Lexical Summary prosópolémpteó: To show partiality, to be a respecter of persons Original Word: προσωπολημπτέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to show partialityFrom prosopoleptes; to favor an individual, i.e. Show partiality -- have respect to persons. see GREEK prosopoleptes NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom prosópolémptés Definition to have respect of persons NASB Translation show partiality (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4380: προσωποληπτέωπροσωποληπτέω (L T Tr WH προσωπολημπτέω (see Mu)), προσωπολήπτω; a Hellenistic verb (derived from the following word (cf. Winers 33, 101 (96))), to respect the person (i. e. the external condition of a man), to have respect of persons: James 2:9. Topical Lexicon Meaning within Biblical Theology The verb προσωπολημπτέω conveys the act of showing partiality—judging or treating people on the basis of external appearance, social standing, or some other surface distinction. Scripture consistently presents such favoritism as incompatible with the character of God, who is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34) and judges “each one impartially according to his deeds” (1 Peter 1:17). Singular New Testament Occurrence James 2:9 exposes favoritism within the assembly as outright sin: “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors”. In the immediate context, believers had seated wealthy visitors in honored places while relegating the poor to lowly positions. James links this practice to the violation of the “royal law” to “love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8). Thus προσωπολημπτέω is depicted not as a minor social faux pas but as a breach of the foundational ethic of love. Old Testament Roots and Continuity The New Testament censure echoes the Torah’s insistence on impartial justice: “You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike” (Deuteronomy 1:17). Leviticus 19:15 forbids favoring either the poor or the great, grounding equity in God’s holiness. James’s warning therefore stands in seamless continuity with covenant expectations stretching back to Sinai. Christological Dimension Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently undermines social hierarchies—welcoming children (Mark 10:14), dining with tax collectors (Luke 5:30-32), and praising a destitute widow’s offering (Mark 12:41-44). His incarnation itself testifies to divine identification with the lowly (Philippians 2:6-8). Believers who show partiality obscure the gospel pattern in which “the last will be first” (Matthew 20:16). Ecclesiological and Pastoral Application 1. Worship Gatherings: Seating, platform presence, and acknowledgment should reflect the equal dignity of every believer in Christ (Galatians 3:28). Historical Reflection in Church Practice The early Church’s care for widows, its inclusion of Gentiles, and the appointment of deacons demonstrate practical repudiation of favoritism. Reformers likewise appealed to divine impartiality to challenge class privilege in worship. Modern missions movements emphasize the same principle by reaching every tribe and language without cultural or racial bias. Implications for Personal Discipleship Believers are called to align their relational habits with God’s impartial character. This involves: Corporate Prayer and Worship Congregational prayers should confess communal tendencies toward favoritism and plead for the Spirit’s fruit of genuine brotherly love. Songs that celebrate God’s sovereignty over all peoples and classes reinforce the antidote to προσωπολημπτέω. Summary Strong’s Greek 4380 encapsulates a practice Scripture unequivocally condemns. Because God judges without respect of persons, His people must do likewise—within worship, governance, mission, and daily relationships—so that the Church manifests the kingdom where rich and poor, slave and free, stand on equal footing before the cross. Forms and Transliterations προσωπολημπτειτε προσωπολημπτεῖτε προσωποληπτείτε prosopolempteite prosopolempteîte prosōpolēmpteite prosōpolēmpteîteLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
    |