Texts in Conversation
The epistle of James and a Rabbinic midrash in Genesis Rabbah address the “yetzer ra,” the impulse for selfishness and wrongdoing in Jewish thought. Both describe how this negative impulse, if unchecked, grows out of control and consumes the individual.
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James 1:14
New Testament
12 Happy is the one who endures testing because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. 15 Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. 16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. 18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Date: 80-90 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Genesis Rabbah 22
Aggadah
Rabbinic
Another interpretation: if you do good I forgive all your sins, and if not, the sin of that same man is heaped to excess. Rabbi Berachia in the name of Rabbi Shime'on the son of Ami said: Of David, a maskil, happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is pardoned.' (Ps. 22:1) - Happy is the person who is higher/greater from his sin, and whose sin is not higher/greater than him, as it says 'sin crouches at the door.' It is not written here 'she crouches' [chatat is feminine] but 'he crouches' - in the beginning the sin is weak like a lady, and after it strengthens as a male. Said Rabbi Akiva: in the beginning it looks like a thread of a spider, and at the end it becomes like the rope of a boat, since it is written: 'Oy to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and as the ropes of a cart, sin' (Isaiah 5:18). Said Rabbi Itzchak: at first it makes itself a guest, and later becomes the master of the house, since it is written: '[And there came a traveler to the rich man] and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man' - here is the guest - 'that had come to him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him.' (II Sam. 12:4) - this is the master of the house.
Date: 500 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... James 1:14–15 go on to place the blame for temptation and the resulting sin squarely on each individual being “attracted” and subsequently caught by the enticing bait offered by his or her own “evil desire.” In using the term “evil desire,” James probably depends on rabbinic theology, which developed the concept of “evil impulse” as part of the makeup of every human being. Left unchecked, this evil impulse leads people into sin (see 3 below). James proceeds to describe the process of sin in terms of conception and birth. The evil impulse penetrates the womb and fosters a child, who is publicly identified as sin, and this leads to conviction for adultery and the punishment of death. The onus of sin lies with each individual, not on God or even on the devil, who is carefully ignored in all this ..."
Martin, Ralph P.
Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments
(pp. 1656-1658) InterVarsity Press, 1997
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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