James 2

James warns them of partiality and used a non-hellenistic word for this (prosopolempsiais) meaning the taking of a face = personal favoritism (v. 1). Some only wanted to associate with someone they liked. They liked someone’s face and so want to associate but others they don’t. For example if a man comes into the church with a BMW and dressed in Tucido and sunglasses but another person comes in with ordinary clothes bought from a local supermarket (v. 2) and one stand up for the rich man to sit but let the poor people stand (v. 3), then James is convinced that the church-member is ‘judging a book by its cover and a lover by his looks’ and that is evil motives (v. 4). God elected the poor to be rich in faith, not money, to inherit the kingdom, not landgrab with Robin Hoodism, which He promised to them, not necessarily for them to get during their lifetime, and only, absolutely only, for those who have godly love (agaposin) for Him (v. 5). The three expressions “hear” “my beloved brothers” were also used by James in Acts 15 in Jerusalem when he was the conference president there. Do they forget that the rich are the ones who insist their loans should be paid back and they drag their debtors to court (v. 6) and now the church-members by this favoritism have dishonored the poor man (v. 6a). The rich often swears and use the name of God in vain (v. 7). James wrapped this verse with a Hebraism “the good Name by which you have been called”. If one follows the golden rule of godly-loving our neighbor as ourselves, one is doing well (v. 8). Partiality brings conviction of sin by the Law because it is a sinful act (v. 9). The issue is not trivial, continues James, since if you keep the whole law but lacks one of the ten, just like Sunday-keeping instead of Saturday-keeping, “he has become guilty in all” (v. 10). God said do not commit adultery and do not murder so if one murders but do not commit adultery, one is a transgressor of the Law (v. 11). Again James wraps it in a typical Hebraism by saying “so speak and so act” as though one desire to be judge by the law of liberty (v. 12). The law of liberty is for the doers of the law. The law cannot apply to one who keeps the law since the law is in their heart and being. James used a non-hellenistic expression by saying that Judgment will be without mercy for the one who is not practicing mercy (v. 13). If someone has done you wrong and pleads for forgiveness but one is stubborn not to forgive, maybe verse 13 applies? James then wants to elaborate on the aspect of ‘talk the talk and walk the walk’. The phrase “what use is it?” (ti to ophelos) is typical also from the high Greek literature of his time, the diatribe genre (v. 14). James was a learned man, just like Paul. He is using excellent Greek. Similar to a question Luther asked later after 1522, James asks what profit it when faith is unproductive (v. 14). Such faith cannot save (v. 14b). If a needy person shows up, lacking in the necessities of life, the lowest levels of Maslow’s chart of needs, food and clothing, but the church-members greets them friendly without giving them what they need, what kind of faith is that (v. 15-16). Faith disconnected from what the apostle Paul called, “fruits of the Spirit” is a dead faith (v. 17). Also in the opening of verse 18, James used the style of a dialogue with an hypothetical person so commonly used in high Greek diatribe genre of his time, “but someone may say” (all’ erei tis). “You have the talking and I have the walking. Show me your talking and I will show you my talking by my walking” (v. 18). James continues to say that the church-member says with their lips that God is one and they believe in Him but similarly says the demons (v. 19). Again James used the typical diatribe phrase “do you not know?” in verse 20a. It is good Greek. James addresses his audience as “o empty human” (anthrope kene). Unproductive faith is useless (v. 20). The obedience of Abraham to be willing to offer his son Isaac on the altar signaled to God that the imputed Righteousness of Christ, the justification bestowed earlier, to this faithful man was not in vain. Faith led Abraham to be obedient and his faith and obedience worked together to perfect his faith with sanctification (v. 22). His faith led to obedience and his obedience strengthened and perfected his faith. The Scripture that was fulfilled about Abraham talks about a believing Abraham who’s faith was considered/accounted to him unto righteousness, that is to say, unto the Righteousness of Christ which was in turn wrapped around him for salvation (v. 23). Thus he was called the friend of God. Just as in the opening of verse 22 so in the opening of verse 24 “you see” James resort to high Greek diatribe genre jargon to make his point to the Greek members in the church, “you see that out of works man is justified and not out of faith alone”. This was the most confusing verse for Martin Luther when he offered his doctorate in 1522 to anyone who can explain this in connection with Romans 3. Another example, says James is Rahab who was justified by sending the messengers the other way, yet a harlot, justified by works of obedience to God’s great plan, believing slightly that it is the right thing to do (v. 25). Another example by James is that the body without the spirit is dead and so also is talking about without walking with God (v. 26).

Dear God

James wants all of us to not just talk about God but walk with Him. That is also Your desire to mankind in all corners of the earth, at all levels of society, among all races and nations. Keep us in the hollow of Your Hand. Amen.

Koot van Wyk, (DLitt et Phil; ThD) Kyungpook National University, Department of Liberal Education, Sangju, South Korea; conjoint lecturer of Avondale College, Australia