James 2

A Warning against Favoritism

¹My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.

²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. ³If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,” ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

• JAS 2:2[NOTE]MEETING. The Greek word is synagogue. These early believers still met like a Jewish synagogue.

⁵Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? ⁶But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? ⁷Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?

⁸If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

• JAS 2:8[QUOTES]Direct ← LEV 19:18

¹⁰Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

• JAS 2:11[QUOTES]Direct ← EX 20:13-14; DT 5:17-18

¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. ¹³For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works// Galatians 3:1–9

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? ¹⁷So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.

• JAS 2:14[NOTE]FAITH AND WORKS. Does James disagree with Paul, Romans 3:28? See the two Big Question pages.
• JAS 2:17[NOTABLE]The heart of the book. See The Big Question pages on faith and works.

¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

• JAS 2:19[DEMONIC]Demons believe — and tremble
• JAS 2:19[NOTE]THE SHEMA. You believe that God is one. This is the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4, the creed every Jew said daily. Knowing the right facts is not saving faith. Demons know them too.

²⁰O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? ²¹Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²²You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. ²³And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. ²⁴As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.

• JAS 2:23[QUOTES]Direct ← GEN 15:6; 2CH 20:7; IS 41:8

²⁵In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route? ²⁶As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

• JAS 2:25[FULFILLS]The scarlet cord in Rahab's window saved her whole household ← JOSH 2:18MEDIUM
• JAS 2:25[ALLUDES TO]Refers to ← JOSH 2:4; 2:15