James 2:1-13

The Sin of Favoritism

1 My brothers, hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ without showing favoritism.
2 For suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.
3 If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes so that you say, "Sit here in a good place," and yet you say to the poor man, "Stand over there," or, "Sit here on the floor by my footstool,"
4 haven't you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers: Didn't God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him?
6 Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don't the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
7 Don't they blaspheme the noble name that you bear?
8 If you really carry out the royal law prescribed in Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself ,[a] you are doing well.
9 But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of [breaking it] all.
11 For He who said, Do not commit adultery ,[b] also said, Do not murder. [c] So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom.
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn't shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Footnotes 3

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