James 2:

[Chapter 2 Synopsis: In the new (scattered) people of God there are practical outworkings of the Faith to be realized. First, we are all equal before God so don’t show favoritism. Second, we are a community of faith but faith is meaningless unless it is accompanied by deeds]

• v.1-13 Favoritism Forbidden
• v.14-26 Faith and Deeds

v.1-13 Favoritism Forbidden

[Passage Synopsis: among the new (scattered) people of God there is equality between all, so don’t let there ever be favoritism shown because that is sin]

v.1-7 Following ch.1, beware favoring the wealthy

v.1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.

v.2 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 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 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 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

v.7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

[Note: A call for equality. Example: two contrasting men, so beware you don’t discriminate between them. God loves the poor just as much so if you show favoritism, you dishonor them; observe the rich, so often they are the ones rejecting God.]

v.8-13 Hold to the commands in respect of people

v.8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

v.9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

v.10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

v.11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

v.12,13 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.

[Note: Remember: love you neighbor, whoever they are [Lev. 19:18] for favoritism is sin. Break one bit of the law and you’re just a lawbreaker generally; you don’t choose one law over another [Exo 20:13; Deut. 5:17]. Think of the Law as assessing you, and rely on mercy or be judged.]

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.14-17 Real faith is seen in action

v.14 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 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.

v.16 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 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

[Note: Don’t say you have faith if you don’t ‘do’. Imagine a needy brother or sister, if you just talk the talk but do nothing, what is that? So faith needs deeds to prove it is real.]

v.18-20 The argument of faith OR action doesn’t work

v.18 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 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

v.20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

[Note: One OR the other doesn’t work. Don’t excuse yourself by saying you believe in God; look, think about this!]

v.21-24 Example 1: Abraham

v.21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

v.22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

v.23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

v.24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

[Note: Wasn’t Abraham considered righteous by his deeds? It was his faith in action, it was believing that counted [Gen. 15:6] but doing proved the faith.]

v.25,26 Example 2: Rahab

v.25 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 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

[Note: Didn’t Rahab [Josh 2] exhibit faith with her deeds? You need both!]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: