James 2 is the most famous chapter in the letter, and one of the most misunderstood. It begins with a scene in church: a rich man welcomed to the best seat, a poor man told to stand. That kind of favouritism, James says, breaks “the royal law.” And breaking one commandment makes a person guilty of all. Then comes the great passage on faith and works: “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James is not contradicting Paul. He is answering a different error: a faith that talks but never acts.
A study in James 2 · Arthur Baldwin · StandUp4Jesus.Org · 17 min read
Respect Of Persons
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?”
James 2:1-7
“Respect of persons” means favouritism, judging people by their appearance. James paints a scene everyone would recognize. A wealthy man walks into the assembly with gold rings and fine clothes, and he is shown to the best seat. A poor man in shabby clothes comes in, and he is told to stand in the back or sit on the floor.
That, James says, is incompatible with faith in “the Lord of glory.” Jesus Himself was born in a stable and had nowhere to lay His head. And “hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith?” Most of the early believers were poor, and it was usually the rich who were dragging them into court and blaspheming “that worthy name by the which ye are called” — the name of Christ.
“It was God who gave to them the name of Christian. This is a royal name, given to all who join themselves to Christ. It was of this name that James wrote later, ‘Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?’ James 2:6, 7.”
Ellen G. White · The Acts of the Apostles, p. 157
The Royal Law
“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”
James 2:8-9
“The royal law” is the law of the King. James quotes Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” which Jesus named as the second great commandment, the summary of our duty to others (Matthew 22:39). Favouritism breaks it. It is not a minor matter of manners; James calls it “sin,” and says those who practise it are “convinced of the law as transgressors” — convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
Guilty Of All
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
James 2:10-13
Now James makes clear which law he means. He quotes two of the Ten Commandments: “Do not commit adultery” and “Do not kill” (Exodus 20:13-14). And he states a principle every Christian needs to understand: “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
Why? Because the law is not a list of separate rules, where keeping nine earns a passing grade. It is one law from one Lawgiver: “he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.” To break any commandment is to reject the authority of the One who spoke them all. The law is like a chain; break one link, and the chain is broken.
This principle applies to every commandment, including the fourth. The same God who said, “Thou shalt not kill,” also said, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). It is not possible to keep God’s law while setting aside one of its precepts.
“That the law which was spoken by God’s own voice is faulty, that some specification has been set aside, is the claim which Satan now puts forward. It is the last great deception that he will bring upon the world. He needs not to assail the whole law; if he can lead men to disregard one precept, his purpose is gained. For ‘whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.’ James 2:10.”
Ellen G. White · The Desire of Ages, p. 763
“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” God’s law is the standard in the judgment. And it is “the law of liberty,” because it describes the life of a person set free by Christ.
“The apostle James admonishes his brethren: ‘So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.’ James 2:12. Those who in the judgment are ‘accounted worthy’ will have a part in the resurrection of the just.”
Ellen G. White · The Great Controversy, p. 482
And mercy matters in the judgment. Those who show no mercy will receive none, “and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” The person who has received God’s mercy and passes it on to others can face the judgment with joy.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
James 2:14-20
Notice the key words in verse 14: “though a man say he hath faith.” James is talking about a claimed faith, a faith that exists only in words. “Can faith save him?” — can that kind of faith save him? The answer is no.
He gives an example. A fellow believer is cold and hungry. Someone says, “Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled,” and does nothing. Those kind words are worthless. So is a faith that never acts.
And mere belief in the right doctrines is not saving faith either. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” The devils have perfectly correct theology. They know exactly who God is. But their belief has never changed their hearts.
“The Bible says that ‘the devils also believe, and tremble;’ but this is not faith. James 2:19. Where there is not only a belief in God’s word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith—faith that works by love and purifies the soul.”
Ellen G. White · Steps to Christ, p. 63
Abraham And Rahab
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:21-26
Does James contradict Paul, who wrote that “a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28)? No. Both men use Abraham, and both quote the same verse, Genesis 15:6: “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” Paul uses it to show that Abraham was accepted by faith, years before his circumcision and before any work he did. James points out that the same faith was later proved genuine on Mount Moriah, when Abraham offered Isaac. “Faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.”
Paul is fighting legalism, the idea that we can earn salvation by our works. James is fighting a dead faith, the idea that we can believe without obeying. The same Abraham answers both errors. We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.
“There are many who fail to understand the relation of faith and works. They say, ‘Only believe in Christ, and you are safe. You have nothing to do with keeping the law.’ But genuine faith will be manifest in obedience.”
Ellen G. White · Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 153
And Rahab, the Canaanite woman with a shameful past, shows that this is not only for patriarchs. She believed the God of Israel, and she proved it by risking her life to hide His messengers. Abraham and Rahab were about as different as two believers could be. Their faith looked the same: it acted.
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” A body without breath is a corpse. A faith without works is a corpse too: it may look like faith, but there is no life in it. Living faith breathes, and its breath is love, mercy and obedience.
