Perfect Gift

James 1:17 Every 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. King James Version

James 1:17 Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration  Douay Rheims Version

James  1:17 Each good gift, and each perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from  the Father of lights, with whom is none other changing, nor overshadowing of  reward.  Wycliffe Version

One of the things that bothers me, bothers is a strange word, but troubles me when reading from other people's perspective or listening to a message, they inevitably use multiple versions of the Holy Bible.  I normally hear the MSG (The Message) translation, or the ESV, NLT, NIV and others.  The church I attended Sunday used at least five different Holy Bible's.  One I have never even heard of.  Rick Warren used approximately 15 different versions of the Holy Bible for his book "Purpose Driven Life".  Really, you had to use 15 different translations.  I used one, the King James for all three of my books.  

So why do I reference the Douay Rheims (aka Latin Vulgate) and Wycliffe versions?  They are the two oldest know Holy Bibles to exist in physical form.  The King James, Tyndale, Geneva, Coverdale and several other Latin/Greek versions are as well.  When we look at the Douay Rheims and compare them to the Wycliffe, Tyndale, Geneva and King James, they pretty mush say the same things with a few words different.  Take the above three verses the King James version uses "no variableness" or no change which matches the Douay Rheims and Wycliffe versions.  

There is one word in each that is translated differently which are turning, alternation, reward.   James tells us in James 1 there is nothing more important where we can't turn from it, alter it, nor a greater reward than Jesus Christ.  We can't even hide from the truth of Jesus Christ.  We have the perfect gift in Jesus Christ where Jesus has called us to be a first fruit or children of the most High God.  

We as Christians need to read the word of God and act on the word of God in our lives.  That is why it troubles me or frustrates/bothers me that Pastors or teaches of the Word use multiple version which takes away from the true word of God.  As James continues in verses 23 and 24, when a person looks in a mirror, it is easy to think we are righteous and holy until we get out in the world and started acting like a fool or worldly.  I see it all the time, Christians who are not acting by the fruits of the Spirit but by the lusts of the flesh.  They forgot who they were in Christ when they should be doing the word of Truth in Jesus Christ.  James says we are to listen swiftly, slow to speak and slow to anger and wrath.   

Jesus has given us the perfect gift of salvation, being a doer is to help others enjoy the gift of salvation through the truth of Jesus Christ who is teh giver of the perfect gift to us in Grace.  The next blog we will discuss this Gift of Grace.