The General Epistle of James

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting (a) wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”

have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?(b)

If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”(c) you are doing well.

But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,”(d) also said, “Do not murder.”(e) If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.

For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

(Galatians 3:1–9)

What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

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

If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action,(f) is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

You believe that God is one.(g) Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?(h)

Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.

And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”(i) and he was called a friend of God.(j)

As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies (k) and sent them off on another route?

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

Footnotes

(a)2:2 Greek your synagogue

(b)2:7 Or the noble name invoked upon you or the noble name of Him to whom you belong

(d)2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18

(e)2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17

(f)2:17 Literally if it does not have works

(g)2:19 Or that there is one God

(h)2:20 BYZ and TR dead

(i)2:23 Genesis 15:6

(j)2:23 See Isaiah 41:8.

(k)2:25 Literally messengers

My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.

For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue,(a) and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,

and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”

haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?

But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?

Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?

However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,”(b) you do well.

But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,”(c) also said, “Do not commit murder.”(d) Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom.

For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

(Galatians 3:1–9)

What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?

And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.

Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder.

But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.

So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,”(e) and he was called the friend of God.

You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.

In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

Footnotes

(a)2:2 or, meeting

(b)2:8 ℘ Leviticus 19:18

(d)2:11 ℘ Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17

(e)2:23 ℘ Genesis 15:6