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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - James 2:8-13

The apostle, having condemned the sin of those who had an undue respect of persons, and having urged what was sufficient to convict them of the greatness of this evil, now proceeds to show how the matter may be mended; it is the work of a gospel ministry, not only to reprove and warn, but to teach and direct. Col. 1:28; Warning every man, and teaching every man. And here, I. We have the law that is to guide us in all our regards to men set down in general. If you fulfil the royal law,... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - James 2:8-11

2:8-11 If you perfectly keep the royal law, as the Scripture has it: "You must love your neighbour as yourself," you do well. But if you treat people with respect of persons, such conduct is sin and you stand convicted by the law as transgressors. For, if a man keeps the whole law and yet fails to keep it in one point, he becomes guilty of transgressing the law as a whole. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." If you do not commit adultery but kill, you become a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - James 2:11

For he that said, Do not commit adultery ,.... That same lawgiver, who is but one, and is God, that gave out the seventh command, and forbids adultery, said also, Do not kill ; delivered the sixth command, which forbids murder. Now if thou commit no adultery ; do not break the seventh command; yet if thou kill , break the sixth command, thou art become a transgressor of the law ; not of that particular precept of the law, the seventh command, for the contrary is supposed... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - James 2:11

For he that said - That is, the authority that gave one commandment gave also the rest; and he who breaks one resists this authority; so that the breach of any one commandment may be justly considered a breach of the whole law. It was a maxim also among the Jewish doctors that, if a man kept any one commandment carefully, though he broke all the rest, he might assure himself of the favor of God; for while they taught that "He who transgresses all the precepts of the law has broken the yoke,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - James 2:11

Verse 11 11For he that said, or he who hath said. This is a proof of the former verse; because the Lawgiver is to be considered rather than each particular precept apart. The righteousness of God, as an indivisible body, is contained in the law. Whosoever, then, transgresses one article of the Law, destroys, as far as he can, the righteousness of God. Besides, as in one part, so in every part, God’s will is to try our obedience. Hence a transgressor of the law is every one who offends as to any... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:1-13

Respect of persons is inconsistent with the first principles of Christianity. 1. One great function of Christianity was to create a sphere in which there should be neither Jew nor Gentile, Greek nor barbarian, bond nor free. "All equal are within the Church's gate" is true, not only of the material building, but equally of the spiritual fabric of the Catholic Church, which, like her Divine Head, is no respecter of persons. Bengel well remarks that the equality of Christians, indicated... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:1-13

Respect of persons. Amongst the other evils of which these Christian Jews were guilty, was the gross evil of respect of persons. James presents the scene graphically, according to his wont. There is the synagogue, with the worshippers gathering for worship, some taking the good places, as it were the chancel-seats, near to the ark with the roll of the Law, and to the table of the Lord; some the lower seats, away from the speaker anti the Word. When, lo, a rich man enters, some stranger to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:8-11

Stumbling in one point. In these verses James takes the high ground that "respect of persons" is a transgression of the law by which we are to be judged; anal one which, like every other, involves the guilt of breaking the whole law. I. TO RESPECT PERSONS IS TO COMMIT SIN . (Verses 8, 9) It involves disobedience to " the royal law. " This is a noticeable expression. Any Divine commandment may be described as "royal," seeing that it emanates from the supreme... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - James 2:11

Do not commit adultery … do not kill. The order of the commandments is remarkable; what is now the seventh is placed bolero the sixth. This appears to have been the usual order at that time. In this order our Lord quotes them in Luke 18:20 , and St. Paul in Romans 13:9 . Philo also has the same order, and expressly comments on it, drawing from it an argument for the heinousness of adultery. In the Vatican Manuscript of the LXX . in Exodus 20:13-15 the order is, " Thou shalt not... read more

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