James 2

The Sin of Partiality

11My brethrenG80, 2do not holdG2192 your faithG4102 in our 3gloriousG1391 LordG2962 JesusG2424 ChristG5547 with an attitude of 4personalG4382 favoritismG4382. 2For ifG1437 a manG435 comesG1525 into your 5assemblyG4864 with a goldG5554 ringG5554 and dressed in 67fineG2986 clothesG2066, and there alsoG2532 comesG1525 in a poorG4434 manG4434 in 8dirtyG4508 clothesG2066, 3and you 9payG1914 specialG1914 attentionG1914 to the one who is wearingG5409 the 10fineG2986 clothesG2066, and sayG3004, “You sitG2521 hereG5602 in a goodG2573 place,” and you sayG3004 to the poorG4434 manG4434, “You standG2476 overG1563 thereG1563, orG2228 sitG2521 downG2521 by my footstoolG5286,” 4have you not madeG1252 distinctionsG1252 amongG1722 yourselvesG1438, and becomeG1096 judgesG2923 11with evilG4190 12motivesG1261? 5ListenG191, 13my belovedG27 brethrenG80: did not 14GodG2316 chooseG1586 the poorG4434 15of thisG3588 worldG2889 to be 16richG4145 in faithG4102 and 17heirsG2818 of the kingdomG932 whichG3739 He 18promisedG1861 to thoseG3588 who loveG25 Him? 6But you have dishonoredG818 the poorG4434 manG4434. Is it not the richG4145 who oppressG2616 you and 19personallyG846 20dragG1670 you into 21courtG2922? 722Do they not blasphemeG987 the fairG2570 nameG3686 23by which you have been calledG1941?

8IfG1487, howeverG3305, you 24are fulfillingG5055 the 25royalG937 lawG3551 accordingG2596 to the ScriptureG1124, “26You shall loveG25 your neighborG4139 as yourselfG4572,” you are doingG4160 wellG2573. 9But ifG1487 you 27showG4380 partialityG4380, you are committingG2038 sinG266 and are convictedG1651 by the 28lawG3551 as transgressorsG3848. 10For whoeverG3748 keepsG5083 the wholeG3650 29lawG3551 and yetG1161 30stumblesG4417 in oneG1520 point, he has becomeG1096 31guiltyG1777 of allG3956. 11For He who saidG3004, “32Do not commitG3431 adulteryG3431,” alsoG2532 saidG3004, “33Do not commitG5407 murderG5407.” NowG1161 ifG1487 you do not commitG3431 adulteryG3431, but do commitG5407 murderG5407, you have becomeG1096 a transgressorG3848 of the 34lawG3551. 12SoG3779 speakG2980 and soG3779 actG4160 as those who are to be judgedG2919 by 35the lawG3551 of libertyG1657. 13For 36judgmentG2920 will be mercilessG415 to one who has shownG4160 noG3361 mercyG1656; mercyG1656 37triumphsG2620 overG2620 judgmentG2920.

Faith and Works

1438WhatG5101 useG3786 is it, 39my brethrenG80, ifG1437 someoneG5100 saysG3004 he hasG2192 faithG4102 but he hasG2192 noG3361 worksG2041? CanG1410 40that faithG4102 saveG4982 him? 1541IfG1437 a brotherG80 orG2228 sisterG79 is withoutG1131 clothingG1131 and in needG3007 of dailyG2184 foodG5160, 16and oneG5100 of you saysG3004 to them, “42GoG5217 in peaceG1515, 43be warmedG2328 and be filledG5526,” and yetG1161 you do not giveG1325 them whatG2006 is necessaryG2006 for their bodyG4983, whatG5101 useG3786 is that? 17EvenG2532 soG3779 44faithG4102, ifG1437 it hasG2192 noG3361 worksG2041, is 45deadG3498, being by itselfG1438.

1846But someoneG5100 47may well sayG3004, “You haveG2192 faithG4102 and I haveG2192 worksG2041; showG1166 me your 48faithG4102 withoutG5565 the worksG2041, and I will 49showG1166 you my faithG4102 50by my worksG2041.” 19You believeG4100 that 5152GodG2316 is oneG1520. 53You doG4160 wellG2573; 54the demonsG1140 alsoG2532 believeG4100, and shudderG5425. 20But are you willingG2309 to recognizeG1097, 55you foolishG2756 fellowG444, that 56faithG4102 withoutG5565 worksG2041 is uselessG692? 2157Was not AbrahamG11 our fatherG3962 justifiedG1344 by worksG2041 when he offeredG399 up IsaacG2464 his sonG5207 on the altarG2379? 22You seeG991 that 58faithG4102 was workingG4903 with his worksG2041, and 59as a resultG1537 of the 60worksG2041, faithG4102 was 61perfectedG5048; 23and the ScriptureG1124 was fulfilledG4137 which saysG3004, “62And AbrahamG11 believedG4100 GodG2316, and it was reckonedG3049 to him as righteousnessG1343,” and he was calledG2564 63the friendG5384 of GodG2316. 24You seeG3708 that a manG444 is justifiedG1344 by worksG2041 and not by faithG4102 aloneG3441. 25In the sameG3668 wayG3668, was not 64RahabG4460 the harlotG4204 alsoG2532 justifiedG1344 by worksG2041 65when she receivedG5264 the messengersG32 and sentG1544 them out by anotherG2087 wayG3668? 26For justG5618 as the bodyG4983 withoutG5565 the spiritG4151 is deadG3498, soG3779 alsoG2532 66faithG4102 withoutG5565 worksG2041 is deadG3498.