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
The Sin of Partiality
1My brothers,#2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14 #ver. 9; Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17; 16:19; Prov. 24:23; Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9 show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, #1 Cor. 2:8; [Acts 7:2]the Lord of glory. 2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” #[Prov. 18:23]while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become #John 7:24judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brothers, #1 Cor. 1:27, 28; [Job 34:19] has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be #2 Cor. 8:9; Rev. 2:9; See Luke 12:21 rich in faith and heirs of #Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20; 12:32 the kingdom, #See ch. 1:12which he has promised to those who love him? 6But you #[1 Cor. 11:22] have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who #Acts 16:19 drag you #Acts 8:3; 17:6; 18:12; [ch. 5:6]into court? 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable #[Isa. 63:19; 65:1; Amos 9:12; Acts 15:17]name by which you were called?
8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, #Cited from Lev. 19:18“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9But if you #ver. 1show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point #Matt. 5:19; Gal. 3:10has become guilty of all of it. 11For he who said, #Cited from Ex. 20:14, 13“Do not commit adultery,” also said, #Cited from Ex. 20:14, 13“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under #See ch. 1:25the law of liberty. 13For #Job 22:6-11; Ps. 18:25, 26; Prov. 21:13; Ezek. 25:11-14; Matt. 6:15; 18:32-35; Luke 6:38judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith #[ch. 1:22]but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15#[Job 31:19, 20]; See Luke 3:11If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16#1 John 3:17, 18and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good#2:16 Or benefit is that? 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith #[Rom. 3:28; 4:6; Heb. 11:33] apart from your works, and I will show you my faith #Matt. 7:16, 17; Gal. 5:6by my works. 19#Deut. 6:4; [Rom. 2:17-25] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even #Matt. 8:29; Mark 1:24; 5:7; Luke 4:33, 34; Acts 16:17; 19:15the demons believe—and shudder! 20Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21#Gen. 22:9, 12, 16-18Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that #Heb. 11:17 faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed #See 1 Thess. 1:3by his works; 23and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, #Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; Cited from Gen. 15:6 “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a #2 Chr. 20:7; Isa. 41:8friend of God. 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25And in the same way was not also #Heb. 11:31 Rahab the prostitute justified by works #Josh. 2:1-22; 6:23when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
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