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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>James 2</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/james/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc//james/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/james/">James</a> > James 2</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../james/1.htm" title="James 1">◄</a> James 2 <a href="../james/3.htm" title="James 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/james/2.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/james/2.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/james/2.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/james/2.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/james/2.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/james/2.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/james/2.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">A Warning against Favoritism<p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism. <A name="3"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>Suppose a man comes into your meeting<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. <A name="4"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,” <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? <A name="6"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">b</a></span> <A name="9"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">c</a></span> you are doing well. <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. <A name="11"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,”<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">d</a></span> also said, “Do not murder.”<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">e</a></span> If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. <A name="13"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. <A name="15"></a><p class="hdg">Faith and Works<br /><span class="cross">(<a href ="../galatians/3.htm">Galatians 3:1–9</a>)</span><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">f</a></span> is dead. <A name="19"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>You believe that God is one.<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">g</a></span> Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. <A name="21"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">h</a></span> <A name="22"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? <A name="23"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">i</a></span> and he was called a friend of God.<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">j</a></span> <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone. <A name="26"></a><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">k</a></span> and sent them off on another route? <span class="reftext"><a href="/james/2-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">2</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> Greek <i>your synagogue</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">7</span> <span class="footnotesbot">b</span> Or <i>the noble name invoked upon you</i><span class="thin"> </span> or <i>the noble name of Him to whom you belong</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">8</span> <span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <a href="../leviticus/19.htm#18">Leviticus 19:18</a><br><span class="fnverse">11</span> <span class="footnotesbot">d</span> <a href="../exodus/20.htm#14">Exodus 20:14</a>; <a href="../deuteronomy/5.htm#18">Deuteronomy 5:18</a><br><span class="fnverse">11</span> <span class="footnotesbot">e</span> <a href="../exodus/20.htm#13">Exodus 20:13</a>; <a href="../deuteronomy/5.htm#17">Deuteronomy 5:17</a><br><span class="fnverse">17</span> <span class="footnotesbot">f</span> Literally <i>if it does not have works</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">19</span> <span class="footnotesbot">g</span> Or <i>that there is one God</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">20</span> <span class="footnotesbot">h</span> BYZ and TR <i>dead</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">23</span> <span class="footnotesbot">i</span> <a href="../genesis/15.htm#6">Genesis 15:6</a><br><span class="fnverse">23</span> <span class="footnotesbot">j</span> See <a href="../isaiah/41.htm#8">Isaiah 41:8</a>.<br><span class="fnverse">25</span> <span class="footnotesbot">k</span> Literally <i>messengers</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. 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