Jas.2.1

My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.

Jas.2.1

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Jas.2.1

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

Jas.2.1

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?

Jas.2.2

If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him,

Jas.2.2

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

Jas.2.2

For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,

Jas.2.2

For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes.

Jas.2.3

and you say to the man in the suit, "Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!" and either ignore the street person or say, "Better sit here in the back row,"

Jas.2.3

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"

Jas.2.3

and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"

Jas.2.3

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,

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haven't you segregated God's children and proved that you are judges who can't be trusted?

Jas.2.4

have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Jas.2.4

have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Jas.2.4

doesn't this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?

Jas.2.5

Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God.

Jas.2.5

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

Jas.2.5

Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Jas.2.5

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?

Jas.2.6

And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn't it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind?

Jas.2.6

But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

Jas.2.6

But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

Jas.2.6

And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

Jas.2.7

Aren't they the ones who scorn the new name--"Christian"-used in your baptisms?

Jas.2.7

Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

Jas.2.7

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

Jas.2.7

Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

Jas.2.8

You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: "Love others as you love yourself."

Jas.2.8

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

Jas.2.8

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

Jas.2.8

Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord's royal command found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Jas.2.9

But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it.

Jas.2.9

But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Jas.2.9

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

Jas.2.9

But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law.

Jas.2.10

You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others.

Jas.2.10

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Jas.2.10

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

Jas.2.10

And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws.

Jas.2.11

The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." If you don't commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you're a murderer, period.

Jas.2.11

For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Jas.2.11

For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

Jas.2.11

For the same God who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery.

Jas.2.12

Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free.

Jas.2.12

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,

Jas.2.12

So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

Jas.2.12

So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free.

Jas.2.13

For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.

Jas.2.13

because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Jas.2.13

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Jas.2.13

For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.

Jas.2.14

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?

Jas.2.14

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

Jas.2.14

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

Jas.2.14

Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone.

Jas.2.15

For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved

Jas.2.15

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.

Jas.2.15

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

Jas.2.15

Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing,

Jas.2.16

and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup--where does that get you?

Jas.2.16

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

Jas.2.16

and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Jas.2.16

and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"--but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

Jas.2.17

Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

Jas.2.17

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Jas.2.17

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Jas.2.17

So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless.

Jas.2.18

I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

Jas.2.18

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

Jas.2.18

But someone will 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.

Jas.2.18

Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."

Jas.2.19

Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?

Jas.2.19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.

Jas.2.19

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!

Jas.2.19

Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!

Jas.2.20

Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?

Jas.2.20

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

Jas.2.20

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

Jas.2.20

Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?

Jas.2.21

Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar?

Jas.2.21

Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Jas.2.21

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

Jas.2.21

Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Jas.2.22

Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"?

Jas.2.22

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

Jas.2.22

Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

Jas.2.22

You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did--by his actions.

Jas.2.23

The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend."

Jas.2.23

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

Jas.2.23

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

Jas.2.23

And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous." He was even called "the friend of God."

Jas.2.24

Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?

Jas.2.24

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

Jas.2.24

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

Jas.2.24

So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

Jas.2.25

The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape--that seamless unity of believing and doing--what counted with God?

Jas.2.25

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

Jas.2.25

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

Jas.2.25

Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions--when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.

Jas.2.26

The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.

Jas.2.26

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Jas.2.26

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

Jas.2.26

Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.