The Sin of Favoritism

My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.(A) For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world(B) to be rich in faith(C) and heirs(D) of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? Yet you have dishonored the poor.(E) Don’t the rich oppress you and drag(F) you into court? Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?(G)

Read full chapter

Do Not Show Partiality

My brothers, do not let your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[a] be tainted by favoritism. Suppose a man wearing gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly,[b] and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in. If you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Please take this seat,” but you say to the poor man, “Stand over there” or “Sit on the floor at my feet,”[c] then you will have made false distinctions among yourselves and will have judged from evil motives, will you not?

Listen, my dear brothers! God has chosen the poor in the world to become rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who keep on loving him, has he not? But you have humiliated the man who is poor. Are not rich people the ones who oppress you and drag you into court? Are not they the ones who blaspheme the noble Name[d] by which you have been called?

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. James 2:1 Or Christ
  2. James 2:2 Or synagogue
  3. James 2:3 Lit. Sit at my footstool
  4. James 2:7 I.e. God