James 2
2
Warning against Having Favorites
1My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some people better than others. 2Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. 3You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. 4This is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
5My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. God has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. 6You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court? 7Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?
8 #
Lv 19.18. You will do all right, if you obey the most important law#2.8 most important law: The Greek text has “royal law,” meaning the one given by the king (that is, God). in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves. 9But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
10 #
4 Macc 5.20. If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all. 11#Ex 20.14; Dt 5.18; Ex 20.13; Dt 5.17. The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God's Law.
12Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free. 13Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful!#2.13 But even in judgment, God is merciful: Or “So be merciful, and you will be shown mercy on the day of judgment.”
Faith and Works
14My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? 15If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, 16you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? 17Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!
18Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.”
I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.” 19You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.
20Does some stupid person want proof that faith without deeds is useless? 21#Gn 22.1-14; Si 44.19-21; 1 Macc 2.52. Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. 22Now you see how Abraham's faith and deeds worked together. He proved his faith was real by what he did. 23#Gn 15.6; 2 Ch 20.7; Is 41.8. This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God accepted him.” That's how Abraham became God's friend.
24You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe. 25#Js 2.1-21. For example, Rahab had been a prostitute. But she pleased God when she welcomed the spies and sent them home by another way.
26Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!
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James 2: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
James 2
2
Sin of Partiality.#In the Christian community there must be no discrimination or favoritism based on status or wealth (Jas 2:2–4; cf. Mt 5:3; 11:5; 23:6; 1 Cor 1:27–29). Divine favor rather consists in God’s election and promises (Jas 2:5). The rich who oppress the poor blaspheme the name of Christ (Jas 2:6–7). By violating one law of love of neighbor, they offend against the whole law (Jas 2:8–11). On the other hand, conscious awareness of the final judgment helps the faithful to fulfill the whole law (Jas 2:12). 1My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2For 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, 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?#When Christians show favoritism to the rich they are guilty of the worst kind of prejudice and discrimination. The author says that such Christians set themselves up as judges who judge not by divine law but by the basest, self-serving motives.
5Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor#The poor, “God’s poor” of the Old Testament, were seen by Jesus as particularly open to God for belief in and reliance on him alone (Lk 6:20). God’s law cannot tolerate their oppression in any way (Jas 2:9). in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?#1 Cor 1:26–28; Rev 2:9. 6But you dishonored the poor person. Are not the rich oppressing you? And do they themselves not haul you off to court? 7Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?#1 Pt 4:4. 8However, if you fulfill the royal#Royal: literally, “kingly”; because the Mosaic law came from God, the universal king. There may be an allusion to Jesus’ uses of this commandment in his preaching of the kingdom of God (Mt 22:39; Mk 12:31; Lk 10:27). law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.#Lv 19:18; Mt 22:39; Rom 13:9. 9But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.#Dt 1:17. 10For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it.#Gal 3:10. 11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not kill.”#Ex 20:13–14; Dt 5:17–18. Even if you do not commit adultery but kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12#1:25; Rom 8:2. So speak and so act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.#The law upon which the last judgment will be based is the law of freedom. As Jesus taught, mercy (which participates in God’s own loving mercy) includes forgiveness of those who wrong us (see Mt 6:12, 14–15). 13For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.#Mt 5:7; 6:14–15; 18:32–33.
Faith and Works.#The theme of these verses is the relationship of faith and works (deeds). It has been argued that the teaching here contradicts that of Paul (see especially Rom 4:5–6). The problem can only be understood if the different viewpoints of the two authors are seen. Paul argues against those who claim to participate in God’s salvation because of their good deeds as well as because they have committed themselves to trust in God through Jesus Christ (Paul’s concept of faith). Paul certainly understands, however, the implications of true faith for a life of love and generosity (see Gal 5:6, 13–15). The author of James is well aware that proper conduct can only come about with an authentic commitment to God in faith (Jas 2:18, 26). Many think he was seeking to correct a misunderstanding of Paul’s view. 14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?#Mt 25:31–46; Gal 5:6. 15If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?#1 Jn 3:17. 17So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. 19You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. 20Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?#Gn 22:9–12; Heb 11:17. 22You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works. 23Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.”#Gn 15:6; Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6 / 2 Chr 20:7; Is 41:8. 24See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route?#Jos 2:1–21. 26For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
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