James 2:5-9

WHY OVER-RATING RICHES IS SIN

Text 2:5-9

James 2:5

Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?

6.

But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment seats?

7.

Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called?

8.

Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:

9.

But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

Queries

102.

Note the four words with which James opens the reasoning here. What is different about this and the manner of opening chapter 2?

103.

Did God choose the poor who did not choose God? What poor are here chosen?

104.

If God chooses those who are being saved, how can we encourage everyone to choose God?

105.

What kind of poverty do these poor have? Of spirituality? Of spiritual blessing? Of material possessions?

106.

God chose them to be rich in the faith. Does this mean that though they were poor before they became Christians, that now God will give them material riches since they are in the faith? If not, what does it mean?

107.

If the kingdom of God is the church on earth (Mark 1:15; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10; Mark 9:1; Mark 14:25; Mark 9:27; Mark 17:21, etc.), then how does it appear the saints are still heirs of the kingdom?

108.

Although James 2:5 expressly states that these saints are chosen, what within this verse definitely proves that these chosen ones do the choosing themselves?

109.

In James 2:6 the text says dishonored. What word is here used in the A.V.?

110.

How do we know these rich people were not Christians?

111.

What kind of oppression or persecution of James 2:6 is most likely? Persecution of people because they are Christians? What other reasons are possible?

112.

What are judgment seats?

113.

What is the difference between blaspheme and revile?

114.

What is the honorable name of James 2:7?

115.

State the royal law.

116.

Why does James refer to the royal law?

117.

Since the royal law is contained in the O. T. (Leviticus 19:18), why does James infer that the saints do well to keep it now?

118.

Explain how respect of persons violates the royal law.

119.

Relate James 1:13 and James 1:26 with James 2:8-9.

Paraphrases

A. 5.

Listen, my beloved brothers, did not God choose the poor who love him to have spiritual riches through faith and to be the ones who shall receive the kingdom that was promised?

6.

But in honoring the rich you have humiliated the poor man. Do not these same exceedingly rich people humiliate you by bringing suits against you before the courts?

7.

Do they not also make fun of the very name Christian which you wear?

8.

When you say, But we honor them because we love them, you do well to love them even as the Old Testament law states, but

9.

if in honoring them, you dishonor the poor you show respect because of riches, and by not loving the poor you violate the same law you claim to keep!

B.*5.

Listen to me, dear brothers: God has chosen poor people to be rich in faith, and the kingdom of heaven is theirs, for that is the gift God has promised to those who love Him.

6.

And yet, of the two strangers, you have despised the poor man. Don-'t you realize that it is usually the rich men who pick on you and drag you into court?

7.

And all too often they are the ones who laugh at Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear.

8.

Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's command, You must love and help your neighbors just as much as you love and take care of yourself.

9.

But you are breaking this law of our Lord's when you favor the rich and fawn over them; it is sin.

Summary

This class distinction causes you to unjustly honor those who persecute the poor Christians and to neglect those who are poor. This is a plain sin, for God says, Love your neighbor as yourself.

Comments

Although James again uses his characteristic address my beloved brethren, he here adds hearken. If there is any possibility they did not get the point, he wants them to pay particular attention to the reasons. Undue concern over material things spoiled many Christians then, even as many thousands today lose their first love (Christ) because they love too much the things of this world. But the point goes beyond this. It is inconsistent with brotherly love, lacking in just judgment, and is open disobedience to God.

Their choosing to pamper the rich is in direct opposition to the nature of God's choice, who chose the poor as to the world. Christ did not die for the worthy man, but for the unworthy. All men are unworthy (Romans 1:2). But not all men know it. The poor of this world have a great physical need. Physical needs we feel, spiritual needs we do not feel. The soul does not have a stomach to growl for food in hunger nor muscles to grow restless for lack of exercise, thus many men are dying of spiritual hunger and their souls are wasting away from lack of use; and they know it not. But a man with a serious physical need.. ah, that is different! In desperation he turns to God in prayer for food, or for healing, or for rest or whatever his physical need may be. Having broken down the normal resistance man has to submitting himself in request, he is now more willing to search his heart and seek spiritual blessing from God as well. Yes, the sick, the lame, and the blind physically are more able to see their need for spiritual healing and have their spiritual eyes opened that they might see Jesus and find salvation. Brother, the greatest blessing you have may be the fact that you have very little of this world's goods. If God sees fit to keep you in poverty, then He knows best. Thank God for poverty!

The riches in faith do not refer to material riches that are temporary and of no permanent value. These are the riches laid up in heaven, the riches of character and Christ-likeness, the fruits of the spirit, the samples of heaven we have on this earth. These are the riches that put a song on the lips of the poor, and an expression of rejoicing in the heart of the saint being persecuted. These are the treasures that neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steel. (Matthew 6:20).

It is true that the church is the kingdom of God on earth, but the kingdom of God is more than the church. The redeemed church is still the tempted church. The born again still live in the flesh, looking forward to being clothed again with a new body. The promise of salvation we now havebut there is more to come! There is a sum total of blessings that shall only be ours when we are with Jesus in eternity. This is a fulness of the kingdom such as this earth does not now know. We become heirs of the kingdom when we are washed in the blood of Christ, and we remain heirs until we shall be with Him in heaven. (Matthew 19:28 ff; Matthew 25:34; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25; Luke 18:18; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 5:21).

In James 2:6 we note the rich often oppress the poor. The verb (oppress) means to dominate or exercise power over in a bad sense. The idea is to exploit people, such as to not pay the wages earned, or take to property and possessions from the helpless through use of the courts and of the power that wealth gives. (See Micah 2:2; Amos 8:4; Zechariah 7:10; and Jeremiah 7:6). Because of the use of themselves, we gather that these very people to whom the churches were giving honor were the ones dragging the saints into court. (i.e., the rich Sadducees of Acts 4:1; Acts 13:50).

As if the treatment of the saints at the hands of these rich were not enough to show the inconsistencies of giving undue honor to them, James points out that the honorable name by which they were called, i.e. Christian (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), was blasphemed (reviled) by them. These rich would speak evil of the name Christian, or of the name of Christ which the saints used in the name Christian. There is a slight difference in the use of the word blaspheme and revile. If their insult were directed toward God, or toward that which was holy and sacred it would be translated blaspheme (cf. Acts 18:37; Romans 2:24). If the insult were against man it would be revile. (cf. Titus 3:2; Romans 3:8).

James 2:8 seems to be answering an anticipated argument, perhaps like this: You say we are honoring the rich. We admit it. Are not these people as real as the poor people? When God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, did he not include the rich? Are not these our neighbors too? Certainly, some of them are unjust and take the poor to court. Certainly, some of them blaspheme the name of Christ, and these things we neither like nor approve. But we do love these as men, our neighbors, so what is wrong in giving them honor out of love?

James answers that if in doing so it is truly to fulfill the royal law, they do well. The royal law is summed up as loving one's neighbor, and is fully stated in Leviticus 19:18. This is, probably, called the royal law because of the particular emphasis put upon it by Jesus (Matthew 22:39; Matthew 19:19, etc.). Thus, to be polite to the rich, and to give them normal courtesy and treat them like gentlemen, is evidently not considered to be in error, but rather an application of the royal law. Yet, their treatment went far beyond the normal courtesy given any stranger. It was a difference clearly measured by the amount of their wealth. It was such honor as to show distinct preference even to the point of insulting the poor. James points out inconsistencies of their (unstated) claim to be fulfilling the royal law.

If ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin. This is an obvious transgression. If they are obeying the royal law in their respect for the rich, why then do they not obey the royal law in respect for the poor? The same context with the royal law says, Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, not honor the person of the mighty. (see also Deuteronomy 1:17; Deuteronomy 16:19). The same law behind which they may hide concerning their treatment of the rich exposes their sin concerning their treatment of the poor. Next, James defines the principle transgressed in their actions.