A Living Faith Evidenced in Refraining from Partiality (James 2:1–13, Part 1)
James 2:1-13 should be read in light of James’ main concern of his letter (James 1:19–27 with Matthew 7:21, 24). What is the main concern of James’ letter? Hiebert identifies it: “Such obeying of the Word constitutes the essence of living faith. These verses express James’ central concern.”1
James 2:1-13 summarizes one of James’ prime examples to test whether one’s faith/religion is a living faith (James 1:27)—that one is a doer of the Word and not a hearer only who is self-deceived (James 1:22). If you have accepted the engrafted Word (James 1:18, 21), then you will be a doer of the Word/obey the law of liberty (James 1:22, 25) as exemplified in your treatment of the righteous poor (James 1:28; 2:1-13).
“With this exhortation [to be a doer of the Word] we find ourselves right at the heart of James’ pastoral concern…. The person who fails to do the Word, James therefore suggests (in anticipation of his argument in James 2:14–26), is a person who has not truly accepted God’s Word at all.”2
James challenges us to look into the mirror of God’s law and make any necessary changes—to be careful not to go on our way as hearers only who ignore what the law says about an impartial treatment of the righteous poor (James 1:22–25 with 1:27 and 2:1–13). We must apply Jesus’ ethical standards to our lives by being doers and not hearers only (Luke 11:28). Claiming to have received the implanted Word (being regenerated) without the evidence of being a doer of the Word (sanctification) is false since sanctification necessarily results from regeneration. Don’t deceive yourself. Conduct reveals character. Inward transformation must be evidenced in external, concrete applications in one’s behavior. This principle does not require perfection but a pattern of making things right in our lives when wrongdoing is pointed out to us from the Word. The true believer will look intently into the ethical law of God and persevere (put active effort into) living it out.3
New Birth (1:18)—>Put off Evil (1:21)—>Put on Righteousness/Be a Doer of the Word (1:20, 22-25)
I have endeavored to communicate the significance and importance of James’ great concern in order to reinforce the importance of the proper interpretation and application of what it means to obey James 2:1–13 regarding an impartial treatment of the poor. If we get this wrong, we would be evidencing an inconsistent practice with our profession of faith, deceiving ourselves and in danger of damnation (5:19–20). Or we could be putting an unfair guilt-trip on true believers who actually are living out a righteous faith but are being told that they’re not. These are the stakes of getting the interpretation and application of this passage right.
“By showing favor to the rich and treating the poor with contempt, the believers to whom James writes are acting in direct contradiction to this central demand of God’s law. That law, especially as interpreted and applied by Jesus, their Lord and King, has at its heart love for the neighbor (v. 8; cf. 1:25). By discriminating against the poor, these Christians violate that law and thus put themselves in danger of being judged by it (vv. 9-13). In effect, James suggests, their actions suggest that they are among those people who may be “deceived” about the reality of their relationship to God (cf. 1:22, 26).”4
James is known as “the Amos of the New Testament” not only because he calls for ethical consistency and prophetically rebukes an adulteress people, but also because those who favor a social justice/social gospel approach often misconstrue James and Amos to condemn conservative Christians for failing to truly live out the gospel. What are we to make of these charges?
Before we can deal with the question of such applications, we must carefully interpret the text. The following outline will prove helpful as a starting point:
- The Statement of the Problem (James 2:1)
- The Illustration of the Problem (James 2:2–4)
- The Explanation of the Problem (James 2:5–7)
- The Significance of the Problem (James 2:8–11)
- The Solution to the Problem (James 2:12–13)
In the next post we’ll interpret the meaning of this text and then consider the appropriate applications.
Kevin Collins has served as a junior high youth leader in Michigan, a missionary in Singapore, a Christian School teacher in Utah, and a Bible writer for the BJU Press. He currently works for American Church Group of South Carolina.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay