James

The Sin of Partiality. The problem of the poor and the rich, already emphasized in 1:9–11, 27, now comes to center stage with this warning about discriminating against the poor in favor of the wealthy in the Christian assembly.

Preferring the Wealthy over the Poor in the Assembly. James shows the fundamental incompatibility of holding faith in Christ and showing partiality among people.

partiality as you hold the faith. There is no place for prejudice in the life of faith. “Partiality” combines a group of terms signifying “to accept/judge according to face” and refers to favoritism shown on the basis of status in society. Jesus, according to James, is the exalted and glorious Lord and Christ, and is always to be thought of as such.

Assembly probably refers to a Christian house church. Here two types of people arrive: one with a gold ring and fine clothing, and another with shabby clothing. The wealthy person is told to sit here in a good place, a place of honor, perhaps in the front, while the poor person is shown contempt and told either to stand (probably in the back) or sit down at my feet like a servant. Those who make such distinctions show themselves to be judges with evil thoughts. Christians are not to “judge” each other (Matt. 7:1–5; Rom. 14:4; 1 Cor. 5:12), and to do so can only mean one’s mind is consumed with evil “thoughts” (Gk. dialogismos, which can mean “opinions,” “reasoning,” or “conclusions”).

chosen … to be rich in faith. Using the language of election, James declares that the poor have a special place in God’s economy of salvation. They are rich in an eternal sense because they are heirs of the kingdom (cf. “poor in spirit, … theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Matt. 5:3).

oppress you. This oppression, or exploitation, reflects a situation of radical social polarization in the first century, with merchants and landowners taking land and possessions from the poor (cf. 5:1–6). James challenges his Christian readers as to why they would honor the rich in the assembly when it is the rich unbelievers of the world who blaspheme the name of Christ. drag you into court. As frequently recorded in the OT (e.g., Amos 4:1; Hab. 1:4; Mal. 3:5), the wealthy often used the court system to steal from the poor. This situation was the primary reason for the revolts in Galilee that led to the war of A.D. 66–70.

The Royal Law of Love. Favoritism and discrimination are violations of the kingdom law of love.

Royal law (Gk. basilikos), i.e., “law belonging to the king,” with reference here to God’s law in Lev. 19:18 (“love your neighbor”; cf. Matt. 22:34–40) as the apex of kingdom rules for ethical conduct. Cf. Rom 13:8–10.

Partiality is the antithesis of the love command (see v. 8). Favoritism toward the rich breaks the OT commands to treat the poor equitably (Lev. 19:15; Deut. 16:19; Job 34:19) and is a serious transgression of God’s law.

accountable for all of it. The law was considered an interdependent whole, and any infraction constituted a breaking of the law as a whole. Jesus said, “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt. 5:18). Thus favoritism (James 2:9) makes one “accountable” (Gk. enochos, a legal term for “liable” or “guilty” before God’s court) for the whole law.

Acting in Light of Judgment. Believers must speak and act in accordance with the law of liberty and with a view to the coming judgment.

the law of liberty. True freedom is freedom to obey God and do what pleases him. The law of Christ provides freedom from sin through the gospel. In the context of James’s discussion of rich and poor (vv. 1–7), he may also be suggesting that God’s law will set the poor free from prejudice, oppression, and exploitation. Every Christian will be judged by God (1 Cor. 3:12–15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 1:17).

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. This proverbial saying sums up the implications of vv. 1–12 and leads into the “faith without works” discussion in vv. 14–26. It was the core of Roman law (lex talionis, “the law of retribution”), but more importantly it is central to God’s law: what you do to others will be done to you in the judgment (i.e., rewarded for good and punished for evil). Mercy triumphs over judgment does not, in this context, mean that God’s mercy is extended to believers at the judgment. Rather, believers’ acts of mercy (e.g., caring for the poor and hurting) will mean that they are vindicated at the judgment (cf. Matt. 25:34–40). Mercy was an essential OT requirement for dealing with the poor (Mic. 6:8; Zech. 7:9–10). Mercy is likewise a requirement of believers in the NT (e.g., Matt. 5:7; 6:15; 18:32–35), or they will experience God’s judgment rather than his mercy.

Many skeptics argue that a contradiction exists between Paul’s statement that “a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Rm 3:28; see 4:5-6; Gl 2:16) and the teaching of James that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (Jms 2:24). These positions, however, actually complement one other.

Paul and James addressed different situations. On the one hand, Paul refuted a Jewish legalism holding that one must observe the law’s requirements in order to be saved. James, on the other hand, opposed an antinomianism that was twisting faith in Christ so much that no expression of works was necessary.

Moreover, when Paul used the word justified, he meant “saved” or “declared righteous,” whereas James meant “vindicated” or “authenticated.” By works, Paul meant “works of the law,” whereas James meant works that faith produces.

In light of the above, Paul was saying that one is declared righteous by God apart from the works of the law. James, by contrast, was saying that a person’s faith produces works that vindicate his faith in Christ as genuine. James used Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac (vv. 21-23; see Gn 22:9) and Rahab’s protection of the spies (Jms 2:25; see Jos 2) as examples showing how works authenticate the reality of faith in God. For James, faith without works was clearly worthless (Jms 2:14-19,26). Authentic faith will bear the fruit of good works. This understanding of the relationship between faith and works is consistent with multiple statements by Paul (Rm 2:17-25; 12:1-2; Gl 5:6; 1Th 1:3).

Faith without Works Is Dead. James continues the theme that hearing/faith must lead to doing/works. Although it may seem as if James is contradicting Paul’s “by grace you have been saved through faith … not a result of works” (Eph. 2:8–9), in reality there is no dichotomy between faith and works, for Paul and James would agree that the basis of salvation is grace alone through faith, with works not the basis but the necessary result thereof (Eph. 2:10).

Faith without Works. Faith that is not accompanied by action is useless and dead, unable to save.

What good …? The form of the question indicates that a negative answer (i.e., “no good”) is expected. The Greek particle mē at the beginning of the next question (Can that faith save him?) shows that James again expects a negative answer. If someone says he has faith but lacks the resulting evidential works, one must doubt that he has been saved. James is not implying that even genuine faith is the basis of salvation; rather, it is the means and instrument by which one is saved (see Eph. 2:8–9).

An illustration of what faith without works looks like in everyday life. In itself the phrase Go in peace, be warmed and filled is a pious wish and prayer for the welfare of the poor, but in reality it is a cop-out, masking a refusal to help the person in need. There is no good (Gk. ophelos, “profit, honor”) in such a prayer. “What good is it?” frames vv. 14–16.

dead. Useless, without any life at all. It brings no results, and cannot lead to salvation (v. 14). There can be no true faith that fails to produce works (here seen as care for the poor, but including good works of all kinds).

Response of a Critic. An objector argues that faith and works are indeed separable, and James responds that faith can be shown only through righteous deeds.

But someone will say. As was common in Hellenistic rhetoric, James introduces a hypothetical respondent into his discussion of faith and works, continuing his argument against those who think that faith can save without works.

God is one. This affirmation of monotheism stems from the core Jewish creed called the Shema (Deut. 6:4; see Mark 12:29; Rom. 3:30). But James stresses its inadequacy, since even the demons believe this, and they shudder. Mere mental assent to the Christian faith does not save anyone. The faith that saves, as both Paul and James affirm, embraces the truth of the gospel and acts accordingly.

Examples of Abraham and Rahab. James continues his rebuttal by citing the examples of Abraham and Rahab, who were both shown by their deeds to be righteous.

Abraham … justified by works. On the surface James may seem to contradict Paul. I.e., Paul denies that Abraham was “justified by works” (Rom. 4:2), arguing from Gen. 15:6 that Abraham’s faith “was counted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). However, James’s assertion in this verse (that “Abraham [was] … justified by works”) is based not on Gen. 15:6 but on Gen. 22:9–10, where (many years later) Abraham began to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Thus James apparently has a different sense of the word “justify” in view here, as evidenced by the different Scripture passages, and the different events in Abraham’s life, to which James and Paul refer. The primary way in which Paul uses the word “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) emphasizes the sense of being declared righteous by God through faith, on the basis of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice (Rom. 3:24–26), whereas the primary way that James uses the word “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) here in James 2:21 seems to emphasize the way in which works demonstrate that someone has been justified, as evidenced by the good works that the person does (cf. Matt. 12:33–37). Some others hold a similar view, which understands “justify” (Gk. dikaioō) here to mean to declare someone to be righteous because, at the final judgment, the person’s works give evidence of true saving faith. See note on Gal. 2:16.

faith was completed by his works. James does not disagree that faith alone saves (Rom. 3:28). “Completed” (Gk. eteleiōthē) often means “bring to maturity.” Full-grown and genuine faith is seen in the good deeds it produces.

James uses Gen. 15:6 in a way that complements rather than contradicts Paul (Rom. 4:1–9; Gal. 3:6), for he sees it as having been fulfilled (see James 2:22) in Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Genesis 22). James centers on Abraham’s act of obedience while Paul centers on God’s declaration of Abraham’s righteousness. Abraham was called a friend of God, in contrast to those who have no acts of obedience to prove their claims to faith and are therefore seen to be friends of this world (James 4:4).

not by faith alone. James again seems at first to contradict Paul’s teaching that one is justified by faith alone (Rom. 3:28), but the two are compatible. For James, “faith alone” means a bogus kind of faith, mere intellectual agreement without a genuine personal trust in Christ that bears fruit in one’s life. On justified, see note on James 2:21. James, in agreement with Paul, argues that true faith is never alone, that it always produces works (cf. Eph. 2:10).

Rahab the prostitute believed the stories of God’s saving work for the Hebrews (Josh. 2:8–11). So, at some personal risk, she hid the Jewish spies from her own people, then lowered them on a rope so they could escape (Josh. 2:15). Thus she became a model of faith completed in works.