The General Epistle of James
James 2
Chapter II · Vol. IV, pp. 482–483
1 It is not agreeable to the Christian profession to regard the rich, and to despise the poor brethren: 13 rather we are to be loving, and merciful: 14 and not to boast of faith where no deeds are, 17 which is but a dead faith, 19 the faith of devils, 21 not of Abraham, 25 and Rahab.
1 My brethren, have not athe faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, bthe Lord of glory, with crespect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly1 a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
A.M. cir. 4064. A.D. cir. 60.
1 Gr. synagogue.
3 Andd ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place;2 and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Aree ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
e ch.3.16; 4.11. Mat.7.1-5.
5 Hearken, gmy beloved brethren, hhath not God chosen the poor of this world irich in faith, and heirs of the3 kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
g ch.1.16; ver.1; ch.3.1.
h Mat.5.3; 11.25. Lu.6.20. 1 Co.1.26-28. Jn.7.48.
i Lu.12.21,32; 22.29. 1 Ti.6.18,19. Re.2.9. Ex.20.6. Pr.8.17. 1 Sa.2.30. Mat.5.3. ch.1.12.
3 Or, that.
6 But jye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
j 1 Co.11.22. ch.5.4,6. Ac.13.50.
7 Dok not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
k Ps.73.9,11; 111.9. Job 21.14,15. Re.13.5,6, with Phi.2.9.
8 If ye fulfil the lroyal law according to the scripture, nThou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:Cited in WCF 19.2, 19.5
9 Buto if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced4 of the law as transgressors.
10 Forp whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.Cited in WSC 12, 16, 84 · WLC 95, 99, 152 · WCF 19.2, 19.5
p De.27.26. Mat.5.19,20. Ga.3.10. ver.11.
11 For qhe that said,5 Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.Cited in WLC 95, 152 · WCF 19.2, 19.5, 19.6
q Ex.20.13,14. De.5.17,18. Ga.3.10.
5 Or, that law which said.
12 Sor speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by sthe law of liberty.6Cited in WCF 19.2
r Phi.4.8. Jn.13.17. ch.1.25,27. Mat.5.48. 1 Pe.1.15,16. 2 Pe.1.4-8.
s ver.8; ch.1.25. Ro.7.12,14. Ps.119.14,16,32,45; 116.16.
6 See note on ch.1.25.—C.
13 Fort he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy urejoiceth7 against judgment.
t Ge.42.4,21. Ju.1.7. Job 22.5-10; 24.9,10. Pr.21.13. Mat.6.15; 7.1,2; 18.30; 25.41,42. Lu.16.25. ch.5.4.
u Ps.85.10. Mat.25.35; 5.7. 1 Jn.4.17,18.
7 Or, glorieth.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, vthough a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
16 Andx one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?Cited in WLC 136, 142
x Job 31.20. Lu.3.11; 6.35. Ga.6.10. 1 Ti.6.18. He.13.16. 1 Jn.3.17,18. Pr.3.27,28; 21.13.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works,1 and zI will show thee my faith by my works.2Cited in WLC 32 · WCF 16.2
* This verse appears to be closely connected with ver.16—a full exposure, in fact, of the absurd idea that faith can exist without, or apart from, works. They are and must be inseparable. Faith can never be exhibited but by works; and where good works do not exist, true faith can have no place in the soul.—P.
A.M. cir. 4064. A.D. cir. 60.
1 Some copies read by thy works.
z Ga.5.6. 1 Ti.1.5. 2 Co.7.1. Tit.2.11,12. 2 Pe.1.4-8. Mat.7.17. ch.3.12,13.
2 See note * in first column.
19 Thoua believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.3Cited in HC 21
20 But wilt thou know, bO vain man, that cfaith without works is dead?
b Job 11.12. Ps.94.8,11. 1 Co.8.2. Ga.6.3.
c ver.14,17,18,24,26. 2 Pe.1.4-8. Ga.5.6.
21 Was not Abraham our father djustified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son4 upon the altar?
d Mat.12.37. ver.18, with Ge.22.9,12. He.11.17.
4 When he had offered (in purpose of obedience) his son Isaac.—C.
22 Seest thou5 howe faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made 6perfect?7Cited in WLC 32 · WCF 11.2, 16.2
5 Or, Thou seest.
e ver.18,14,20. Ga.5.6. 1 Ti.1.5. Mat.7.17. ch.3.13, with He.11.17,19.
6 Made perfect—as a fruit-tree when its fruit is ripened.—C.
7 The faith of Abraham in God's power, truth, and love, led of necessity to the act of offering up his son, which in purpose he performed. Had he not done that act it would have been an evidence that he had no true faith. In this respect, viewed ab extra, the faith was perfected by the act.—P.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, gAbraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called hthe Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that iby works a man is justified, and not by faith only.8
‡ The word 'only' is the emphatic word in this verse. It is the key to the meaning of the whole. It solves the supposed discrepancy between James and Paul. It shows the real connection between faith and works. James does not deny that a man is justified by faith—nay, he indirectly affirms it; but he shows that true faith can never exist without works.—P.
i ver.14,17,18,20,22,26. Re.20.12.
8 See note ‡ in first column.
Notes
Ver. 1-7. Beware of taking up with such an empty profession of the truth, and of faith in Jesus Christ, our infinitely glorious and highly exalted Lord, the fountain and bestower of all glory upon us, as leaves you under the power of a partial, unjust, and carnal regard to men—not according to their religious characters, or the merits of their cause, but according to their higher or lower circumstances in life.—A preferring of one richly dressed in your religious meetings or judicial decisions, and pouring contempt upon another who is meanly dressed, can proceed from nothing but a shameful partiality, and a carnal and biassed manner of judgment.—And nothing can be more unreasonable among Christians, who cannot but remark that God has generally chosen mean persons to enrich them with faith and all the other graces of his Spirit, and to render them heirs of his heavenly kingdom; while great and rich men are generally unmindful of him, and thus by their own hearts' lusts, to be persecutors of his people and blasphemers of his name and religion. 8-11. If, from a principle of faith in and love to Jesus Christ, your Lord and King, ye obey his high and supreme law, treating all your neighbours, particularly your fellow-Christians, with as much kindness, equity, and mercy, in their various circumstances, as ye wish in like cases to be exercised towards yourselves, ye act a truly honourable and becoming part; but if ye regard persons merely or chiefly on account of their different worldly circumstances, ye stand convicted and condemned by that excellent law of God which requires the most strict regard to equity: and remember that though ye should keep all the other commandments, yet by a single breach in any particular point, ye break the whole law, as ye trample on that divine authority which connects together, and is the foundation of the whole law, and counteract that love which is the fulfilment of the whole law, particularly of the second table of it. 12, 13. Let your whole conversation towards God and men, in disposition, thought, word, and deed, be such as becomes them who live under the dispensation of the gospel, and who expect to be judged at the last day according to the tenor of it; for they who, contrary to its grace and obligations, neglect to exercise compassion towards their poor brethren, shall have a severe sentence of condemnation and wrath fixed on themselves; and they who, from true faith and love, exercise kindness towards them, shall have occasion to rejoice in their own deliverance from condemnation and wrath, and even in the hopes of it; and God's mercy shall, according to the gospel promises, triumph in their salvation. 14-26. And remember that if you have only a notional and lifeless faith, which does not effectually influence you to grant relief to your poor destitute brethren, and to the universal practice of righteousness and holiness, it is really naught, and no better than the faith of devils before God. For however insufficient good works be to justify our persons, or entitle us to eternal life before God as a righteous Judge, yet they are absolutely necessary to prove our faith unfeigned, and to manifest us justified before the world, and even in our own consciences—as is manifest from the case not only of Abraham the father of the faithful, but of Rahab the Canaanitish harlot; both of whom manifested their true faith and divine justification by their good works which proceeded therefrom.
Ver. 2. With a gold ring. Rather, 'having his fingers adorned with gold rings'—which might be evidences of riches, or perhaps badges of office and honour. C.
Ver. 4. In the several members of ver. 3 καὶ is uniformly retained and translated 'and;' wherefore it is not easy to discover why καὶ is altogether omitted in the beginning of ver. 4, or why the members of ver. 3 being affirmative, ver. 4 should be rendered interrogative. Would it not be more literal, and in accordance with the use of the word by James (ch. 1. 6), as well as in other places (e.g. Ro. 14. 23), to translate it thus:—'And have not wavered' (or hesitated) 'within yourselves, and have become judges of' (who have adopted) 'erroneous reasonings.'—Note, Luther, in the German, retains the 'and,' and renders the verse affirmatively. C.
Ver. 8. Royal law. 'Pre-eminent law,' as the word βασιλικὸς frequently signifies.—Note, The law of brotherly love our Lord delivers as 'a new commandment' (Jn. 13. 34; see note)—a commandment not new in principle, but new in measure; for the Mosaic law had said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;' but Christ hath said, 'Love one another as I have loved you.' See also Jn. 15. 12. C.
Ver. 13. Against judgment. Rather, 'over judgment.' Not as if mercy were contrary to judgment; for in Christ 'mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have embraced each other;' but the words represent that 'joy in heaven' which the holy angels, together with all 'who have obtained mercy,' feel and express 'over every sinner that repenteth,' who has fled to mercy in Christ, and escaped from the 'judgment to come.' C.
Reflections.—Decent respect is due to persons on account of their civil stations. But to prefer the rich, graceless, and gay, as such, especially in matters of religion or equity, is highly unchristian, and striking against the whole authority of the lawgiver, and that universal love required in his law, amounts to a breaking of all his commandments, and leaves little hopes of mercy to the guilty in the great day of account. It is chiefly among the poor that true Christians are found, and God's grace enriches and ennobles them. Why, then, should we despise them! Rich persons are too generally blasphemers of God's name and religion, persecutors of his saints, and oppressors of their inferiors. Why, then, should we partially caress them! It is not fine words of pity and compassion, and empty wishes of relief, but needful supplies, according to our ability, that God demands from us to our poor brethren, and in denying these we basely act the part of inhuman hypocrites. The best notions and professions of faith without good works thereby produced, are but dead, devilish, and abominable before God. No good works of ours can indeed justify our persons before God; but they are absolutely necessary to manifest our justification before men.