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More James commentaries
James 1:1-4
How to Profit from Trials
James 1:5-8
How to Deal with Trials
James 1:9-11
The Perspective of Rich and Poor
James 1:12-18
Loving God In Spite of Trials
James 1:19-25
Qualities Needed in Trials
James 1:26-27
Doers - Not Hearers Only
James 2:1-9
Beware of Personal Favorites
James 2:10-18
Faith is Proved by Love
James 2:19-26
Faith is Proved by Works
James 3:1-8
The Tongue that Needs Tamed
James 3:9-12
The Lips Need to Bear Spiritual Fruit
James 3:13-18
Heavenly Verses Demonic Wisdom
James 4:1-6
Pride Promotes Strife
James 4:7-10
Humility Cures Worldliness
James 4:11-17
Don’t Boast about Tomorrow
James 5:1-6
Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged
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Beware of Personal Favorites
James 2:1–9
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he deci … More
God doesn’t play favorites. The Christians in the early church evidently were having a problem of showing favoritism. James is saying that there is no place to pick and choose with the wrong motives, with our self-centered desires in mind. In this chapter he gives five reasons why it is ridiculous to favor the rich and look down on the poor:
It is wrong to honor the rich at the expense of the poor. Both stand on the same level before God and should be treated as equals. James gives an illustration of a man of wealth and distinction who makes his appearance at the assembly. At the same time a poor man in dirty clothes appears. The rich man is offered a choice seat while the poor man is told to stand. This is wrong.
Application
Do I show more kindness to those with my own skin color? Do I avoid those who have a physical difference and only spend time with those who are strong and healthy? Do I spend time with certain people because it makes me look good? Do I favor the rich over the poor?
James 2:1-9 (English Standard Version)
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
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