James 2 – Page 3 – Ministry of Grace Church

Category: James 2

James 2:6 – Worldly Irony

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Will

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

Truth to Learn

It’s ironic that we tend to give the most consideration for the people who care the least about us.

Behind the Words

The Greek word that is translated here as “dishonored” is atimadzō. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “without,” and a form of timē, which means “honor.” Hence, atimadzō means “to treat without honor,” “to abuse,” or “to treat shamefully.”

“Poor man,” as we saw in verse two, refers to someone who “crouches or cowers like a beggar.” In its common usage it refers to someone who is extremely poor.

The Greek word translated “oppress” is katadunasteuō. This is made up of two Greek words, kata, which means “down” and dunastes, meaning “a ruler” or “an officer,” from which we get our English word dynasty. As we put these together we get the notion of putting someone down to rule over them or, “lord it over them.”

“Drag” is the translation of a form of helkuō, which means “to draw someone in (not necessarily by force).” It is the word that Jesus used when He said:

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all peopls to Myself. (John 12:32)

Meaning Explained

James is pointing out to the early Christians that they were treating the poor people shamefully and giving the rich people special honor, even though the rich people treated them badly and persecuted them.

The dramatic contrast between this verse and the previous one is obvious. How we treat others is often based on selfishness and pride. How God treats us is based on our heart.

Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, put it this way:

Perhaps it might be understood somewhat ironically: “You despise the poor, do you, and are disposed to honor the rich! Look then, and see how the rich treat you, and see whether you have so much occasion to regard them with any peculiar respect.”

Rich, powerful, and famous people are seldom satisfied with their money, position, or honor. They want more, and they want it for themselves. They nearly always have an elevated opinion of themselves and they tend to lord it over those who have less than they do. This is the sin nature at work and it is exacerbated by the world system we live in:

Because all that which is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

Application

Some of the kindest, most humble, and most considerate people are poor in the eyes of the world. Likewise, some of the meanest, most arrogant, and selfish people are rich in worldly goods. If you could choose, which of these would you want to have as friends?

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:5 – Poor Heirs

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Will

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

Truth to Learn

If God has chosen the poor and the weak to be His children, why do we put so much importance in recognizing those who are rich and powerful?

Behind the Words

“Listen” is translated from akouō, which means “to hear.” The word is used here in the imperative mood, which indicates a command. It is as if James were saying, “Listen up and hear what I have to say to you!”

The word translated “chosen” is a form of eklegō, a compound word made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of,” and legō, meaning “to say” or “to select.” This word is used here in the aorist tense, implying past action performed at a single point in time. It is also expressed in the middle voice, meaning action that is performed by the subject on himself. Hence, this phrase could be translated as, “did not God select for Himself the poor of this world.”

The word “heirs” is translated from klēronomos. This is a compound word made up of klēros, which means “a lot” or “a portion” and nomos, which refers to the law, but which originally meant “to partition” or “to distribute.” Hence, klēronomos literally means one to whom portions are distributed, that is, an inheritor or an heir.

Meaning Explained

James carries the admonition of the preceding verses one step further by pointing out that God has chosen the poor of this world and has made them rich in faith. Not only does God not show favoritism to those who we might consider more desirable, but he seems to prefer the lowly and downtrodden. Perhaps He does so because they are more humble and more willing to honor God, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians also speaks of the poor weak ones whom God has chosen rather than the great and mighty:

For ye see your calling, brothers, that there are not many wise men according to flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, who are called: But God chose the foolish things of the world to put the wise to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and low-born things of the world, and things which are despised, and things which are not, so that He might bring to nothing things that are: that no flesh might glory in his presence. (1Corinthians 1:26-29)

You see, compared to God, even the richest man is poor. And compared to God, even the most powerful and noble people are weak and beggarly.

Application

Let us welcome all who come to hear the Word of God, no matter what their outward appearance, race, national origin, or financial position! We are God’s subjects and ambassadors, so let us represent our King as He would represent Himself!

Let us welcome the poor of this world, just as God has done.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:4 – No Discrimination

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Will

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

Truth to Learn

Judging a person by how they dress and how wealthy they are is selfish and evil. We need to learn to not judge people by their outward appearance.

Behind the Words

The phrase, “have you not shown partiality” is translated from the Greek words ou diekrithē. Ou expresses the absolute negative and diekrithē is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through,” implying separation, and a form of krinō, meaning “to distinguish, to decide, or to judge.” Hence, this word means “to thoroughly distinguish between two things” or “to make a judgment between two things.” In older translations this is the word “discriminate.”

“Judges” is translated from kritēs, the noun form of krinō, which we just saw means “to judge.” James is using a play on words here showing that when we discriminate we are making judgments about people and, therefore, have placed ourselves in the position of being judges.

The words “evil reasonings” are from the Greek words dialogismōn ponērōn. Ponērōn refers to “that which is wicked or evil in a moral or spiritual sense.” The word dialogismōn is made up of dia, meaning “through,” implying separation, and logismōn, a form of logidzomai, meaning “to count or conclude.” Thus dialogismon means “debating or reasoning” and, therefore, dialogismōn ponērōn refers to the evil thoughts that go into such reasoning.

Meaning Explained

Discriminate is an interesting English word. In the early and middle part of the 20^th century it was considered good to be discriminating. This meant that a person recognized the difference between good things and bad things. Since the latter part of the twentieth century, however, to discriminate has taken on a negative connotation as it does in this verse. To discriminate between good and bad or between right and wrong is good. But, discriminating against anyone based on outward appearance is not good according to James.

As a nation we have learned over the past 50 years that it is not right to discriminate against someone simply based on their racial or ethnic origin. But we still discriminate based on a person’s apparent wealth. We get excited about seeing a person who is rich and famous, in the flesh, up close and personal. But we avoid the poor people of our society and don’t want to be near them. Why is this? Perhaps, so that we can brag about the fact that we have shaken hands with, or have actually spoken with, someone who is rich and famous. But even that is selfish and sinful.

So to sum up verses 2, 3, and 4, James is saying that we should not discriminate against anyone coming into our church simply based on outward appearances. If we do, we have become judgmental with evil intentions. Christ accepts all who freely come to Him and as His ambassadors, we need to likewise accept all who come to hear the Words of life.

Application

The next time you are asked to be a greeter in your church, go out of your way to make everyone feel welcome and important. Look past their outward appearance. That’s what God does. He sees their heart (and He sees yours as well).

James 2:3 – Partial Greeter

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Will

and you should look upon the one wearing the fine clothes and should say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and should say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here under my footstool,"

Truth to Learn

Christians need to become “money blind” and treat all people alike regardless of their financial standing.

Behind the Words

The words “should look upon” are translated from the Greek words epiblepō epi. The word epiblepō is a compound word made up of epi, meaning “on” or “over” and blepō, which means “to look.” Hence, it literally means “to look upon” or “to look at.” However, when followed by the word epi, as it is in this verse, it means “to look upon with kindness and favor.” Some versions of the Bible translate this as “show respect to.”

“Wearing” is translated from the Greek word phoreō, which is derived from pherō, meaning “to bring” or “to bear.” This word, however, implies frequent or repetitive action as opposed to one time action. Therefore, phoreō, means “to bear about with or on oneself as a regular course of action.” James is here referring to a person who regularly or habitually wears fine clothing and/or expensive jewelry.

Meaning Explained

Like the last verse, this one does not stand alone without the preceding and following verses. This verse, however, is very tightly coupled with the previous verse as it talks about how we tend to treat wealthy people compared to how we treat the poor and uncomely among us. What James is saying is:

and if you look favorably upon the richly dressed person and offer him the best seat in the sanctuary, and say to the street bum “stand back there by the foyer or sit here in this undesirably place…”

Once again, James is using exaggeration to make his point about how we tend to treat people differently based on the outward appearance. The people we go to church with week after week become family to us and we treat them with warmness. When we have visitors, we often treat them differently because we’re not as familiar with them as we are the rest of our family. The wealthy ones are often treated special, probably because if they like our church and decide to join, they will be able to help us with the financial needs of the church. But street people will only be a further strain on our already stretched financials.

The problem with this is that we are now seeing people as commodities to be desired or avoided. We need to recognize that these are people, whether rich or poor, having feelings and needs. If they are Christians, then they are brothers (or sisters) no matter what their financial standing is. Treating them differently based on their financial position is nothing more than selfishness on our part. It does not glorify God and it does not contribute to the spiritual growth of the body of Christ.

Application

Think of the last time you greeted a visitor in your church. Would you have acted differently toward this person if he or she had spent the previous three nights sleeping under the freeway overpass in the same dirty clothes they wore to church?

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:2 – Apparel Judgment

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Will

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

Truth to Learn

Wealth or poverty should not be sources of differentiation within the church.

Behind the Words

The word translated “assembly” is sunagōgē, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a derivative of agō, meaning “to lead” or “to gather together.” Hence, this word refers to a gathering together of people. It is the word from which we get our English word Synagogue.

The words “man with gold rings” are translated from the Greek anēr chrusodaktulios. Anēr is the word for “an adult male person” or “a husband.” The word chrusodaktulios is a compound word made up of chrusos, meaning “gold,” and daktulios, meaning “a finger ring.” So, literally this is referring to “a gold ringed man.”

The word “fine,” describing his clothing, is the Greek word lampros, which is derived from the verb lampō, meaning “to shine.” Hence, this refers to brilliant or magnificent clothing.

“Poor man” is translated from ptōchos, which is derived from the verb ptōssō, meaning “to crouch or cower like a beggar.” This word is a reference to someone in abject poverty like a homeless street beggar in one of our cities today.

Finally, the word “filthy” is translated from rhuparos which refers to something that is extremely dirty or foul smelling.

Meaning Explained

It might seem strange to see James refer to the meeting of Christians as a synagogue, but we must remember that the early church was largely made up of converted Jews. There is also evidence that some church gathering places even as late as the fourth century AD were called sunagōgia (synagogues) rather than what is more common today, ekklēsia (churches).

Paul is talking specifically about how you treat people within your church gatherings. In the eastern cultures, even today, a person with great wealth is easily identifiable by his luxurious robes and expensive gold jewelry. Such opulence is not as obviously displayed in Western society, although it does happen to some extent. In our churches this might be a man wearing an expensive suit displaying diamond or gold rings and expensive cufflinks, accompanied by his wife wearing designer clothing accessorized with expensive jewelry.

The second person identified in this verse is a lot easier to recognize. James is talking about a homeless beggar who likely smells of stale sweat (or worse), wearing the only clothing he or she owns. This is the kind of person nobody wants to sit next to, let alone have a conversation with. The contrast is pretty dramatic and James is intentionally showing extremes of personage. He will complete the admonition in the next two verses.

Application

Do you notice how people dress for church on Sunday morning? Do you make value judgments about them based on their appearance?

See what James says in the next verse.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:1 – Impartial Faith

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Will

My brothers, do not have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

Truth to Learn

Do not show favoritism based on outward appearances.

Behind the Words

The word translated “Lord” is kurios, which comes from the noun kuros, meaning “might or power.” The word kurios means “one who is supreme in authority or power, a master, or an owner.” When we refer to Jesus Christ as our Lord we are saying that he is our master and our owner, the one who has supreme authority over all that we do.

“Christ” is translated from the Greek word christos. It is really not a translation, but a transliteration, that is, a word which is brought literally from one language to another. Christos comes from the verb chriō, which means “to anoint.” Hence, christos means “the anointed one.” It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Mashiach, or Messiah.

The word translated “partiality” is from the Greek word prosōpolēpsia, which is made up of prosōpon, referring to “the face” and a form of lambanō, which means “to take” or “to receive.” This word does not appear in Greek texts earlier than the New Testament but is equivalent to an earlier Hebrew idiom meaning “to lift up the face on a person;” that is, to show favoritism to someone. Hence, in its root meaning, prosōpolēpsia refers to “treating one person in a more favorable way than someone else.”

The words “of glory” are translated from doxēs, which is from the word dokeō, meaning “to think” or “to recognize.” Hence, doxes refers to “thinking of or recognizing a person for what they really are.” That is, giving them the glory or honor they deserve. The words “the Lord” are implied here and have been added to make the sentence smoother.

Meaning Explained

James concluded the first chapter talking about the form of true religion. He picks up the second chapter talking about the practice of true religion. James directs his remarks to his brothers, to those of the Christian faith, and directly addresses the issue of playing favorites.

Most of the early converts to Christianity were brought up in the Jewish faith. As such, they were accustomed to the special recognition demanded by their religious leaders, especially the Pharisees, who were wealthy and powerful both religiously and politically. Within the Christian faith we are to respect a person’s position as Paul teaches:

render, therefore, to all their dues; to whom tribute, the tribute; to whom custom, the custom; to whom fear, the fear; to whom honor, the honor. (Romans 13:7)

But, within the church, we are not to give special attention to anyone simply based on the outward appearance.

Application

Our faith establishes a relationship between ourselves and Almighty God. We have become His children and as such are to treat everyone with equal respect whether they are rich or poor, powerful or weak, male or female, old or young.

In God's service, for His glory,