James 2
2
Love All People
1My dear brothers, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So never think that some people are more important than others. 2Suppose someone comes into your church meeting wearing very nice clothes and a gold ring. At the same time a poor man comes in wearing old, dirty clothes. 3You show special attention to the one wearing nice clothes. You say, “Please, sit here in this good seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor by my feet!” 4What are you doing? You are making some people more important than others. With evil thoughts you are deciding which person is better.
5Listen, my dear brothers! God chose the poor in the world to be rich with faith. He chose them to receive the kingdom God promised to people who love him. 6But you show no respect to the poor man. And you know that it is the rich who are always trying to control your lives. And they are the ones who take you to court. 7They are the ones who say bad things against Jesus, who owns you.
8One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”# Quotation from Leviticus 19:18. If you obey this law, then you are doing right. 9But if you are treating one person as if he were more important than another, then you are sinning. That royal law proves that you are guilty of breaking God’s law. 10A person might follow all of God’s law. But if he fails to obey even one command, he is guilty of breaking all the commands in that law. 11God said, “You must not be guilty of adultery.”# Quotation from Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18. The same God also said, “You must not murder anyone.”# Quotation from Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17. So if you do not take part in adultery, but you murder someone, then you are guilty of breaking all of God’s law. 12You will be judged by the law that makes people free. You should remember this in everything you say and do. 13Yes, you must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear when he is judged.
Faith and Good Works
14My brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does nothing, his faith is worth nothing. Can faith like that save him? 15A brother or sister in Christ might need clothes or might need food. 16And you say to him, “God be with you! I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat.” You say this, but you do not give that person the things he needs. Unless you help him, your words are worth nothing. 17It is the same with faith. If faith does nothing, then that faith is dead, because it is alone.
18Someone might say, “You have faith, but I do things. Show me your faith! Your faith does nothing. I will show you my faith by the things I do.” 19You believe there is one God. Good! But the demons believe that, too! And they shake with fear.
20You foolish person! Must you be shown that faith that does nothing is worth nothing? 21Abraham is our father. He was made right with God by the things he did. He offered his son Isaac to God on the altar. 22So you see that Abraham’s faith and the things he did worked together. His faith was made perfect by what he did. 23This shows the full meaning of the Scripture that says: “Abraham believed God, and God accepted Abraham’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.”# Quotation from Genesis 15:6. And Abraham was called “God’s friend.”# These words about Abraham are found in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8. 24So you see that a person is made right with God by the things he does. He cannot be made right by faith only.
25Another example is Rahab, who was a prostitute. But she was made right with God by something she did: She helped the spies for God’s people. She welcomed them into her home and helped them escape by a different road.
26A person’s body that does not have a spirit is dead. It is the same with faith. Faith that does nothing is dead!
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Jacob (James) 2
2
Honor the Poor Person
1My brothers and sisters, do not hold the faith of our glorious Lord Yeshua the Messiah while showing favoritism.
2For if a man with a gold ring and fine clothes comes into your synagogue, and a poor person in filthy clothes also comes in;
3and you pay special attention to the one wearing the fine clothing and you say, “Sit here in a good place”; and you say to the poor person, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”;
4haven’t you made distinctions between yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He promised to those who love Him?
6But you have dishonored the poor person. Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
7Don’t they blaspheme the good name by which you were called?
8If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
9But if you show favoritism, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Torah as transgressors.
10For whoever keeps the whole Torah but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11For the one 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 Torah.
12So speak and act as those who will be judged according to a Torah that gives freedom.
13For judgment is merciless to the one who does not show mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Show Faith with Works
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can such faith save him?
15If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,
16and one of you says to them, “Go in shalom, keep warm and well fed, ” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is that?
17So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.
19You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder!
20But do you want to know, you empty person, that faith without works is dead?
21Wasn’t Abraham our father proved righteous by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22You see that faith worked together with his works, and by the works his faith was made complete.
23The Scripture was fulfilled that says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”—and he was called God’s friend.
24You see that a man is proved righteous by works and not by faith alone.
25And likewise, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also proved righteous by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out another way?
26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society