Book of Common Prayer
Do Not Show Partiality Based On Earthly Status
2 My brothers, do not be holding the faith of [a] our Lord Jesus Christ of [b] glory with respect-of-persons[c]. 2 For if a gold-ringed man in shining clothing enters into your gathering, and a poor man in filthy clothing also enters, 3 and you look-upon[d] the one wearing the shining clothing and say “You be sitting here honorably[e]”, and you say to the poor man “You stand there, or be sitting under[f] my footstool”, 4 did you not make-distinctions among yourselves and become judges with[g] evil thoughts?
God Does Not Base His Actions On Human Distinctions. Love Your Neighbor
5 Listen, my beloved brothers— did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and inheritors of the kingdom which He promised to the ones loving Him? 6 But you dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and themselves drag you into courts? 7 Do not they blaspheme the good name having been called[h] upon you? 8 If indeed[i] you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture [in Lev 19:18], “You shall love your neighbor as yourself ”, you are doing well[j]. 9 But if you are showing-respect-of-persons you are working[k] a sin, being convicted[l] by the Law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole Law but stumbles in one thing has become guilty of all. 11 For the One having said “Do not commit-adultery” also said “Do not murder”. Now if you do not commit-adultery, but you murder, you have become a transgressor of the Law. 12 So speak and so do as ones going to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to the one not having done[m] mercy. Mercy vaunts[n] over judgment.
10 The one trustworthy[a] in a very-little thing is also trustworthy in much. And the one unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. 11 Therefore if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true[b] thing to you? 12 And if you did not prove-to-be trustworthy with the thing belonging to another[c], who will give you your own thing? 13 No household-servant can be serving[d] two masters. For either he will hate[e] the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and disregard the other. You cannot be serving God and wealth[f]”.
Jesus Rebukes The Pharisees: The Thing You Highly Value Is Worthless To God
14 Now the Pharisees, being money-lovers, were listening-to all these things, and they were sneering-at[g] Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are the ones declaring yourselves righteous in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts— because the highly-valued thing among people is an abomination[h] in the sight of God. 16 The Law and the Prophets were until John. From that time on, the kingdom of God is being announced-as-good-news, and everyone is forcing-himself [i] into it. 17 But it is easier that the heaven and the earth should pass away than that one stroke[j] of the Law should fail. 18 Everyone sending-away[k] his wife and marrying another is committing-adultery. And the one marrying one having been sent-away from her husband is committing-adultery.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing