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2:1 James vividly describes the games people play, catering to the rich, neglecting the poor. These attitudes can in ltrate the Christian community as well. But James’s point is abundantly clear: the poor are not less than the rich—quite the reverse. The solution is simple: follow “the royal law” and love your neighbor as yourself.
1:14 James speaks of faith and works as both being necessary for salvation. For James it is quite simple: faith without works is dead. James certainly is not saying that we earn our salvation by doing certain things. But when we do what God has commanded, our faith is kept alive, nourished, and helped to grow. There is nothing special about simply believing in God, James says— even the demons know God’s power and fear it. But believing in God and acting on that belief? That is worth talking about!
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a. [2:5] 1 Cor 1:26–28; Rev 2:9.
b. [2:7] 1 Pt 4:4.
c. [2:8] Lv 19:18; Mt 22:39; Rom 13:9.
d. [2:9] Dt 1:17.
e. [2:10] Gal 3:10.
f. [2:11] Ex 20:13–14; Dt 5:17–18.
g. [2:12] 1:25; Rom 8:2.
h. [2:13] Mt 5:7; 6:14–15; 18:32–33.
i. [2:14] Mt 25:31–46; Gal 5:6.
j. [2:16] 1 Jn 3:17.
JAMES 
2Sin of Partiality.*
1My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our
2
glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings on his
ngers and in ne clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the ne clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?*
5Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor* in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?a 6But you dishonored the poor person. Are not the rich oppressing you? And do they themselves not haul you o to court? 7Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?b 8However, if you ful ll the royal* law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.c 9But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.d 10For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it.e 11For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not kill.”f Even if you do not commit adultery but kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12g So speak and so act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.* 13For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.h
Faith and Works.* 14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?i 15If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?j 17So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works. 19You believe that God is one. You do
* [2:1–13] In the Christian community there must be no discrimination or favoritism based on status or wealth (Jas 2:2–4; cf. Mt 5:3; 11:5; 23:6; 1 Cor 1:27–29). Divine favor rather consists in God’s election and promises (Jas 2:5). The rich who oppress the poor blaspheme the name of Christ (Jas 2:6–7). By violating one law of love of neighbor, they o end against the whole law (Jas 2:8–11). On the other hand, conscious awareness of the nal judgment helps the faithful to ful ll the whole law (Jas 2:12).
* [2:4] When Christians show favoritism to the rich they are guilty of the worst kind of prejudice and discrimination. The author says that such Christians set themselves up as judges who judge not by divine law but by the basest, self-serving motives.
* [2:5] The poor, “God’s poor” of the Old Testament, were seen by Jesus as particularly open to God for belief in and reliance on him alone (Lk 6:20). God’s law cannot tolerate their oppression in any way (Jas 2:9).
* [2:8] Royal: literally, “kingly”; because the Mosaic law came from God, the universal king. There may be an allusion to Jesus’ uses of this commandment in his preaching of the kingdom of God (Mt 22:39; Mk 12:31; Lk 10:27).
* [2:12–13] The law upon which the last judgment will be based is the law of freedom. As Jesus taught, mercy (which participates in God’s own loving mercy) includes forgiveness of those who wrong us (see Mt 6:12, 14–15).
* [2:14–26] The theme of these verses is the relationship of faith and works (deeds). It has been argued that the teaching here contradicts that of Paul (see especially Rom 4:5–6). The problem can only be understood if the di erent viewpoints of the two authors are seen. Paul argues against those who claim to participate in God’s salvation because of their good deeds as well as because they have committed themselves to trust in God through Jesus Christ (Paul’s concept of faith). Paul certainly understands, however, the implications of true faith for a life of love and generosity (see Gal 5:6, 13–15). The author of James is well aware that proper conduct can only come about with an authentic commitment to God in faith (Jas 2:18, 26). Many think he was seeking to correct a misunderstanding of Paul’s view.