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JAMES 2

JAMES 2—NIV
Favoritism Forbidden
1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? NIV

5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? NIV

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"[b] also said, "Do not murder."[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. NIV

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! NIV

> I don't think these verses are the parts of James 2 you were speaking of . . . however . . .

> Given that we are here . . . I have observed the Roman Catholic groups and Institution to be schizohrenic on the issue of FAVORITISM. There is a lot of wonderful ministering to the lowest of the low as eye to eye brothers and sisters as they are.

> There's also a huge amount of bowing and scraping and kowtowing, deferring to power and position by the bureaucratic magicsterical power-mongers in the Vatican and their local hierarchy in the persons of the Bishops and Cardinals . . . and too often, some of the local Pastors as well.

> Witness the funerals of the Kennedays et al who were notorious philanderers as well as supporters of infanticide. Nancy P et al still, as far as I know, are treated with lots of deference by many Roman Catholics. Given such duplicities, I don't know how many 'grace chits' the ministering to the lowest of the low will turn out to be useful in counter balancing such duplicity. I don't think it works that way.

The exhortations in this section about not murdering, BEING merciful etc. are FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAVED BY ACCEPTING CHRIST'S BLOOD AS THEIR SALVATION COVERING. DONE. The exhortations are about how then they ought to walk by God's Grace, Spirit and Christ's cleansing Blood's help. NOT per se for Salvation--but as salt in a hurting world.

Next post [in this series] to wade into the faith works issues.