1 My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
2 For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in,
3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit here, please," while you say to the poor one, "Stand there," or "Sit at my feet,"
4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?
6 But you dishonored the poor person. Are not the rich oppressing you? And do they themselves not haul you off to court?
7 Is it not they who blaspheme the noble name that was invoked over you?
8 However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law, but falls short in one particular, has become guilty in respect to all of it.
11 For he who said, "You shall not commit adultery," also said, "You shall not kill." Even if you do not commit adultery but kill, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom.
13 For the judgment is merciless to one who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?
17 So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble.
20 Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works.
23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called "the friend of God."
24 See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by a different route?
26 For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Versículos relacionados com James, 2:
St. James 2 deals with the importance of a faith that manifests itself in actions, not just in words. The chapter emphasizes that true faith must be evidenced by works of justice and that faith without works is killed. Following are five verses related to the topics covered in St. James 2, in order of proximity to the chapter:
Romans 2:13: "For it is not the ones who hear the law that are righteous in the eyes of God; rather, those who obey the law will be declared righteous." This verse points out that obedience is essential to be considered justly by God, which relates to St. James' emphasis on the importance of works.
Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the will of my father who is in heaven." This verse points out that true obedience to God involves actions, not just words, which relates to St. James' theme about the importance of faith manifested in works.
Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His Fitness, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God in advance prepared for us to walk in them." This verse points out that God created us to do good works, which relates to St. James' theme about the importance of faith manifested in works of justice.
1 John 3:18: "Little children, let us not love word or language, but for works and in truth." This verse points out that true love manifests itself in actions, not just in words, which relates to St. James' theme about the importance of faith manifested in works of justice.
Galatians 5:6: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has no value, but the faith that acts for love." This verse points out that true faith must manifest itself through love in action, which relates to St. James' theme about the importance of faith manifested in works of justice.
Fejezetek: