James 2                                                                                                               

 

James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

• Glory = compared to seep = 1 Cor 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
  9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
  10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
  11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
  12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
• Respect of persons = Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
  12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
  13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
  14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

• Goodly = bright, or shinning
• James 2:3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
  4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
  5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
  6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
  7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
  8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
  9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
• Apparel = In this and in the next verse translated by three different words, "apparel", "raiment", "clothing
• Luke 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
• Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
• Acts 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
  31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
• Also = a poor man also
• Vile = James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
  22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
  23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

8 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

• Offend = stumble
• Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
  12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
  13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
• Gal 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
  4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
  5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
  6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
  7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
  8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
  9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
  10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

• Law of liberty = covenant
• Liberty = NT:1658 = unrestrained (to go at pleasure), (as a citizen) not a slave = free (man, woman), at liberty.
• James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
  26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

• Rejoiceth against = boasteth over. Rather we are to be loving and merciful
• James 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
• Romans 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
• No = not as in James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
• He.. Judgment = there shall be judgment to him

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

• Destitute = lacking
• James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
  5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

• You have to have works, you can't just have faith. You have to be a doer for God.
• Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
  13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

• Without = apart from
• Verse 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
• Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
• Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
  13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

• Devils = demons
• Tremble = shudder

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

• Also = should follow "harlot"
• Rahab was not a harlot. She was a doer for God. God never called her a harlot. It was the men that called her a harlot. She had a business.

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.

 

•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

(Leviticus. 26: 28-46) God warned Israel that if they persisted in continually breaking His Laws, not only would curses come upon them.

He would punish them for seven times, (a time being 360 years, seven times would be 2520 years) and would banish them from the land of Palestine and scatter them among the heathens (like lost sheep)

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25