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.
Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved