We never call murder or robbery a vice; but every act of intemperance, all falsehood, duplicity, deception, lewdness and the like, is a vice. The excessive indulgence of passions and appetites which in themselves are innocent, is a vice. The smoking of tobacco and the taking of snuff, may in certain cases be innocent and even useful, but these practices may be carried to such an excess as to become vices. This word is also used to denote a habit of transgressing; as a life of vice. Vice is rarely a solitary invader; it usually brings with it a frightful train of followers. 3. Depravity or corruption of manners; as an age of vice. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway. 4. A fault or bad trick in a horse. 5. The fool or punchinello of old shows. His face made of brass, like a vice in a game. 6. An iron press. [This should be written vise.] 7. A gripe or grasp. [Not in use.] VICE, v.t. To draw by a kind of violence. [Not in use. See Vise.] VICE, L. vice, in the turn or place, is used in composition to denote one qui vicem gerit, who acts in the place of another, or is second in authority. James bids them receive the inborn word in gentleness. The word for inborn is "emphutos," and is capable of two general meanings. (i) It can mean inborn in the sense of innate as opposed to acquired. If James uses it in that way he is thinking of much the same thing as Paul was thinking of when he spoke of the Gentiles doing the works of the law by nature because they have a kind of law in their hearts (Rom.2:14-15); it is the same picture as the Old Testament picture of the law "very near you; it is in your mouth, and in your heart" (Deut.30:14). It is practically equal to our word conscience.
We never call murder or robbery a vice; but every act of intemperance, all falsehood, duplicity, deception, lewdness and the like, is a vice. The excessive indulgence of passions and appetites which in themselves are innocent, is a vice. The smoking of tobacco and the taking of snuff, may in certain cases be innocent and even useful, but these practices may be carried to such an excess as to become vices. This word is also used to denote a habit of transgressing; as a life of vice. Vice is rarely a solitary invader; it usually brings with it a frightful train of followers. 3. Depravity or corruption of manners; as an age of vice. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway. 4. A fault or bad trick in a horse. 5. The fool or punchinello of old shows. His face made of brass, like a vice in a game. 6. An iron press. [This should be written vise.] 7. A gripe or grasp. [Not in use.] VICE, v.t. To draw by a kind of violence. [Not in use. See Vise.] VICE, L. vice, in the turn or place, is used in composition to denote one qui vicem gerit, who acts in the place of another, or is second in authority. James bids them receive the inborn word in gentleness. The word for inborn is "emphutos," and is capable of two general meanings. (i) It can mean inborn in the sense of innate as opposed to acquired. If James uses it in that way he is thinking of much the same thing as Paul was thinking of when he spoke of the Gentiles doing the works of the law by nature because they have a kind of law in their hearts (Rom.2:14-15); it is the same picture as the Old Testament picture of the law "very near you; it is in your mouth, and in your heart" (Deut.30:14). It is practically equal to our word conscience.
Epistle_of_James_TJL.docx