Page 16 - General Epistles (James through Jude) Textbook

breakers. James rebuked them for not being able to do what was right. Having transgressed the royal
law of love by staging discrimination against the poor, James’ recipients were found guilty of breaking
the whole law because the same God who said you shall not murder is the same God who said you shall
love your neighbor as yourself. Zane C. Hodges notes that “both sins were punishable by death under
31
the Old Covenant.” So, failure to love their neighbors (in this case, the poor men) would incur the
same penalty as those who would commit murder and adultery because both are royal laws which were
instituted by the same God.

Remedies to Favoritism (Jas. 2:12-13).
What were some remedies to favoritism? Or what did the Jewish Christians (those who practiced
favoritism) needed to do to overcome favoritism (Jas. 2:12-13). First, James reminded them that they
needed to continue speaking. Speaking what? James does not state what to speak but he could be
referring to speaking the royal law—loving your neighbor as yourself and the rest of the laws—and the
Word of God planted in them (see Jas. 1:21, 22-25). Secondly, James encouraged them to be doing the
royal law (Lev. 19:18) and the Word of God “planted in” them (Jas. 1:21; cf. vv22-25). Because of James’
demands that the Jewish Christians should portray impartiality, it is clear that their favoritism toward
the poor men in the assembly demonstrated that they were not merciful. Hence, they were preparing to
receive for themselves judgement without mercy. So, if they would begin to demonstrate impartiality
toward the poor men in the assembly, simultaneously, they would begin to prepare to receive for
themselves merciful judgement. MacArthur observes that “a person who has lived a life devoid of mercy
32
to others will show himself to be without saving faith.”

Faith and Works (Jas. 2:14-26).
What type of faith is James discussing on here? Is it that faith through
which we become saved or that one which shows that we are being
saved from the power of sin? Who is James addressing here? Is he
supposing that there could have been false teachers among them
who were teaching heresies that purported that if you are saved,
there is no need to worry about what kind of works one is supposed to produce? Remember that James
is addressing this issue to those who already have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So, he
introduces two kinds of faith: the faith that does not save, namely; faith without deeds (or works) and
the faith that saves, that is, the faith with deeds.

He illustrates the faith which does not save as that one which a brother who is found in a situation
where he has the resources (or things) which another close-by needy person needs, and yet he wishes
that person well instead of helping. James calls that faith as dead. In this case, James argues that this
kind of faith is dead (and does not save) because it cannot fulfil its obligations. Emphatically, this faith is
not “good” (v16b) and is “dead” (v17b). Further, faith without deeds (which cannot save) is likened to
that one which is being practiced by demons. They believe that there is God but they do not practice
what He entails. On “faith which cannot save,” some argue that James is referring to people’s failure to
obey the Word of God which can “save” their lives from the deadly outcome of sin (see 1:15 and
33
discussion).”

Others observe that the faith that cannot save means that one which cannot save anyone from “the
final deliverance from sin, death and judgement in the last day.” James’ interpretation on “from what
34
can faith without deeds save us” is ambiguous. However, remember that the practice of favoritism was
considered evil (hence sinful (Jas. 2:4b, 9) because it demonstrated that the Jewish Christians were not
practicing the royal law. That is, they were not loving their neighbors as themselves and did not show

15