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James 2

1My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold to faith in our glorious Lord Jesus the Messiah. 2For if a man wearing gold rings and splendid clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor man in filthy clothes also comes in, 3and you give your attention to the one wearing the splendid clothes and say, “You, sit here in a good place,” but say to the poor man, “You, stand, or sit there below my footstool,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my beloved brothers. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world's eyes to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7Is it not they who slander the noble name invoked over you?

8If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. 9But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at one point has become guilty of all of it. 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12Speak and act as people who are to be judged by a law of freedom. 13For judgment is without mercy for the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but has no deeds? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister lacks clothing and daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; be warmed and fed,” but you do not give them what their bodies need, what good is it? 17So too, faith, if it has no deeds, is dead by itself.

18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you faith from my deeds. 19You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.

20But do you want to know, you empty-headed person, that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by deeds when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that faith was working together with his deeds, and by his deeds faith was brought to completion. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is declared righteous by deeds and not by faith alone. 25Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also declared righteous by deeds when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another route? 26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Translation notes 10

2:1, 5, 14 — Brothers. The masculine address can include a mixed community. Verse 15 explicitly names both a brother and a sister.

2:1 — Opening command and titles. Alternatively, as a question: “My brothers, do you hold faith in our glorious Lord Jesus the Messiah while showing favoritism?” “Messiah” renders the title commonly written “Christ,” meaning “anointed one.” “Glorious” interprets the Greek “of glory”; another rendering is “our Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Lord of glory.” See the study notes for the grammatical decisions.

2:2 — Assembly. Greek synagōgē, also rendered “synagogue.” “Assembly” leaves the precise meeting place unspecified.

2:14 — That faith. “That faith” refers back to the faith just described. The Greek question anticipates a negative answer; the demonstrative is an interpretation of the Greek article, not a separate word meaning “that.”

2:16 — Be warmed and fed. Alternatively, “warm yourselves and eat your fill.” The Greek forms permit both passive and middle readings.

2:18 — Quotation boundary. The endpoint of this quotation is disputed; some interpreters extend it through the rest of verse 18 or through verse 19.

2:20 — Empty-headed. Literally, an “empty person.” “Empty-headed” preserves the image in an English expression for foolishness; the Greek does not explicitly mention a head.

2:20 — Useless. A textual alternative reads “dead.” The base text reads “useless” here, unlike verses 17 and 26.

2:21, 24, 25 — Declared righteous. Traditionally “justified.” An alternative is “shown to be righteous.” “Declared righteous” emphasizes the favorable judgment; the alternative emphasizes its demonstration. The same Greek verb and English rendering occur in verses 24 and 25. The study notes explain the choice.

2:26 — Spirit. Alternatively, “breath.” The Greek word can carry either sense in this bodily analogy.