Deconstructing James 1:21: Wrapping it Up.

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls, James 1:21.

We have seen in the last two posts on James 1:21 how that he gave a command to lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. Now we will look at the second part of that command which says; receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. I have written at some length on the definition of meekness. In particular there is a post from 2018 which applies the word meekness to James 1:21. (Click Here)

What then is the engrafted word? Before we look at that, we shall deconstruct another bible word to show how it is done. The word "grave" can be a verb in your King James Bible. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:, Exodus 28:9. To grave is to dig. When someone has begun to grave on something, they become an engraver making an engraving. The onyx stone upon which they graved has become an engraved stone.

Now, consider the engrafted word. The root word is graff. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?, Romans 11:24. Those of us who have been graffed onto that tree have become an engrafted people.

Throughout most of the Book of Acts, the Apostles were writing scripture. But the word of God grew and multiplied, Acts 12:24. These writings which encompass the gospels, the Book of Acts itself, the epistles and eventually the Book of Revelation were graffed onto existing scripture. They were graffed onto paper. They are the engrafted word and James wanted his readers to know that if they indeed were to; lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, they could have their souls delivered.

I preach this to Gentiles in our present age. I know this distresses the hyper diaper dispensationalists who breathlessly pant, "It's written to the twelve tribes, It's written to the twelve tribes". Yes, it was written to the twelve tribes because they needed to repent. When I find people in my community who need to repent, I preach that to them. It hasn't hurt a one of them.

As a result I have a church bulging with families who only a few years ago cared nothing for the things of God and who were miserably wrapped up in sin. These people never miss the house of God, love the songs of Zion, and rejoice at their new lives in Christ Jesus. Meeting three times a week is not enough for them so we meet on Wednesdays for a message and prayer, then again Thursday night for bible study. The hyper diaper perfectionists sit around in small sterile groups and send out infinite Facebook posts on which bible books they can ignore.