TEACHING NOTES Introduction ‌ Popular Statement: “Christianity is not a religion, it’s a relationship.” “Christianity is not about doing, it’s about being.” ‌ Problem: This is not what the Bible teaches. ‌ What the Bible Actually Teaches: Biblical Religion = Faithful Obedience Religion is devotion and service to God. ‌ Christianity is a religion that is grounded in a relationship. ‌ If what we do doesn’t matter, then how we treat people doesn’t matter. ‌ James 2:1–4 1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ‌ Show no partiality = Grk. me en prosopolempsiais - Literally, “no favoritism.” Favoritism is condemned throughout the Bible, which is why James calls it sin in James 2:9. More on this below in comments on verses 8-11. ‌ Hold the faith = Grk. echete ten pistin - Notice James refers to faith as “the faith” meaning he is referring not to belief, but to allegiance/loyalty. The word echete simply means “to have.” So the full line in Greek literally reads “My brothers, do not with favoritism hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” or to paraphrase, “do not practice the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ with favoritism.” James is clear that favoritism is incompatible with being faithful to Jesus. ‌ The Lord of glory = Glory (Grk. doxa) means “splendor, brightness, radiant.” James is going to make contrast between our glorious Lord and the rich man dressed in shining jewelry and expensive clothing. The implication is that showing favoritism to flashy people is a departure from our glorious Lord. ‌ Gold ring and fine clothing = At the time James lived in Jerusalem very few people would be wealthy enough to wear gold jewelry and fine clothing. The rich in Jerusalem were mostly the Sadducees who had extorted their wealth from their fellow Jews. So, James is likely not railing against wealthy but against ill-gotten riches. In James’ culture, a person who wears flashy and expensive clothing is trying to flaunt their wealth. And it would be common then, as it is today, to give preference or special treatment to the wealthy. ‌ Assembly = Grk. synagogen - congregration. This Greek is the origin of the word for synagogue, which referred to Jewish gatherings. Another Greek word for assembly is ekklesia, which is often translated “church.” The Jewish synagogue was a gathering to listen to God’s Word read and taught and for corporate prayers. Early Jewish Christians continued to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath but also added a Sunday gathering for teaching, praying, and taking Communion together. While James was still alive Christians were still attending the Jewish synagogues to hear and learn the Old Testament. James was martyred around AD 62-68 when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem threw his off the pinnacle of the temple. James did not immediately die and begins praying out lout “Father forgive them for they do not know what they do.” Then he was stoned and beaten to death. It was the filthy rich Sadducees who killed James. ‌ Poor man in shabby clothing = The majority of people in and around Jerusalem were from the lower class. Many did not own land, but had lost their land and were forced to work their land. Shabby clothing would have been more common that clean expensive clothing. ‌ Pay attention = Grk. epiblepsete - to look favorably, show special attention. ‌ Sit in a good place = Giving the best seat to the wealthy was a common practice in that culture. Jesus criticized the Pharisees “they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues” (Matt. 23:6). ‌ Stand over there, sit at my feet = Essentially, “You don’t get a good seat. You can stand in the back or sit on the floor.” To sit at one’s feet was an act of servitude, which is why Mary sits at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:39). To ask someone to sit at your feet is to treat them like a slave. ‌ Made distinctions = Grk. diakrithete - separate, discriminate. ‌ Judges with evil thoughts = Jesus taught in John 7:24 “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” Partiality and discrimination in the church is evil and rooted in evil thinking. ‌ James 2:5–7 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? ‌ God chose the poor to be rich in faith = In the Old Testament, God is presented as the God of the lowly i.e. slaves, orphans, widows, etc. This is a stark contrast from the pagan gods who only value powerful rulers and kings. ‌ 1 Corinthians 1:27–28 “27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,” ‌ Revelation 2:9 [Jesus to the church in Smyrna] “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)…” ‌ Heirs of the kingdom = Jesus taught in Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This does NOT mean that wealthy people cannot inherit the kingdom. The kingdom is for all people no matter their financial status. But Jesus teaches that wealth can be at most a god to us and at least a distraction from the kingdom. ‌ Promised to those who love him = This exact phrase is also used in James 1:12, and the context is about perseverance. Notice that inheriting the kingdom and promises of God are for “those who love him.” Loving God is not about feeling a certain way towards God, but is about being faithful to God. ‌ The rich oppress you, drag you to court = The “rich” in James does not refer to those who are generally wealthy, but refers to those who are greedy at the expense of others and/or have gained their wealth by oppressive means. Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were filthy rich from oppressing their own people with taxes in order to confiscate land. So, these rich religious leaders were dragging people to court in order to take their land and gain more wealth. ‌ The rich blaspheme the honorable name = The rich leaders in Jerusalem who oppressed their own people were the Sadducees, who are also the leaders of the priesthood and temple. These leaders represented God and His name, but their actions blasphemed God’s name. The third commandment says “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Ex. 20:7). The Hebrew word for take there is tissa from nasa, which means “to carry or lift up.” In other words, to take God’s name in vain means to live in a way that misrepresents Him. ‌ James 2:8–11 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ‌ Royal law according to Scripture = James quotes Leviticus 19:18 “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” James is making the point that the Old Testament speaks against favoritism in many places. ‌ Leviticus 19:15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” ‌ Deuteronomy 1:17 “You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.” ‌ Deuteronomy 16:19 “You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.” ‌ Proverbs 24:23 “These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.” ‌ Convicted by the law as transgressors = James is giving the same warning as Christ gave to the Pharisees, who were guilty of elevating some commandments are ignoring others (see Matt. 23). ‌ Guilty of all of it = Even in our own culture if a person breaks certain laws they are labeled a convicted felon. We might refer to that person as a lawbreaker or an outlaw, even though they haven’t literally broken every law. James is arguing in a similar way. If one breaks one of God’s commandment, then they are a lawbreaker or transgressor. ‌ James 2:12–13 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. ‌ Speak and act = Both what we do and what we say matters. ‌ As those who will be judged = As followers of Jesus, we must live as if we will be judged and held accountable for what we do and say. Why? Because we certainly will be judged and held accountable for what we do and say. ‌ Judgment without mercy = If we do not give mercy to others, we cannot expect to receive mercy from others. This truth is grounded in Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:14–15 “14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” ‌ Mercy triumphs over judgment = Grk. eleos katakauchatai kriseos - This phrase can also be translated “mercy boasts over judgment” or “mercy celebrates victory over judgment.” The idea here is that mercy can defeat judgment. God’s mercy is the only reason we are not already destroyed. Here’s the point: When we choose mercy over judgment we are victorious. ‌ Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ‌ Christianity is a relational religion which teaches us that loving God and loving people cannot be separated. ‌ How to Respond Prayer: Ask God to reveal what needs to change. Repentance: Agree with God and repent of sin. Worship: Thank God for what He is doing in us. Communion: Take Christ in and renew faithfulness.