CHAPTER 2
Verses 1-13 – Condemnation of Partiality
The first half of chapter two denounces the practice of showing respect of persons. Favouritism is foreign to the example of Jesus our Lord and to the teachings of the New Testament. There is no place in Christianity for snobbishness or discrimination.
Verse 1
First of all, the practice is clearly forbidden. Please note that this admonition is addressed to believers. We see this by the salutation: “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ…” James is saying, “My brothers, in your practice of the Christian faith, do not show partiality.” Snobbery and caste distinctions are inconsistent with true Christianity. Contempt for others because of birth, race, sex, or poverty is a practical denial of the faith. This commandment does not contradict other portions of the New Testament where believers are told to pay proper respect to rulers, masters, elders, and parents. There are some divinely ordained relationships that must be recognized (Romans 13:7).
Verses 2-4
James confirms this by giving a vivid example in verses 2-4. Someone has called this section “the short-sighted usher.” The scene is the local church (assembly). A distinguished looking man, with fancy clothing and an expensive gold ring, has just come in. The usher greets him with a big smile and a warm handshake and then escorts him to a prominent seat in the front, where everyone can see him. Then, when the usher gets back to the door, he finds that another visitor has come in. This time it is a “poor man in shabby clothes.” The King James Version says “vile raiment.” This time the usher wants to save the congregation the sight of a poor man in filthy clothes and so he takes the visitor to the back of the church and asks him to stay there. You may think that it is impossible for anyone to ever act like this but it happens often.
We may think that this illustration is an exaggeration, but when we look into our own hearts, we will find that we often do make these artificial class distinctions among ourselves, and so becoming “judges with evil thoughts.” The Christian must be faithful to divine principles. Our obligation is to give practical expression to the truth that all believers are one in Christ Jesus.
Verses 5-13
Partiality has no place in our Christian faith. James demonstrates this in verses 5-13. He gives four strong reasons why it is ridiculous for a believer to favour the rich and look down on the poor.
- It means that we dishonour a man whom God honours. “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?” How foolish, then, it is to treat with contempt those who will one day be honoured in the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour.
- It is foolish to show deference to the rich, a class that has at times oppressed the people of God. James is saying this: “Why show favouritism to people just because they are rich?”
- It is foolish to be partial toward the rich since they often use evil or harsh words involving the name of Christ (although this is not a sin on which the rich have a monopoly).
- The final argument is that showing favouritism to the rich violates the law to “love your neighbour as yourself.” It is called “the royal law.” If we really loved our neighbours as ourselves, we would treat them all the way we would want to be treated.
Certainly we would not want to be despised simply because we were poor. Then we should not show contempt to others for this reason.
Of all the teachings of the Bible, this is one of the most revolutionary: “You must love your neighbour as yourself.” And if we ask, “Who is my neighbour?” the answer is in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) – our neighbour is any person who has a need that we can help to meet (verse 8).
In verse 9, we see that showing partiality is a violation of the royal law. It is both a sin and a transgression. Sin is a failure to meet God’s standards. Transgression is the breaking of a known law. Certain acts are sinful because they are basically wrong, but they become transgressions when there is a specific law which forbids them.
Showing partiality is sinful because it is essentially wrong in itself. But it is also a transgression because there is a law against it. To break one part of the law is to be guilty of all. The law is like a chain of ten links. Break one link and the chain is broken. God does not allow us to keep the laws we like and break others (verse 10).
The same God who forbade adultery also forbade murder (vs.11). What James is saying is: “As believers, you are no longer under the law of bondage, but you are under the law of liberty – liberty to do what is right. The law of Moses required you to love your neighbour but did not give you the power, and condemned you if you failed.”
Under grace, you are given the power to love your neighbour and are honoured when you do it. You don’t do it in order to be saved but because you are saved. If we do not show mercy to others, we are not walking in fellowship with God and can expect to suffer the consequences of a backslidden condition.
Let us test ourselves, then, on this important subject of partiality. Do we show more kindness to those of our own race than those of other races? To the young than to the old? To good-looking people than those who are plain? Are we more anxious to befriend prominent people than those who are unknown? Do we avoid people with physical infirmities and seek the friendship of the strong and healthy? Do we favour the rich over the poor?
As we answer these questions, let us remember that the way we treat the least loveable believer is the way we treat our Lord and Saviour (Matthew 25:4).
Verses 14-26 – Faith and Works
These verses are perhaps the most controversial in James’ letter. Even Luther thought he saw a conflict between James’ teaching on justification by works and Paul’s “justification by faith.” These verses are commonly used, or rather misused, to support the wrong doctrine that we are saved by faith plus works, also called “synergism.” In other words, we must receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, but that is not enough. We must also add to His saving work our own deeds of charity, devotion and works.
This portion actually could be entitled “Justification By Works” because there is a sense that we are justified by works. In fact, in order to grasp the full truth of justification, we should clearly understand that there are six aspects of justification.
- We are justified by grace (Romans 3:2-4). This simply means that we do not deserve to be justified; in fact, we deserve the opposite.
- We are justified by faith (Romans 5:1). Faith is the human response to God’s grace. By faith we receive the free gift.
- We are justified by blood (Romans 5:9). Here blood is the price that had to be paid in order to receive our justification.
- We are justified by God (Romans 8:33). The truth is that God is the one who justifies.
- We are justified by power (Romans 4:25). Our justification is linked to the power that raised Christ from the dead.
- We are justified by works (James 2:24). Works are the outward proof of the reality of our faith. They give outward expression to what would otherwise be invisible.
We see that a person is justified by grace, faith, blood, God, power, and works. Yet there is no contradiction here. These statements simply present different aspects of the same truth. Grace is the principle upon which God justifies; faith is the means by which we receive it; blood is the price the Saviour had to pay; God is the active Agent in justification; power is the proof; and works are the result.
Verse 14 – James insists that faith that does not result in good works cannot save. James is describing the man who says he has faith, but there is nothing about his life that indicates it.
Verses 15-16 – The emptiness of words are now illustrated. We are introduced to two people. One is very poor and does not have enough food or clothing. The other has both, but he is not willing to share. Speaking like a generous person, he says to the poor brother, “Go and put on some clothing, and eat a good meal.” But he does not raise a finger to make this possible. What good are such words? They are totally worthless.
Verse 17 – “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” A faith without works is not faith at all. It is only words. James is not saying that we are saved by faith plus works. To believe in such a view would be to dishonour the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we were saved by faith plus works, then there would be two saviours – Jesus and ourselves. But the New Testament is very clear that Jesus Christ is the one and only Saviour. Works are not the root of salvation but the fruit; they are not the cause but the effect.
Verses 14-26 – Faith and Works
Verse 18 – “You have faith; I have deeds.” True faith and good works are inseparable. James shows this by giving us the example of a debate between two men. The first man, who is a saved person, is the speaker. The second professes to have faith, but does not demonstrate that faith by good works. The first challenges the other.
Let’s paraphrase the conversation: “Yes,” the first man may correctly say, “you say you have faith, but you do not have works to demonstrate it. I believe that faith must be backed up by a life of works. Prove to me that you have faith without a life of good works. You cannot do it. Faith is invisible. The only way others can know you have faith is by a life that demonstrate it. I will show you my faith by what I do.
The key to this verse is in the word show. To show faith without works is impossible.
Verses 19-20 – The debate continues. A person’s professed faith may be nothing more than acceptance of a well-known fact. Such faith or acceptance of facts does not involve a true commitment of the person and does not produce a transformed life. It is not enough to believe in the existence of God. True, this is essential, but it is not enough. “Even the demons believe in that and shudder.” (vs. 19) The demons believe this fact, but they do not surrender to God and are not transformed. This is not a saving faith.
When a person truly believes in the Lord, it involves a commitment of spirit, soul, and body. This commitment in turn results in a changed life. Faith apart from works is head belief and, therefore, dead belief.
Verse 21 – Now James gives two examples of faith that works, from the Old Testament: Abraham, a Jew, and Rahab, a Gentile. Abraham was justified by works in offering up Isaac his son on the altar. Genesis 15:6 says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Here Abraham was justified by believing; in other words, he was justified by faith. It is not until we come to Genesis 22 that we find Abraham offering up his son. It is then that he was justified by works. As soon as Abraham believed in the Lord, he was justified in the sight of God. But then, seven chapters later, God put Abraham’s faith to the test. Abraham demonstrated that it was genuine faith by his willingness to offer up Isaac. His obedience showed that his faith was not only a head belief, but a heart commitment.
Verses 22-24 – It is clear then that Abraham’s faith inspired his works, and by his works his faith was made perfect. True faith and works are inseparable. The first produces the second, and the second gives evidence of the first. We conclude from verse 24 “that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.” Again this does not mean that he is justified by faith plus works. Abraham was justified by faith. His act of faith was the proof of the genuineness of his faith. The only way to show the reality of our faith is by good works.
Verse 25 – The second Old Testament illustration is of Rahab. She was not saved by good character (she was a prostitute!) but she was justified by works because “she received the spies and sent them off in a different direction.” Rahab was a Canaanite, living in the city of Jericho. She had heard that a victorious army was advancing toward the city and that no opposition had been successful against this army. She had concluded that the God of the Hebrews was the true God and decided to identify herself with this God, whatever the cost might be. In doing so, she proved the genuineness of her faith in the true and living God. She was not saved by helping the spies, but this act proved that she was a genuine believer.
Verse 26 – James ends the passage with the statement: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” Here the matter is summarized very beautifully. He compares faith to the human body, and works to the spirit. The body without the spirit is lifeless, useless, and valueless. So faith without works is dead, ineffective, and worthless.
Let us test our own faith by our answers to the following questions: Am I willing, like Abraham, to offer the dearest thing in my life God?
Am I willing, like Rahab, to turn my back to the world in order to be loyal to Christ?