James 2:1-9 ▼

1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with [an attitude of] personal favoritism.

2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,

3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, |You sit here in a good place,| and you say to the poor man, |You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,|

4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

8 If, however, you are fulfilling 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 are committing sin [and] are convicted by the law as transgressors.