1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? (James 2:1-7 KJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JAMES CHAPTER 2
In this chapter, the apostle condemns a sinful regard for the rich and despising of the poor, which he attributes to partiality and injustice. He shows it to be contrary to God, who has chosen the poor, and whose cause is often persecuted, and his name blasphemed, by the rich (James 2:1-7). He also shows that the whole law must be fulfilled, and that mercy should be followed as well as justice (James 2:8-13). He exposes the error and folly of those who boast of faith without works, showing it is a dead faith—like that of devils—not the faith of Abraham or Rahab (James 2:14-26).
Beware of Personal Favoritism
The apostle is here reproving a very corrupt practice. He shows how much evil there is in the sin of prosopolepsia—respect of persons—which was already a growing problem in the early church and has since corrupted and divided Christian societies.
A caution against this sin is laid down in general: “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality” (James 2:1). Christians are described as those who embrace the faith of Christ, submit to his doctrine and government, and treat it as a trust and treasure. James speaks of Jesus Christ as “the Lord of glory,” who is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of his person. His being the Lord of glory should teach us not to respect Christians for anything more than their relationship and conformity to Christ. Professing faith in Christ, whose glory the poorest believer will share, should prevent us from using worldly advantages as the basis for our respect. Outward appearances must never cloud or diminish the glory of our Lord.
The sin is illustrated and cautioned against by an example (James 2:2-3): “If there comes into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in filthy clothes…” The word “assembly” refers to judicial meetings where matters of dispute or discipline were handled. The Greek word sunagōgē implies a kind of synagogue assembly, similar to Jewish courts. As Maimonides noted, Jewish law prohibited treating a rich man better than a poor man in court. The terms James uses refer directly to this. So the situation here is more about justice and discipline than public worship. In common worship services, it is not wrong to have different seats based on order or function, but James is speaking of favoritism in settings where justice is to be administered.
So now imagine a situation where someone rich, dressed impressively, enters such a meeting, and another man, poor and in shabby clothes, enters too—and you show preference to the rich man and look down on the poor one.
God has his people among all classes—those in fine clothing and those in ragged clothes. Rich and poor are equal before God. Riches do not bring anyone closer to God, and poverty does not separate anyone from him. Since God is impartial, so must we be in religious matters. Christian societies especially must guard against undue honor of worldly wealth and status. James is not encouraging rudeness or the ignoring of civil order; respectful conduct and necessary distinctions are acceptable. But in matters of religion—appointing church officers, applying church discipline, or determining spiritual worth—we must not judge by worldly standards. As the psalmist says, “In his eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord” (Psalm 15:4). If a poor man fears God, we must not value him less for his poverty. If a rich man is ungodly, we must not honor him more for his wealth.
It is important to consider the standard we use to judge others. Outward appearance is not a reliable guide. Many who are vile and immoral still appear impressive in the world’s eyes. And many who are godly and heavenly-minded may look humble and poor. We should never let this mislead our assessment of anyone’s spiritual value.
This sin is described further in James 2:4–5 as shameful partiality and injustice, and as directly opposing God, who honors the poor. “Have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:4). The question assumes the answer. They had indeed been guilty. They were judging by false standards and were guilty of partiality condemned by the law. Appeals to conscience are powerful, especially with those who still claim Christian faith.
This sin stems from evil and unjust thoughts. Their actions were partial, and so were their hearts. “You have become judges with evil thoughts.” You prefer external appearances to inward grace, and the seen to the unseen. The real ugliness of sin becomes clear when the thoughts that fuel it are revealed. Evil thoughts are the roots of evil actions (Genesis 6:5).
Respect of persons is also sinful because it sets us in direct opposition to God (James 2:5). “Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him?” Yet, “you have dishonored the poor man” (James 2:6). God honors those whom you despise. He gives glorious promises to those you can barely speak kindly to. Isn’t this a terrible contradiction for those claiming to be God’s children? “Hear, my beloved brethren,” James pleads, urging them to consider how many of the poor are chosen by God. Being chosen does not mean they will be rich in this world. Their poverty does not disprove their election. As Jesus said, “The poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:5).
God did not aim to promote his gospel by outward pomp, but by its internal excellence. Therefore, he chose the poor. Many of the poor are rich in faith. The less they have here, the more they should live in hope of the next world. Rich believers are expected to be rich in good works (1 Timothy 6:18); poor believers are expected to be rich in faith. All believers, regardless of wealth, are heirs of a kingdom. They may have little on earth, but they are rich in what is laid up for them in heaven. Where there is true faith, there will also be love. Faith works through love in every heir of glory. Heaven is described as a kingdom promised to those who love God. As a crown of life was mentioned earlier (James 1:12), now a kingdom is promised. The crown is of life; the kingdom is everlasting. Taken together, these truths show how honored the faithful poor are by God now and how greatly they shall be exalted later. So to despise them is a serious sin. “But you have dishonored the poor” (James 2:6)—a sharp rebuke after so many uplifting truths.
Respecting persons for their wealth or appearance is especially sinful because of the harm often associated with riches and the foolishness of Christians showing undue regard to those who mistreat them and dishonor their God: “Do not rich men oppress you and drag you into courts? Do they not blaspheme the noble name by which you are called?” (James 2:7). Riches often lead to vice, blasphemy, and persecution. Think about the troubles rich oppressors have caused you, and how they slander your God and your faith. Why, then, would you honor them so much? It is foolish and sinful to elevate those who oppose the very things you stand for. The name of Christ is a noble name; it confers honor on those who bear it.