JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:1 The Sin of Favoritism. The problem of the poor and the rich, already emphasized in James 1:9, James 1:27, now comes into focus. James warns about discriminating against the poor in favor of the wealthy in the church. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); f... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:2 ASSEMBLY probably refers to a Christian house church. SIT DOWN AT MY FEET. The place of a servant. JUDGES WITH EVIL THOUGHTS. Christians are not to “judge” each other harshly and unfairly (Matthew 7:1; Romans 14:4). To do so can only mean one’s mind is full of evil thoughts.... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:5 CHOSEN... TO BE RICH IN FAITH. 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 (compare Matthew 5:3). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.leng... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:6 OPPRESS YOU reflects terrible social injustices in the first century. Merchants and landowners were taking land and possessions from the poor (see James 5:1). DRAG YOU INTO COURT. As frequently criticized in the OT, the wealthy often used the court system to steal from the po... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:8 ROYAL LAW refers to God’s decree in Leviticus 19:18 (“love your neighbor”; compare Matthew 22:34) as the most important kingdom rule for ethical conduct. See Romans 13:8. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = docum [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:9 PARTIALITY. Favoring the rich breaks the OT commands to treat the poor fairly (Leviticus 19:15; Job 34:19). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:10 ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL OF IT. The law was considered an interdependent whole. Breaking any law meant breaking THE WHOLE LAW. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:12 THE LAW OF LIBERTY. The law of Christ provides freedom from sin. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:13 FOR JUDGMENT IS WITHOUT MERCY TO ONE WHO HAS SHOWN NO MERCY. This common saying summarizes vv. James 2:1 and leads into the “faith without works” discussion in vv. James 2:14. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT. Because they have been shown mercy, Christians show mercy to others ... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES 2:14 Faith without Works Is Dead. James continues the theme that hearing/faith must lead to doing/works. It may seem that James contradicts Paul’s “by grace you have been saved through faith... not a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8). In reality there is no contradiction between faith and works... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:15 GO IN PEACE, BE WARMED AND FILLED. An example of faith without works. The person seems to be expressing concern for the poor, but in reality he refuses to help. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:17 DEAD. Useless, with no life at all. It cannot lead to salvation (v. James 2:14). True faith will produce WORKS. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:18 BUT SOMEONE WILL SAY. James anticipates questions about this teaching. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:19 GOD IS ONE. This affirmation that there is only one true and living God comes from Deuteronomy 6:4 (see Mark 12:29; Romans 3:30). But James notes that EVEN THE DEMONS BELIEVE this, and they SHUDDER. Mere mental assent to the Christian faith does not save anyone. True commitm... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:21 ABRAHAM... JUSTIFIED BY WORKS. James may seem to contradict Paul here (compare Romans 4:2). However, while Paul cites Genesis 15:6 to show that Abraham was justified by faith, James bases his claim on Genesis 22:9, where Abraham was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Thu... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:22 FAITH WAS COMPLETED BY HIS WORKS. James does not disagree that faith alone saves (Romans 3:28). “Completed” often means “bring to maturity.” Full-grown and genuine faith is seen in the good deeds it produces. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:23 James uses Genesis 15:6 in a way that complements rather than contradicts Paul (Romans 4:1; Galatians 3:6). James sees Genesis 15:6 as having been FULFILLED (see James 2:22) in Abraham’s offering of Isaac (Genesis 22:1). James focuses on A [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:24 NOT BY FAITH ALONE. James again seems at first to contradict Paul’s teaching that one is justified by faith alone (Romans 3:28), but the two are compatible. Here “faith alone” means mere intellectual agreement without genuine personal trust in Christ that bears fruit in one’... [ Continue Reading ]
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:25 RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE believed the stories of God’s saving work for the Hebrews (Joshua 2:8). So, at some personal risk, she hid the Jewish spies from her own people and then helped them escape (Joshua 2:15). Thus she became a model of faith completed in works. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var ima... [ Continue Reading ]