CHAPTER II. _We should not prefer the rich to the poor, nor show any_ _partiality inconsistent with the Gospel of Christ_, 1-4. _God has chosen the poor, rich in faith, to be heirs of his_ _kingdom, even those whom some among their brethren despised_ _and oppressed_, 5, 6. _They should love th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse James 2:2. _IF THERE COME UNTO YOUR ASSEMBLY_] εις την συναγωγην. _Into the synagogue_. It appears from this that the apostle is addressing _Jews_ who frequented their synagogues, and carried on their worship there and judicial proceedings, as the Jews were accustomed to do. Our word _assembly... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse James 2:3. _SIT HERE UNDER MY FOOTSTOOL_] Thus evidently prejudging the cause, and giving the poor man to see that he was to expect no impartial administration of justice in his cause.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse James 2:4. _ARE YE NOT THEN PARTIAL_] ου διεκριθητε. _Do ye not_ _make a distinction_, though the case has not been heard, and the law has not decided? _JUDGES OF EVIL THOUGHTS?_] κριται διαλογισμων πονηρων. _Judges_ _of evil reasonings_; that is, _judges who reason wickedly_; who, in effect,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse James 2:5. _HATH NOT GOD CHOSEN THE POOR OF THIS WORLD_] This seems to refer to Matthew 11:5: _And the poor have the Gospel preached to them_. These believed on the Lord Jesus, and found his salvation; while the _rich_ despised, neglected, and persecuted him. These had that faith in Christ whi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 6. _DO NOT RICH MEN OPPRESS YOU_] The administration of justice was at this time in a miserable state of corruption among the Jews; but a _Christian_ was one who was to expect no justice any where but from his God. The words καταδυναστευουσιν, _exceedingly_ _oppress_, and ελκουσινειςκριτηρια,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 7. _BLASPHEME THAT WORTHY NAME_] They took every occasion to asperse the _Christian_ name and the Christian faith, and have been, from the beginning to the present day, famous for their blasphemies against Christ and his religion. It is evident that these were _Jews_ of whom St. James speaks;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 8. _THE ROYAL LAW_] νομον βασιλικον. This epithet, of all the New Testament writers, is peculiar to James; but it is frequent among the Greek writers in the sense in which it appears St. James uses it. βασιλικος, _royal_, is used to signify any thing that is of general concern, is suitable to... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 9. _BUT IF YE HAVE RESPECT TO PERSONS_] In judgment, or in any other way; _ye commit sin_ against God, and against your brethren, and are _convinced_, ελεγχομενοι, and are _convicted_, by the law; by this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; _as transgressors_, having shown thi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 10. _FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL KEEP THE WHOLE LAW_, c.] This is a rabbinical form of speech. In the tract _Shabbath_, fol. 70, where they dispute concerning the thirty-nine works commanded by Moses, Rabbi Yochanan says: _But if a man do the whole, with the_ _omission of one, he is guilty of the who... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 11. _FOR HE THAT SAID_] That is, the authority that gave one commandment gave also the rest; and he who breaks one resists this authority; so that the breach of any one commandment may be justly considered a breach of the whole law. It was a maxim also among the Jewish doctors that, if a man... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 12. _SO SPEAK YE, AND SO DO_] Have respect to every commandment of God, for this the _law of liberty _- the Gospel of Jesus Christ, particularly requires; and this is the law by which all mankind, who have had the opportunity of knowing it, shall be judged. But all along St. James particularly... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 13. _FOR HE SHALL HAVE JUDGMENT_] He who shows no mercy to man, or, in other words, he who does not exercise himself in works of charity and mercy to his needy fellow creatures, shall receive no mercy at the hand of God; for he hath said, _Blessed are_ _the merciful, for they shall obtain merc... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 14. _WHAT_ DOTH IT _PROFIT - THOUGH A MAN SAY HE HATH FAITH_] We now come to a part of this epistle which has appeared to some eminent men to contradict other portions of the Divine records. In short, it has been thought that James teaches the doctrine of _justification by the merit of good w... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 15. _IF A BROTHER OR SISTER BE NAKED_] That is, ill-clothed; for γυμνος, _naked_, has this meaning in several parts of the New Testament, signifying bad clothing, or the want of some particular article of dress. See Matthew 25:36; Matthew 25:38; Matthew 25:43; Matthew 25:44, and John 21:7. It... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 16. _BE YE WARMED AND FILLED_] Your saying so to them, while you give them nothing, will just profit them as much as your professed faith, without those works which are the genuine fruits of true faith, will profit you in the day when God comes to sit in judgment upon your soul.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 17. _IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD_] The faith that does not produce works of charity and mercy is without the living principle which animates all true faith, that is, _love to God_ and _love to man_. They had faith, such as a man has who credits a well-circumstanced relation because it has al... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 18. _SHOW ME THY FAITH WITHOUT THY WORKS_] Your pretending to have faith, while you have no works of charity or mercy, is utterly vain: for as _faith_, which is a principle in the mind, cannot be discerned but by the _effects_, that is, _good works_; he who has no good works has, presumptively... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 19. _THOU BELIEVEST THAT THERE IS ONE GOD_] This is the faith in which these persons put their hope of pleasing God, and of obtaining eternal life. Believing in the _being and unity of_ _God_ distinguished them from all the nations of the world; and having been circumcised, and thus brought in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 20. _BUT WILT THOU KNOW_] Art thou willing to be instructed in the nature of true saving faith? Then attend to the following examples.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 21. _WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER_] Did not the conduct of Abraham, in offering up his son Isaac on the altar, sufficiently prove that _he believed in God_, and that it was his _faith_ in him that led him to this extraordinary act of obedience?... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 22. _SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT_] Here is a proof that faith cannot exist without being active in works of righteousness. His faith in God would have been of no avail to him, had it not been manifested by works; for _by works_ - by his obedience to the commands of God, _his faith was made pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED_] He believed God; this faith was never inactive, it was accounted to him for righteousness: and being justified by thus believing, his life of obedience showed that he had not received the grace of God in vain. Genesis 15:6, Genesis 15:6; _"_Romans 4:3_"_; _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 24. _YE SEE THEN HOW_] It is evident from this example that Abraham's faith was not merely _believing that there is a God_; but a principle that led him to credit God's promises relative to the future Redeemer, and to implore God's mercy: this he received, and was justified by faith. His fait... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 25. _RAHAB THE HARLOT_] Joshua 2:1, c., and _"_Hebrews 11:31_"_, c. Rahab had the _approbation_ due to genuine faith, which she actually possessed, and gave the fullest proof that she did so by her conduct. As justification signifies, not only the pardon of sin, but receiving the _Divine appro... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse James 2:26. _FOR AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD_] There can be no more a _genuine faith_ without _good works_, than there can be a living human body without a soul. WE shall never find a series of disinterested godly living without true faith. And we shall never find true faith witho... [ Continue Reading ]