James 2

James 2:1

Christianity being so great a promoter of justice and charity to all, and especially to Christians, and again to those that most need our relief and assistance, ch. i. 27, it is a most unchristian thing to be partial to one before another Christian on consideration that one is richer or in better clothes than the other.

[a] faith of our Lord—] Δόξα Χριστοῦ, the glory of Christ, we have explained often to belong to the Shechinah, that again to his ἐπιφάνεια, or appearance in the flesh, his incarnation, and all that was consequent to that. This being here improved with the addition of the words Lord Jesus Christ, doth more set out the necessity of obeying and observing all those things which this Lord and Saviour, the Messias of the world, hath commended to his disciples, that is, to all Christians, believers, faithful persons, of which nature especially is charity in the following verses, and impartial strict justice (supposed and contained in that) in this present verse. Then for πίστις τῆς δόξης, the faith of the glory, (for so the Syriac construes the words,) it signifies this Christian faith, this faith, or profession of, or believing this incarnation and resurrection of Christ: and πίστιν ἴχειν ἐν προσωποληψίαις, to have this faith in, or with respect of persons, is to look on those that profess this faith, not as they are Christians, but as they are rich or poor, preferring partially one before the other, accordingly as he comes into your courts in greater splendour. And so the meaning of the whole verse is, that they that are professors of Christianity (and are here supposed to be so, and are put in mind of it by the title of ἀδελφοί μου, my brethren) ought not to have any such unchristian temper in them as in their judicatures (for so συναγωγή signifies an assembly for judicature, and that for ecclesiastical as well as civil affairs, and so it seems to signify here, ver. 2.) to prefer or favour one Christian before another only in respect of his wealth or fine clothes, when Christ hath equally received them both, or (if any) hath preferred the poor, ver. 5.

James 2:2

For if a cause in your judicatures or consistories happen between a rich gallant and a poor beggarly person,

[b] assembly] That συναγωγή signifies all kind of assemblies, meetings in the market-place, Matt. vi. 2, consistories for judicature, Matt. x. 17 and xxiii. 34, (and not only places for the public service of God,) hath been formerly said, note [d] on Matt. vi. That it may do so also among Christians, and that it doth so here, appears, first, by the προσωποληψία, acceptation of persons, partially, ver. 1, which especially respects judicatures; secondly, by the footstool, ver. 3, which was proper to great persons, princes on their throne, or judges on their

d Lib. 1. c. 2.

James 2:3

And if you shall make a difference between them in respect of their wealth and clothes, and shall set one in a more honourable place than the other, (see note [b],) consider one and despise the other,

¹⁵ he that hath looked close—and dwelt upon it, and is n :t— δ δὲ παρακόψα:—καὶ παρα-

μοίπας— ¹⁶ doing, ποιήσει. ¹ of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ² and

ye shall look upon him, καὶ ἐπιβλέψῃτε ἐπὶ. ³ fairly.

James 2:4

And without any doubt or scruple in your hearts be thus unjustly partial; or if ye do not so much as debate among yourselves, or consider the merit of the cause, but as wicked, corrupt judges, hand over head, adjudge the cause to the rich, (and despise the poor, ver. 6,) whatsoever the justice of the cause and merit of it be, or prefer the rich before the poor, and judge the cause by the person, not the person by the cause;

[c] partial] What is the meaning of οὐ διακρίθητε here, will not easily be resolved. I suppose it may best be done by these degrees: first, by observing that διακρίνεσθαι, in the middle voice, generally signifies in these books either doubting (wavering, Matt. xxi. 21, Mark xi. 23, Acts x. 20 and xi. 11, Rom. iv. 20.) or disputing, there being a connection betwixt these two, he that doubts always disputing with himself. From whence also it signifies to implead, (with τινί, or πρὸς τινα added to it,) or to lay any thing to one’s charge, either in or out of judicature; as Acts xi. 2, they of the circumcision διακρίνοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν, charged Peter, or disputed with him, saying, Thou wentest in to the uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. For the notion of wavering, Hesychius is punctual; διακρίθη, ἐμερίσθη, ἐδίσταζεν, εὐλαβήθη, it signifies to be divided, to doubt, to fear; so twice in this Epistle, ch. i. 6, μηδὲν διακρινόμενος, nothing wavering, ὁ γὰρ διακρινόμενος, for the waverer. And as by this notion of the word I conceive a difficult place will be explained, Jude xxii, (see note [m] on that Epistle,) so we may conclude that in this Epistle, ch. iii. 17, ἀδιάκριτος will be best rendered without wavering, or constant, (see note [f] on that chapter.) Secondly, by observing the force of ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, in yourselves, added to it: for as that refers oftentimes to the inward thoughts of the heart, (and then not to doubt in themselves is to do what they do without any inward reluctance, check, or scruple, or dubitancy, which in a sinful and irrational fact (as this here spoken of is) cannot but be a great aggravation of it,) so, being applied to disceptations or disputes, it oft signifies among themselves, or one with another. And if it be so here, it will then belong to the judges in this ecclesiastical council, or assembly of bishops, debating or considering among themselves what justice there is in the cause. Thirdly, by observing that punctuation which we find of it in Œcumenius, (and so also in some printed copies,) without any note of interrogation. And that that is the right reading is sufficiently evident, both by the mood and the copulative καὶ, and, which connect it with what went before, and demonstrate it to be governed of the ἰάν, if, ver. 2, as εἰσελθῆ, and ἐπιβλέψῃτε, and εἴπῃτε are. And then this must needs be the right rendering of it: If a man enter having a gold ring, and if a poor man in sordid apparel enter also, (that is, if they implead one the other,) and if you look on (or have a partial respect to) the rich, and say unto him, &c. καὶ οὐ διακρίθητε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, and if ye either

HAMMOND ANNOTT. VOL. II. C C

James 2:5

This is a most unchristian dealing in you. And then do but consider, hath God had any such partialities in bestowing Christianity and his graces on men? Nay, hath he not, on the other side, picked out men as poor as any to be as eminent believers and saints as any?

6, 7. But you, if a man be poor, despise him, consider him not. And truly it is no very amiable thing to be rich, nor doth it produce any excellencies in them that are so, or favours toward you, that deserve to be so considered by you; for riches make men apt to oppress others, and to enter vexatious suits against them, and to despise Christianity, and blaspheme that good profession of yours.

James 2:8

If ye observe the law of Christ our King, which he hath in a particular manner prescribed us, John xiii. 34, and xv. 12, and to which above all other men all we Christians are to be subject, and that agreeable to what is mentioned in the Old Testament, Levit. xix. 18, the command of measuring our love to our neighbour by that which we bear to ourselves, this is somewhat like a Christian.

James 2:9

But if ye use this partiality, ver. 2, this is a sin, and so condemned by the law, Levit. xxx. 15. Deut. i. 17, and xvi. 19, Exod. xxiii. 3, and so you offend even against the law, and not only against the gospel.

James 2:10

And it is but a small excuse for you to think that this is but one transgression, and therefore not considerable: for the obedience to God’s will is required universally to all that he commands; and he that offends in one, though he keep all the rest, is guilty of the breach of that obedience, and punishable as well as if he had broken all.

James 2:11

For it is the same Lawgiver that imposed the one and the other law, that interdicted adultery and

James 2:12

Let your words and actions be like those that are to be judged, not by the Mosaical law, which requires those external observances so severely, circumcision under pain of death, &c., but by the law of Christ, which hath set us at liberty in this kind, and requires of us another sort of performances.

James 2:13

And first, for the latter of these, that of actions, it is certain that among the precepts of Christ there is none more eminent than that of works of mercy, unto which the promises of God’s mercy are so linked and proportioned, that he that condemns others shall himself be condemned, and he that doth forgive others needs not fear God’s condemnation, Matt. vi.

James 2:14

And it is not for a Christian to say that his faith shall render such works unnecessary; for indeed without such works his faith will nothing profit him, and it is ridiculous to think it will.

James 2:15

For in case a Christian be in great want and distress for supply of the necessaries of life, food and raiment,

James 2:16

And you give him good words, bid him have plenty, or wish he had, but do no more to help him to the things which he hath need of for his body; what is he the better for your words?

James 2:17

So if faith be by itself, without actions consequent and agreeable to it, it is as fruitless and lifeless as those words were.

James 2:18

And any man that looks on this uncharitable believer will be able to reprove him thus: Talk as much of thy faith as thou wilt, no man will believe thee; thy works must be superadded to the confession of thy faith, to approve the sincerity of it.

James 2:19

One act of thy faith is, the believing one true God, and this is most absolutely necessary to thee; but if thy life be not answerable to this part of thy faith, and that evidenced by piety and charity, thou art then to remember that the believing there is one God is such a good quality as is common to thee and the devils also, and if it have no more joined to it, will bestead thee no more than them.

James 2:20

It is a mere vanity to conceive that faith with-

⁹ triumpheth over, κατακαυχαται. ¹⁰ by itself, καθ’ ἑαυτὴν. ¹¹ But one will say,

‘Αλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις. ¹² So the Syriac, Arabic, and Latin copies read, and so the King’s

MS. χωρὶς; others read ἐκ, by.

James 2:25

But he that hath studied the gospel to purpose, seen his own image there, all that he is concerned in for his present and eternal well-being, and hath not looked slightly, but insisted, continued looking on it, and lays it to heart, and applies it to practice, and lives and acts accordingly, actually performing that which is required of him, that man may receive comfort and joy in his course, and God will bless him in it.

James 2:26

If a man appear or make show of serving and worshipping God, profess to be religious, and yet gives his tongue the reins to rail riotously on his fellow-Christians, that man deceiveth himself, flattereth himself with vain hopes, if he think that his religion should ever stand him in any stead.

James 2:27

The true Christian religion, such as God, which is our Father, will accept of, consists of two special parts, charity to all that are in need, and purity of life, abstaining from filthy lusts and all the evil examples and temptations of the world. ### CHAP. II. MY brethren, have not the [a] faith ¹ of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.