New Testament · James

James 2

A Warning against Favoritism

1My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Yeshua Messiah of glory^a with partiality.

2For if a man with a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand there," or "Sit down at my feet" — 4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges^b with evil reasonings^c?

5Listen, 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? 6But you have dishonored the poor man; are not the rich the ones who oppress you and drag you into courts? 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the good name that was called over you?

8If you truly fulfill the royal law^d according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.^e 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

10For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at one point has become accountable for all of it. 11For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder"; if you do not commit adultery but you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of freedom.^f 13For judgment^g is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

(Galatians 3:1–9)

14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is without clothing and lacking daily food, 16and one of you says to them, "Go in peace^h, be warmed and filled," yet does not give them the things needed for the body — what good is that? 17So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.

18But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works"; show me your faith by your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that God is one — you do well; the evil spirits also believe and shudder.ⁱ

20Do you want to know, O empty man, that faith apart from works is dead? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22You see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made complete; 23and the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness^j," and he was called a friend of God. 24You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

25And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26For just as the body apart from spirit^k is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.