James 2
2
Don’t Favor Rich People over Poor People
1My brothers and sisters, practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by not favoring one person over another. 2For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes. 3Suppose you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.” 4Aren’t you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments?
5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Didn’t God choose poor people in the world to become rich in faith and to receive the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? 6Yet, you show no respect to poor people. Don’t rich people oppress you and drag you into court? 7Don’t they curse the good name ⌞of Jesus⌟, the name that was used to bless you?
8You are doing right if you obey this law from the highest authority: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 9If you favor one person over another, you’re sinning, and this law convicts you of being disobedient. 10If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them. 11After all, the one who said, “Never commit adultery,” is the same one who said, “Never murder.” If you do not commit adultery but you murder, you become a person who disobeys God’s laws.
12Talk and act as people who are going to be judged by laws that bring freedom. 13No mercy will be shown to those who show no mercy to others. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
We Show Our Faith by What We Do
14My brothers and sisters, what good does it do if someone claims to have faith but doesn’t do any good things? Can this kind of faith save him? 15Suppose a believer, whether a man or a woman, needs clothes or food 16and one of you tells that person, “God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough.” If you don’t provide for that person’s physical needs, what good does it do? 17In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn’t cause you to do any good things.
18Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do. 19You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear.
20You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless? 21Didn’t our ancestor Abraham receive God’s approval as a result of what he did when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar? 22You see that Abraham’s faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did. 23The Scripture passage came true. It says, “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abraham’s approval by God.” So Abraham was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person receives God’s approval because of what he does, not only because of what he believes. 25The same is true of the prostitute Rahab who welcomed the spies and sent them away on another road. She received God’s approval because of what she did.
26A body that doesn’t breathe #2:26 Or “A body without a spirit.” is dead. In the same way faith that does nothing is dead.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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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