1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord of glory Jesus Christ with partiality.2249 2Yet, if someone with a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your synagogue,2250 and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in, 3you pay special attention to the one who wears the fine clothing! To the rich you say, “Sit here in a good place,” but you tell the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here by my footstool!” 4Have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of the world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? 6Yet, you have dishonored the poor! Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you before the courts? 7Do they not blaspheme the honorable Name2251 by which you are called? 8However, if you fulfill the royal law found in the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,”2252 you do well. 9But if you discriminate, you commit sin and you are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10Truly, whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point has become guilty of everything. 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery”2253 also said “Do not commit murder.”2254 Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12And so, speak and act as people who are going to be judged by a law of freedom. 13Indeed, judgment is without mercy to those who have shown no mercy, but mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and works
14What good is it, my brethren, if someone claims to have faith but has no works? Can faith save such a person?2255 15If a brother or sister is in rags and lacking daily food, 16and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” and does not give them what the body needs, what good is that? 17Likewise faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. 18Yes, someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works!” Show me your faith by your works,2256 and by my works, I will show you my faith.
19You believe that God is one!2257 You do well! The demons also believe, and they shudder. 20O ignorant2258 one! Will you not recognize that apart from works, faith is dead? 21Was not our father Abraham justified by works, by offering up his son Isaac on the altar? 22You can see that [his] faith was working with his actions,2259 and that by works, faith was perfected. 23Thus, the Scripture which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness”2260 was fulfilled, and he was called the friend of God. 24You see, then, that one is justified2261 by works, and not only by faith.2262 25In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, by receiving the messengers and sending them out another way? 26For just as the body is dead apart from the spirit,2263 so is faith dead apart from works.
The tongue as fire
- Or “discrimination/favoritism”
- Or “meeting”
- That is the Name of Jesus Christ
- Leviticus 19:18
- Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18
- Exodus 10:13; Deuteronomy 5:17
- This verse is also translated “Can such faith save him? (NIV) / Can his faith save him? (RSV) / Can faith save him? (NKJ) / Will that faith bring salvation? (NJB)”
- Other manuscripts read “without works”
- Or “that there is one God”
- Or “vain/foolish”
- Or “works/deeds”
- Genesis 15:6
- Greek dikaiou/tai
- Or “not by faith alone”
- Or perhaps “breath”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
