The good seat
My brothers and sisters, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and good clothes, and a poor man comes in in shabby clothes. If you pay special attention to the one in good clothes and say, “Here's a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” haven't you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with bad motives? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him? But you've insulted the poor. Isn't it the rich who are exploiting you? Aren't they the ones dragging you into court? Aren't they the ones slandering the good name of the one you belong to?
My brothers and sisters, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favouritism.
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and good clothes, and a poor man comes in in shabby clothes.
If you pay special attention to the one in good clothes and say, “Here's a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”
haven't you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with bad motives?
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him?
But you've insulted the poor. Isn't it the rich who are exploiting you? Aren't they the ones dragging you into court?
Aren't they the ones slandering the good name of the one you belong to?
The royal law
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture — “Love your neighbour as yourself” — you're doing right. But if you show favouritism, you're sinning, and you're convicted by the law as lawbreakers. Because whoever keeps the whole law and stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. The one who said, “Don't commit adultery,” also said, “Don't murder.” If you don't commit adultery but you do commit murder, you've become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who hasn't been merciful. Mercy wins out over judgement.
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture — “Love your neighbour as yourself” — you're doing right.
But if you show favouritism, you're sinning, and you're convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
Because whoever keeps the whole law and stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
The one who said, “Don't commit adultery,” also said, “Don't murder.” If you don't commit adultery but you do commit murder, you've become a lawbreaker.
Speak and act as people who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who hasn't been merciful. Mercy wins out over judgement.
Faith with nothing behind it
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can that sort of faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is short of clothes and hasn't got enough to eat. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it isn't backed by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith. I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I'll show you my faith by my deeds. You believe there's one God. Good. Even the demons believe that — and shudder. You foolish man, do you want proof that faith without deeds is useless?
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can that sort of faith save him?
Suppose a brother or sister is short of clothes and hasn't got enough to eat.
If one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it isn't backed by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith. I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I'll show you my faith by my deeds.
You believe there's one God. Good. Even the demons believe that — and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want proof that faith without deeds is useless?
Abraham and Rahab
Wasn't our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You can see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called God's friend. You can see that a person is considered righteous by what they do, and not by faith alone. In the same way, wasn't even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off by another road? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Wasn't our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You can see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called God's friend.
You can see that a person is considered righteous by what they do, and not by faith alone.
In the same way, wasn't even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off by another road?
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.