Friday, November 18, 2005

James 2 - The Ethics of the New Creation

1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

My brethren - James uses the word, brethren, 17 times in only 5 chapters. Since this is a letter about behavior he keeps encouraging his readers by reminding them that they are his brethren.

do not hold your faith - Hold your faith refers to how we respond to what we believe, how we respond to the message that we have been released from our debt to the Law of Moses.

in our glorious - The glory of the Law has been replaced by the glory of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:7-9

But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.

Lord Jesus Christ - We have a new Lord, a new master. The bondage to the Law of Moses has been replaced by the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

with an attitude of personal favoritism - Since we have all been set free in Christ we should treat one another as being equally free from the Law. Under the Law of Moses people were to be treated differently because earthly blessing (riches) were a sign that they were obedient to the Law. Now that we are all freed from the Law of Moses blessing is based solely on being in Christ.

2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

For if a man comes into your assembly - The Greek word for assembly is "synagoge". It's interesting that the word for the Hebrew assembly is the same used for gatherings of the church.

with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes - Under the Law of Moses this would be a sign of God's blessing.

Psalm 37:25

I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.

and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes - Under the Law of Moses this would be a sign of God's curse. Under the New Covenant we are all clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

Galatians 3:27

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"

and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes - This brings to mind Jesus' description of the Pharisees.

Matthew 26:5-12

"They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

and say, "You sit here in a good place," - Notice that James writes, "and say". Our tongues reveal our hearts and the standard of judgment we are holding.

and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," - He is offering the lowest possible place. The feet are looked down on in Middle Eastern culture due to their being close to the dirty ground. "By my footstool" means by my dirty, smelly feet.

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

have you not made distinctions among yourselves - Making distinctions denies the truth that we are one body in Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

and become judges with evil motives - They had become judges of who was favored by God with the motive of being better than others.

Philippians 2:3

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

did not God choose the poor of this world - God's ways are the opposite of the world. He chooses the foolish, the weak, and the base. The world rewards the wise, the mighty, and the noble. Under grace rewards are based on the wisdom, might, and nobility of Christ as our champion. Just as all of Israel was included in David's victory over Goliath, the whole world was included in Christ's victory over Satan.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

rich in faith - Our faith enables us to see the riches that we have in Christ. Our blessings are in the heavenly places and can only be seen through the eyes of faith. Through Christ, we have been adopted as full members of God's family with all the blessings of being loved by our heavenly Father.

Ephesians 1:18

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

heirs of the kingdom - We are God's heirs. We inherit His kingdom on earth and we are His image as members of His family, just as children are the image of their parents. People look to us to see what God is like.

Luke 6:20

And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

which He promised to those who love Him - This may be referring to God's promise to Solomon. Notice that the promise to Solomon is conditioned on Israel's obedience to the Law of Moses. The promise to us is conditioned on the obedience of Jesus and is given to us without condition.

1 Kings 9:1-8

Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all that Solomon desired to do, that the LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. The LORD said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. "As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.' "But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. "And this house will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be astonished and hiss and say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?'

Israel failed to keep the commandments and the kingdom was taken away from them and the temple was reduced to ruins in 70ad.

Matthew 21:43-44

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

But you have dishonored the poor man - You, the church, had brought dishonor to those whom God has chosen to honor and glorify with His Son.

oppress you - Oppress means to use authority to hold someone down. Here the authority is the power of the Sanhedrin.

personally drag you into court - This is hard to understand apart from the contempory culture. The court here refers to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the ruling Jewish authority of the time. Matters pertaining to the Law of Moses were judged here. Those rich in the blessing of the Law, think Pharisees, were dragging those who were poor before those who were the official judges of the Law.

7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

blaspheme the fair name - Those who call others into judgment under the Law of Moses are blaspheming the name of Jesus, who has saved us from the Law of Moses. Jesus means savior.

by which you have been called - We who have been called in the name of Jesus experience salvation from the Law.

8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

fulfilling the royal law - Notice how James follows up on the idea of the courts by referring immediately to the royal law. This is in contrast to the Mosaic Law. The royal law is the law given by our new heavenly king of the new heavenly kingdom. James is showing the importance of the change in law which corresponds to the changing king and kingdom.

according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," - The old kingdom had over 600 laws. The new kingdom is characterized by only one.

you are doing well - Doing well in the new kingdom is just obeying one law. By loving our neighbor we are representing the character of our heavenly Father. This is the entire purpose of the new kingdom.

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

But if you show partiality - Showing partiality means we are making distinctions based on the Law of Moses.

you are committing sin - This would not be sin under the old law. It is sin only under the royal law. James is addressing those who have added the Law of Moses to the royal law.

and are convicted by the law as transgressors - Under the new hybrid law, mixing Moses with Christ they are transgressors of the very law they are trying to uphold.

This is similar to the situation in Galatia where the Judaizers were trying to force the believers to live under the Law of Moses.

Galatians 5:1-6

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

For whoever keeps the whole law - This refers to the entire Mosaic Law with its 600 plus commandments.

stumbles in one point - The one point is just to favor one person over another. Keep in mind that James is addressing those who are bringing the principles of the Old Testament law into the New Covenant and are creating a hybrid law out of the teachings of Jesus and the commandments of Moses.

guilty of all - By breaking one commandment we become guilty of breaking them all. The Law is a whole and the purpose of the Law was to make it obvious to all that we cannot please God. The Law came in to show us that we need a champion to conquer sin on our behalf. In Jesus we have that champion and so when we rest in Jesus we no longer need the Law to show us our guilt.

Romans 5:20

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

11 For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

"DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," - There are two types of laws in the ten commandments. The first five cover the relationship between man and God. The second five cover interpersonal relationships. Adultery is mentioned first because it violates the image of faithfulness between the Father and the Son.

"DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." - Murder is mentioned of next importance because if violates the image of God as the giver of life. The commandments were given so that we might reflect the character of God in our interpersonal relationships.

Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law - James is not concerned with adultery or murder. He is concerned with showing partiality. He brings up adultery and murder to show the impossiblity of keeping the Law. If we fail in any aspect of Law keeping we are guilty of breaking the Law. This shows the absurdity of using it as a standard to judge those who have been made righteous in Christ.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

So speak - Speaking is how we express what we believe.

and so act - Our actions are the works that flow from our belief.

as those who are to be judged - We were once judged by the Law of Moses.

by the law of liberty - Now we are judged by the law of liberty. We have been set free and we are to act to set others free.

13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

For judgment will be merciless - This goes back to the judgment of the merciless slave who was set free.

to one who has shown no mercy - He was shown mercy but he did not show mercy to the one who owed him.

mercy triumphs over judgment - If we show mercy we will not be judged. The New Covenant age is characterized by mercy. The Old Covenant age was characterized by judgment.

14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

What use is it - The benefit is salvation as we see at the end of the verse.

my brethren - Once again, James uses affirmation while challenging his readers.

if someone says he has faith - Works are an expression of our faith. A good tree bears good fruit. An apple tree bears apples. What we believe influences our actions. If we believe that we are free then we will give others freedom also. If we believe that we are under law then we will impose law on others.

but he has no works - In Jesus' parable of the freed debtor it makes no sense that the freed one demands that the one who owed him pay up. When we are shown grace we show grace towards others. When we are treated harshly we treat other harshly. If we are not gracious toward others then we have not understood or believed that God is gracious toward us.

Can that faith save him - No, it is of no use. If we do not act graciously toward others then we have not appreciated the grace that has been shown to us. Only by appreciating God's grace toward us can we be freed from bondage to the law.

Acts 13:39

and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

Salvation is an appreciation of the freedom we have from the Law of Moses or from any need to perform to earn God's acceptance. Salvation is rest from our works.

Hebrews 4:10

For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

15
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

If a brother or sister - James gives a gentle reminder that we are all part of God's family and that we should take care of one another. This goes back to the "Our Father" of the Lord's Prayer.

is without clothing - Clothing reminds us of being clothed with Christ's righteousness which He has provided for us. As we have been graciously clothed in Christ, we should physically clothe others as an expression of the love God has shown us.

and in need of daily food - This goes back to the "daily bread' of the Lord's Prayer.

16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

and one of you says to them - Words without actions are of no use. The actions are what actually help people see the love of God for them.

"Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," - Once again, these are earthly representation of the heavenly grace shown to us by God. We have peace with Him and are clothed with His righteousness and are fed with the bread of heaven.

and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body - If we say that God loves them but do not express His love in our actions then we have done nothing to save them from the shame of failing to keep the law.

what use is that - How can words without actions lead them to salvation? We were created to reflect God's image to the world. As we reflect the image of God's loving provision we lead people to salvation.

17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Even so - James is making a parallel between words and faith and actions and works.

faith, if it has no works - Just as words without deeds are empty, faith without works has no meaning. Belief expresses itself through actions. If you believe that the stove is hot you will not touch it. Faith and works are neccessarily connected.

Galatians 5:6 (NIV)

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

is dead, being by itself - God's gives us faith in His provision so that we may be freed from providing for ourselves and free to help others. If we have to earn God's favor then all our efforts are consumed with following rules. Once we are freed from following rules to earn God's favor we are free to live as demonstrations of God's freeing love.

Faith, by itself, is dead because faith is like a tree that is to give forth the fruit of love. Love is the work that expresses faith. Without works of love for others faith is like a dead apple tree that was meant to bear apples but is barren.

18 But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

But someone may well say - Here we have James presenting someone who does not agree that works are an expression of faith.

This verse is extremely difficult in the NASB. I prefer the NLT translation.

James 2:18 (NLT)

Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."

"You have faith and I have works - The objector denies the connection between faith and works. He is saying that faith alone is good and works alone are good also. The truth is that faith is good because it produces works. Belief that God loves us produces love in us for others.

show me your faith without the works - James responds that there is no such thing as faith without works. Works are the evidence of faith. Only the fruit can show the nature of the tree.

and I will show you my faith by my works - James counters that works are the expression of our faith.

19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

You believe that God is one - This is from the Shema. This would be recited daily by the Jews of James' day. Note that it was given in the context of the prosperity God promised to His people if they obeyed his commandments. This shows the mindset of James' objector; obedience produces blessing.

Deuteronomy 6:1-4

Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

You do well - James is being sarcastic. Their faith in the old way is no better than the lies of the devil.

the demons also believe - The law is the accuser under the old way and the Greek work translated devil literally means "accuser".

Revelation 12:10

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

and shudder - Notice that their faith produces the work of shuddering.

20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

But are you willing to recognize - Just as the Jews failed to recognize their Messiah because they failed to see their need for spiritual salvation. They felt they were God's people no matter what they did.

you foolish fellow - God demonstrating His love through His work on the cross is foolishness to those who see no need for salvation.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

that faith without works is useless - The Jews thought that they were not slaves to sin and they were in God's favor because they were children of Abraham and shared in his blessing.

John 8:31-44

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father." They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father " Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father " They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

Was not Abraham our father - James turns their argument back on them. He shows that their claim that Abraham was their father meant that they should act as he did.

justified by works - Because Abraham was justified by works they should work also.

when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar - This act demonstrated what was in his heart. He believed that God would provide for Him. If he didn't believe then he wouldn't have offered up Isaac. Our works express our belief.

22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

You see that faith was working with his works - His belief that God would provide for him caused him to be able to stop providing for Isaac and let God take care of him.

and as a result of the works, faith was perfected - Faith is incomplete without works. The works are the fruit of our faith.

23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

and the Scripture was fulfilled - James appeals to the Jewish Scriptures as he appealed to Abraham earlier. He turns their own authorities against them just as his brother did years before.

which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD - This quote is from Genesis 15:6. The sacrifice of Isaac doesn't happen until Genesis 22. Abraham's belief is all we have so far. There are no works.

AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," - Abraham was considered righteous by faith alone, before he had works.

and he was called the friend of God - This is what it means to be righteous. It means to be God's friend.

Our salvation is deliverance from striving for approval as under the Law of Moses to resting in the approval demonstrated by our Savior on the cross.

24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

You see that a man is justified by works - Abraham was justified (called a friend of God) before he had any works.

and not by faith alone - Abraham's justifying faith would later produce the work of offering Isaac. It was a faith that expressed itself through works, even though they came later.

25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

In the same way - In the same way as Abraham's faith was accompanied by works.

was not Rahab the harlot - Isn't it great that James isn't ashamed to serve alongside someone known as Rahab the harlot? Today we would probably rename her Rahab the faithful or Rahab the spy-saver. God chooses those who are weak in the Law to be His representatives so that His grace might be glorified.

also justified by works - Just like Abraham before her, Rahab believed that God would provide for her.

when she received the messengers - She gave shelter to Joshua and Caleb because she believed that God would shelter her from His enemies in Jerecho.

and sent them out by another way - She delivered God's people from harm believing that God would deliver her also.

Our salvation is God delivering us from fear of the Law of Moses into rest inHis gracious approval.

26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

For just as the body without the spirit is dead - The spirit refers to the breath. Breath shows that the body is alive.

so also faith without works is dead - Works show that our faith is alive.


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