James 2 - Introduction

It is not agreeable to Christ's profession, to regard the rich partially, and despise the poor brethren: rather we are to be loving and merciful; and not to boast of faith, where no deeds are; which is but a dead faith, the faith of devils, and not that of Abraham and Rahab.

Anno Domini 60.

THE manners and customs of the Hebrews being different from those of all other nations, the jurisprudence of the Heathens could not be applied for determining the controversies which arose among the Jews in the provinces. 'The Romans therefore allowed them, not only in Judea, but in all the countries of the empire, to determine their controversies about matters of property by their own law and practice. So Josephus informs us; and gives us copies of several decrees of the emperors to that effect. See 1 Corinthians 6:2. Hence the apostle, in mentioning the right practice which the Jewish converts, who thought themselves religious, were to maintain, insisted, particularlyin the first part of this chapter, on their observing justice and impartiality in judging such causes, as by the Roman law, or by the consent of parties, they were allowed to determine. And this he did the rather, because the unbelieving Jews were now become very partial and unjust in their decisions as judges. Nor were the believing part of the nation altogether blameless in that respect. But partiality in judgment being directly contrary to the gospel, the apostle severely reproved both the one and the other, for shewing any disposition to favour rich litigants, though it were only by giving them a better or more honourable seat in their synagogue, than that allotted to their poor opponents, James 2:1.—This partiality to the rich and contempt of the poor, he told them, was extremely improper in the disciples of Christ, especiallyas they knew that in all countries the poor had shewn a greater disposition to receive the gospel than the rich, James 2:5.—and that the rich unbelieving Jews were great persecutors of the Christians, and dragged them to the Heathen tribunals to get them punished, James 2:6.—Wherefore, to prevent partiality in judgment for the future, the apostle enforced upon them that unfeigned benevolence towards all men, which Christ has enjoined as his commandment, and which, on that account, may be called the royal law, James 2:8.—This passage of the epistle, so far as it related to the Christians, was intended for the instruction of the rulers and other gifted persons in the church, whose office it was to determine those controversies about worldly matters which arose among the brethren. See 1 Corinthians 12:28.

Many of the Jews, influenced by the prejudices of their education, attempted to excuse their unjust judgments and other evil actions, by the care with which they performed some one or other of the precepts of the law, which they considered as of more importance than the rest. Hence the question of the lawyer, Matthew 22:36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Wherefore, to set them right in this matter, the apostle assured them, that though they kept all the other precepts of the law, if they offended in any one of them, they became guilty of all, James 2:10.—because the precepts of the law being all enjoined by one and the same authority, he who wilfully transgresses one precept, disregards the authority of the Lawgiver, and shews himself ready to transgress any other precept, in the like circumstances, James 2:11.

Another great error into which the Jewish Christians had fallen in the first age, and which had made them negligent of good works, was this: They fancied that the speculative belief of the doctrines of the gospel, to which they gave the name of faith, was sufficient to save them, however deficient they might be in good works,—a fatal error, which has too much prevailed in modern times likewise. Wherefore, to shew that one's assenting with his understanding to the truths of the gospel, will not save him, unless it leads him to holiness, and every good word and work, the apostle compared the faith of such a believer, to the benevolence of a man who in words expresses abundance of kindness to the naked and the hungry poor, yet gives them none of the things necessary to the body, James 2:14.—For the same purpose he remarked, that even the devils believe speculatively the truths of the gospel, but will not be saved by their faith; on the contrary, they tremble when they recollect God's justice and power, James 2:19.—Farther, more fully to prove that good works are necessary to our final justification, or in other words, to obtain the approbation of the great Judge on the dayof judgment, the apostle appealed to Moses himself, who has declared that Abraham and Rahab were, in this sense, justified, on account of the good works which their faith prompted them to perform, James 2:20.

St. James concludes this subject with a saying, which must impress every intelligent reader with the strongest conviction of the necessity of good works,—As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also, James 2:26.