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The Sin of Favoritism

(A)My brothers, (B)do not hold your faith in our [a](C)glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of (D)personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your [b]assembly with a gold ring and dressed in (E)bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in (F)dirty clothes, and you [c]pay special attention to the one who is wearing the (G)bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges (H)with evil thoughts? Listen, (I)my beloved brothers: did not (J)God choose the poor [d]of this world to be (K)rich in faith and (L)heirs of the kingdom which He (M)promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and they themselves (N)drag you into [e]court? (O)Do they not blaspheme the good name [f]by which you have been called?

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Footnotes

  1. James 2:1 Or Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious one
  2. James 2:2 Or synagogue
  3. James 2:3 Lit look at
  4. James 2:5 Lit to the
  5. James 2:6 Lit courts
  6. James 2:7 Lit which has been called upon you

A Warning against Prejudice

My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting[b] dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name[c] you bear?

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Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:5, 14.
  2. 2:2 Greek your synagogue.
  3. 2:7 Greek slander the noble name.