21My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with partiality.+2For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in,+3and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”+4haven’t you shown partiality amongst yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?+5Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?+6But you have dishonoured the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?+7Don’t they blaspheme the honourable name by which you are called?+8However, if you fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well.+9But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.+10For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.+11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.+12So speak and so do as men who are to be judged by the law of freedom.+13For judgement is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.+
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?+15And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,+16and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it?+17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.+18Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.+19You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder.+20But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?+21Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?+22You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected.+23So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.+24You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.+25In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?+26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.+Footnotes (1)
a2:2 2:2 or, meeting
World English Bible (British)
World English Bible, British Edition. Public domain.
This is an AI study aid, not our church speaking. It summarises how
different Christian teachers have read a passage. It doesn't tell you what
Clearspring believes. Please check anything important with a pastor.