DON'T SHOW FAVORITISM
Key verse: 1
NIV
Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.(B) 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. 3 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,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges(C) with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:(D) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world(E) to be rich in faith(F) and to inherit the kingdom(G) he promised those who love him?(H) 6 But you have dishonored the poor.(I) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?(J) 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a](K) you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism,(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(M) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.(O) 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b](P) also said, “You shall not murder.”[c](Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged(R) by the law that gives freedom,(S)
Footnotes
- James 2:8 Lev. 19:18
- James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
- James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17
Cross references
- James 2:1 : Ac 7:2; 1Co 2:8
- James 2:1 : ver 9; Dt 1:17; Lev 19:15; Pr 24:23; S Ac 10:34
- James 2:4 : S Jn 7:24
- James 2:5 : Jas 1:16, 19
- James 2:5 : Job 34:19; 1Co 1:26-28
- James 2:5 : Lk 12:21; Rev 2:9
- James 2:5 : S Mt 25:34
- James 2:5 : S Jas 1:12
- James 2:6 : 1Co 11:22
- James 2:6 : Ac 8:3; 16:19
- James 2:8 : Lev 19:18; S Mt 5:43
- James 2:9 : ver 1
- James 2:9 : Dt 1:17
- James 2:10 : Jas 3:2
- James 2:10 : Mt 5:19; Gal 3:10; 5:3
- James 2:11 : Ex 20:14; Dt 5:18
- James 2:11 : Ex 20:13; Dt 5:17
- James 2:12 : S Mt 16:27
- James 2:12 : S Jas 1:25
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Sin of Partiality
2 My brothers,[a] (A)show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, (B)the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” (C)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become (D)judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, (E)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be (F)rich in faith and heirs of (G)the kingdom, (H)which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you (I)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who (J)drag you (K)into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable (L)name by which you were called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, (M)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you (N)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point (O)has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, (P)“Do not commit adultery,” also said, (Q)“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under (R)the law of liberty.
Read full chapterCross references
- James 2:1 : ver. 9; Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17; 16:19; Prov. 24:23; Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9
- James 2:1 : 1 Cor. 2:8; [Acts 7:2]
- James 2:3 : [Prov. 18:23]
- James 2:4 : John 7:24
- James 2:5 : 1 Cor. 1:27, 28; [Job 34:19]
- James 2:5 : 2 Cor. 8:9; Rev. 2:9; See Luke 12:21
- James 2:5 : Matt. 5:3; Luke 6:20; 12:32
- James 2:5 : See ch. 1:12
- James 2:6 : [1 Cor. 11:22]
- James 2:6 : Acts 16:19
- James 2:6 : Acts 8:3; 17:6; 18:12; [ch. 5:6]
- James 2:7 : [Isa. 63:19; 65:1; Amos 9:12; Acts 15:17]
- James 2:8 : Cited from Lev. 19:18
- James 2:9 : ver. 1
- James 2:10 : Matt. 5:19; Gal. 3:10
- James 2:11 : Cited from Ex. 20:14, 13
- James 2:11 : Cited from Ex. 20:14, 13
- James 2:12 : See ch. 1:25
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Those whom God has chosen (1-7)
As believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, we must learn to see people as he does. We must put highest priority on spiritual values. Those who are rich in faith are far more precious than those who are rich in worldly things. If we treat rich, worldly people with deference, and people who seem poor with indifference, we become judges with evil thoughts.
2. The spirit of the law (8-12)
The Royal Law is: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' When the scribe in Luke 1
asked Jesus, 'Who is my neighbor?' Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan. My neighbor is whoever needs my help. The Ten Commandments were given as guidelines for loving our neighbors. We become lawbreakers if we break even one. If we show mercy and kindness to some neighbors but withhold it from others, we break the Royal Law of love and become judges with evil thoughts. We must be strict in applying the law to ourselves, and generous in applying it to others.
Prayer: Lord, help me to see people as you see them, and be merciful and loving, not judgmental.
One Word: See people with Christ's eyes
