CHAPTER II. ANALYSIS. A disposition existing among all people to give honor to persons of wealth, and those occupying stations of more or less prominence, not extended to the poor, intruding itself into the assemblies of the saints, meets the reprobation of the apostle in the first few verses of th... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 1. MY BRETHREN, HAVE NOT FAITH. The apostle in this verse desires to impress the brethren with the idea that with God there is no distinction to be made among men growing out of the accidental circumstances of wealth or station, and that the brethren ought not therefore to hold the faith as a... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 2 FOR IF THERE COME INTO YOUR ASSEMBLY. The apostle commences an illustration of the thought he introduced in the first verse. I cannot concur with Macknight that the apostle has before him a trial in progress in which one of the litigants from appearances is a rich man and the other litigant... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 3 TO HIM THAT WEARETH THE GAY CLOTHING. The Jews, under the teaching they received and during the time of our Lord on earth, were liable to act in just this way; that is, give the good place to the rich, and, if any place at all, a footstool to the poor.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 4 ARE YE NOT PARTIAL IN YOURSELVES? In your recognition of the rich should you show a less cordial greeting to the poor? Are ye not partial? Can you doubt it yourselves? If you make any difference in your conduct toward either class, it is partial. BECOME JUDGES OF EVIL THOUGHTS. The apostl... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 5 HEARKEN, MY BELOVED BRETHREN. That is, listen to me. Give heed to what I say, my beloved brethren, while I show you the evil there is in the conduct which I so sharply, yet tenderly, rebuke. HATH NOT GOD CHOSEN THE POOR OF THIS WORLD? The apostle assumes that the Christians he addresses k... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 6 BUT YE HAVE DESPISED THE POOR. Since you have been guilty of despising the poor, let MG inquire why you show such high regard for the rich as such, because, in considering the answer to this inquiry, you will discover further evidence of the gross wrong in your conduct in being partial. DO... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 8 IF YE FULFILL THE ROYAL LAW. The royal law that is, the law made by Christ our King, in which he says: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." If you observe this, you shall do well, and in observing it you will not be guilty of partiality in your judgments concerning men, and hence will... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 9 BUT IF YE HAVE RESPECT OF PERSONS. If, in disregard of the royal law, you continue to have respect of persons, and thus remain partial, you commit sin; you are convicted by the law as transgressors. "Convicted" in Revised Version is clearer. "Convinced" of the Common Version leaves the sens... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 10 FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP THE WHOLE LAW, YET OFFEND IN ONE POINT. To be an offender against the law, it is not necessary to violate every provision. If one precept or provision is set at naught, the violator can not escape punishment by entering the plea in defense that all the provisions o... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 11 FOR HE THAT SAID, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, ALSO SAID, DO NOT KILL. The command here brought to view by the apostle are two of the original precepts spoken from Sinai's summit. Both were spoken by God. The apostle's argument appears in all its cogency when we reason that as God gave both the... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 12 SO SPEAK YE, AND SO DO. The exhortation is plain, and contains essential truth. It we so speak and so act from love of the right, and because it is right, then we speak and act as persons that are to be judged by the law of liberty, the royal law, the gospel of Christ, and that law forbids... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 13 FOR HE SHALL HAVE JUDGMENT WITHOUT MERCY. This I regard as confessedly hard. The thought here possibly is connected with something mentioned before. At all events, by following the Revised Version, the obscurity partly vanishes. "For judgment is without mercy to him that showed no mercy." S... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 14 WHAT DOTH IT PROFIT, MY BRETHREN, THOUGH A MAN SAY HE HATH FAITH, AND HAVE NOT WORKS? CAN FAITH SAVE HIM? Salvation all desire to secure. The conditions upon which it is suspended were known to the brethren addressed. James treats them as though they had for a time forgotten these conditio... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 15 IF A BROTHER OR A SISTER BE NAKED, AND DESTITUTE OF DAILY FOOD. The apostle for his illustration is careful to select members of the household of faith. The case so selected is a strong one with which to enforce the argument he desires to advance.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 16 AND ONE OF YOU SAY UNTO THEM, DEPART IN PEACE, BE YE WARMED AND FILLED. In that case do you relieve them from their necessities, if you fail to give them clothing and food? Certainly not. The needy brother or sister has no profit whatever. Notwithstanding your statement, they remain as the... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 17 EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. Now, if your simple statement to the distressed brother or sister did not clothe them, did not feed them, just that certain it is that faith, if it have no works, is dead also, being alone. Had you, with your saying to the brother... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 18 YEA, A MAN MAY SAY, THOU HAST FAITH. Further illustrating and enforcing the foregoing thought, one may say you have faith that is, faith only and I have works. Now, let us proceed to prove to one another the presence in each of the faith we claim to possess. I can show my faith by my works... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 19. THOU BELIEVEST THAT THERE IS ONE GOD. As though the one claiming to possess faith without works still insists in the correctness of his position, and in proof asserts that he believes in the existence of one God. The apostle retorts, "In this so far thou doest well," and immediately adds:... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 20 BUT WILT THOU. KNOW, 0 VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? From the foregoing reasoning and illustrations are you willing to understand that faith apart from works is useless, unavailing, barren, dead? It is the truth, nevertheless. You are foolish, silly and vain to think otherwis... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 21 WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER JUSTIFIED BY WORKS? You, brethren, are of Hebrew descent, and as such I assume that you remember the history of our progenitor, so sacredly and carefully taught you by your parents. I assume this, for I am of Hebrew descent myself, and hold in memory dear the les... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 22 SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS. Abraham proved his faith by what he did towards obedience. And this is the only way faith can be shown. Faith, to be available, must be acted out; must show itself by operation; in short, must be actualized. Faith is thus made perfect. Works onl... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 23 AND THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED. It was after Abraham offered his son Isaac in sacrifice that the Scripture was fulfilled which said Abraham believed, and this belief was imputed to him for righteousness. And it was after this that Abraham was called the friend of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 24 YE SEE, THEN, HOW THAT BY WORKS. Now, from this history of Abraham, it is easily seen how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Abraham proved the existence of his strong faith by his obedience, by his works, by what he did.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 25 LIKEWISE ALSO WAS NOT RAHAB THE HARLOT. You, my brethren of Hebrew descent, know the history of Rahab. It is found also in the books you esteem as sacred, along with the other books recognized and received by us all as of divine origin. I can, therefore, appeal to the case of Rahab with al... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 26 FOR AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, SO FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD ALSO. Your own observation shows you, and you never doubt it for a moment, that the human body is dead when the spirit is separated from it; your life's experience assures you of this fact. You regard it as simply c... [ Continue Reading ]