aMy brethren, bdo not hold
your faith
in our cglorious
Lord
Jesus
Christ
with an attitude of dpersonal
favoritism
.
For if a man
comes
into your 1assembly
with a gold
ring
and dressed in 2 afine
clothes
, and there also
comes
in a poor
man
in bdirty
clothes
,
and you 1pay special
attention
to the one who is wearing
the afine
clothes
, and say
, "You sit
here
in a good
place," and you say
to the poor
man
, "You stand
over
there
, or
sit
down
by my footstool
,"
have you not made distinctions
among
yourselves
, and become
judges
awith evil
1motives
?
Listen, amy beloved
brethren
: did not bGod
choose
the poor
1of this
world
to be crich
in faith
and dheirs
of the kingdom
which
He epromised
to those
who love
Him?
But you have dishonored the poor
man
. Is it not the rich
who oppress
you and 1personally
adrag
you into 2court
?
aDo they not blaspheme the fair
name
1by which you have been called
?
If, however
, you aare fulfilling
the 1royal
law
according
to the Scripture
, " bYOU SHALL LOVE
YOUR NEIGHBOR
AS YOURSELF
," you are doing
well
.
But if you ashow
partiality
, you are committing
sin
and are convicted
by the 1law
as transgressors
.
For whoever keeps
the whole
1law
and yet
astumbles
in one
point, he has become
bguilty
of all
.
For He who said, " aDO NOT COMMIT
ADULTERY
," also
said
, " bDO NOT COMMIT
MURDER
." Now
if
you do not commit
adultery
, but do commit
murder
, you have become
a transgressor
of the 1law
.
So speak
and so
act
as those who are to be judged
by athe law
of liberty
.
For ajudgment will be merciless
to one who has shown
no
mercy
; mercy
1triumphs
over
judgment
.
aWhat use
is it, bmy brethren
, if
someone
says
he has
faith
but he has
no
works
? Can
1that faith
save
him?
aIf a brother
or
sister
is without
clothing
and in need
of daily
food
,
and one of you says
to them, " aGo
in peace
, 1be warmed
and be filled
," and yet
you do not give
them what
is necessary
for their body
, what
use
is that?
Even so
afaith
, if
it has
no
works
, is 1dead
, being by itself
.
aBut someone 1may well say
, "You have
faith
and I have
works
; show
me your bfaith
without
the works
, and I will cshow
you my faith
dby my works
."
You believe that 1 aGod
is one
. bYou do
well
; cthe demons
also
believe
, and shudder
.
But are you willing to recognize
, ayou foolish
fellow
, that bfaith
without
works
is useless
?
aWas not Abraham our father
justified
by works
when he offered
up Isaac
his son
on the altar
?
You see that afaith
was working
with his works
, and 1as a result
of the bworks
, faith
was 2perfected
;
and the Scripture was fulfilled
which says
, " aAND ABRAHAM
BELIEVED
GOD
, AND IT WAS RECKONED
TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS
," and he was called
bthe friend
of God
.
You see that a man
is justified
by works
and not by faith
alone
.
In the same way
, was not aRahab
the harlot
also
justified
by works
bwhen she received
the messengers
and sent
them out by another
way
?
For just as the body
without
the spirit
is dead
, so
also
afaith
without
works
is dead
.