Bible Study on James 2:1-13 NIV:
As shared by Rev Don Schink, (C) 2005, 2008
"The Foolishness of Favoritism"
Favoritism Forbidden 1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Unsavory Favoritism:
1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Thoughts For Direction and Reflection:
This Scripture starts out clear, direct and to the point. How much easier does the message get? To start, don’t show favoritism! It’s not right! Favoritism? But we’re Christians! We don’t do that,… do we? Well… Yepper! We shouldn’t but it does happen! And as true believers, we need to realize that we have a higher responsibility in how we deal with others as part of our higher calling. We stand apart from the non-believer. We no longer operate as worldly ones do in treating, or mistreating, others, as such.
A pastor decided to test his congregation one Sunday. So he had an assistant start the service. He was nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes into the service, a man came in, clearly appearing to be homeless. His clothes were very old and worn. He wore an old hat and a scarf was wrapped around his head, which seemed to have been shielding him from the cold winter winds and falling snow. The ushers looked him over and directed him to a seat in a pew in the back of the church. The man insisted on going forward and they discouraged him from doing so, reasoning with the man that the service was already in progress. The man explained that he needed to be up front to hear. An usher clearly tried to detain the man. But the man went forward anyways… up the aisle, past the front pew… and right up on to the platform to the pulpit! Then he slowly began taking his outer clothing off and there to everyone’s surprise… and to the embarrassment of the usher, … It was their pastor! As he opened his Bible and began to preach on today’s Scripture, James 2:1-13, everyone got the point. Not a person in that congregation would be numb enough to have missed the message illustrated, as it was that morning! And I suspect that everyone present that day would never forget it, either! I wouldn’t! Would you? No, of course you wouldn’t!
Today’s Scripture implies a clear contradiction between faith and favoritism. As Christians, we are often cautioned to avoid being polluted by the ways of the world. We, as Christians, are called to yield to a higher standard of living. It is an honor and a privilege to live the disciplined life as a Christian, and far more satisfying, overall. Ours is a precious walk of faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit!
The possibility of preferential treatment toward the rich was a realistic issue for James to address. It was a normal practice in that time, culturally. James points out that to do so shows a judgmental and discriminatory spirit. The question here would be, "What would Jesus do?" We already know that this type of negative action goes against the loving, redemptive nature of Jesus, Himself, and, as such, also goes against the same nature of the true professing Christian!
Misdirected Discrimination:
5
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
Here’s the rub: Those very ones who were mistreating others are the ones who were being honored. Those who were truly rich due to dedicated Christian lifestyle and proper witness for Christ were being mistreated. They were poor financially and materially but spiritually rich. Those who were wealthy in finances and possessions were spiritually destitute! These rich dudes were really duds. They were slandering Christ and his faithful followers yet were being exalted due to their earthly wealth! Whoa! The very ones who were dragging poor and defenseless people into court, who were clearly hard-hearted, were the very ones that were being favored! There are numerous discussions regarding the type of assembly that was involved here. It doesn’t matter, in reality. We are to be honest, fair, redemptive and loving whatever the case may be.
The following observation is quoted from BibleGateway.com’s Commentary section on James, chapter two:
An additional source of insight into James's thinking may be found in comparison with the Lord's Sermon on the Mount. Because of James's emphasis on judging, the obvious place to begin looking is Matthew 7:1, where followers of Christ are commanded not to judge (krino). Except for James's omission of Jesus' emphasis on asking and believing (which James included in 1:5-8 and which does not really fit his primary purpose in this section), the parallels between the two passages are extensive.
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Matthew 7 |
James 2 |
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1-2 |
Prohibition against judging |
1 |
Prohibition against judgmental favoritism |
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3-5 |
Illustration of removing one's own faults so that one can help remove others' faults |
2-4 |
Illustration of removing one's own partiality so that one can judge or instruct others |
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6 |
Warning not to despise what is sacred in favor of dogs or pigs that will harm you |
5-7 |
Warning not to despise brothers who are rich in faith in favor of others who harm you |
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7-11 |
Encouragement to ask and to believe |
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12 |
Summary of the law as doing to others what you would want for yourself |
8-11 |
Summary of the law as loving others as yourself |
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13-14 |
Summary admonition to follow the narrow way that leads to life |
12-13 |
Summary admonition to follow the law that gives freedom |
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15-23 |
Warning against false prophets, with the true test presented: deeds |
14-19 |
Warning against dead faith, with the true test presented: deeds |
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24-27 |
Parable to illustrate putting Christ's words into practice |
20-26 |
Examples to illustrate putting faith into practice |
The Greater Law of Love:
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"[b] also said, "Do not murder."[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Love is the supreme law. When we truly love, it is hard to be involved in negative situations that result in sinful behavior, going against the natural higher law of love. The spirit of love is exactly opposite of that of the one who would commit adultery or murder. The one who operates out of a spirit of love has a heart set on redemption, not destruction!
The reality of the type of love that brings precious victory and overcomes evil is so beautifully emphasized by the teaching in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13:
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
So, if you and I will yield ourselves to allow the Holy Spirit to permeate our hearts and lives at His best, allowing Him to indwell us in His saving and sanctifying fullness, we will find that enablement to overcome those things of the world that would tend to pull us down. As such, He is more than willing to give us His very best, as our loving heavenly Father, with Christ as our precious Savior and Lord, with the intimate guidance of the Holy Spirit. He always honors and answers a sincerely seeking heart! Hallelujah!
When we evaluate the character of our conduct, we do so to a basic Christian rule, which is
"[8] Love your neighbor as yourself." That's a good rule to go by. If you and I treat those around us with the same love and respect that we want others to express toward us, we will do quite well. This law of guidance for Christian conduct is nothing new. It is a quote from the Old Testament, as seen in Leviticus 19:18, "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.'"It is reaffirmed in the teachings of Jesus, in the New Testament, as in Matthew 22:37-39,
"Jesus replied: " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"". It is the royal law because it is the word of our Lord. It is the royal law because when it is kept in deed and in truth we will not violate any of God's laws governing our relationships with one another. The keeping of this law is the keeping of it all. It is the royal law the enables us to be victorious over all. Praise the Lord!
As we pray and contemplate on today's Word,
Please note:
You are welcome to share this Bible study in your local churches, but I suggest that you personalize it. You do not have permission to publicize it or to make money from it in any form. May God richly bless you as you minister for Him with rich spiritual rewards of seeing many souls saved and sanctified for all eternity! Please let me know whatever helpful results you may get from this!
With Warm Sincerity in Jesus’ Love,
Rev. Don Schink, Pastor-Evangelist
Sonlight Ministries
Tijeras, NM
Pastor Don's Ministry & Evangelism Outreach Page