Frameworks:
James 2
v.1-13
Favouritism Forbidden
v.14-26
Faith and Deeds
[Chapter
2 Synopsis: In the new (scattered) people of God there
are practical outworkings of the Faith to be realised. First,
we are all equal before God so don't show favouritism. Second,
we are a community of faith but faith is meaningless unless it
is accompanied by deeds.]
v.1-13
Favouritism Forbidden
[Passage
Synopsis: Among
the new (scattered) people of God there is equality between all,
so don't let there ever be favouritism shown because that is sin.]
v.1
(a call for equality)
My brothers
and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must
not show favouritism.
v.2
(example: two contrasting
men) Suppose
a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes,
and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.
v.3,4
(beware you don't discriminate
between them) If
you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and
say, “Here's a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You
stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated
among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
v.5
(God loves the poor just
as much) Listen,
my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are
poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit
the kingdom he promised those who love him?
v.6
(if your show favouritism
you dishonour them; observe the rich...) But
you have dishonoured the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting
you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?
v.7
(...so often they are
the ones rejecting God) Are
they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to
whom you belong?
v.8
(remember: love your
neighbour [whoever they are]) If
you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor
as yourself,” [Lev. 19:18]
you are doing right.
v.9
(favouritism is sin)
But if you
show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
v.10
(break one bit of the
law you're just a lawbreaker generally) For
whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point
is guilty of breaking all of it.
v.11
(you don't choose one
law over another) For
he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You
shall not murder.” [Exo 20:13;
Deut. 5:17] If you do not commit
adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
v.12,13
(consider the Law assessing
you, rely on mercy or be judged) Speak
and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives
freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone
who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
v.14-26
Faith and Deeds
[Passage
Synopsis: Don't talk about faith if you don't have the
deeds. Faith is revealed through deeds.]
v.14
(don't say you have faith
if you don't ‘do') What
good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have
faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
v.15
(imagine a needy brother
or sister) Suppose
a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
v.16
(if you just talk the
talk but do nothing, what is that?) If
one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,”
but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
v.17
(so faith needs deeds
to prove it is real) In
the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead.
v.18
(one OR the other doesn't
work) But
someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your
faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
v.19
(don't excuse yourself
by saying you believe in God) You
believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and
shudder.
v.20
(look, think about this..)
You foolish
person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
v.21
(wasn't Abraham considered
righteous by his deeds) Was
not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when
he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
v.22
(it was his faith in
action) You
see that his faith and his actions were working together, and
his faith was made complete by what he did.
v.23
(it was believing that
counted) And
the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him as righteousness,” [Gen.
15:6] and he was called God's
friend.
v.24
(but doing proves the
faith) You
see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and
not by faith alone.
v.25
(didn't Rahab exhibit
faith with her deeds) In
the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous
for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them
off in a different direction?
v.26
(you need both)
As the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Continue
to Chapter 3