The Epistles of James, Peter, John and Jude

Dalai Lama, His Holiness The Dalai Lama

• Publisher: Canongate Books
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9780862419752
• eBook ISBN: 9780857861108
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Bibles

Alongside the epistles of Paul in the New Testament are short letters of four unknown early Christian writers, James, Peter, John and Jude. Those of Peter were composed in excellent Greek, James emphasizes the need for good works and Peter berates false prophets. With an introduction by the Dalai Lama.

the general epistle of james

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

²My brethren, count it all joy

when ye fall into divers temptations;

³knowing this, that the trying of your faith

worketh patience.

⁴But let patience have her perfect work,

that ye may be perfect and entire,

wanting nothing.

⁵If any of you lack wisdom,

let him ask of God,

that giveth to all men liberally,

and upbraideth not;

and it shall be given him.

⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

For he that wavereth

is like a wave of the sea

driven with the wind and tossed.

⁷For let not that man think

that he shall receive

any thing of the Lord.

⁸A double minded man is unstable

in all his ways.

⁹Let the brother of low degree

rejoice in that he is exalted:

¹⁰but the rich, in that he is made low,

because as the flower of the grass

he shall pass away.

¹¹For the sun is no sooner risen

with a burning heat,

but it withereth the grass,

and the flower thereof falleth,

and the grace of

the fashion of it perisheth:

so also shall the rich man

fade away in his ways.

¹²Blessed is the man

that endureth temptation,

for when he is tried,

he shall receive the crown of life,

which the Lord hath promised

to them that love him.

¹³Let no man say when he is tempted,

I am tempted of God,

for God cannot be tempted with evil,

neither tempteth he any man.

¹⁴But every man is tempted,

when he is drawn away

of his own lust, and enticed.

¹⁵Then when lust hath conceived,

it bringeth forth sin:

and sin, when it is finished,

bringeth forth death.

¹⁶Do not err, my beloved brethren.

¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift

is from above,

and cometh down

from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness,

neither shadow of turning.

¹⁸Of his own will begat he us

with the word of truth,

that we should be a kind of

firstfruits of his creatures.

¹⁹Wherefore, my beloved brethren,

let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak, slow to wrath,

²⁰for the wrath of man worketh not

the righteousness of God.

²¹Wherefore lay apart all filthiness

and superfluity of naughtiness,

and receive with meekness

the engrafted word,

which is able to save your soul...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• A Note About Pocket Canons
• The General Epistle Of James
• Poem 2
• Poem 3
• Poem 4
• Poem 5
• Copyright Page