Tiago 2
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 2
MacArthur says "Paul wrote the Thessalonians to "appreciate" and "esteem... very highly" their pastors (1 Thess. 5:12-13). "The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor," Paul told Timothy, "especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching" (1 Tim. 5:17)." (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – James) Similarly Peter says "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." (1 Pe 2:17+) Your faith (pistis) in our glorious (doxa) Lord (kurios) Jesus (Iesous) Christ (Christos) - The NET Bible = "if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ." The NLT paraphrases it in the form of a question "how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ" if you are demonstrating as attitude of favoritism? Goodspeed also phrases it as a question -- "Do you try to combine faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with acts of partiality?" While it is possible this was in the forth of a question, reading it as a command is favored by most commentators and is a bit more forceful than a question. Bob
Tiago 2
MacArthur applies James 2:1 - Tragically, many otherwise biblical and faithful churches today do not treat all their members the same. Frequently, those who are of a different ethnic background, race, or financial standing are not fully welcomed into fellowship. That ought not to be. It not only is a transgression of God's divine law but is a mockery of His divine character. (James MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 100) Bob
Tiago 2
MacArthur - THE IMPARTIALITY OF GOD Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism” (James 2:1). Because God is impartial, we as Christians must be impartial too. People are prone to treat others differently based upon external criteria such as looks, possessions, or social status, but God is utterly impartial. He never shows favoritism and always judges righteously. Favoritism can be defined as a preferential attitude and treatment of a person or group over another having equal claims and rights. It is unjustified partiality. James 2:1–13 confronts this as sin and admonishes us to avoid it at all costs. God’s impartiality is seen throughout Scripture. For example, Moses said to the people of Israel, “The Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (Deut. 10:17–19). Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, warned his judges to rule without partiality because God Himself has “no part in unrighteousness, or partiality” (2 Chron. 19:7). God’s impartiality is also seen in His gracious offer of salvation to people of every race. In Acts 10:34–35 Peter says, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.” God is also impartial in judgment. Romans 2:9–11 says that God will bring “tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil … but glory and honor and peace to every man who does good. … For there is no partiality with God.” Our text is a timely admonition because prejudice, discrimination, and bigotry are ever-present evils in our society—both inside and outside the church. I pray that God will use these studies to guard you from favoritism’s subtle influences and to strengthen your commitment to godly living. Suggestions for Prayer: Ask God to reveal any partiality you might be harboring. As He does, confess it and turn from it. For Further Study: Read Ephesians 6:5–9 and 1 Timothy 5:17–21. How does God’s impartiality apply to how you should respond to your co-workers and your church leaders? John MacArthur - LOOKING BEYOND EXTERNALS Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism” (James 2:1). Your true worth is based on the value of your soul, not on external considerations. Jesus is “our glorious Lord” (James 2:1)—the Sovereign One who rules over all His creation, the One in whom the fullness of God’s glory is revealed. John said, “The Word [Jesus] became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Paul said, “In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col. 2:9). As God, Jesus shares the impartiality of the Father. He knows that a person’s worth is based on the value of his soul, not on external considerations. That’s why He always looks on the heart and never judges on externals alone. That was evident in the way Jesus dealt with sinners when He was still on earth. He never hesitated to confront them—whether they were influential Jewish religious leaders or common folks. Even His enemies acknowledged His impartiality when they said, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any” (Matt. 22:16). Like the Father, Jesus also extended the offer of salvation to men and women of every race, social class, and moral standing. That’s illustrated by the parable He told in Matthew 22:1–14 about the marriage of a king’s son (an illustration of Himself). The invited guests (Israel) didn’t show up, so the king commanded his servants to go out and gather everyone they could find to furnish the wedding with guests. As a result, people of every station in life attended the wedding, just as people of every station in life are called to salvation. As you have opportunities to minister to others today, don’t be influenced by externals such as looks, clothing, or economic level. Do as Jesus did: treat them with compassion, and speak the truth without compromise. Suggestions for Prayer: Praise the Lord for His impartiality, and ask Him for special grace as you reach out to others today. For Further Study: Read Matthew 20:1–16. How does that parable illustrate the impartiality of God? Playing Favorites By Timothy Beougher Scripture: James 2:1–7, especially verse 1: My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. Introduction: We live in a world that tends to judge people based on externals. Our culture says that your worth is determined by the kind of job you have, the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you live in, and the kind of clothes you wear. But the Bible tells us a person’s value is not determined by the amount of their valuables. James makes clear in our passage for today that while prejudice and favoritism may be commonplace in the world, they have no place in the church. 1. The Prohibition of Favoritism (v. 1). Notice James’ reference to “the Lord of glory.” He reminds us of the basis for our fellowship with one another. If God brought about our fellowship, we as believers should not break our relationships because of prejudice. The term “favoritism” or “partiality” comes from a word that means “face.” Favoritism is judging others based on appearance, or in other words, at face value. Partiality, judging on the basis of appearance instead of on the basis of the heart, is directly contradictory to the character of God (see 2 Cor. 5:16). When we see a fellow believer in sin, we care enough about him to approach him in love and point him back to God; that is judging with proper motives. The kind of judging James warns against is sin: judging with the wrong motive. In this case, we do not have the other person’s interests at heart, but our own bias and selfish interests. 2. A Picture of Favoritism (vv. 2–4). Lest anyone think that this is a sin that only others struggle with, James illustrates a situation that each of us can immediately identify with. In the context of a worship service, two different people enter. These individuals are judged on the basis of appearance alone. In ancient times, it was a sign of great wealth and social aristocracy to wear many rings. The culture of that day so valued rings that you could go to stores and rent a ring or two for a special occasion to impress others. Notice the response of the church member, “Here’s a good seat for you.” Taking the rich man down to the “chief seats” was an attempt to flatter him in hopes of getting something from him (see Matt. 23:6). A second person enters, this time described as a poor man in shabby clothes. The church member is also quick to direct this man, to make him stand or sit on the floor. This “church member” or “usher” is communicating that this person is really not welcome. I wonder if any of us secretly consider ourselves “above” others. Do we turn away from someone of seeming “lesser importance” to seek the favor of someone “more important?” James concludes his illustration in response to this behavior, “Have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” 3. The Presumption of Favoritism (vv. 5–7). Favoritism is to believe that God thinks the same way we think, that God values the same things that we value. First, James tells us that while we may think it is noble to show favoritism, God does not show favoritism on the basis of outward appearance (see Mark 12:14). The believers in James’ day needed to hear the message that to follow Christ means to judge on His standards, not on human standards. They needed to be reminded (and so do we) that God chooses the poor in the eyes of the world (see 1 Cor. 1:26–29). The presumption of favoritism is that this life is all that matters. If the rich really are in charge, then we would be wise to cater to their every whim. But if Christ is truly the King of kings, the Glorious Lord of the world (and He is), then He, not the rich, deserves our service, our allegiance, and our loyalty. The one who claims to be a follower of the glorious Lord Jesus but who then shows favoritism is guilty of having a divided heart, a double mind. Conclusion: Let’s search our hearts for attitudes that don’t belong there, attitudes of favoritism or attitudes of prejudice. If we find them there, let’s repent of them. Let’s ask God to take them away, and to replace them with attitudes of love and compassion. I wonder if people come to mind whom we have not treated properly. We need to resolve, with God’s help, to treat these people differently. Million Dollar Mistake Elisa Tinsley, in USA Today, described how a Spokane, Washington bank lost one of its best customers, a construction company owner named John Barrier. John Barrier had just come from a construction site and his clothes were dirty. He went to the bank to cash a $100 check. When he tried to get his parking slip validated, the teller refused, saying he hadn’t conducted a transaction. “You have to make a deposit to get your parking slip validated,” she insisted. John Barrier told the teller he was a substantial depositor but she was obviously doubtful. He asked to see the manager, who also refused to validate the parking slip. The next day, John Barrier went back to the bank and withdrew a rather large sum of money, one million dollars to be exact. Heavenly Father, You are the holy and just Judge. Thank You for saving us from the penalty of eternal death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Thank You that our eternal security doesn’t depend on our bank accounts. You have chosen to change poor fools like us into Your people to take Your gospel to the world. Help us to carry out this great commission without prejudice or favoritism so that we may one day join hands with people from every tribe and nation around the glorious throne of the Lamb and sing Your praises throughout eternity. In Jesus’ name we ask these things, Amen. Overcoming Prejudice Rev. Todd M. Kinde SCRIPTURE: James 2:1–12 INTRODUCTION: Treating a person with partiality is a sin and evidence of a partial faith. 1. The Situation of Partiality (2:1–7). 2. The Solution of Love (2:8–13). CONCLUSION: The standard of judgment is the law of liberty (v. 12). It is not an enslaving legalism. Rather, it is a royal law of love (v. 8), which the believer is enabled to keep by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). God will judge the sins of prejudice and favoritism. The Test of Love - James 2:1–9 - Croft Pentz People love for different reasons: some love for money; others love for fame. Still others love for prestige and position. The true child of God loves God for what he can give—not what he can get. It is easy to love those who love us. But it is hard to love those who take from us and never give. I. The Partiality—v. 1 “Dear brothers, how can you claim that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, if you show favoritism to rich people and look down on poor people?”—LB. A. It is wrong to judge people by their race. B. It is wrong to judge people by their religion. C. It is wrong to judge people by their riches. “… God is no respector of persons—Acts 10:34. Neither should we! II. The Pleasing—vv. 2–4 A. The motives—v. 4. “Judging a man by his wealth shows that you are guided by wrong motives”—LB. Loving a person because of riches shows a love for money—1 Timothy 6:10. In God’s sight all men are equal. III. The Pleasure—v. 5 A. People—“… Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith …” Those who know Christ are rich in spiritual ways. Note the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:22. B. Promise—“And heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him?” Those who are poor in Spirit will inherit the kingdom of God. When we are children of God, He is our Father and what He has is ours—John 1:12. IV. The Problem—vv. 1–7 A. Problem of the rich—v. 6. The rich oppress the poor; they make trouble; they sue. To treat them better than the poor who are Christians is wrong! B. Practice of the rich—v. 7. These rich people often use God’s name in vain; they mock Christianity; they mock Christ, whom we serve. They are not interested in serving Christ. V. The Practice—vv. 8–9 A. Practice—v. 8. Christians must fulfil the royal law—to love others as we love ourselves. See Leviticus 19:8, Matthew 22:39. B. Problem—v. 9. If you show partiality you are breaking God’s law. Compare with James 4:17. Why do you love God?—for what He gives, or what you can give? Do you displease God by loving some people while ignoring others? Are you willing to love when you know it will cost you something? Are you looking for those who will give something to you in return for your love? How deep is your love toward God? Real love is more than words. Wrong Motives Someone once penned a clever rhyme to illustrate the problem of favoritism: . . . many people go to church, As everyone knows; Some go to close their eyes, And some to eye their clothes. Favoritism Challenged Muretus, a wandering scholar in the Middle Ages was very learned but very poor. In his wanderings he fell ill, and he was taken to the place where the destitute were kept. The people who cared for him did not know that he was a scholar and that he understood Latin. The doctors were discussing his case in Latin, saying that he was a poor creature of value to no one and that it was hopeless and unnecessary to expend care and money on attention to such a worthless individual. Muretus looked up and answered in their own Latin, “Call no man worthless for whom Christ died.” Tabletalk Magazine - The Glory of God We turn today to the first verse of the second chapter of James, wherein the apostle refers to Jesus as “the Lord of glory.” Even though this is an acceptable translation of the original Greek text, it is not necessarily the most accurate way to render the verse in English. As the note in the Reformation Study Bible indicates, it is also possible to translate “the Lord of glory” as simply “the glory.” In reality, it does not really matter which one we choose because the two translations are synonymous. However, to say Jesus is “the glory” is a good way to encapsulate a portion of the New Testament’s description of the majesty of Christ. As someone from a Jewish background, James undoubtedly had the Hebrew term kabod in mind when he penned his epistle. “Glory,” or kabod in the original text, usually deals with weightiness or substance. When the Old Testament declares that God’s name is “glorious” (1 Chron. 29:13), it is ascribing weight or importance to His name. Basically, the meaning is that God possesses supreme gravitas; nothing is more important or greater than He, and no one deserves more honor. Under the old covenant, the primary way in which our Creator manifested His glory was in a cloud. (Ex. 16:10; 1 Kings 8:10). We do not know exactly what this cloud looked like, but we get the impression that it glowed brightly with some kind of unique light because this same cloud had to direct Israel through the wilderness after they left Egypt (Neh. 9:12). In fact, most of us probably think of bright light whenever we hear the word glory, and this is due to the fact that light is often associated with glory in Scripture (Rev. 21:23). Christ is the incarnation of God’s glory (John 1:14), and it is the vision of this glory in the new heavens and earth for which we all hope. When Jesus walked the earth, this glory was usually hidden from plain view and only visible for brief moments to a select few of His disciples (Luke 9:28–36). But all who love and serve the Messiah will one day get to see the beauty of His glory. In the new Jerusalem we will see Him face to face (Rev. 21). Sin Of The Skin Do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. —James 2:1 Most people hate to be accused of racism. But racial bias is all too prevalent. Even Christians have had a long history of ethnic prejudice. In the first century, Jewish believers were reluctant to accept their Gentile brothers. In recent years, racial discrimination has been a dominant issue. Prejudice can run so deep that it sometimes takes a tragedy to make a person see how wrong it is to discriminate on the basis of physical differences. Several years ago I read about a bigoted truckdriver who had no use for African-Americans. But one early morning, his tanker truck flipped over and burst into flames. A week later, he was lying in a hospital bed and looking into the face of a black man who had saved his life. He learned that the man had used his own coat and bare hands to smother the flames that had turned the trucker into a human torch. He wept as he thanked the man for his act of unselfish heroism. We shouldn’t need a tragedy to open our eyes. We need only look to Calvary. There our Lord gave His life for people of every language, race, and nation. The universal scope of His sacrifice shows His love for every human being. Join hands, then, brothers of the faith, Whate'er your race may be; Who serves my Father as a son Is surely kin to me. —Oxenham Prejudice is a lazy man's substitute for thinking. No Partiality Do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. —James 2:1 A man attended a church regularly for several months, but he was always ignored. Because no one knew who he was, and he looked out-of-place with his old and worn-out clothes, no one ever took the time to speak to him. One Sunday as he took a seat in church, he intentionally left his hat on. As the pastor stood on the platform and looked out over the audience, he noticed the man with the hat right away. So he summoned one of the deacons and asked him to tell the man that he forgot to remove his hat. When the deacon spoke to the man, he responded with a big smile and said, “I thought that would do it. I have attended this church for 6 months, and you are the first person who has ever talked to me.” There is no place for prejudice or favoritism in the family of God. We who have been born again through faith in Jesus are equals in God’s sight. And that equality should be evident in the way we treat other believers. All those who know and love the Lord Must show by word and deed That they will not discriminate But welcome those in need. —D. De Haan Prejudice builds walls; love breaks them down. A Misleading Impression God shows personal favoritism to no man. —Galatians 2:6 Today's Scripture: James 2:1-13 He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his car looked like it was a refugee from a junkyard. Yet the unkempt man who stopped to help them on the Chicago expressway was, to my friends, angelic. While traveling the busy highways of Chicago, Ken and Sue’s van blew a tire. As they edged toward the shoulder of the expressway, with cars flying past, they quickly prayed for help. That’s when the man in the rusty car waved and yelled to them that he would help. Most of us are reluctant to trust complete strangers, so my friends were understandably wary of this scraggly man. Yet they soon found out that he was a mechanic who himself had been stranded just days earlier. He grabbed his tools, got to work on their car, and quickly had them back on the road. We often judge people by the way they look or dress, or by what kind of car they drive. Sure, we must be careful whom we trust, but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss everyone who doesn’t dress like a television news anchor. First impressions are misleading For we do not know the heart; We can often be mistaken Since we only know in part. —Fitzhugh Always look at others through the eyes of Christ. MERCY OVER JUDGMENT READ: James 2:1–13 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. James 2:12 When my children were squabbling and came to me to tattle on one another, I took each child aside separately to hear their account of the problem. Since both were guilty, at the end of our chat I asked them each what they felt would be an appropriate, fair consequence for their sibling’s actions. Both suggested swift punishment for the other. To their surprise, I instead gave them each the consequence they had intended for their sibling. Suddenly, each child lamented how “unfair” the sentence seemed now that it was visited upon them—despite having deemed it appropriate when it was intended for the other. My kids had shown the kind of “judgment without mercy” that God warns against (James 2:13). James reminds us that instead of showing favoritism to the wealthy, or even to one’s self, God desires that we love others as we love ourselves (v. 8). Instead of using others for selfish gain, or disregarding anyone whose position doesn’t benefit us, James instructs us to act as people who know how much we’ve been given and forgiven—and to extend that mercy to others. Lord, I’m grateful for the great mercy You’ve shown me. Help me to offer similar mercy to others as a measure of my gratitude to You. God’s mercy prompts us to be merciful. A PREJUDICED USHER If you show partiality, you commit sin. James 2:9 In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” That usher’s prejudice not only betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior. The “prejudiced usher” described in today’s Bible passage welcomed a wealthy visitor but insulted a poor one. Perhaps he felt he was doing his job and only carrying out the wishes of the members in the church. But he displayed bad manners, and he was guilty of a sin as serious as murder and adultery (James 2:9-11). God’s love that drew salvation’s plan embraces every class of man; it breaks the toughest racial wall because it offers Christ to all. —D De Haan Prejudice distorts what it sees, deceives when it talks, and destroys when it acts. "The Underbird" You are of more value than many sparrows. —Luke 12:7 Today's Scripture: James 2:1-9 Charlie Brown, the comic strip character, identified with the underdog, probably because he always felt like one. In one scene he was building a birdhouse when the cynical Lucy came by. “I’m building it for sparrows,” Charlie told her. Lucy said, “For sparrows? Nobody builds birdhouses for sparrows.” “I do,” replied Charlie Brown. “I always stick up for the underbird.” At times Christians may overlook the “sparrows,” the little people in their worlds. They may ignore those they view as less valuable. James said it’s wrong for a Christian to practice partiality (James 2:1). It’s a sin to show personal favoritism (v.9). The reasons may be social, economic, educational, or ethnic, but there’s no excuse for disrespecting people with our attitudes and words. Jesus didn’t do this. He crossed all kinds of traditional barriers to talk with tax-collectors, sinners, non-Jews, people of mixed races, the poor, as well as the rich. He came to identify with each of us, and to pay the price on the cross for all our sins. Lord, help me to love the way that You love The humble, the lowly, the meek; And help me to care the way that You care For sinners, the outcasts, the weak. —Fitzhugh Nobody wins when we play favorites. Cemetery Walk My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. —James 2:1 Today's Scripture: James 2:1-13 On my way home from high school I often walked by one cemetery and cut through another. I was intrigued by the grave markers, for they revealed the social status of each person who had died. Near the cemetery entrances were crypts, gray stone buildings with ornate iron scrollwork and the family name prominently displayed. Pillars and large ornamental markers were nearby, then rows and rows of headstones. Small, flat, stone markers marked the graves of the poor. As I recall those days, I’m reminded of a cemetery in Germany called God’s Acre. A young nobleman named Zinzendorf (1700-1760) opened his estate to religious refugees from Moravia. He gave them the freedom to worship God as they wished. In time, that little enclave became a worldwide missionary movement. Each person buried in that cemetery, prince or pauper, count or coal miner, had an identical plain white headstone. This underscored their conviction that all believers in Christ are spiritually equal in their standing before God. They took seriously the teaching of James 2:1, that we are not to treat one another with “partiality.” In Jesus Christ we all are equal, For God's Spirit makes us one; As we give each other honor, We give glory to His Son. —Fitzhugh The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Looks And Life Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. —1 Samuel 16:7 During the first few hours of their 30th college reunion, Mary Schmich and her friends talked mostly about how old their classmates looked. But as the event progressed, their focus began to change. Later, in her Chicago Tribune column, Mary wrote: “Once you get used to the fact that time has robbed every single one of you of something—or added it in the wrong places . . . you stop thinking about looks [and] start talking about life.” So much of our time and attention are devoted to physical appearance that it’s easy to consider it the most important aspect of our lives. But the Bible reminds us that God wants us to see ourselves and others differently. When the Lord sent Samuel to anoint a new king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:1), God reminded him to look deeper than physical characteristics: “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature . . . . For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v.7). God looks not at the outward form But what is in the heart; The beauty He is pleased to see, His Spirit can impart. —Hess Our mirrors reflect the outward appearance; God’s mirror reveals the inward condition. No More Prejudice My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. —James 2:1 Today's Scripture & Insight: James 2:1-10 A 2010 survey by Newsweek contained some startling statistics: 57 percent of hiring managers believe an unattractive (but qualified) job candidate would have a harder time getting hired; 84 percent of managers said their bosses would hesitate before hiring a qualified older candidate; 64 percent of hiring managers said they believe companies should be allowed to hire people based on appearance. All are clear examples of unacceptable prejudice. Prejudice is not new. It had crept into the early church, and James confronted it head-on. With prophetic grit and a pastor’s heart, he wrote: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality” (James 2:1). James gave an example of this type of prejudice—favoring the rich and ignoring the poor (vv.2-4). This was inconsistent with holding faith in Jesus without partiality (v.1), betrayed the grace of God (vv.5-7), violated the law of love (v.8), and was sinful (v.9). The answer to partiality is following the example of Jesus: loving your neighbor as yourself. Thinking It Over Who helped you determine what is the right way to treat people? Was it based on external things? What are some ways you can love people as Jesus did? Looking up to Jesus prevents us from looking down on others. A W Tozer - Holy, Holy, Holy: Kneel at Jesus’ Feet My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. James 2:1 A system of literature has grown up around the notion that Christianity may be proven by the fact that “great men” believe in Christ! A magazine article carries the caption that “Senator So-and-So Believes in Christ.” The implication is that if the senator believes in Christ, then Christ must be all right. When did Jesus Christ have to ride in on the coattail of a senator, or a governor, or some other well known man? No, no, my brother! Jesus Christ stands alone, unique and supreme, self-validating, and the Holy Ghost declares Him to be God’s eternal Son. Let all the presidents and all the kings and queens, the senators, and the lords and ladies of the world, along with the great athletes and great actors—let them kneel at His feet and cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!” Only the Holy Ghost can do this, my brethren. For that reason, I don’t bow down to great men. I bow down to the Great Man, and if you have learned to worship the Son of Man, you will not worship other men. The Holy Spirit is God’s imperative of life. If Christ is to be the Christ of God rather than the Christ of intellect, then we must enter in beyond the veil, until the illumination of the Holy Spirit fills our hearts and we are learning at the feet of Jesus—not at the feet of men! Daily Light on the Daily Path - Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. . . . Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.—But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high. Rom. 12:16; James 2:1, 5; 1 Cor. 10:24; 1 Tim. 6:8–9; 1 Cor. 1:27–29; Ps. 131:1 GOING TO CHURCH WITHOUT SOCKS Do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Lord of glory, with partiality. --James 2:1 In his Prison Fellowship newsletter, Chuck Colson tells of a pastor who was putting the final touches on his sermon early one Sunday morning when he heard a knock on his study door. There stood three ragged boys who had received gifts from church members. Their home was ravaged by drugs and prostitution. They had never been in a church before and wanted to look around. So the pastor gave them a quick "tour." Fifteen minutes later they were back, asking what time the service started. "Can people come to your church if their socks don't match?" asked the oldest. The pastor assured them they could. "What if they don't have any socks?" Again, the pastor reassured them. "That's good," said the boy, "because my socks don't match, and my little brother hasn't any." That morning those boys came to church and were warmly welcomed. Since then the church has helped the entire family. Lord, may some weary souls find rest Because Your people took them in And helped them see the love of Christ That frees us from our guilt and sin. Lord, may some weary souls find rest Because Your people took them in And helped them see the love of Christ That frees us from our guilt and sin. -DJD Poor is the church that values programs more than people. WELCOME? "Do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." -- James 2:1 Many years ago, when my father, Dr. M. R. De Haan, was president of Radio Bible Class, a well-known minister came to our office. Initially I was awed by the presence of this distinguished visitor. My impression soon began to change, however, as I listened to him talk about himself. He seemed to exemplify what the apostle Paul said a Christian should NOT do, that is, "to think of himself more highly than he ought to think" (Ro 12:3). When my father asked the noted pulpiteer about another preacher in the same town, he ridiculed the man's ministry to those who lived "on the other side of the tracks." I've never forgotten that incident. No one is excluded from the circle of God's grace, We cannot get beyond His love and care; Why then do we close our minds and turn away our face From all who in the gospel have a share? -- Hess A heart that is open to Christ will be open to those He loves. James 2:2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, Wuest For if there comes into your synagogue [the meeting-place of Christian Jews] a man whose hand is conspicuously loaded with gold rings [and] in brightly shining clothing, and there comes in also a poor man in dirty clothing who is dependent upon others for support, Phillips Suppose one man comes into your meeting well-dressed and with a gold ring on his finger, and another man, obviously poor, arrives in shabby clothes. NET For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, GNT ἐὰν γὰρ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς συναγωγὴν ὑμῶν ἀνὴρ χρυσοδακτύλιος ἐν ἐσθῆτι λαμπρᾷ, εἰσέλθῃ δὲ καὶ πτωχὸς ἐν ῥυπαρᾷ ἐσθῆτι, NLT For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. KJV For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; ESV For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, ASV For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing; CSB For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. NIV Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. NKJ For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, NRS For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, YLT for if there may come into your synagogue a man with gold ring, in gay raiment, and there may come in also a poor man in vile raiment, NAB For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, NJB Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, well-dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, GWN For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes. BBE For if a man comes into your Synagogue in fair clothing and with a gold ring, and a poor man comes in with dirty clothing, if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring: Es 3:10 8:2 Lu 15:22 nd dressed in fine clothes: Ge 27:15 Mt 11:8,9 there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes: Isa 64:6 Zec 3:3,4 James 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 23:6+ “They (PHARISEES) love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, THE ILLUSTRATION OF PARTIALITY For (gar) is a term of explanation. This supports the interpretation above that this is a direct command and not a question, for if it were the latter, the "for" would be more difficult to explain. What is James explaining? He has just issued a rebuke (in the form of a command) and is now explaining what this might look like. If - This introduces a third class conditional statement, indicating that the illustration is hypothetical but possible and one in fact the readers may have seen or themselves carried out. James is shooting straight at the conscience of his readers! A man comes into your assembly (sunagoge) -Use of this term sunagoge show that he is writing to Jewish believers. The early Jewish believers still called their meetings by that familiar term., A T Robertson "It may seem a bit odd for a Christian church (ekklēsia) to be termed sunagoge (literally "a coming together" or "to bring together"), but James is writing to Jewish Christians and this is another incidental argument for the early date....In the fourth century an inscription has sunagōgē for the meeting-house of certain Christians." D Edmond Hiebert - Here the reference (sunagoge) is to the place of assembly, as is evident from the mention of assigned seats. The readers are Christians (James 1:1; 2:1), and the pronoun "your" makes clear that it is not a non-Christian Jewish synagogue, since the readers are viewed as being in control of arrangements....At the time when James wrote, the Jewish Christians apparently continued to speak of their place of assembly as their "synagogue," so James used the term that would be most familiar to them. (Commentary on James) With a gold ring (chrusodaktulios) and dressed in fine (lampros) clothes - "A gold-fingered man" like the James Bond movie! And "In bright (lampros = shining brilliant) clothing," probably referring to the glittering color of his clothes. In short he would be hard to miss! The phrase "a gold fingered man" clearly does not mean a single ring on a man's finger but to a man whose fingers were loaded down with gold rings or multiple rings on one finger, and the social status of a person could be noted by the quality of his ring The point is that this man was clearly a man of wealth and his expensive attire added to that impression. Michael Andrus - To bring the illustration up to date, he drives up to church in a new Mercedes, wears a $1,000 hand‑tailored suit, and sports a Rolex watch. The other man is obviously poor. He drives up in a rusted ’87 sedan, wears an outdated topcoat and disheveled suit, and obviously needs a haircut. The rich man is singled out for special attention and conducted politely to his seat. The poor man, on the other hand, is ignored. Mt 23:6 helps us better understand the situation James describes by telling us that there were chief seats (not cheap seats) in the synagogues. The Pharisees loved the chief seats–apparently located down in front–because they could enter the place of worship in their elegant robes and march toward the front, calling attention to themselves. There was nothing wrong with the fact that these people were wealthy, but stoking their pride by showing them favoritism was wrong. ILLUSTRATION - Chief seats, by the way, are not entirely unknown even in some evangelical churches. When we lived in Dallas back in the 60’s we visited on several occasions a particular church whose membership included H. L. Hunt, at the time allegedly the richest man in the world. He had a special pew down near the front which the ushers reserved for him, or so we were told. We are generally more subtle today. In many churches the favoritism is shown by appointing the wealthy to the board, naming buildings after them, or just giving them preferential treatment. 🙏 THOUGHT - How do you react when you shake a man's hand in church and notice he is wearing an expensive Rolex watch? Dressed in fine (lampros = shining brilliant) clothes - Some robes were said to have been made from silver that would glisten in the sunlight (s. Acts 12:21). John MacArthur adds that lampros "is used of the "gorgeous robe" that Herod and his soldiers mockingly placed on Jesus before they sent Him to Pilate (Luke 23:11) and of the "shining garments" of the angel who appeared to Cornelius as he was praying (Acts 10:30).(Ibid) D Edmond Hiebert on fine (lampros) clothes - The reference is probably to the shining white garments often worn by wealthy Jews. (Commentary on James) R Kent
Tiago 2
MacArthur - MINISTERING TO THE POOR Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith - Page 39 “If a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool’; have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (James 2:2–4). You must show equal respect to poor and rich alike. Partiality is an age-old problem that exists in almost every area of life. Perhaps its most common manifestations are racial, religious, and socioeconomic discrimination. By implication James denounced partiality in any form, but in James 2:2–4 he specifically mentions preferential treatment of the rich over the poor. He knew such favoritism was devastating not only because it is sinful, but also because the majority of believers in the early church were poor, common people. Discriminating against them would have struck a blow at the very heart of the church! From its inception the church has upheld the priority of ministering to the poor. Acts 2:44–45 says, “All those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” Paul organized a relief fund for the needy saints in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1–4), and during one severe famine, “in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders” (Acts 11:29–30). God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom, but some of James’s readers were dishonoring them (vv. 5–6). That had to stop! We too must honor the poor by treating them with dignity rather than prejudice and by meeting their needs whenever possible. Be alert to those around you whom you might help in some practical way. Suggestions for Prayer: Ask the Lord to keep you sensitive to those around you, and for wisdom to know how to respond to their needs. For Further Study: Read 1 Corinthians 1:26–29, noting the kinds of people God uses to accomplish His purposes. John MacArthur - GUARDING YOUR MOTIVES Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith - Page 39 “If a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool’; have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (James 2:2–4). Favoritism is motivated by an evil desire to gain some advantage for yourself. The story is told of a pastor who never ministered to an individual or family in his church without first checking a current record of their financial contributions. The more generous they were with their money, the more generous he was with his time. That’s an appalling and flagrant display of favoritism, but in effect it’s the same kind of situation James dealt with in our text for today. Picture yourself in a worship service or Bible study when suddenly two visitors enter the room. The first visitor is a wealthy man, as evidenced by his expensive jewelry and designer clothes. The second visitor lives in abject poverty. The street is his home, as evidenced by his filthy, smelly, shabby clothing. How would you respond to each visitor? Would you give the rich man the best seat in the house and see that he is as comfortable as possible? That’s a gracious thing to do if your motives are pure. But if you’re trying to win his favor or to profit from his wealth, a vicious sin has taken hold of you. Your true motives will be revealed in the way you treat the poor man. Do you show him equal honor, or do you simply invite him to sit on the floor? Anything less than equal honor reveals an evil intent. Favoritism can be subtle. That’s why you must be in prayer and in the Word, constantly allowing the Spirit to penetrate and purify your deepest, most secret motives. Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for His purity. ✧ Ask Him always to control your motives and actions. For Further Study: Some Christians confuse honor with partiality. Giving honor to those in authority is Biblical; showing partiality is sinful. Read 1 Peter 2:17 and Romans 13:1, noting the exhortations to honor those in authority over you. QUESTION - What does the Bible say about favoritism? GotQuestions.org ANSWER - Favoritism is partiality or bias. To show favoritism is to give preference to one person over others with equal claims. It is similar to discrimination and may be based on conditions such as social class, wealth, clothing, actions, etc. The Bible is clear that favoritism is not God’s will for our lives. First, favoritism is incongruent with God’s character: “God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11). All are equal before Him. Ephesians 6:9 says, “There is no favoritism with him.” Colossians 3:25 teaches God’s fairness in judgment: “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” Second, the Bible teaches Christians are not to show favoritism: “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism” (James 2:1). The context concerns the treatment of rich and poor in the church. James points out that treating someone differently based on his financial status or how he is dressed is wrong. The Old Testament provides similar instruction regarding favoritism. Leviticus 19:15 teaches, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Exodus 23:3 likewise commands, “Do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.” Justice should be blind, and both rich and poor should be treated equally before the law. Third, the Bible calls favoritism sin: “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers” (James 2:8-9). Favoritism is a serious offense against God’s call to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Fourth, church leaders are especially charged not to show favoritism. Paul commanded Timothy, a young church leader, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism” (1 Timothy 5:21). Fifth, it is difficult to avoid showing favoritism. Even Christ’s closest followers struggled with bias against people different from them. When the apostle Peter was first called to minister to non-Jewish people, he was reluctant. He later admitted, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35). The fact that James specifically addresses the sin of favoritism implies that this was a common problem within the early church. Favoritism is a problem we still deal with. Favoritism and partiality are not from God, and Christians are called to love. As humans, we tend to form judgments based on selfish, personal criteria rather than seeing others as God sees them. May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and follow His example of treating every person with God’s love (John 3:16). James 2:3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," GNT ἐπιβλέψητε δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν φοροῦντα τὴν ἐσθῆτα τὴν λαμπρὰν καὶ εἴπητε, Σὺ κάθου ὧδε καλῶς, καὶ τῷ πτωχῷ εἴπητε, Σὺ στῆθι ἐκεῖ ἢ κάθου ὑπὸ τὸ ὑποπόδιόν μου, Amplified And you pay special attention to the one who wears the splendid clothes and say to him, Sit here in this preferable seat! while you tell the poor [man], Stand there! or, Sit there on the floor at my feet! Phillips If you pay special attention to the well-dressed man by saying, "Please sit here - it's an excellent seat", and say to the poor man, "You stand over there, please, or if you must sit, sit on the floor", Wuest and you look upon the one wearing the clothing which is brightly shining with respectful consideration, and say, As for you, be sitting down here in this place of honor, and say to the poor man, As for you, stand in that place or be sitting down beside my footstool NET do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, "You sit here in a good place," and to the poor person, "You stand over there," or "Sit on the floor"? NLT If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"-- well, KJV And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: ESV and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," CSB If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit here in a good place," and yet you say to the poor man, "Stand over there," or, "Sit here on the floor by my footstool," NIV If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," NKJ and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," NRS and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," YLT and ye may look upon him bearing the gay raiment, and may say to him, 'Thou -- sit thou here well,' and to the poor man may say, 'Thou -- stand thou there, or, Sit thou here under my footstool,' -- NJB and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, 'Come this way to the best seats'; then you tell the poor man, 'Stand over there' or 'You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.' GWN Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, "Please have a seat." But you say to the poor man, "Stand over there," or "Sit on the floor at my feet." BBE And you do honour to the man in fair clothing and say, Come here and take this good place; and you say to the poor man, Take up your position there, or be seated at my feet; you say to the poor man: Jas 2:6 Isa 65:5 Lu 7:44-46 2Co 8:9 James 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 25:35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; Luke 14:7-11+ And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. 10“But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. 11“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” THE ILLUSTRATION CONTINUES: NOW THE REACTION And you pay special attention (epiblepo) to the one who is wearing the fine (lampros) clothes - So now James has both the rich man and the poor man standing in the assembly. The verb pay special attention is epiblepo means to look upon intently, play close attention, with the implication of showing special respect for the rich man. James uses this verb in the second person plural which pictures the eyes of the entire assembly are gazing on this rich man! Hiebert comments that "The repeated reference to his clothes underlines that their favorable response was prompted solely by his external appearance, "only the outward and the perishing attracting attention." (Commentary on James) And say, "You sit here in a good (kalos) place," - Here's a good seat for you! Note he is not cordially offered just any place but a good place, the Greek word kalos which pertains to meeting a relatively high standard of excellence and/or expectation. Perhaps it was the seat with a cushion! This illustration recalls the sin of the scribes and Pharisees who loved the "chief seats in the synagogues" (Matthew 23:1-6). Hiebert on seating - The fourth-century Apostolic Constitutions ordered that the bishop should place the deacons in charge of seating the people and directed that if the service already was in progress, the bishop would not interrupt the service to direct a rich visitor to "an upper place." (Commentary on James) Craig Keener has an interesting historical note - Jewish legal texts condemn judges who make one litigant stand while another is permitted to sit; these hearings normally took place in synagogues (James 2:2). To avoid partiality on the basis of clothing, some second-century rabbis required both litigants to dress in the same kind of clothes. (See Pdf page 677 The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament) And you say to the poor (ptochos) man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool" - Notice the order. The rich man is attended to before the poor man and brusquely told to stand and specifically "over there" (so you won't be conspicuous!) Or he could set literally "under my footstool." So stand out of the way or sit on the floor in a somewhat degrading position. This could have been something like what was found in a synagogue of the 2nd. or 3rd. century—a stone bench running along the walls, w. a lower tier for the feet of those sitting on the bench (Adamson). See Jesus' instructions when He observed the behavior of people arriving for an important social event - Read Luke 14:7-11+, cf His words in Mt 25:35. A T Robertson on down by - For this use of hupo "down against" or "down beside" see Exodus 19:17 hupo to oros ("at the foot of the mountain") and hupo se ("at thy feet") (Deut. 33:3). Conquerors often placed their feet on the necks of the victims (Luke 20:43+). John MacArthur - To ask another person, especially a visitor or guest, to sit down by my footstool was therefore a double show of disrespect. The person on a bench or in a chair not only would not give that seat to the visitor but would not even allow him to sit on his footstool. (See James Commentary - Page 103) Bruce Barton - The Jews had a practice of seating the most important people nearest the sacred scrolls. Other people would be seated in the back. This unhealthy practice was still carried on by some Christians. Those with the most important jobs or roles would get preferred seating. James speaks out against this. It is our relationship with Christ that gives us dignity, not our profession or possessions.The Christian answer is not reverse discrimination—treating the poor like royalty and the rich like scum. Our goal is to treat people without consideration for their status. No one is unworthy to be seated. (See James - Page 46) Jon Courson - If you knew that in ten minutes you would have a half-hour meeting with Donald Trump, would you comb your hair, brush your teeth, think about what you would say? What if you knew that in ten minutes you would meet with a homeless man? Would you expend the same kind of energy? This is what James is getting at. We're all vulnerable; we're all guilty of treating people differently, depending on how we view them outwardly. But almost without exception, the irony is that the people we try to impress the most are those who care about us the least—while the people who really would be open to receiving from us are those for whom we think we don't have time. On the high-school campus, so often the goal is to see the quarterback or the head cheerleader saved. The real key, however, is to go for the kid who sits in the back of the cafeteria all alone, for he's the one who is most often the one ready to listen. The same holds true where you work. We tend to get all excited about the people we highly esteem financially or professionally, economically or intellectually. But it's the poor people who will be most responsive to the gospel and most welcoming of us. Because we so often waste our time trying to impress people who are impressed with themselves, we need to change our perspective. That is what James is championing. "Why is it," he asks, "that when someone comes into your congregation who is dressed in fine clothes, who has a name, or who is esteemed highly, you give him the best seat in the house?" Oh, how we need to be aware of our own fleshly tendencies. (See Jon Courson's Application Commentary- Page 1523) R Kent Hughes on James' hypothetical event - But even if the event were hypothetical, subsequent church history has documented that this sin repeats itself in the church. We do not even have to look back to the so-called Dark Ages to find it. Because the eighteenth-century Church of England had become so elitist and inhospitable to the common man, in 1739 John Wesley had to take to graveyards and fields to preach the gospel. And thus we have poignant accounts of his preaching to 30,000 coal miners at dawn in the fields, and the resulting saving power of the gospel evidenced by tears streaming white trails down their coal-darkened faces. Wesley was no schismatic, but because there was no room in the established church for common people, he reluctantly founded the Methodist-Episcopal Church. (See James: Faith That Works - Page 9) Pay special attention (regard) (1914) epiblepo means to literally to turn the eyes upon. The root verb blepo frequently implies looking not nonchalantly but with intent and earnest contemplation. To direct one’s attention to, to look with attention or interest or respect or favor. BDAG says epiblepo means to "look intently, to pay close attention to (show special respect for - James 2:3), to look attentively at with implication of personal concern for someone or something. This latter nuance speaks of God's loving care in Luke 1:48. The use in James also conveys the sense of caring too much about or being partial toward. These nuances are interesting to consider as you ponder Lot's wife turning to look back and turning to a pillar of salt (Ge 19:26). Good (2570) kalos describes that which is inherently excellent or intrinsically good, providing some special or superior benefit. Kalos is good with emphasis (as discussed below) on that which is beautiful, handsome, excellent, surpassing, precious, commendable, admirable. In classical Greek kalos was originally used to describe that which outwardly beautiful. Other secular uses of kalos referred to the usefulness of something such as a fair haven, a fair wind or that which was auspicious such as sacrifices. Kalos referred to that which was "morally beautiful" or noble and hence virtue was called "the good" (to kalon). The New Testament uses of kalos are similar to the secular Greek -- outwardly fair, as the stones of the temple (Lk 21:5); well adapted to its purpose, as salt ("salt is good" Mk 9:50); competent for an office, as deacons ("good servant of Christ Jesus" 1 Ti 4:6); a steward ("serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God", 1 Pe 4:10+); a good soldier (2Ti 2:3+); expedient, wholesome ("it is better for you to enter life crippled" Mk 9:43, 45, 47); morally good, noble, as works ("Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works" Mt 5:16+); conscience ("we are sure that we have a good conscience", see note Hebrews 13:18). The phrase it is good, i.e., a good or proper thing ("It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine", Ro 14:21+). In the Septuagint (LXX) kalos is the most commonly used word for good as opposed to evil (e.g., see Ge 2:17; 24:50; Isaiah 5:20). Read a story about William Booth (of Salvation Army fame) written by Richard Collier and which relates to favoritism of James 2... But time and again, in the vast cold barracks of Broad Street Chapel, Booth noted one thing lacking. Their sermons done, revivalists like Caughey and Marsden, following time-honoured Methodist procedure, would urge people to the communion rail--called also the mourner's bench, a kind of Protestant confessional--in public acceptance of Christ. Yet the poorest and most degraded never came forward. Nor were they present even at Booth's own street sermons. Booth, of course, knew where they congregated--down in "The Bottoms," one of Nottingham's cruellest slums, where men shunned church as they shunned prison. These lost sheep he now set out to find. Those who made part of Broad Street congregation never forgot that electric Sunday in 1846: the gas jets, dancing on whitewashed walls, the Minister, the Rev. Samuel Dunn, seated comfortably on his red plush throne, a concord of voices swelling into the evening's fourth hymn: Foul I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Saviour, or I die (from Rock of Ages) (ED: YOU HAVE TO LOVE BOOTH'S TIMING - AS THESE WORDS ARE BEING SUNG, BOOTH IS BRINGING INTO THE CHAPEL A HOST OF FOUL MEN AND WOMEN!) The chapel's outer door suddenly shattered open, engulfing a white scarf of fog. In its wake came a shuffling shabby contingent of men and women, wilting nervously under the stony stares of mill-managers, shop-keepers and their well-dressed wives. In their rear, afire with zeal, marched "Wilful Will" Booth, cannily blocking the efforts of the more reluctant to turn back. To his dismay the Rev. Dunn saw that young Booth was actually ushering his charges, none of whose clothes would have raised five shillings in his own pawnshop, into the very best seats; pewholders' seats, facing the pulpit, whose occupants piled the collection-plate with glinting silver. This was unprecedented, for the poor, if they came to chapel, entered by another door, to be segregated on benches without backs or cushions, behind a partition which screened off the pulpit. Here, though the service was audible, they could not see--nor could they be seen. Oblivious of the mounting atmosphere, Booth joined full-throatedly in the service--even, he later admitted, hoping this devotion to duty might rate special commendation. All too soon he learned the unpalatable truth: since Wesley's day, Methodism had become "respectable." The service done, Booth found himself facing a drumhead meeting of deacons under the Rev. Dunn and their instructions left no room for doubt. In future, if Booth brought such a flock to chapel they would enter by the side door--and sit in their appointed seats. Head bowed, Booth accepted the rebuke--but in many ways, it would seem, this first gesture came to symbolise the entire credo of the army of men and women who would one day hail him as its founder. (Read the full account of The General Next to God online) James 2:4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Amplified Are you not discriminating among your own and becoming critics and judges with wrong motives? Phillips doesn't that prove that you are making class-distinctions in your mind, and setting yourselves up to assess a man's quality? - a very bad thing. Wuest are you not divided in your own mind [expressing a doubt as to the requirements of the faith you have in the Lord NET If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? GNT οὐ διεκρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐγένεσθε κριταὶ διαλογισμῶν πονηρῶν; NLT doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? KJV Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? ESV have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ASV Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? CSB haven't you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? NIV have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? NKJ have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? NRS have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? YLT ye did not judge fully in yourselves, and did become ill-reasoning judges. NAB have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs? NJB In making this distinction among yourselves have you not used a corrupt standard? GWN Aren't you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments? BBE Is there not a division in your minds? have you not become judges with evil thoughts? have you not made distinctions among yourselves: Jas 1:1-27 Job 34:19 Mal 2:9 become judges with evil motives: Jas 4:11-12 Job 21:27 Ps 58:1 82:2 109:31 Mt 7:1-5 Joh 7:24 James 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: James 4:11-12+ Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? JAMES' CONCLUDING APPLICATION QUESTION The question in this passage is based on the hypothetical example James had just presented in James 2:2-3. James is pithy and likes to prick the conscience so he zeroes in on the evil attitude of favoritism. Like a judge he announces his verdict in the form of a question - guilty of discrimination. Favoritism is always bad but it is especially bad in God's Church because it gives a wrong impression of the character of our Father Who is perfectly Impartial. 🙏 THOUGHT - As a personal testimony I (as a successful physician) have definitely experienced this discrimination (I was on the "positive" side of it) and it was very apparent to me what the pastor (no names will be mentioned) was doing, attempting to curry favor with me. Although this has been over 20 years ago, I can still recall the very uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. I did not want to be shown favoritism and it made me very uneasy. Unfortunately I did not yet understand the message of James 2 or I would have taken it to the pastor. (He left that church not long after this). The upshot is that discrimination can actually work adversely both ways - toward the rich and toward the poor! Pastors, elders, church leaders, assiduously avoid the temptation to show favoritism to the "rich and famous" in your flock. It is not even theologically logical for before God in Christ Jesus we are ALL in effect "rich and famous!" Amen? Amen! Have you not made distinctions (diakrino) among yourselves - This is rhetorical and expects an affirmative response as does the second part of the question if the reader is honest in his answer! Yourselves conveys the idea of "in your own minds" (and sadly in dependence on the fallen fleshly thinking of the old man). 🙏 THOUGHT - These passages in James 2:1-13 raise the ugly issues of outward show versus inward spirituality, temporal versus eternal. Which do you prefer? Sadly too many in the church today prefer outward show and temporal values. Charles Swindoll on made distinctions - James couldn’t be clearer. This kind of prejudice is sin. If there’s one place where class distinctions should be broken down, it’s in our places of worship. Discrimination over color, political persuasion, financial status, fashion, or appearance doesn’t belong in the church, either inside or outside its doors, in private or in public. (Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter - Page 50)
Tiago 2
MacArthur - James feared that his readers would behave just like the sinful world by catering to the rich and prominent while shunning the poor and common. (MacArthur Study Bible) ESV Study Bible - Christians are not to “judge” each other (Mt. 7:1-5; Ro 14:4; 1Co 5:12), and to do so can only mean one’s mind is consumed with evil “thoughts” (Gk. dialogismos, which can mean “opinions,” “reasoning,” or “conclusions”). (borrow ESV Study Bible) Brian Bell - So why can’t I show partiality? Because it’s impossible to judge another person’s motives simply on the basis of outward appearance or any other external force. No one can determine the heart of another especially in a 1st-time encounter. That is why James says it’s wrong! Judges with evil thoughts (motives) - It might be in hopes of selfish gain; or to maintain class distinctions; or simply out of pride & contempt. (ILLUSTRATION) In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” WOE! As Charles Swindoll says "James couldn’t be clearer. This kind of prejudice is sin. If there’s one place where class distinctions should be broken down, it’s in our places of worship. Discrimination over color, political persuasion, financial status, fashion, or appearance doesn’t belong in the church, either inside or outside its doors, in private or in public." (Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter - Page 50) Life Application Study Bible - Sometimes we do this (MAKE DISTINCTIONS) because: (1) poverty makes us uncomfortable; we don't want to face our responsibilities to those who have less than we do; (2) we want to be wealthy, too, and hope to use the rich person as a means to that end; (3) we want the rich person to join our church and help support it financially. All these motives are selfish, stemming from the view that we are superior to the poor person. If we say that Christ is our Lord, then we must live as he requires, showing no favoritism and loving all people regardless of whether they are rich or poor. (Borrow Life Application Study Bible.)
Tiago 2
MacArthur adds that agapao "expresses the purest, noblest form of love, which is volitionally driven, not motivated by superficial appearance, emotional attraction, or sentimental relationship." (1 & 2 Thessalonians. Moody Press) John Phillips (Exploring the Epistle of James - Page 71) writes that "It is the height of folly to despise poor people, especially in the church. We ought, rather, to sing with Hattie E. Buell the song of the Christian poor, "A Child of the King": I once was an outcast stranger on earth, A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth! But I've been adopted, my name's written down, An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown. Choose (1586)(eklego from ek = out, out of, out from + légo = select, choose, cf eklektos) literally means to select out, single out or choose out of. The idea in eklego speaks of the sizable number from which the selection is made. It implies the taking of a smaller number out of a larger. We will not here address the too often contentious topic of election except to say the verb eklego means to choose out for oneself, but does not imply rejection of those not chosen. Related Resources: What is conditional election? Who are the elect of God? How are predestination and election connected with foreknowledge? Rich (4145)(plousios from ploutos = wealth, abundance, riches) is an adjective which defines that which exists in a large amount with implication of its being valuable. Literally plousios generally refers to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds normal experience. Here is James clearly it refers to a poor believer who has an abundance of heavenly blessings because they are rich in faith. Compare a similar use of plousios in Jesus' description of the believers in Smyrna declaring "‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)" (Rev 2:9+). PLOUSIOS is a "key word" in the epistle of James with 5 of the 28 NT uses - Jas. 1:10+; Jas. 1:11+; Jas. 2:5+; Jas. 2:6+; Jas. 5:1+. Faith (4102)(pistis) means trust, the "state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted." It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence—that’s superstition—but obeying in spite of circumstances and consequences. Swindoll makes the important distinction about Christian faith - The term implies both knowledge and action. One may receive knowledge of a certain truth and may even offer verbal agreement, but “trust” or “confidence” is not said to be present until one’s behavior reflects that truth. PISTIS IN JAMES - as. 1:3; Jas. 1:6; Jas. 2:1; Jas. 2:5; Jas. 2:14; Jas. 2:17; Jas. 2:18; Jas. 2:20; Jas. 2:22; Jas. 2:24; Jas. 2:26; Jas. 5:15 Puritan Thomas Manton wrote that faith "is the open hand of the soul, to receive all the bounteous supplies of God." I would add that it is even God's Spirit Who "prys" our hand open, so to speak! Indeed, salvation is "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Ro 11:33+) Heirs (2818)(Kleronomos from kleros = a lot - lots were cast to divide property or select an heir + nemomai = to possess, to distribute among), literally refers to one who obtains a lot or portion. It is one who receives something as a possession or a beneficiary (the person named as in an insurance policy to receive proceeds or benefits). An heir does not attain that status through meritorious effect but through a personal relationship with God through faith in His Son's fully atoning sacrifice. Of course here (as in most NT uses) applies primarily to the realm of spiritual inheritance. The emphasis is on the heir's right to possess. And so kleronomos signifies more than simply one who inherits something but also includes the idea of taking into one's possession. In this context the poor become possessors of God's glorious kingdom. See BELIEVERS' INHERITANCE. Kingdom (932)(basileia from basileus = a sovereign, king, monarch) denotes sovereignty, royal power, dominion. Basileia is the realm in which a king sovereignly rules, in this context King Jesus. Kingdom is one of those concepts which has "how but not yet" ("here but still future") aspects. For every believer in Christ, the "now" aspect is the rule of Christ in our hearts. The "then" (future) aspect most likely refers to the rule of Christ in the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ reigns as King of the earth, preceding the coming Kingdom in the New Heaven and New Earth. Recall James is writing to Jewish readers and they would be especially attuned to the prophetic promises of Messiah's future earthly reign which is the answer to the disciples' question just prior to His ascension when they asked Him "“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). Clearly these Jewish disciples were looking for a Kingdom and Jesus did not refute their belief. See commentary on the nature of the Kingdom they were anticipating in their question in Acts 1:6. Promised (1861)(epaggello from epi = intensifies + aggello = to tell, declare) means to proclaim, promise, declare, announce. BDAG says it means "to declare to do something with implication of obligation to carry out what is stated." Also used in Jas 1:12+ where God " promised (A CROWN) to those who love Him." Love (25)(agapao related study agape) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35, 15:9, 17:23, 24). Note that agapao is a verb and by its verbal nature calls for action. This quality of love is not an emotion but is an action initiated by a volitional choice. Here in James 2:5 apagao is in the present tense (calling for habitual practice only possible as one continually relies on the Holy Spirit) and active voice (conscious choice of one's will). James used agapao in James 1:12+ declaring a promise - "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." The third use in James is in Jas 2:8. ILLUSTRATION OF POOR - . A little boy said to his mother one day, “Mother, I think God always hears it when we scrape the bottom of the barrel.” His mother was poor. They often used their last stick of wood out in the country village and their last bit of bread before they could tell where the next supply was to come from. But they had so often been provided for in unexpected ways, just when they were most in need, that the little boy thought God always heard it when they scraped the bottom of the barrel. Is not this a distinct privilege of the poor, to scrape the bottom of the barrel and at the same time reach the ear of God? ILLUSTRATION OF FAITH - Two little girls were counting their pennies. One said, “I have five pennies.” The other said, “I have ten.” “No,” said the first little girl, “You have just five cents, the same as I.” “But,” the second child quickly replied, “my father said that when he came home tonight he would give me five cents, and so I have ten cents.” Trustfully, she counted what her father had promised. That is exactly how a Christian can be poor in the estimation of the world and at the same time be rich. He counts as his whatever his heavenly Father has. And is it not a source of joy to know that we can never be deprived of such riches because they are in secure hands? No one can fully guarantee earthly riches, but riches held in heaven’s bank no one can touch. And the assurance is that the One with whom our riches are deposited sees our needs and He will give us according to our needs; not always according to our wants because what we want would not always contribute to blessedness and happiness. As Moody said: “Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in money, and you may have it taken from you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it, but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity.” F B
Tiago 2
MacArthur - Aren't the rich the ones who take advantage of you financially and drag you into civil court to sue you and take all you have? Aren't they the ones who belittle you and depreciate your human value? (James Commentary) As
Tiago 2
MacArthur - By which you have been called (epikaleomai) emphasizes the believer’s personal relationship to and identity with Jesus Christ. Every reference to being “called” in the New Testament epistles refers to God’s effectual, saving call, by which He saves sinners (cf. Rom. 8:28–30). The very name Christian means “Christ’s ones,” those who belong to and identify themselves with Christ and have the great privilege of expressing His love and impartiality." Friberg has this note on epikaleomai) "in the passive voice - passive with onoma (name), idiomatically, denoting that one person belongs to another whose name is attached to him epikaleisthai to onoma, tino epi tina literally have someone's name called on someone, i.e. belong to, be the person of (Acts 15.17)" (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) NET Note favors a different interpretation of by which you were called - "that was invoked over you," referring to their baptism in which they confessed their faith in Christ and were pronounced to be his own. To have the Lord's name "named over them" is OT imagery for the Lord's ownership of his people (cf. 2 Chr 7:14; Amos 9:12; Isa 63:19; Jer 14:9; 15:16; Dan 9:19; Acts 15:17 ). Simon Kistemaker - Christians revere the name of Jesus—a name that James describes as noble. They are the ones who have to listen to rich people blaspheme the name of Jesus. If they keep silent while the rich slander that noble name, they themselves sin against the command not to take the name of God in vain (Exod. 20:7; Deut. 5:11). By keeping silent these people who belong to Jesus give assent to slandering the name of Jesus. They have turned against him by showing deference to the rich. (Exposition of James) To summarize, the logic is devastating that you are flattering the enemies of Christ while despising the very people God has chosen. They were honoring their oppressors and dishonoring their fellow heirs. They were aligning themselves with the enemies of both the poor and of God, while insulting the very people God had chosen, enriched in faith, and destined for His kingdom. Blaspheme (slander)(987)(blasphemeo) means literally to speak to harm and therefore to bring into ill repute, to slander, to defame. "Blasphemy involves much more than taking God’s name in vain, though that is at the heart of it. A person blasphemes God when he takes His Word lightly and even jests about it or when he deliberately defies God to judge Him." (Wiersbe Bible Exposition Commentary) Fair(noble - NIV, ESV)(2570)(kalos) is good with emphasis on that which is beautiful, handsome, excellent, surpassing, precious, commendable, admirable. In classical Greek kalos was originally used to describe that which outwardly beautiful. Play this great old classic "Beautiful Isn't He." James 2:8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. GNT εἰ μέντοι νόμον τελεῖτε βασιλικὸν κατὰ τὴν γραφήν, Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν, καλῶς ποιεῖτε· Amplified If indeed you [really] fulfill the royal Law in accordance with the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as [you love] yourself, you do well. Phillips If you obey the royal law, expressed by the scripture, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself', all is well. Wuest If indeed you fulfill the royal law of the scripture, namely, You shall love with a divine and self-sacrificial love your neighbor as you love yourself, you are doing splendidly. NET But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. NLT Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." KJV If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: ESV If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. ASV Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: CSB Indeed, if you keep the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. NIV If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. NKJ If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; NRS You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." YLT If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' -- ye do well; NAB However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. NJB Well, the right thing to do is to keep the supreme Law of scripture: you will love your neighbour as yourself; GWN You are doing right if you obey this law from the highest authority: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." BBE But if you keep the greatest law of all, as it is given in the holy Writings, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself, you do well: If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture,: Jas 2:12 1:25 1Pe 2:9 YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,: Lev 19:18,34 Mt 22:39 Mk 12:31-33 Lu 10:27-37 Ro 13:8,9 Ga 5:14 Ga 6:2 1Th 4:9 you are doing well.: Jas 2:19 1Ki 8:18 2Ki 7:9 Jon 4:4,9 Mt 25:21,23 Php 4:14 James 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FULFILLING THE ROYAL LAW James quotes from Leviticus 19:18+ which says " ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD." This is the supreme or highest law governing all human relationships. THIS VERSE SEEMS TO ME TO BE EASY TO MISINTERPRET AS IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THE READERS WERE FULFILLING! THE AMPLIFIED VERSION MIGHT HELP. It reads "If, however, you are [really] fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, if you have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit]” you are doing well." This verse is actually a stinging rebuke to his readers! He is not praising them but actually is exposing them because they were favoring the rich (Jas 2:2-3), dishonoring the poor (Jas 2:6) and being partial in judgment (Jas 2:4) This is the precise opposite of loving your neighbor as yourself! You cannot simultaneously honor one person (rich man) and despise another (poor man) based on wealth and claim to be fulfilling the royal law! James is essentially saying: "You think you are doing well, but look at what you are actually doing." Showing partiality shatters the royal law at its very foundation, because true neighbor-love is impartial by definition. The poor man in shabby clothing (Jas 2:2) is your neighbor just as much as the man with the gold ring! And he goes on to say in Jas 2:9 that to honor one and shame the other is not love but is sin. James holds this verse up like a mirror: "This is what the King requires. Now look at what you are doing." Their partiality was not a minor lapse but was a direct violation of the supreme relational commandment of the kingdom. J
Tiago 2
MacArthur explains it this way - Royal carries the ideas of supreme and sovereign, indicating the absolute and binding authority of the law. When a sovereign king gives an edict, it is incontestably binding on all his subjects. There is no court of appeal or arbitration. According to the Scripture indicates that God's sovereign, royal law and His biblical commands are synonymous. What James calls the royal law is, in essence, the sum and substance of the complete Word of God, summarized in Matthew 22:37-40 as perfectly loving God and loving one's neighbor. Paul says, "Love is the fulfillment of the law"(Rom. 13:10; cf. Ro 13:8-9). When one loves God with perfect devotion, he does not break any of His commands. When one loves his neighbor perfectly, he never violates another person. Thus perfect love keeps all the commands, thereby fulfilling the whole law. (James MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 111) Henry Morris on the royal (basilikos) law - This law was first set forth in Scripture in Lv 19:18. It was cited by Christ as a parallel law to that of loving God (Mt 22:39 Mk12:31 Lu10:27). It is also quoted in Mt 5:43; 19:19 Ga 5:14 (where Paul says it sums up the whole body of the Mosaic laws as they deal with human behavior and relationships). Thus, the Bible cites it specifically eight times. No wonder it is called the royal law. W E Vine on possible meaning of royal law - this may mean a law which covers or governs other laws and therefore has a specially regal character (as Hort suggests), or because it is made by a King (ED: JESUS).
Tiago 2
MacArthur - FULFILLING THE ROYAL LAW Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith “If … you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well” (James 2:8). Love is the only antidote for partiality. In Matthew 22:36 a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest. Jesus answered, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (vv. 37–40). Love for God and one’s fellowman summarizes the intent of God’s law and is the measure of true faith. Jesus wasn’t calling for the shallow, emotional, self-oriented love that is so prevalent in our society, but for a sacrificial quality of love that places the needs of others on par with your own. That kind of love is utterly incompatible with partiality, which seeks only to further its own selfish goals. Showing partiality breaks God’s law because it violates God’s attributes, misrepresents the Christian faith, ignores God’s choice of the poor, and condones the blasphemous behavior of the rich (James 2:1–7). But when you treat others impartially, you fulfill the royal law. “Royal” in James 2:8 translates a Greek word that speaks of sovereignty. The law was given by God, who is the supreme authority in the universe; so it is authoritative and binding. Love fulfills God’s law because if you love someone, you won’t sin against him. Apparently not all of James’s readers were showing partiality, so he commended them, saying they were “doing well.” The Greek word translated “well” speaks of that which is excellent. They were doing an excellent thing because they were acting in a manner consistent with God’s impartial, loving nature. That’s God’s call to every believer, for “the one who says he abides in [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). As you do, you fulfill God’s law and thereby prove that your faith and love are genuine. Suggestions for Prayer: God’s love is the only antidote for partiality. So pray each day that He will teach you how better to express His love to those around you. For Further Study: Read the following verses, noting the characteristics of godly love: John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25–29; Philippians 1:9–11; and 1 John 5:1–3. Doing Well If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. —James 2:8 Today's Scripture:James 1:1-13 In the book Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley recounts the World War II battle of Iwo Jima and its famous flag-raising on Mount Suribachi. Bradley’s father, John, was one of the flag-raisers. But more important, he was a Navy corpsman—a medic. In the heat of battle, facing a barrage of bullets from both sides, Bradley exposed himself to danger so he could care for the wounded and dying. This self-sacrifice showed his willingness and determination to care for others, even though it meant placing himself at great personal risk. Doc Bradley won the Navy Cross for his heroism and valor, but he never spoke of it to his family. In fact, it was only after his death that they learned of his military decorations. To Doc, it wasn’t about winning medals; it was about caring for his buddies. In James 2:8 we read: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well.” By intentionally seeking to care for others in the way that we would hope to be treated, James says we “do well.” The word well means “rightly, nobly, so there is no room for blame.” Let the road be rough and dreary, And its end far out of sight; Foot it bravely, strong or weary; Trust in God and do the right. —Macleod Love is at the heart of obedience. James 2:9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. GNT εἰ δὲ προσωπολημπτεῖτε, ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεσθε ἐλεγχόμενοι ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου ὡς παραβάται. Amplified But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders. Phillips But once you allow any invidious distinctions to creep in, you are sinning, you have broken God's Law. Wuest But if, as is the case, you are showing partiality [to certain individuals], you are committing a sin, being effectually convicted by the law as transgressors NET But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. NLT But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. KJV But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. ESV But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ASV but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. CSB But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. NIV But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. NKJ but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. NRS But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. YLT and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors; NAB But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. NJB but as soon as you make class distinctions, you are committing sin and under condemnation for breaking the Law. GWN If you favor one person over another, you're sinning, and this law convicts you of being disobedient. BBE But if you take a man's position into account, you do evil, and are judged as evil-doers by the law. But if you show partiality: Jas 2:1-4 Lev 19:15 you are committing sin: Joh 8:9,46 16:8 1Co 14:24 Jude 1:15 are convicted by the law as transgressors Ro 3:20 7:7-13 Ga 2:19 1Jn 3:4 James 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries TRANSGRESSING THE ROYAL LAW James is reading the minds of what some of his readers may have been thinking and he will address it in vv 9-11. They might have thought showing favoritism was not that big of a deal and at best was only a minor transgression. James refutes the soft-peddling of favoritism and brings it out into the light of God's holy word -- to discriminate against anyone is sin! Barton writes "The believers had not made the connection between God's command to love their neighbor (ED: "THE ROYAL LAW") and their discrimination against the poor." (James - Page 52)
Tiago 2
MacArthur writes "just as loving one's neighbor as one's self fulfills God's "royal law according to Scripture" and gives sure evidence of being God's child, so does habitual (present tense) partiality transgress that divinely revealed law and give sure evidence to the contrary." (See related comment below) Showing partially is in the active voice indicating conscious, volitional choice. Similarly committing ("committing sin") is in the reflexive middle voice indicating even more the personal involvement in committing the sin - the idea is "you yourself are committing" and committing is also in the present tense. Hiebert adds that "The evil (SHOWING PARTIALITY) was not some unfortunate action into which they had accidentally fallen but was a deliberate practice (SEE NOTE ABOVE ON VOICE AND TENSE). As Roberts pungently remarks, "Partiality is not a trifling fault, it is a foul travesty of the law of God fully exposed in the Scriptures!" (Commentary on James) James now presents two conclusions of showing partiality - (1) you are committing a sin and (2) you are guilty of breaking the law. You are committing (ergazomai) sin - NET has "if you show prejudice, you are committing sin." So showing partiality, favoritism or prejudice (Ouch! You've never been guilty of this have you?) is a sin! The verb for commiting is ergazomai which is picturesque for it means to engage in an activity involving considerable expenditure of effort, as when one toils energetically and diligently in a field! (Mt 21:28). It is as if one is working hard to show partiality and as noted above doing so continually (present tense)! Did you ever consider that committing sin is hard work? Interesting thought. It is so much easier to rest in God's commandments which brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb 12:11+) instead of guilt and angst and discipline! John would add that those showing partiality are lawbreakers - Everyone who practices (present tense - recall showing favoritism was present tense = habitual practice) sin also practices (present tense) lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (1 Jn 3:4+). ESV Study note adds that "Favoritism toward the rich breaks the OT commands to treat the poor equitably (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 16:19; Job 34:19) and is a serious transgression of God’s law." (Borrow ESV Study Bible) And are convicted (elegcho) by the law as transgressors (parabates)(lawbreakers) - James says the law convicts and so personifies the law. In this case the phrase the law looks back to the royal law in James 2:8. But the law is impersonal and it is actually the Holy Spirit Who uses the transgressed law to convict (cf Jn 16:8). The Spirit like a prosecuting attorney finds those showing favoritism as guilty of deliberately breaking the the royal law. A transgressor is one who "steps over a know boundary" and reflects not ignorance but a willful action against the revealed will of God. Grant Osborne observes that James' "point is that any act of bias whatsoever—whether on the basis of race, gender, looks, social status, or economics—breaks the laws of God and is a sin. Before God all people stand equally as his creation. As Paul says, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus...There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:26, 28+)." (James, 1-2 Peter, Jude, Revelation - Page 54) R Kent
Tiago 2
MacArthur comments on the difference between sin and transgressors - Hamartia, translated simply sin, pertains to missing the mark of God's standard of righteousness, whereas parabates (transgressors) refers to someone who willfully goes beyond God's prescribed limits. In the one case, a person comes short; in the other, he goes too far. Both are sinful, just as adding to or subtracting from God's revealed Word are both sinful (Rev. 22:19+). (Ibid) Hiebert has a interesting if somewhat technical note on law and transgressors - Since the Mosaic law prohibits partiality (Lev 19:15; Deut. 1:17; 16:19), and the law of love is violated when anyone is treated with discourtesy and snobbery, they cannot escape the verdict that they are "lawbreakers" (parabatai), people who are guilty of having passed over a forbidden boundary. Their partiality is not a trivial fault to be dismissed lightly as of no consequence, but a clear case of disobedience to a known demand of the Law. Adamson notes that "to the rabbis such transgression was 'rebellion,' and broke 'the fence of the Torah.'" Behind the noun "lawbreakers" lies the picture of the law laying out the way of righteousness in which a man should walk. But they have not stayed on the marked road; they have stepped defiantly over the boundary to engage in a forbidden practice. If the word "sin" conveys the negative truth that they have not measured up to the requirements of the Law but have fallen short, "lawbreakers" (AS RENDERED IN THE NIV = James 2:9NIV) marks the "positive side" (ED: MAYBE BETTER PHRASED THE "ANTITHETICAL" SIDE) of sin in that they have deliberately violated the restrictions of the law. (Commentary on James) Phillips gives an illustration - In his book The Source, James Michener tells of a Jewish boy who grew up ostracized by society because he was an illegitimate child. The Law of Moses was explicit: "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord" (Deut. 23:2). It was a law that was intended to secure the sanctity of sex and the strength of family life. The rabbis went to work on this prohibition, expounded it, amplified it, and probed all of its nuances and ramifications. They came up with a thousand ways to make life intolerable for the victim and invented extraordinary measures for getting around them. As long as the young man in Michener's story was small, it was not so bad, although the stigma of his birth clung to him. But as he grew older, he was forced to shoulder an increasingly intolerable burden. The full horror of his situation dawned upon him when he faced the fact that, as a bastard and a social outlaw, he could not marry a respectable Jewish girl. The parents of the girl, the rabbis, and the community as a whole militated against any such unthinkable arrangement. Then, in the midst of his grief and bitterness, he found the church! Here was a group of people, emancipated from the law, both able and willing to receive even a person such as him heartily and without reservation into its fellowship. It opened up a new life. James is at pains, through thirteen verses of his epistle, to see that the church remained that way—free from prejudice, discrimination, and partiality. Such attitudes are sinful in the sight of God. (Exploring the Epistle of James: An Expository Commentary) John MacArthur - TRANSGRESSING THE ROYAL LAW Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith “If you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not commit murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:9–11). You sin when you fall short of God’s holy standard or go beyond the limits of His law. Many people attempt to justify their sinfulness by categorizing sins according to their apparent severity. For example, telling a “little white lie” isn’t as serious to them as committing perjury; cheating on their income tax isn’t as serious as robbing a bank. Others see God’s law as a series of detached injunctions and assume they can gain credit with God by keeping one law even if they break the others. In the final analysis, if the laws they don’t break outweigh the laws they do, they think everything will be OK. Apparently some of those to whom James wrote had the same misconceptions, believing sins like prejudice, partiality, and indifference to the poor weren’t as serious as sins like murder and adultery. Or perhaps they believed they could make up for their favoritism by keeping God’s law in other areas. Both of those views are erroneous and potentially damning because God’s law isn’t a series of detached injunctions or a way of gaining credit with God. It’s a unified representation of His holy nature. Even though all sins aren’t equally heinous or damaging, from God’s perspective every sin violates His standard. When you break one law, you break them all and are characterized as a sinner and transgressor. “Sin” in verse 9 speaks of missing the mark and falling short of God’s holy standard. “Transgressors” refers to going beyond the accepted limits. One says you’ve fallen short; the other says you’ve gone too far. Both are equal violations of God’s holiness. You must see all sin as an affront to Him and must never compound your sin by attempting to hide it, justify it, or counterbalance it with good works. Suggestions for Prayer: Memorize 1 John 1:9, and always confess your sin whenever you violate God’s holy law. ✧ Praise God for pitying our plight as sinners and for providing a Savior. For Further Study: Read Galatians 3:10–29, noting the purpose of God’s law. James 2:9 If you show partiality, you commit sin. Clothing companies try to offer garments that match the public's perception of what a successful person wears. To determine this, a clothing analyst performed an experiment with raincoats. An actor wearing a tan raincoat approached people at a subway station. He explained that he had left his wallet home and asked to borrow train fare. People were surprisingly generous with this supposedly unfortunate executive. Then the actor wore a dark raincoat and approached people in the same way with the same story. This time he was treated differently Not only would no one give him money, but he was physically threatened. The opposite reaction was linked to the color of the coat. People saw the dark garment as threatening and judged the man with suspicion. PREJUDICE LETS YOU FORM OPINIONS WITHOUT GETTING THE FACTS. Garlic And Sapphires If you show partiality, you commit sin. —James 2:9 Today's Scripture: James 2:1-9 In her fascinating book Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, Ruth Reichl reflects on her 6 years as a New York Times restaurant critic. Because she was the most influential critic in the country, top restaurants posted her photograph so their employees could recognize her. Hoping to earn a high rating in the New York Times, the staff intended to provide her with their top service and best cuisine. In response, Reichl developed a clever strategy. Hoping to be treated as a regular patron, she disguised herself. On one occasion, she dressed up as an old woman. The restaurant made her wait a long time to be seated and then was unresponsive to her requests. In the early church, James spoke out against favoritism: “[If] you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and say to the poor man, ‘You stand there,’ or, ‘Sit here at my footstool,’ have you not shown partiality among yourselves?” (2:3-4). Dear Lord, You welcomed us into Your kingdom, not because of who we are but because of who You are— our loving and merciful God. Help us to open our arms of fellowship to all who enter in. Amen. God lets us into His fellowship. Who are we to keep others out? The Outcast If you show partiality, you commit sin. —James 2:9 Today's Scripture: James 2:1-9 His face was grimy, his hair long and dirty. Beer stained his clothing and perfumed the air around him. When he stepped into the church building, the Sunday worshipers ignored him. They were stunned when the man approached the pulpit, took off his wig, and began preaching. That’s when they realized he was their pastor. I don’t know about you, but I tend to be friendly and shake hands with the people I know and those who pre-sent themselves well. James issued a serious warning for people like me. He said, “If you show partiality, you commit sin” (2:9). Favoritism based on appearance or economic status has no place in God’s family. In fact, it means we have “become judges with evil thoughts” (v.4). Fortunately, we can guard against preferential treatment by loving our neighbor as ourselves—no matter who our neighbor may be. Reaching out to the homeless man, the hungry woman, or the heartbroken teen means we “fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture” (v.8). Forgive me, Lord, for prejudice— Remove its subtle lie; Oh, fill my heart with Your great love That sent Your Son to die. —D. De Haan True Christian love helps those who can’t return the favor. James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. Amplified For whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has become guilty of [breaking] all of it. Phillips Remember that a man who keeps the whole Law but for a single exception is none the less a law-breaker. Wuest For whoever observes the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all [the commandments]. NET For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. GNT ὅστις γὰρ ὅλον τὸν νόμον τηρήσῃ πταίσῃ δὲ ἐν ἑνί, γέγονεν πάντων ἔνοχος. NLT For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws. KJV For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. ESV For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. ASV For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all. CSB For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all. NIV For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. NKJ For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. NRS For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. YLT for whoever the whole law shall keep, and shall stumble in one point, he hath become guilty of all; NAB For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it. NJB You see, anyone who keeps the whole of the Law but trips up on a single point, is still guilty of breaking it all. GWN If someone obeys all of God's laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them. BBE For anyone who keeps all the law, but makes a slip in one point, is judged to have gone against it all. whoever keeps the whole law: De 27:26 Mt 5:18,19 Ga 3:10 James 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SERIOUSNESS OF STUMBLING! For (gar) is a term of explanation. You would think that telling us that showing partiality was sin and breaking the royal law would have been enough to get his reader's attention. But now in this context, James is led by the Spirit to explain why this sin of favoritism is so serious. It is so easy for all of us to excuse some breach of the law that we consider to be just a minor matter ("It's just a little white lie," etc). James is going to explode that misconception which all of us have bought into at one time or another! It may seem "minor" to us, but before a perfectly holy God it is no different than Adam's sin which catapulted the entire human race into sin and spiritual death! Another "myth" that James exposes is the rationalization that we may have disobeyed one commandment, but what is that compared to all those that we obeyed? Don't we get some credit for those? Having just declared that favoritism is sin and that those who practice it are convicted by the law as transgressors (James 2:9), James now explains why this sin is so serious. One might think that identifying favoritism as a violation of the royal law would be sufficient, but under the Spirit's guidance James presses the matter further. The reason is that we are all prone to minimize certain sins that seem insignificant in our own eyes. We rationalize, "It's only a little white lie," "It's just a small compromise," or "Everyone does it." James demolishes that misconception. What may appear to us to be a minor infraction is still a violation of God's holy law. The issue is not the size of the sin in our estimation but the fact that it is an offense against a perfectly holy God. The law is a unified expression of God's holy character. To violate even one command is to become a lawbreaker, James also exposes another common rationalization: "Yes, I may have broken one commandment, but look at all the others I have kept." Surely our obedience in many areas should offset our failure in one area. James will show that God's law does not work that way. The law is a unified expression of God's holy character. To violate even one command is to become a lawbreaker, for the same God Who gave one command gave them all. No one can excuse favoritism as a minor fault. Thus James is preparing his readers to understand a sobering truth which is that no one can excuse favoritism as a minor fault. The sin itself may seem small when compared to murder or adultery, but any violation of God's law constitutes rebellion against the Lawgiver. The seriousness of sin is measured not merely by the act committed, but by the holiness of the God against whom it is committed. J
Tiago 2
MacArthur explains that "The Jews tended to regard the law as a series of detached commands. To keep one of those commands was to gain credit. To break one was to incur debt. Therefore, a man could add up the ones he kept and subtract the ones he broke and, as it were, emerge with a moral credit or debit balance.That philosophy, of course, is common to every works-righteousness system of religion. The idea is that acceptance or rejection by God depends essentially on the moral standing of the person himself. If he does more good than bad, he is accepted by God. If the scale tilts the other way, he is rejected. That totally unbiblical notion is firmly believed by many, many people, including many who name the name of Christ. God's standard, however, is perfection. (cf Mt 5:48+ = "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.")." (James Commentary - Page 114) (Bold added) Simon Kistemaker has a similar comment noting that "The Jews in the time of James made a distinction between the more important laws and those that were less significant. For example, they considered the law on sabbath observance most pressing. But other commandments, like the one against swearing, they did not consider very important (see Mt. 5:33-37; James 5:12). (Exposition of James) D Edmond Hiebert - This principle of the unity of the law was also taught by the rabbis. "If he do all, but omit one, he is guilty for all severally" (shabbath. 70.2). But as Billerbeck points out, more frequently the rabbis reversed this teaching and held that obedience to certain specific laws was as good as obedience to the whole, usually in connection with the observance of the Sabbath. "The Sabbath weighs against all the precepts; if they keep it, they were reckoned as having done all" (Shemoth Rabb. 25). There was a constant tendency among the rabbis to make the ceremonial cover up moral and spiritual lapses. But Scripture does not allow us to make such compensatory value judgments concerning the various demands of the law In Galatians 5:3 Paul declares that those who place themselves under the law are obligated to obey the whole law. (Commentary on James) Craig Keener - Jewish teachers distinguished “heavier” from “lighter” sins, but felt that God required obedience to even the “smallest” commandments, rewarding the obedient with eternal life and punishing transgressors with damnation. That willful violation of even a minor transgression was tantamount to rejecting the whole law was one of their most commonly repeated views. (Ancient writers often stated principles in sharp, graphic ways but in practice showed more mercy to actual transgressors in the community.) Stoics (against the Epicureans) went even farther in declaring that all sins were equal. The point here is that rejecting the law of economic impartiality in Leviticus 19:15, or the general principle of love behind it (Leviticus 19:18), was rejecting the whole authority of God (James 2:8). Jewish teachers often used “stumbling” as a metaphor for sin. (See Pdf page 677 The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament) Bruce Barton - James' point here is not that showing favoritism is as "bad" as murder, but that no matter what commandment someone breaks, that person is guilty of an offense against God. He or she has violated the will of God. We cannot excuse the sin of favoritism by pointing to the rest of the good we do. Sin is not simply balanced against good—it must be confessed and forgiven. (James - Page 52) For (gar) whoever keeps (tereo) the whole (holos) law (nomos) and yet stumbles (ptaio) in one point, he has become guilty (enochos) of all - Note the whoever which is equivalent to "anyone who" which is another way to say that no one can claim he or she is an exception to this principle. John Phillips pictured the unity of the law as like a chain - "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." One link is broken and the anchor plunges to the depths of hell unless one believes in Christ Who perfectly obeyed whole law because only "through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses." (Acts 13:39+). (Exploring the Epistle of James: An Expository Commentary) F B Meyer pictured the unity of the law this way "A person may observe all the laws of health, but if he inhales one whiff of poison, he may die; so we may be outwardly obedient to the entire Decalogue, but delinquency in love will invalidate everything." James is not saying that the person who stumbles in one point has committed every sin forbidden by God's law. Rather, he is teaching that the person who violates even one commandment becomes guilty as a lawbreaker. The issue is not the number of laws broken but the fact that God's law has been violated. A helpful illustration is a windowpane. If a person breaks only one corner of the pane, he has not shattered every part of the glass, but he has nevertheless broken the entire window. In the same way, God's law is a unified whole. To violate one command is to become a transgressor of the law because the same God who gave one command gave them all. Similarly, if you break one link in a chain, the entire chain is essentially broken. John MacArthur adds "You may hit it only once, and that rather lightly, but the whole window is shattered. In the same way, some sins are relatively light and some are extremely vile. But breaking ("annuls" = breaks) even "one of the least of these commandments" (Matt. 5:19+) shatters the unity of God's holy law and turns the guilty person into a transgressor." (James MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 114) In short James is emphasizing that favoritism cannot be excused as a "minor" sin. Even though it may seem less serious than adultery or murder, it still constitutes a violation of God's holy law and renders the offender guilty before the Lawgiver. R Kent Hughes describes the unity of the law this way - "James sees the Law as a seamless garment which, when ripped in one place, tears the whole garment. Early Jewish writings said similar things, and later writings such as the Talmud were explicit: "If he do all, but omit one, he is guilty of all severally" (Shabbath 70, 2). Jesus Himself alluded to the Law's unity (cf. Matthew 5:18, 19+; Matthew 23:23), and Paul would say, "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law'" (Galatians 3:10+; Galatians 5:3+ = "And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law."). (James: Faith That Works - Page 100) Bruce Barton addresses the question "So why is a person who commits one sin guilty of breaking them all? James is not attempting to discuss greater or lesser sins. He is pointing to the overall effect of any sin on our relationship with God. Where we tend to see God's rules like a fabric, James sees glass. If we throw a small or large stone at the fabric, the hole will be similar in shape and size to the rock thrown. If we throw a stone at the glass, however, any sized stone will shatter the glass (ED: THINK "ANY SIZED SIN"). This does not mean that breaking any commandment is just as bad as breaking any other (for example, stealing bread instead of murdering a person). It does mean that deliberately breaking any commandment shows our attitude toward God's direction for our life." (James - Page 53) A T
Tiago 2
MacArthur adds that "One transgression makes fulfilling the law's most basic commands—to love God perfectly and to love one's neighbor as oneself—impossible." (MacArthur Study Bible) William
Tiago 2
MacArthur comments that "just as loving one's neighbor as one's self fulfills God's "royal law according to Scripture" and gives sure evidence of being God's child, so does habitual (present tense) partiality transgress that divinely revealed law and give sure evidence to the contrary." (SEE James Commentary - Page 113) Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor (parabates) of the law - How absurd to assume that if one does not commit adultery, he may commit murder with impunity. James says the truth is that you have still become a lawbreaker. Ronald Blue says "Utilizing the extreme instances of adultery and murder, James showed the absurdity of inconsistent obedience." (Bible Knowledge Commentary - Page 825) George Stulac sums up James' message as "Don't think you are keeping the law of Christ while you are practicing favoritism. It is as much a contradiction as if you claimed you were keeping the law just because you were not committing adultery even though you were practicing murder. James's language is stark and emphatic in James 2:9: If you show favoritism, you sin." (The IVP New Testament Commentary Series – James) In the context of the sin of favoritism, the point is that while favoritism might not seem to be as serious as some other sins (adultery, murder), especially when one considers the social consequences (and the OT penalty of death for adultery or murder), ALL sins (including favoritism) are just as serious as murder and adultery because all sins represents a violation of God's perfect and holy will. Brian Bell succinctly summarizes James thoughts in James 2:8-11 - If are a “respect of persons”, you are sinning, you are a transgressor of the law: Its inconsistent with God’s character (v5); Its inconsistent with sound logic (v6,7); It’s inconsistent with Scripture (v8-11); It’s sin (v9); It makes you guilty of the whole law of God (v10); It is just as serious a sin as adultery and killing (11); God will judge Sin (v11). Simon Kistemaker has an interesting Doctrinal Consideration of James 2:8-11 - Too often we look at the commandments from a negative point of view. We do so because most of them are cast in a negative form: for example, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal. But the Ten Commandments have a positive side, too. They teach us that within the boundaries of God's protective laws we have perfect freedom. As fish thrive in water because water is their natural habitat, so the child of God flourishes in the setting of the law. He realizes that God has graciously given him these laws for his protection and safety. He knows that "the law of the Lord is perfect" and that "the precepts of the Lord are right" (Ps. 19:7, 8). He experiences the love of God in these commandments, so that he in turn can express his love to God and his neighbor.Why does the believer keep the law of God? He keeps the law (ED: SEE BELOW) because in this way he is able to show his gratitude to God. The law of God, then, is a rule of gratitude for the believer. (Exposition of James) Comment: I would add that "he keeps the law" because he is now able to keep the law for in the New Covenant (1) it is written on his heart (Jer 31:33+, Hebrews 8:10+) (2) he has the Spirit living inside Who gives the supernatural power he needs to obey the law (Gal 5:18+ cf Ro 8:13+, Gal 5:16+), and (3) he has the love of God poured out in his heart (Ro 5:5) and now is motivated to obey out of love not out of legalism (cf Jn 14:15). James 2:12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. Amplified So speak and so act as [people should] who are to be judged under the law of liberty [the moral instruction given by Christ, especially about love]. Phillips Anyway, you should speak and act as men who will be judged by the law of freedom. Wuest In this manner be speaking and in this manner be doing, namely, as those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty, NET Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. GNT οὕτως λαλεῖτε καὶ οὕτως ποιεῖτε ὡς διὰ νόμου ἐλευθερίας μέλλοντες κρίνεσθαι. NLT So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. KJV So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. ESV So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. ASV So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty. CSB Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. NIV Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, NKJ So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. NRS So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. YLT so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged, NAB So speak and so act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom. NJB Talk and behave like people who are going to be judged by the law of freedom. GWN Talk and act as people who are going to be judged by laws that bring freedom. BBE Let your words and your acts be those of men who are to be judged by the law which makes free. So speak and so act Php 4:8 Col 3:17 2Pe 1:4-8 the law of liberty: Jas 1:25 James 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Corinthians 5:9-10+ Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Romans 14:10-12+ But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat (bema) of God. 11 For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Revelation 22:12+ “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. James 1:25+ But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. John 8:31-32+ (RELATED TO LAW OF LIBERTY) So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth (cf Jn 17:17+), and the truth will make you free.(eleutheroo)” Romans 8:3-4+ For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Philippians 2:13NLT+ (EXPLAINING HOW WE WORK OUT OUR SALVATION) For God (THE HOLY SPIRIT) is (continually-present tense) working in you, (continually-present tense) giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases Him. THE APPEAL FOR CONSISTENT CONDUCT We must all soberly ponder the truth that how we live today will impact eternity in one way or another. We should ever speak and ever act as those who are about to be judged by Jesus! Such an attitude under grace and enabled by the Spirit would doubtless exert a radically transforming effect on virtually every aspect of our life! So speak and so act - Speaking and doing are seen in the earlier example of partiality in what one said and how one treated the rich man and the poor man (James 2:2-3+). So in this context what one says and what one does are the two ways discrimination was shown. James is basically saying: Don’t just talk the talk; you are accountable to walk the walk. “Practice what you preach.” “So keep speaking and so keep acting as if you were about to be judged by a law of liberty.” What we say must not be different from what we do. ILLUSTRATION - A mother said to her child, “Johnny, you take those marbles back to Willie Jones. You know I have told you about playing marbles for keeps; you think you won them, but that is wrong; you go right back and give them to the boy from whom you took them.” “Yes, Mama,” said Johnny dutifully, “and shall I take back the painted vase you won at Mrs. Jones’ bridge party?” Maybe Johnny was cheeky, fresh, and needed spanking! Yes, but Johnny brought out what most of us know; it is much easier to preach than it is to practice. (Zodhiates) James' combination of speech and action is similar to phrases like "in words and deeds" (describing Moses in Acts 7:22) or John's exhortation "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." (1 John 3:18). Speak and act are both commands in the present imperative calling for habitual speech and action. All of us need to regularly watch our speech and our actions. Ultimately the only way to obey these commands is by reliance on the indwelling Spirit, Who will give us the desire and the power (Phil 2:13NLT+), to work out this aspect of our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil 2:12+). Stated another way, godly speech and actions are not the result of external pressure to keep a list of rules and regulations, but are made possible because the love of Christ has been poured out within our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who God has given us (Ro 5:5). Love is the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 13:10), so if we love God, serving Him and keeping His commandments will not be a burden or a battle. Love makes obedience a blessing and not a burden and God's Spirit makes this obedience possible. As those who are to be (mello - about to be) judged (krino) by the law of liberty - The phrase are to be is the verb mello which describes a future event that is sure to happen and can even convey the sense of an event which is about to take place at any time (imminent). For believers the judgment he is referring to is the Bema Seat or Judgment Seat of Christ (2Co 5:10+). And the verb judged (krino) in this context does not mean we are to be condemned, but that we will each stand before the Judge Jesus Christ Who will evaluate our character and contact using the law of liberty. and dispense rewards. (cf Rev 22:12+, Ro 14:10-12+) Hiebert adds that "James is insistent that all of Christian conduct be motivated by the realization of future judgment (cf. 2 Cor. 5:9-10)." (Commentary on James) In James 5:9+, James reminds his reads "Behold (PAY ATTENTION), the Judge is standing right at the door!" Don Anderson - What James is suggesting here is that our speech and our actions should be saturated by love. What we say and what we do are the final proof of what is really in our hearts. (Notes) John
Tiago 2
MacArthur - SHOWING MERCY - Drawing Near: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith “So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:12–13). Showing mercy is characteristic of a regenerate person. Divine judgment has never been a popular topic of conversation. Godly people throughout history have been ridiculed, persecuted, and even killed for proclaiming it. In their efforts to win the approval of men, false teachers question or deny it. But James 2:12–13 reminds us that judgment will come, so we’d better live accordingly. The basis for divine judgment is God’s Word, which James called “the law of liberty” (v. 12). It is a liberating law because it frees you from sin’s bondage and from the curse of death and Hell. It is the agency of the Spirit’s transforming work, cutting deep into your soul to judge your thoughts and motives (Heb. 4:12). It gives you the wisdom that leads to salvation and equips you for godly living (2 Tim. 3:15–17). It imparts truth and discernment, freeing you from error and spiritual deception. It is in every sense a law of freedom and liberation for those who embrace it. If you show partiality and disregard for the needy, the law becomes your judge, exposing the fact that you aren’t truly redeemed. The law liberates believers but condemns unbelievers. The phrase “judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy” (v. 13) speaks of unrelieved judgment in which every sin receives its fullest punishment. That can only mean eternal Hell! If the Word is at work in you, its effects will be evident in the way you speak and act. If you are impartial and merciful to people in need, that shows you are a true Christian and have received God’s forgiveness and mercy yourself. If you show partiality and disregard for the needy, the law becomes your judge, exposing the fact that you aren’t truly redeemed. Are you a merciful person? Do you seek to provide for others without favoritism? When you fail to do so, do you confess your sin and seek forgiveness and restoration? Those are marks of true faith. Suggestions for Prayer: Praise the Lord for His great mercy toward you, and be sure to show mercy to those around you. For Further Study: Read Luke 1:46–55, 68–79. Follow Mary’s and Zacharias’ example by rejoicing over God’s mercy toward His people. G Campbell
Tiago 2
MacArthur - James brings us to the climax of his great argument. Partiality is inconsistent with the Christian faith because the Christian faith is consistent with the nature of God—and God is wholly impartial. Partiality is inconsistent with the purpose and the plan of God in choosing the poor of this world to be spiritually rich. Partiality is inconsistent with loving your neighbor as yourself. Even if it were the only sin a person ever committed, partiality, like all other sins, shatters the entire law of God and makes a person a transgressor, condemned to hell forever. If you come before the judgment seat of God and He sees that you have lived a life that is merciful to others, He will show mercy to you, because your mercy will testify to your saving faith. It will be true in your case that mercy triumphs over judgment. Contrarily, a person who has lived a life devoid of mercy to others will show himself to be without saving faith. (James MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 117) Mercy triumphs (Katakauchaomai) over judgment (krisis) - Mercy will triumph at the judgment seat of Christ because judgment can find nothing against it. Impartial love and acts of kindness will triumph at the Judgment Seat. Paul writes that "against such things (including love as shown by one's speaking and acting - Jas 2:12) there is no law." (Gal 5:23+) In other words when a man or woman shows mercy to others, it is a clear indication that their life has been transformed by God's grace and mercy. And because they have received saving mercy, their sins which justly deserved God's judgment are forever removed by the fully atoning work of Jesus Christ. Any charges that might have been brought against this person have in effect been "dropped," in fact, in a sense "dropped" on our Sin Bearer, Jesus Christ (Read 2 Cor 5:21+, 1 Pe 2:24+, Isa 53:5-6+). R C H