James 1: 27 2:1-4

27

Christianity commands that we are careful and watch with all diligence what comes out of our mouths and that we care for those who are in need. Live not according to the world but according to God’s word and God’s will that is commanded of us in the bible.

I think that we can sum up these two characteristics of the pure and undefiled religion like this: to have love for one another and keep God and his commandments above anything that the world may say or offer.

How much do we value God and his commands over anything the world has to offer?

2:1-4

Read 2:1-7

One of God’s perfect attributes that does not often get discussed is his perfect impartiality. We see examples in the scriptures in many places of this, from the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 10:17 “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.” 2 Chronicles 19:7 “Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”” Proverbs 24:23 “These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.” From the New Testament: John 7:24 “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”” There is also no partiality in God’s judgement Romans 2:9–11 “There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” Several of Jesus’ parables were teaching on the impartiality of God in salvation. The parable of the landowner who hired workers in Matthew, Matthew 20:13–16 “But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”” Some will come to salvation with much life left in which to serve God, but some may be saved minutes before their death, is not the reward for both eternal life? Should the person who served God most of their life, the hired worker who started in the field in the morning, be jealous or envious of the person saved on their death bed, the worker hired late in the day? Also the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22, those who were invited did not come so the banquet was opened to all that could be found, regardless of their merit. God has shown us the ultimate impartiality by sending Jesus to take the punishment for our sins when we were still at war with God, we did not seek Him, but he sought us and paid for us with his precious blood. 1 John 4:10–12 “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

1

Comment:

Verse 1 starts with James saying My brethren, or My brothers, and is a reminder of who James is initially addressing this letter to, “to the twelve tribes in the dispersion” and also this is a loving address as a preface to the admonition or warning that the next verses contain. “Show no partiality” or “with respect of persons” or “an attitude of personal favoritism” these phrases come from the singular Greek word ‘prosopolempsia’ and this Greek word is significant in that it is really only found in Christian writings. Probably because this idea of partiality or favoritism was such an accepted part of society that is was assumed and not really written about. And to make a distinction the partiality that James is writing about is not the proper special respect and honor that should be shown to the elderly and to those in authority, as God has commanded through Moses in Leviticus 19:32 ““You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” , the word ‘prosopolempsia’ literally means the lifting up of someones’s face, with the idea of judging by appearance and thus giving favor or respect. This type of favoritism and undue respect based on appearance or wealth or status has no place in those who hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of glory, this perhaps referring to the Shechinah Glory of God, which James’ Jewish brethren would be very familiar with.

Question: Have we given enough thought about the perfect impartiality attribute of God?

Question: Where would we be if God did not show impartiality?

2

Comment:

A few things to note on verse 2, neither being wealthy is the sin in question, if the wealth was gained in an honorable and just way and is used wisely as generous and faithful stewards of the blessings that God has given them, nor is being poor, unless the person has become poor from foolishly squandering what has been given to him. You could also substitute wealthy and poor for black and white or this nationality or that nationality, the reason for the partiality laid out in verse 3 is immaterial. Also where we see the word assembly James has used the Greek word ‘sunagoge’ which means a gathering together and is commonly translated as “synagogue” and not the Greek word ‘ekklesia’ which is seen a lot in other places in the New Testament and is usually translated as “church”, the use of ‘sunagoge’ here is another example of whom James is addressing this letter to, Christian Jews.

Question: What are some other kinds of partiality that we may face and potentially struggle with?

3

Comment:

Verse 3 we see the result of the sin of partiality that James is warning against. Using a person’s wealth or lack of wealth, or any other physical difference, in deciding who gets honor and who does not is a sin. The Jews that James is writing to were very familiar with the layout of the synagogues, there were a few benches at the front, these were the seats that the scribes and pharisees coveted, Matthew 23:6 “and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues”, the rest of the seating was usually just the floor where the rest would sit cross legged or stood. The mention of sitting the poor man “at my feet” or “under my footstool” would be a double disrespect, not only were they not to sit at the bench but would not even be allowed to sit on the stool where those that sat at the benched put their feet.

Question: What would be some more modern day examples of this type of partiality that may be seen in the church?

4

Comment:

In verse 4 James clearly states that unjust or unbiblical partiality is evil, or sinful. In his letter James uses three different words that is translated as evil, wickedness, or vile in his letter, ‘kakia’ in James 1:21 “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”, ‘phaulos’ in James 3:16 “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”, the one used here and in again in James 4:16 “As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” is the strongest usage. This usage carries the meaning of vicious intentions that have a destructive and injurious effect. Not only are you sinning in making this kind of partiality based solely on outward appearance or status and sinning, the recipient of the negative preferential treatment would say “this person claims to be a Christian but he is clearly biased” how bad a light would that shine on Christianity? Even the recipient of the beneficial preferential treatment could come away thinking that Christianity is all about status and not the impartial grace from God that we have recieved.

Question: If we are to be defenders of the faith and evangelists in our daily lives do we have a biblical responsibility to speak out against and correct others when they demonstrate non-biblical partiality based on external criteria?