Yǎgèshū 2:1-13

1 Wǒde dìxiōng men , nǐmen xìnfèng wǒmen róngyào de zhǔ Yēsū Jīdū , biàn bùkĕ àn zhe waìmào daì rén .

2 Ruò yǒu yī gèrén daì zhe jīn jièzhi , chuān zhe huámĕi yīfu , jìn nǐmen de gōngtáng qù . yòu yòu yī ge qióngrén , chuān zhe āngzāng yīfu yĕ jìn qù .

3 Nǐmen jiù zhòng kàn nà chuān huámĕi yīfu de rén , shuō , qǐng zuò zaì zhè hǎo wèi shang . yòu duì nà qióngrén shuō , nǐ zhàn zaì nàli , huò zuò zaì wǒ jiǎo dèng xiàbiān .

4 Zhè qǐbù shì nǐmen yòng piān xīn daì rén , yòng è yì duàndìng rén ne .

5 Wǒ qīnaì de dìxiōng men qǐng tīng , shén qǐbù shì jiǎnxuǎn le shìshang de pínqióng rén , jiào tāmen zaì xìn shang fùzú , bìng chéngshòu tā suǒ yīngxǔ gĕi nàxiē aì tā zhī rén de guó ma .

6 Nǐmen fǎn dào xiūrǔ pínqióng rén . nà fùzú rén qǐbù shì qīyē nǐmen , lā nǐmen dào gōng táng qù ma .

7 Tāmen bú shì xièdú nǐmen suǒ jìngfèng de zūn míng ma . ( suǒ jìngfèng huò zuò beìchēng )

8 Jīng shang jì zhe shuō , yào aìren rú jǐ . nǐmen ruò quán shǒu zhè zhì zūn de lǜfǎ cái shì hǎo de .

9 Dàn nǐmen ruò àn waìmào daì rén , biàn shì fàn zuì , beì lǜfǎ déng wéi fàn fǎ de .

10 Yīnwei fán zūnshǒu quán lǜfǎ de , zhǐ zaì yī tiaó shang diēdǎo , tā jiù shì fàn le zhòng tiaó .

11 Yuánlái nà shuō bùkĕ jiānyín de , yĕ shuō bùkĕ shārén . nǐ jiù shì bù jiānyín , què shārén , réng shì chéng le fàn lǜfǎ de .

12 Nǐmen jìrán yào àn shǐ rén zìyóu de lǜfǎ shòu shĕnpàn , jiù gāi zhào zhè lǜfǎ shuōhuà xíngshì .

13 Yīnwei nà bù liánmǐn rén de , yĕ yào shòu wú liánmǐn de shĕnpàn . liánmǐn yuán shì xiàng shĕnpàn kuā shèng .

Yǎgèshū 2:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JAMES 2

In this chapter the apostle dissuades from a respect of persons, on account of outward circumstances; shows that the law is to be fulfilled, and that mercy is to be exercised, as well as justice done; and exposes the folly of such who boast of faith without works: he dissuades the saints from all partiality to the rich and poor, from their relation to one another, as brethren, and from their common faith, of which Christ, the Lord of glory, is the object, Jas 2:1 supposes an instance of it, either in a court of judicature, or a religious assembly, Jas 2:2,3 and then makes an appeal unto them, and expostulates with them about it, Jas 2:4 and makes use of an argument against it, taken from the divine conduct, and an instance of his grace in the choice of persons to eternal life, Jas 2:5 a conduct very different from some persons here blamed, Jas 2:6, and other arguments follow, dissuading from a respect of persons, taken from the characters of rich men, as oppressors of the poor, litigious and quarrelsome with their neighbours, and blasphemers of the name of God, Jas 2:7 and from the law of God, which requires the love of the neighbour, and which to fulfil is to do well, Jas 2:8 and from the breach of it, by having respect to persons, whereby its penalty is incurred, Jas 2:9 for which a reason is given; because whoever offends in one point of the law, is guilty of the whole, Jas 2:10 as is a clear case, since the same lawgiver that forbids one sin, forbids another; so that he that is guilty of either of them is a transgressor of the law, Jas 2:11 wherefore it is right both to speak and act according to it, since men will be judged by it, Jas 2:12 and he will have no mercy shown him that has shown none to the poor, but merciful ones will escape damnation, Jas 2:13 and then the apostle argues from the unprofitableness of faith itself without works, Jas 2:14 and which he exemplifies in the case of a poor brother or sister who are wished well, but nothing given them; which good words, without deeds, are of no profit, Jas 2:15,16 so in like manner, faith without works is a dead faith, Jas 2:17 nor indeed can it be made out that a man has faith, if he has not works, Jas 2:18 at least such a faith as has justification and salvation connected with it; his faith, at most, is no better than that of the devils, who are damned, Jas 2:19 and that such a faith is a dead faith, Jas 2:2 and that true faith is attended with, and evidenced by works, the apostle proves by two instances; the one is that of Abraham, whose faith appeared to be genuine, and he to be a justified person, by the works he did; particularly by offering up his son Isaac; in which way his faith operated, and showed itself to be sincere and hearty; and the Scripture was fulfilled that Abraham was a believer; and had righteousness imputed to him, and was a friend of God, and a justified person, Jas 2:21-24 and the other instance is that of Rahab, whose faith was also shown by her works, and so a justified person, by receiving the spies with peace, and dismissing them with safety, Jas 2:25, and then the apostle explains what he means, by saying more than once, that faith without works is dead; which he illustrates by the simile of a man's body being dead, without the spirit or soul in it, Jas 2:26.