2:1 My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of
glory with partiality.
2:2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing,
comes into your assembly, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes
in;
2:3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing,
and say,
"Sit here in a good place;" and you tell the poor man,
"Stand there," or "Sit by my footstool;"
2:4 haven't you shown partiality among yourselves,
and become judges with evil thoughts?
2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn't God choose
those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith,
and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man.
Don't the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?
2:7 Don't they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
2:8 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture,
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself,"(Lev 19:18)
you
do well.
2:9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by
the law as transgressors.
2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law,
and yet stumble in one point, he has become guilty of all.
2:11 For he who said,
"Do not commit adultery," (Ex 20:14; Deut 5:18)said
also,
"Do not commit murder." (Ex 20:13; Deut 5:17) Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder,
you have become a transgressor of the law.
2:12 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.
2:13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Discussion Questions
In what worldly ways might one be rich?
In what worldly ways are you rich?
Why do people often get dressed up fancy for church?
How might people treat you if you wore common or drab clothes to church?
What is evil about showing favoritism to people based on the clothes
they wear, their financial status, where they live or where they're from?
In what way are the poor chosen to be rich in faith?
Being in a rich country, in what way may you be deprived from exercising
your faith?
Describe an example when you saw someone being treated with favoritism.
Have you even been treated with favoritism or disfavoritism for an
illegitimate reason?
vs 12 Are we to be judged by the law? What law? Isn't this contrary
to
Ro 3:28"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified
by faith without the deeds of the law."
Cross References
vs 1 Le 19:15 "'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the
poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. vs 3 Isa 65:5 who say, 'Keep away; don't come near me, for I am too sacred
for you!' Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning
all day. Lu 7:44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you
see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for
my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. vs 4 Joh 7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." vs 5 Matt 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven." 1Co 1:26-28 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.
Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential;
not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world
to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the
strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--
and the things that are not-- to nullify the things that are, Rev 5:17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not
need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor,
blind and naked. vs 6 Pr 17:5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever
gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. Pr 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he
who gives gifts to the rich-- both come to poverty. vs 8 Ga 5:14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your
neighbor as yourself." vs 10 Matt 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of
heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called
great in the kingdom of heaven. vs 11 Matt 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long
ago, 'Do not murder, {Exodus 20:13} and anyone who murders will be subject
to judgment.' "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good,
your whole body will be full of light. vs 13 Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matt 6:14,15 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their
sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Comments
vs 1-4 Though we should learn to appreciate the diversity in the
body of Christ, it is not appropriate to treat one above another on an
illegitmate basis. The rich especially tend to be favored in institutional
settings that rely on financial support. Culturally also the rich tend
to be looked up to as if they are rich because God favors them. And the
poor are treated contemptuously not only because they can become a financial
burden but also because some presume the God has cursed them because they
are bad people. Such an attitude was particularly true in the elitist Jewish
society.
Today there are also other forms of elitism in the Christian community
besides that based upon wealth. There's the elitist division between the
educated and literate and the uneducated and illiterate. The elitists among
the educated presume that the uneducated are simply stupid and refuse to
be taught by them. Yet many uneducated simply lack knowledge in certain
areas but are often wiser than the educated. Jesus himself was considered
uneducated.
There's the elitist division between clergy and laity in which the laity
are reckoned as a bunch of stupid sheep incapable of doing ministry unless
they join the "I have a seminary degree" club.
Then there are those who are treated as modern day Christian lepers
- the divorced. Even those divorced for legitmate reasons are often treated
contemptuously, rejected from ministries and shuffled off to a special
needs Bible study in the corner, kept away from all the "good" Christians.
Those involved in discrimination set themselves up as judges with evil
thoughts. Discrimination is inherently slanderous, bearing false witness
against one's neighbor. There's a hatred and contempt behind it which is
simply not charcteristic of Jesus.
vs 5-7 Notice that Jesus spent most of his time around the poor
and despised. And he himself was placed in that category by God's will.
These people have been subjected to humiliation. Those who have reacted
properly to such circumstances in cooperation with God reap the benefit
of a character of humility which is necessary to respond to the gospel
properly and to please God. On the other hand when a rich man came to Jesus,
he boasted of what a good man he was. He lacked the necessary conviction
of sin to approach Jesus properly. And so Jesus told him to give up his
wealth.
The wealthy tend to be poor in humility as they presume their wealth
is a sign of God's favor. They also tend to be poor in faith as their wealth
provides for their needs. But the poor are subjected to more circumstances
in which they must trust God. The wealthy also are poor in conscience as
they exploit the poor - "legally". Their idea is that if it is legal, then
it's OK. In this county, of course, litigation tends also be a common course
for the rich, buying their own form of justice while the poor can't afford
it. Tough luck!
vs 8-11 Paul writes: The entire law is summed up in
a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Ga 5:14 (It
also makes for a much thinner Bible!)
As I mentioned, discrmination is akin to slander and as such is a violation
of the 9th commandment. Violating the 9th commandment puts one in the same
category of "lawbreaker" as one who violates any of the other commandments
such as adultery and murder. A slanderer is no better than an adulterer
or murderer. There is a common judgement for all.
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters
nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers
will inherit the kingdom of God."1Cor 6:9,10
But slander and covetousness as well are more socially acceptable sins.
People are more partial to these. But God is impartial. People may think
twice before reckoning themselves good if they reckon these sins to be
on the same level as murder and adultery..
vs 12-13 Therefore rather than playing the role of judge, better
if we play the role of those who will be judged in accordance with God's
impartiality.
JAMES 2:1-13 RAP
2:1 Now if we're brethren in reality,
Then we shouldn't show partiality.
2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting.
3 And you welcome him with a friendly
greeting,
"You sit here in a good place."
You say with eloquence and grace,
Because with fine apparel he is clothed,
And on his hand, a ring of gold.
Then a poor man comes to you.
And you tell him what to do,
"You stand there, or sit by my feet."
4 Both men with equality you should treat.
You are judges with evil thoughts,
For though there are people of many sorts,
To treat people different because of money,
Seems to me to be kind of funny.
5 For God did choose those who are poor,
To be rich in faith, and there's more,
To inherit the kingdom he promised those
Who love the one that arose.
6 So why insult the poor, I say
7 The rich exploit you day by day.
8 If the royal law you fulfill
"Love you neighbor as yourself", you do well.
9 But if you treat some greater or lesser
You're convicted by the law as a transgressor.
10 For if you keep the whole law,
But miss one point, you are guilty of more.
11 He said don't commit adultery, nor
kill.
But if you do only one, you are guilty still.
12 So speak and act as those who will
be
Judged by the law of liberty.
13 If with mercy we judge sin
Then mercy over judgment will inevitably win.
JAMES 2:1-13 RAP