James 2

1MyG1473 brothersG80, as you hold outG2192 your faithG4102 inG3588 ourG1473 gloriousG3588G1391 LordG2962 JesusG2424 ChristG5547, do notG3361 show favoritismG4382.

2SupposeG1063G1437 a manG435 comesG1525 intoG1519 yourG4771 meetingG48641 wearing a gold ringG5554 and fineG2986 clothesG2066, andG1161 a poorG4434 man inG1722 shabbyG4508 clothesG2066 alsoG2532 comes inG1525. 3If you lavish attentionG1914 onG1909 theG3588 man inG5409 fineG2986 clothesG2066 andG2532 sayG2036, “HereG5602 is a seatG2521 of honorG2573,” but sayG2036 to theG3588 poorG4434 man, “YouG4771 must standG2476” orG2228 “SitG2521 atG1563G5259 myG1473 feetG5286,” 4have you not discriminatedG3756G1252 amongG1722 yourselvesG1438 andG2532 becomeG1096 judgesG2923 with evilG4190 thoughtsG1261?

5ListenG191, myG1473 belovedG27 brothersG80: Has notG3756 GodG2316 chosenG1586 theG3588 poorG4434 of this worldG2889 to be richG4145 inG1722 faithG4102 andG2532 to inheritG2818 theG3588 kingdomG932 He promisedG1861 those whoG3588 loveG25 HimG846? 6ButG1161 youG4771 have dishonoredG818 theG3588 poorG4434. Is it notG3756 theG3588 richG4145 who oppressG2616 youG4771 andG2532 dragG1670 youG4771 intoG1519 courtG2922? 7Are theyG846 notG3756 the ones who blasphemeG987 theG3588 nobleG2570 nameG3686 by whichG1909 youG4771 have been calledG1941?2

8IfG1487 you really fulfillG3305G5055 the royalG937 lawG3551 stated inG2596 ScriptureG1124, “LoveG25 yourG4771 neighborG4139 asG5613 yourselfG4572,”3 you are doingG4160 wellG2573. 9ButG1161 ifG1487 you show favoritismG4380, youG2038 sinG266 and are convictedG1651 byG5259 theG3588 lawG3551 asG5613 transgressorsG3848.

10

WhoeverG3748 keepsG5083 theG3588 wholeG3650 lawG3551 butG1161 stumblesG4417 atG1722 just oneG1520 point isG1096 guiltyG1777 of breaking all of itG3956. 11ForG1063 He whoG3588 saidG2036, “Do not commit adulteryG3361G3431,”4 alsoG2532 saidG2036, “Do not murderG3361G5407.”5 IfG1487 you do not commit adulteryG3756G3431, butG1161 do commit murderG5407, you have becomeG1096 a lawbreakerG3848G3551.

12

SpeakG2980 andG2532 actG4160 asG5613 those who are goingG3195 to be judgedG2919 byG1223 the lawG3551 that gives freedomG1657. 13ForG1063 judgmentG2920 without mercyG448 will be shown to anyone whoG3588 has not been mercifulG3361G4160G1656. MercyG1656 triumphs overG2620 judgmentG2920.

Faith and Works

(Galatians 3:1–9)

14WhatG5101 goodG3786 is it, myG1473 brothersG80, ifG1437 someoneG5100 claimsG3004 to haveG2192 faithG4102, butG1161 hasG2192 noG3361 deedsG2041? CanG3361G1410 suchG3588 faithG4102 saveG4982 himG846? 15SupposeG1437 a brotherG80 orG2228 sisterG79 isG5225 without clothesG1131 andG2532 dailyG2184 foodG5160. 16If oneG5100 ofG1537 youG4771 tellsG2036 himG846, “GoG5217 inG1722 peaceG1515; stay warmG2328 andG2532 well fedG5526,” butG1161 does notG3361 provide forG1325G846 his physicalG4983 needsG2006, whatG5101 goodG3786 is that? 17SoG3779 tooG2532, faithG4102 byG2596 itselfG1438, ifG1437 it does not resultG2192G3361 in actionG2041,6 isG1510 deadG3498.

18ButG235 someoneG5100 will sayG2046, “YouG4771 haveG2192 faithG4102 and IG2504 haveG2192 deedsG2041.” ShowG1166 meG1473 yourG4771 faithG4102 withoutG5565 deedsG2041, and IG2504 will showG1166 youG4771 my faithG4102 byG1537 myG1473 deedsG2041. 19YouG4771 believeG4100 thatG3754 GodG2316 isG1510 oneG1520.7 GoodG2573 for youG4160! EvenG2532 theG3588 demonsG1140 believeG4100 that—andG2532 shudderG5425.

20OG5599 foolishG2756 manG444, do you wantG2309 evidenceG1097 thatG3754 faithG4102 withoutG5565 deedsG2041 isG1510 worthlessG692?8 21Was notG3756 ourG1473 fatherG3962 AbrahamG11 justifiedG1344 byG1537 what he didG2041 when he offeredG399 hisG846 sonG5207 IsaacG2464 onG1909 theG3588 altarG2379? 22You seeG991 thatG3754 his faithG4102 was working withG4903 hisG846 actionsG2041, andG2532 his faithG4102 was perfectedG5048 byG1537 whatG3588 he didG2041. 23AndG2532 theG3588 ScriptureG1124 was fulfilledG4137 thatG3588 saysG3004, “AbrahamG11 believedG4100 GodG2316, andG2532 it was creditedG3049 to himG846 asG1519 righteousnessG1343,”9 andG2532 he was calledG2564 a friendG5384 of GodG2316.10 24As you can seeG3708, a manG444 is justifiedG1344 byG1537 his deedsG2041 andG2532 notG3756 byG1537 faithG4102 aloneG3440.

25In the same wayG1161G3668, was notG3756 evenG2532 RahabG4460 theG3588 prostituteG4204 justifiedG1344 byG1537 her actionsG2041 when she welcomedG5264 theG3588 spiesG3211 andG2532 sent them offG1544 on anotherG2087 routeG3598? 26AsG5618 theG3588 bodyG4983 withoutG5565 the spiritG4151 isG1510 deadG3498, soG3779 faithG4102 withoutG5565 deedsG2041 isG1510 deadG3498.