James Chapter 2

From The Open Bible Project

2:1 My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.

• (1) The first: charity which proceeds from a true faith, cannot exist with the respecting of people: which he proves plainly by using the example of those who, while having reproach or disdain for the poor, honour the rich.
• (a) For if we knew what Christ’s glory is, and esteemed it as we should, there would not be the respecting of people that there is.

2:2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your [3] synagogue [See James Footnotes 3], and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in;

2:3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, "Sit here in a good place;" and you tell the poor man, "Stand there," or "Sit by my footstool;"

• (b) In a worshipful and honourable place.

2:4 haven't you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

• (c) Have you not within yourselves judged one man to be preferred over another (which you should not do) by means of this?

2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn't God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

• (2) He shows that those who prefer the rich over the poor are wicked and disobedient judges, since God on the other hand prefers the poor (whom he has enriched with true riches) over the rich.
• (d) The needy and wretched, and (if we measure it after the opinion of the world) the most degraded of all men.

2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don't the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

• (3) Secondly, he proves them to be fools: since the rich men are rather to be held detestable and cursed, considering that they persecute the church, and blaspheme Christ: for he speaks of wicked and profane rich men, as most of them have always been, beside whom he contrasts the poor and degraded.

2:7 Don't they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

• (e) Literally, "which is called upon of you".

2:8 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself,"[4] you do well.

• (4) The conclusion: charity which God prescribes cannot agree with the respecting of people, seeing that we must walk in the king’s highway.
• (f) The law is said to be royal and like the king’s highway, in that it is simple and without changes, and that the law calls everyone our neighbour without respect, whom we may help by any kind of duty.

2:9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

• (5) A new argument to prove the same conclusion: Those who neglect some and ambitiously honour others do not love their neighbours. For they do not obey God if they remove from the commandments of God those things that are not convenient for them. Rather they are guilty of breaking the whole law, even though they observe part of it.
• (g) Not that all sins are equal, but because he who breaks one small part of the law, offends the majority of the given law.

2:11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"[5] also said, "Do not commit murder."[6] Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

• (6) A proof: because the Lawmaker is always one and the same, and the contents of the law cannot be divided.

2:12 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom.

• (7) The conclusion of the whole treatise: we are upon this condition delivered from the curse of the law by the mercy of God, that in the same way we should maintain and cherish charity and good will towards one another, and whoever does not do so, shall not taste of the grace of God.

2:13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

• (h) He that is harsh and short with his neighbour, or else does not help him, he shall find God a hard and rough judge to him.

2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?

• (8) The fifth place which follows very well with the former treatise, concerning a true and living faith. The proposition of the place is this: Faith which does not bring forth works is not that faith by means of which we are justified, but an false image of that faith, or else this: they who do not show the effects of faith are not justified by faith.

2:15 And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

• (9) The first reason taken from a comparison: if a man says to one who is hungry "Fill your belly" and yet gives him nothing, this is not true charity. If a man says he believes and does not bring forth works of his faith, this is not true faith, but truly a dead thing called with the name of faith, of which no man has room to brag, unless he will openly incur reprehension, since the cause is understood by the effects.

2:16 and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you didn't give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

2:18 Yes, a man will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

• (i) No, by this every man will be eaten up with pride.

2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.

• (10) Another reason taken from an absurdity: if such a faith were the true faith by means of which we are justified, the demons would be justified, for they have that, but nonetheless they tremble and are not justified, therefore neither is that faith a true faith.

2:20 But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

• (11) The third reason from the example of Abraham, who no doubt had a true faith: but he in offering his son, showed himself to have that faith which was not without works, and therefore he received a true testimony when it was laid, that faith was imputed to him for righteousness.

2:21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

• (k) Was he not by his works known and found to be justified? For he speaks not here of the causes of justification, but by what effects we may know that a man is justified.

2:22 You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;

• (l) Was effectual and fruitful with good works.
• (m) That the faith was declared to be a true faith, through works.

2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness;"[7] and he was called the friend of God.

• (n) Then the Scripture was fulfilled, when it appeared plainly how truly it was written about Abraham.

2:24 You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith.

• (12) The conclusion: Only he who has faith that has works following it is justified.
• (o) Is proved to be just.
• (p) Of that dead and fruitless faith which you boast of.

2:25 In like manner wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?

• (13) A forth reason taken from a similar example of Rahab the harlot, who was proved by her works that she was justified by a true faith.

2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

• (14) The conclusion repeated again: faith does not bring forth fruits and works is not faith, but a dead carcass.