James 2:1

The first section of this chapter (James 2:1-13) carries a warning against courting the favor of middle-upper income people or the wealthy, against showing special courtesies and solicitude. There are no doubt many congregations which are tempted to do this very thing. After all, there are budgets to be subscribed, programs to be financed and all kinds of good works which require constant scrambling on the part of the church elders and deacons in their efforts to finance such things. Therefore, the tendency is to do a little bowing and scraping when some well-to-do person condescends to visit the assembly of the church. It was no different in that generation to which James addressed these remarkable words. The warning is clear enough: "Don't do it!"

The second section will be introduced separately at the end of James 2:13.

It will be remembered that "Perfection" is the overall theme of this epistle, and this first portion of James 2 relates to the general subject by guarding against partiality and false judgments of men upon the basis of external conditions.

My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. (James 2:1)

My brethren ... Significantly, this entire epistle is addressed to Christians, true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ; for only such persons could truthfully be addressed as "brethren." As Lenski said, "This is preeminently a New Testament writing and by no means a legal one."[1] To read James as if it were addressed to Jews is to miss the meaning altogether.

The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ ... As usual, the scholars cannot agree on whether "faith" is here subjective or objective. Zerr made it objective, "referring to the Christian religion."[2] Roberts said that "It is subjective and does not refer to the doctrine or teaching."[3] As Gibson said, "Here it may be either (1) objective as in Jude 1:1:3,20, or (2) subjective, as in Mark 11:22."[4] Despite such views, we accept Zerr's understanding of the passage which sees it as a clear reference to "the Christian religion."

Our Lord Jesus Christ ... This exact title of the Master is found in that letter addressed by James and the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to the Syrian churches (Acts 15:26), and this is considered by some to support the proposition that this epistle was written by the same James.

The Lord of glory ... The first two words of this are italicized, showing that they are not in the Greek, leading some to translate this place, "Our Lord Jesus Christ the glory," much in the same manner that Christ is called the way, the truth or the light. Tasker favored this construction,[5] as also did Wessel: "Jesus is here called simply, the glory."[6]

With respect of persons ... The meaning of this will be sharpened by James' further words in this paragraph. What is condemned here is not the valid and proper respect which belongs to the noble and the great of this world, but the condemnation is against "the preference for vulgar wealth, the adulation of success, the worship, in short, of some new golden calf."[7] Furthermore, it is not the appreciation for such persons merely, but the partiality exhibited in the treatment of them, the toadying in their presence.

[1] R. C. H. Lenski, Interpretation of ... the Epistle of James (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1938), p. 564.

[2] E. M. Zerr, Bible Commentary, James (Marion, Indiana: Cogdill Foundation, 1954), p. 244.

[3] J. W. Roberts, The Letter of James (Austin, Texas: Sweet Publishing Company, 1977), p. 69.

[4] E. C. S. Gibson, The Pulpit Commentary, James (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 21, p. 27.

[5] R. V. G. Tasker, The General Epistle of James (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 56.

[6] Walter W. Wessel, Wycliffe New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 950.

[7] E. G. Punchard, Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 363.