A Warning against Favoritism

1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect to persons. 2For if a gold-ringed man may come into your synagogue, in shining apparel, and a poor man may also come in with soiled clothing; 3and you may look upon the one wearing the shining garment, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and may say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit down beneath my footstool: 4are you not condemned among yourselves, and have you not become the judges of evil reasonings? 5Hear, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen the poor in the world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him with divine love? 6You have dishonored the poor. Do not the rich domineer over you, and drag you into courts? 7Do they not blaspheme the good name which has been called upon you?

8If indeed you keep the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor with divine love as thyself, you do well. 9But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whosoever may keep the whole law, and fail in one item, has become guilty of all. 11For the one saying, Thou shalt not commit adultery also said, Thou shalt not murder; but if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12So you say, and so you do, as about to be condemned by the law of liberty. 13For judgment is without mercy to him that shows no mercy; but mercy glorieth against judgment.

Faith and Works
(Galatians 3:1–9)

14But what is it profitable, my brethren, if one may say he has faith, but has not works? whether is faith able to save him? 15If a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of daily food, 16and one of you may say to them, Go in peace, be ye warmed, and be ye fed; and give them not the necessaries of the body; what profit is it? 17So indeed faith, if it may not have works, is dead, as to itself.

18But one will say, You have faith, and I have works: Show me your faith apart from works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19Do you believe that there is one God? you do well: the demons also believe and tremble. 20Do you wish to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is inefficient? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, having offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that faith wrought with his works, and by works the faith was made perfect; 23and the scripture was fulfilled, saying, And Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God. 24You see that a man is justified by works, and not only by faith. 25And likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, having received the spies, and sent them out by another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith also apart from works is dead.