JAMES 2:1-13 (web)

Christian Faith Acts Without Partiality

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

Prejudice

James 2:1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.

God is not prejudice. But in fact that is a major revelation even to the apostles. The fact that God is not prejudice was a major revelation to Peter whom Jesus sent to preach the gospel to a Gentile - a Roman centurion. Peter said, "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 Apparently he hadn't realize that before. For Jews - yes, Jewish Christian - yes, the apostles themselves, held Gentiles in contempt. Yet even after this incident it took years for Gentile Christians to be accepted. Indeed it is apparent from the book of Acts that Cornelius himself was not welcomed in the church at Jerusalem, and Gentiles like Titus who visited were pressured to be circumcised. Even the Eleven whom Jesus commanded to go to all the world and preach the gospel were reluctant to leave Jerusalem. Why? Because of their prejudice against Gentiles, which was also evident in Mark and the reason for Paul's split with Barnabus.

The fact that God is not prejudice is still a revelation to many Christians today, as much as in the past. There are those of a Calvinistic (Augustinian) viewpoint who hold the God pre-judges people. That even prior to their creation he destines them for eternal life or eternal damnation. And since such people hold that God is prejudice, it should be no surprise when they show themselves to be prejudice.

Prejudice is perhaps the most common characteristic of immature Christians. Paul spoke if it with regards to the Corinthian church. "I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval." 1Cor 11:18,19 The immature crave to feel superior or inflate their view of their particular spiritual leader or denomination over others, as in Corinth. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." 1Cor 1:12 The cause of such divisions is prejudice and the cause of prejudice is pride.

"I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality." 1Tim 5:21

An Example of Prejudice

James 2:2-4 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 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," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

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.

There are many kinds of prejudice. There is prejudice based on ethnic background, skin color, education. And here James speaks of prejudice based upon wealth. But the same principle applies across the board. "God does not show favoritism." Rom 2:11 And so neither should the Christian. Beware also of reverse prejudice. It is prejudice for a white person to discriminate against blacks. But then again it is just as prejudice for blacks to discriminate against whites. And much as the Jews held a characteristic prejudice against Gentiles, it is just as prejudice for Gentiles to discriminate against Jews.

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.

James later writes, "The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." James 3:17 Wise people judge impartially. "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." John 7:24  Those who misjudge the Christian faith often do so on the basis of prejudice. Jesus himself was misjudged because of the prejudice held against him. When you enter the faith, leave your prejudice behind.

Environment Influences Character

James 2:5-7 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

Now at first, God chosing the poor would seem discriminatory. But what he's referring to is not simply their circumstance, but rather how their environment influenced their character. Fact is God choses the humble. And how does one become humble but by living through humiliating circumstances. Likewise Paul writes, "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, so that no one may boast before him." 1Cor 1:26-29 And the Lord says, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." Is 66:2b 

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. Of him Jesus said, "It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." Mt 19:23 Wealth and pride tend to go hand in hand. And as willingness to hear is a function of humility, salvation is also contingent upon faith. But the rich are not as experienced in exercising faith, whereas faith comes more naturally to the poor. Wealth furthermore brings stumbling blocks which distract one from the message, as in the case of the rich man whom Jesus command he sell all he had and give to the poor. The man was too much tied to his wealth to embrace the life Jesus offered him.

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! With wealth comes pride and greed and consequently abuse of those who are defenseless. With every outwardly "good" circumstance, such as being born wealthy, there's always a downside. And with every humiliating circumstance there's always an upside.

The Royal Law

James 2:8,9  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.

Treating people prejudically is sin. Conversely to treat people fairly is part of what it means to love you neighbor as yourself. Indeed even to show greater favoritism towards oneself is not loving your neighbor as yourself. This is the foundation of the law of Moses. Paul writes, The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Gal 5:14 Though in context Paul was considering those aspects of the Law which deal with interpersonal relationships. This is the viewpoint through which the regulations of the Law are to be interpreted and applied. Likewise Jesus said, "’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Mt 22:37-40

Consider the context from which the quote comes from "Love your neighbor as yourself". What applications may be derived?

Lev 19:11-18
Do not steal. "’Do not lie. "’Do not deceive one another.
Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.
Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.
Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

These are examples of loving your neighbor as yourself. "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Rom 13:10 There are many "do nots" in the Law. But what the Law forbids it does so because such things are harmful.

Lawbreakers

James 2:10,11 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For 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.

He is not saying that one who commits adultery also commits murder. Nor is he saying that all sins deserve equal punishment. But rather he is simply saying that one becomes a lawbreaker by breaking any aspect of the Law. This he says in a similar manner as Paul argues in the early chapters of Romans to help us realize that despite any prejudicial views we may hold, we are all guilty and have fallen short of the glory of God in so much as each has broken some aspect of the Law.

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." Rom 2:1

In fact while the Law provides us a guideline for practicing love, it does not justify the sinner. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Rom 3:20
Mercy Trumps Judgment

James 2:12,13 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

More literally it says, "the law of liberty", but the basic idea is that the Christian lives under the principles of the Law - namely to love God and one's neighbor - but with regards to regulations we have freedom to do as we please to the extent to which we operate under the principle of the Law. "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." Gal 5:13 Jesus exercised this principle in healing on the Sabbath. Paul uses this same word "liberty" in speaking of eating forbidden foods in 1Cor 10, the general principle being to act within the freedom of your own conscience without violating the conscience of another. And this became an important issue with regards to ethnically Jewish Christians fellowshipping with Gentile Christians.

With regards to judgment Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Mt 5:7  As a counter-example we have the parable of the unmerciful servant of Mt 18:23-35 who, having been forgiven of a large debt, refused to be patient with a fellow servant who owed him a debt. His master said to him, "Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 'This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.'" Mt 18:33-35

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.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources


Nov 08,2009