolizing the beginning of an abundant harvest) of a new creation; cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rom 8:23.
James 1:21-22
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
21 Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.(A)
22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.(B)
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James 1:27
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows[a] in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.(A)
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- 1:27 In the Old Testament, orphans and widows are classical examples of the defenseless and oppressed.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.