Forgiveness isn’t forgetting or excusing—or instant reconciliation. Biblically, it’s a clear, repeatable act: name the wrong, release your personal claim to payback, refuse inner and outer retaliation, and entrust judgment to God—again as needed. This frees you to heal while justice and boundaries still stand.
For centuries, James 2 has been read as teaching two kinds of faith—“true” vs. “demonic.” This essay shows how that split stems from Augustine’s Latin Bible and the Donatist fight, not James. Restore the dialogue cues, and the passage calls believers to live their shared faith, not classify it.
Interpreting Scripture can feel like wandering in the wilderness—every verse pulling a different way. The Context Compass (C12) offers bearings: twelve “directions” of context that orient us to author, history, genre, and theology. Not a rigid map, but a compass—guiding readers toward clarity without losing the text’s voice.
