II. (1) MY BRETHREN. — The second chapter opens with some stern rebukes for those unworthy Christians who had “men’s persons in admiration,” and, doubtless, that “because of advantage” to themselves. (Comp. Jude 1:16.) The lesson is distinctly addressed to believers, and its severity appears to be... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THERE COME UNTO YOUR ASSEMBLY (literally, _synagogue_). — This is the only place in the New Testament where the Jewish word is used for a Christian congregation. A MAN WITH A GOLD RING, IN GOODLY APPAREL. — Better, _a man golden-ringed, in bright apparel._ Roman satirists had much to say upo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE HAVE RESPECT TO HIM THAT WEARETH THE GAY CLOTHING (or, _bright apparel_). — Look on him, that is, because of his fine appearance, with undue respect and consideration. AND SAY UNTO HIM, SIT THOU HERE IN A GOOD PLACE (or, as margin, _well_); AND SAY TO THE POOR, STAND THOU THERE, OR SIT HERE U... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE YE NOT THEN PARTIAL IN YOURSELVES, AND ARE BECOME JUDGES OF EVIL THOUGHTS? — Or, as the sense, fully expressed, would be: “My brethren, if you acted thus, did you not doubt in yourselves, and become by such false and unfaithful discrimination judges of and in your own evil thoughts? Did you not... [ Continue Reading ]
HEARKEN, MY BELOVED BRETHREN. — With complete change of manner the Apostle writes now as if he were speaking, in brief quivering sentences, appealing to the hearts which his stronger words may not compel. HATH NOT GOD CHOSEN...? — There is, then, an election on the part of God. It were folly to deny... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE HAVE DESPISED THE POOR. — Better, _ye dishonoured the poor man_ — _i.e._, when, as already mentioned (James 2:2), you exalted the rich unto the “good place” of your synagogue. Thus whom God had called and chosen, you refused. “It is unworthy,” observes Calvin on this passage, “to cast down th... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT THEY BLASPHEME... — To “blaspheme” is to hurt with the tongue, and includes all manner of evil speech; but a more exclusive use of the word is with regard to things divine, and particularly the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31). A moment’s reflection will show, unhappily... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE FULFIL THE ROYAL LAW. — Better paraphrased thus, _If, however, ye are fulfilling the Law, as ye imagine and profess ye are doing, the royal law, according to the Scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye are doing well; but_.... Mark the touch of irony in the defence which St. J... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF YE HAVE RESPECT TO PERSONS... — Translate, _But if ye respect persons, ye work sin, and are convicted by the Law_ (_i.e.,_ at the bar of conscience) _as transgressors._ The first principle has been broken, and not a mere detail. _De minimis non curat lex:_ the laws of men cannot concern thems... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP... — Better, _have kept the whole Law, but shall have offended in one, has become guilty of all._ As a chain is snapped by failure of the weakest link, so the whole Law, in its harmony and completeness as beheld by God, is broken by one offence of one man; and the penalty fa... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE THAT SAID... — All men have favourite vices and indulgences; and most “Compound for sins they have a mind to By damning those they’re not inclined to;” forgetful that the same Lawgiver has laid His restrictions upon every sort and kind. Not that we can believe all sins are the same in their... [ Continue Reading ]
SO SPEAK YE, AND SO DO. — The writer has shown how unsuspected sins lead quickly to a violation of the Law, and in concluding this part of his Epistle he returns to the warning against an unguarded tongue, with which he commenced in chap 1:26. THE LAW OF LIBERTY. — The term is only found here and in... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE SHALL HAVE JUDGMENT WITHOUT MERCY, THAT HATH SHEWED NO MERCY. — Better, _For unmerciful judgment shall be to him that wrought not mercy._ Here again are the clearest echoes of our Saviour’s words (Matthew 6:1, _et seq._)_,_ and a reference, we can hardly doubt, to His well-known parable (Matt... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT DOTH IT (or, _is the_) PROFIT, MY BRETHREN, THOUGH A MAN SAY HE HATH FAITH, AND HAVE NOT WORKS? — Some allusion here is made most probably to the Shema, the Jewish creed, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4). It was the daily protest of the devout Israelite in the mi... [ Continue Reading ]
(14-26) FAITH AND WORKS. — We now enter on the most debatable ground of the Epistle; a battle-field strewn with the bones and weapons of countless adversaries. It is an easy thing to shoot “arrows, even bitter words”; and without doubt, for what seemed to be the vindication of the right, many a hard... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT (the word should be added, for it continues an argument) IF A BROTHER OR SISTER BE NAKED, AND DESTITUTE OF DAILY FOOD — _i.e.,_ the food for each day, not that which suffices for one, or for a present distress; the case is rather of worst and direst want, so that the heart untouched by the spect... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ONE OF YOU SAY UNTO THEM, DEPART IN PEACE, BE YE WARMED AND FILLED. — Is it unlikely, knowing as we do the style of the rugged Apostle, that he was drawing other than from the life? Perhaps it was a scene in his own experience during that very famine foretold by Agabus (Acts 11:28). There would... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. — Better, like the margin, _is dead in its own self._ If to be childless among women were a curse in Israel, so to be barren among God’s graces is the condemnation of faith in Christendom. And St. Paul, in substantial harmony with this asser... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, A MAN MAY SAY... — The bearing of this verse is commonly misunderstood; its words are those of scorn, uttered probably by some enemy of the faith — Jewish or Pagan — and are another instance, like that of the unruly tongue, by which those outside the pale of Christianity may and will judge us w... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU BELIEVEST THAT THERE IS ONE GOD; THOU DOEST WELL. — Better thus, _Thou believest that God is One; thou doest well._ He is the formal object of faith derived from knowledge, whether by sense, intuition, or demonstration; you are theologically correct, and may even declare your internal faith by... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? — “Vain,” _i.e._, empty and useless. Some copies have a word which means idle, fruitless, workless, in place of that translated “dead”; but the sense is the same either way. “If,” says Bishop Beveridge, “I see fruit growing upon a tre... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER JUSTIFIED BY WORKS...? — St. James now addresses his two examples from familiar history in force of his plea for active faith. The first is the marvellous devotion and trust of Abraham (Genesis 22) _when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar;_ that boy himself the type o... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEST THOU HOW...? — Better taken simply, and not as a question, _Thou seest how,_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED. — Namely, that earlier declaration of God (Genesis 15:6) when the childless Abraham, with only a Syrian slave for his heir, trusted in the divine promise that his own seed should be as the number of the stars of heaven. ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS IMPUTED UNTO HIM... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SEE THEN HOW THAT BY WORKS... — Observe that St. James says a man is not justified “by faith _only,”_ putting the adverb in the last and most emphatic position. He never denies Justification by Faith; but that fancied one of idle, speculative, theoretic faith, with no corresponding acts of love.... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE ALSO... — The second example, brought forward in strange and complete contrast to Abraham, “the father of many nations,” is that of Rahab, the harlot, who received and sheltered in her house at Jericho the two spies sent out from the camp of Israel (Joshua 2). The evil name of the poor woma... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT... — A closing simile of much force, _As the body without the spirit, so faith without works._ But the term “without” is hardly strong enough to represent the Greek “apart from.” Of our own human wisdom we had been rather inclined to say that works were likest to the b... [ Continue Reading ]