James 2 deals with favoritism in the church. Suppose a man with a gold ring and fine clothing comes into the meeting, and a poor man in dirty clothing comes too. If the rich man gets a good seat while the poor man is told to stand, the believers have become judges with evil thoughts. God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom.

The royal law according to the Scripture is, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Showing partiality breaks that law. James reminds them that whoever stumbles in one point becomes guilty of all. They should speak and act as people judged by the law of freedom, because mercy triumphs over judgment.

Then James asks what good it is if someone says he has faith but has no works. If a brother or sister lacks daily food and you say, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them what they need, that faith is dead. Abraham’s faith worked with his works, and Rahab’s faith was shown when she received the messengers.

James 2 opens with a warning: My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality. James describes a gathering where a man with a gold ring and fine clothing is welcomed to a good seat, while a poor man in shabby clothing is told to stand or sit on the floor. Such favoritism makes believers judges with evil thoughts. God chose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom, yet the readers had dishonored the poor man.

The standard is the royal law, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Partiality is sin, and the law cannot be kept in pieces: whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all. So believers should speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James then asks, What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Faith that only says, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, to a hungry and cold person is dead. Even the demons believe that God is one, and shudder. Abraham’s faith worked with his works when he offered Isaac, and the Scripture was fulfilled, Abraham believed God, and he was called the friend of God. Rahab of Jericho showed her faith by receiving the messengers. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.