James 2 · The Lantern

My brothers, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

What does it matter if you think highly of yourself, when someone else despises you? Are we not all one body, both great and small? Therefore if in principle we are all one and members of each other, why do you mindlessly exalt yourself? Why do you bring shame on your brother? For just as he is a part of you, so you too are a part of him.

My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with bias to individuals. "with bias to individuals." For he who does something with respect to individuals fills himself with many blemishes and much reproach, afflicting his neighbor with disgrace, and also himself before him: for the treatment of a companion transmits what is done even to oneself.

Whoever does anything with partiality brings great disgrace upon himself as one who does not respect his fellow and, even before his fellow, himself, because the treatment of one like oneself is also directed back to the one who acts.

For if there come to your assembly a man with a gold ring, in fine apparel, and there come in also a poor man in shabby clothes;

Far from me is the notion that in your tabernacle, Lord, the rich should be more highly regarded than the poor, or the noble than the less well-born. You have chosen the weak things of this world to put the strong to shame, and you have chosen things which are dishonorable, despised and of no account, in order to bring to nothing the things which are.

For if there comes into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there also comes in a poor man in shabby clothing, and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or "Sit down at my feet." In this exposition of the sentence let us use the words of ble…

It seems that among the Jews it was especially customary to wear rings. But at this point someone may perhaps say: if James is a teacher of the covenant of Christ, then why does he not put an end to what belongs to the law but still elevates it, accepting those who remain in the piety of the law and not reproaching them?

And you have respect to him that wears the fine clothes, and say to him, Sit here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand there, or sit here under my footstool:

Are you not then making distinctions among yourselves, and have become judges with evil reasoning?

Listen, my beloved brothers, Has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him?

It is by choosing the poor that God makes them rich in faith, just as he makes them heirs of the kingdom. It is rightly said that he chose this faith in them, since it was in order to bring it about that he chose them.

Listen, my beloved brothers: has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him? Since poverty is a serious matter for many, when James said, "the poor of this world," he immediately added, "rich." But in what way are they rich? In faith and concerning faith. For so it is.

Likewise, on that passage of James: Has not God chosen the poor; the Gloss says: "He chose poor parents, by whose service He would be raised"; but the destitution of Christ's parents was very great, according to that passage of Luke 2: She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger: therefore Christ loved poverty not only in Himself, but also in others.

But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called?

This refers to the rulers of the Jews, who enriched themselves on tithes, and also to the leaders of the Romans, who were idolaters at that time.

Do they not blaspheme that good name by which you are called? "They blaspheme the good name." A good name is a new name according to the prophet saying: "To those who serve me, a new name will be called, which will be blessed over all the face of the earth." (Isa. 62:2)

The new name — according to the words of the prophet: "Those who serve Me shall be called by a new name, which shall be blessed on the earth, for they shall bless the true God" ("His servants He shall call by another name; he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth") (Isa. 65:15–16).

If you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well:

"Love your neighbor" means three different things. The first is corporal, that is, the literal sense of the words. The second is spiritual, according to which we love those close to us even though we may be absent from them. The third is contemplative, by which love itself is beheld. But we have to understand that one leads to another.

Just as you want to be treated justly and properly by your neighbor, so you must behave toward him as you would towards your kinsman and child of God. What our Savior said about this is absolutely right: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. For this is the law and the prophets."

If, however, you fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. See how he calls them transgressors, because it is said to the rich: Sit here, and to the poor: Stand there.

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

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

How, then, I beseech you, are we to understand the words: "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all"? Does this affirm that the person who shall have committed theft, nay, who even shall have said to the rich man, "Sit thou here" and to the poor man, "Stand thou there," is guilty of homicide, and adultery, and sacrilege?

To fail in one point is to lack perfect love, for this is the source of all good deeds. If something in the head is not right, the rest of the body suffers as a result. The entire purpose and plan of God is designed to lead to perfect love. That is the meaning of the commandments such as "Do not commit adultery," "Do not kill" and so on.

You must always fear God, because he who "keeps the whole law but offends in one point has become guilty of all." And in Deuteronomy it is said: "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you, except that you fear him and keep all his commandments and walk in his ways?" And Solomon says: "Fear God and observe his commandments: this is the whole man," that is, the perf…

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you have become a transgressor of the law.

So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment.

Mercy is the highest art and the shield of those who practice it. It is the friend of God, standing always next to him and freely blessing whatever he wishes. It must not be despised by us. For in its purity it grants great liberty to those who respond to it in kind.

For judgment without mercy to him that has not done mercy. And mercy exalts itself above judgment. "For judgment without mercy to him that has not done mercy." If we have forgiven our neighbors the sins they have committed against us, and have made the needy among us sharers in our alms, then God's mercy will deliver us from judgment. God will also welcome the merciful.

In the second petition, the consummation of human salvation is sought, which is not obtained except through the gift of piety: "Judgment without mercy shall be done to him who has not shown mercy." This gift is touched upon when he says: "Thy kingdom come."

What does it profit, my brothers, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

And one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled; yet you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?

Who does not hate this kind of [merely verbal] "mercy"? In it an idle piety flatters the sick with elegant language. Fruitless tears are offered to heaven. What does it profit to bewail another man's shipwreck if you take no care of his body, which is suffering from exposure?

Since mercy will be exalted over condemnation and the gifts of clemency will surpass any just compensation, all the lives led by mortals and all different kinds of actions will be appraised under the aspect of a single rule. No charges will be brought up where works of compassion have been found in acknowledgment of the Creator.

Christ says: "My justice can give you nothing except what your works deserve. To no purpose do you cry out, now that you are dead and in the power of another, for when you had opportunities and saw me in the person of the poor, you were blind."

Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, by itself.

If someone dies in his sins he has not truly believed in Christ, even if he has made a profession of faith in him, and if faith is mentioned but it lacks works, such faith is dead, as we have read in the epistle which circulates as the work of James.

This virtue makes all virtues profitable; for by its presence it gives life to that very faith, by which "the just lives," and which is said to be "dead without works:" because as the reason for works consists in faith, so the strength of faith consists in works.

If we are ashamed to imitate Christ's sufferings, which he endured for us, and to suffer as he suffered, it is obvious that we shall not become partakers with him in his glory. If that is true of us, we are believers in words only and not in deeds.

Yes, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

You believe that there is one God; you do well: the demons also believe, and tremble.

But do you want to know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Let us cleave then to His blessing, and consider what are the means of possessing it. Let us think over the things which have taken place from the beginning. For what reason was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because he wrought righteousness and truth through faith?

Abraham our father was he not justified by works, offering Isaac his son upon the altar? see that faith did work with his works: and by the works the faith was complete? And the Scripture was fulfilled, saying, Abraham believed God, and it was reputed him to righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. Do you see that by works a man is justified: and not by faith only?

Both apostles cite Abraham in support of their teaching about faith. One, by the example of Abraham, proves that faith is above works, and the other, that works are above faith. But it was said above that each takes the words ("faith" and "works") in his own sense and selects what is useful to him in support of his thoughts.

You see how faith worked with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Likewise also was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

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

Just as the spirit joins itself to the body and by doing so brings the latter to life, so works, joined to faith, give life to it as well. Furthermore, it is to be understood that faith without works is not faith at all, just as a dead man is not really a human being.

In order that we may bear the name Christian as a remedy, not leading to judgment, let us take up good works while the remedies are still within our power.

What greatly gladdens is what follows: "Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed." In this saying, we are indeed specially marked out, we who retain in our minds Him whom we have not seen in the flesh. We are marked out—but only if we follow our faith with works. For he truly believes who practices by his deeds what he believes.

James2