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
1My brethren, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of glory, with respect of persons: 2for if there come unto your synagogue a man with a gold ring in splendid apparel, and a poor man also come in in vile apparel, 3and ye look upon him who wears the splendid apparel, and say, Do thou sit here well, and say to the poor, Do thou stand there, or sit here under my footstool: 4have ye not made a difference among yourselves, and become judges having evil thoughts? 5Hear, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen the poor as to the world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him? 6But ye have despised the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do notthey drag you before the tribunals? 7And do notthey blaspheme the excellent name which has been called upon you?
8If indeed ye keep the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. 9But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever shall keep the whole law and shall offend in one point, he has come under the guilt of breaking all. 11For he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become transgressor of the law. 12So speak ye, and so act, as those that are to be judged by the law of liberty; 13for judgment will be without mercy to him that has shewn no mercy. Mercy glories over judgment.
14What is the profit, my brethren, if any one say he have faith, but have not works? can faith save him? 15Now if a brother or a sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one from amongst you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled; but give not to them the needful things for the body, what is the profit? 17So also faith, if it have not works, is dead by itself. 18But some one will say, Thou hast faith and I have works. Shew me thy faith without works, and I from my works will shew thee my faith. 19Thou believest that God is one. Thou doest well. The demons even believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and that by works faith was perfected. 23And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called Friend of God. 24Ye see that a man is justified on the principle of works, and not on the principle of faith only. 25But was not in like manner also Rahab the harlot justified on the principle of works, when she had received the messengers and put them forth by another way? 26For as the body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.