James 2

The Sin of Partiality

11My brothersG80 and sisters, 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 is dressed in 6brightG2986 clothesG2066, and a poorG4434 manG4434 in 7dirtyG4508 clothesG2066 alsoG2532 comesG1525 inG1525, 3and you 8payG1914 specialG1914 attentionG1914 to the one who is wearingG5409 the 9brightG2986 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 10with evilG4190 11motivesG1261? 5ListenG191, 12my belovedG27 brothersG80 and sisters: did 13GodG2316 not chooseG1586 the poorG4434 14of thisG3588 worldG2889 to be 15richG4145 in faithG4102 and 16heirsG2818 of the kingdomG932 whichG3739 He 17promisedG1861 to thoseG3588 who loveG25 Him? 6But you have dishonoredG818 the poorG4434 manG4434. Is it not the richG4145 who oppressG2616 you and 18personallyG846 19dragG1670 you into 20courtG2922? 721Do they not blasphemeG987 the goodG2570 nameG3686 22by which you have been calledG1941?

8IfG1487, howeverG3305, you 23are fulfillingG5055 the 24royalG937 lawG3551 accordingG2596 to the ScriptureG1124, “25You shall loveG25 your neighborG4139 as yourselfG4572,” you are doingG4160 wellG2573. 9But ifG1487 you 26showG4380 partialityG4380, you are committingG2038 sinG266 and are convictedG1651 by the LawG3551 as violatorsG3848. 10For whoeverG3748 keepsG5083 the wholeG3650 LawG3551, yetG1161 27stumblesG4417 in oneG1520 point, has becomeG1096 28guiltyG1777 of allG3956. 11For He who saidG3004, “29Do not commitG3431 adulteryG3431,” alsoG2532 saidG3004, “30Do not murderG5407.” NowG1161 ifG1487 you do not commitG3431 adulteryG3431, but do murderG5407, you have becomeG1096 a violatorG3848 of the LawG3551. 12SoG3779 speakG2980, and soG3779 actG4160, as those who are to be judgedG2919 by 31the lawG3551 of freedomG1657. 13For 32judgmentG2920 will be mercilessG415 to one who has shownG4160 noG3361 mercyG1656; mercyG1656 33triumphsG2620 overG2620 judgmentG2920.

Faith and Works

1434WhatG5101 useG3786 is it, 35my brothersG80 and sisters, ifG1437 someoneG5100 saysG3004 he hasG2192 faithG4102, but he hasG2192 noG3361 worksG2041? CanG1410 36that faithG4102 saveG4982 him? 1537IfG1437 a brotherG80 orG2228 sisterG79 is withoutG1131 clothingG1131 and inG3007 needG3007 of dailyG2184 foodG5160, 16and oneG5100 of you saysG3004 to them, “38GoG5217 in peaceG1515, 39be warmedG2328 and be filledG5526,” yetG1161 you do not giveG1325 them whatG3588 is necessaryG2006 for their bodyG4983, whatG5101 useG3786 is that? 17InG3779 theG3779 sameG3779 wayG3779, 40faithG4102 alsoG2532, ifG1437 it hasG2192 noG3361 worksG2041, is 41deadG3498, being by itselfG1438.

1842But someoneG5100 43may well sayG3004, “You haveG2192 faithG4102 and I haveG2192 worksG2041; showG1166 me your 44faithG4102 withoutG5565 the worksG2041, and I will 45showG1166 you my faithG4102 46by my worksG2041.” 19You believeG4100 that 4748GodG2316 is oneG1520. 49You doG4160 wellG2573; 50the demonsG1140 alsoG2532 believeG4100, and shudderG5425. 20But are you willingG2309 to acknowledgeG1097, 51you foolishG2756 personG444, that 52faithG4102 withoutG5565 worksG2041 is uselessG692? 2153Was our fatherG3962 AbrahamG11 not justifiedG1344 by worksG2041 when he offeredG399 upG399 his sonG5207 IsaacG2464 on the altarG2379? 22You seeG991 that 54faithG4102 was workingG4903 withG4903 his worksG2041, and 55as a resultG1537 of the 56worksG2041, faithG4102 was 57perfectedG5048; 23and the ScriptureG1124 was fulfilledG4137 which saysG3004, “58And AbrahamG11 believedG4100 GodG2316, and it was creditedG3049 to him as righteousnessG1343,” and he was calledG2564 a 59friendG5384 of GodG2316. 24You seeG3708 that a personG444 is justifiedG1344 by worksG2041 and not by faithG4102 aloneG3441. 25In the sameG3668 wayG3668, was 60RahabG4460 the prostituteG4204 not justifiedG1344 by worksG2041 alsoG2532 61when she receivedG5264 the messengersG32 and sentG1544 them outG1544 by anotherG2087 wayG3598? 26For justG5618 as the bodyG4983 withoutG5565 the spiritG4151 is deadG3498, soG3779 alsoG2532 62faithG4102 withoutG5565 worksG2041 is deadG3498.