James 2

James 2 is the second chapter of the Epistle of James. Building on chapter 1's exhortation to be "doers of the word" and its description of pure religion as caring for orphans and widows, it addresses partiality within the community and the relationship between faith and works.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 Using the example of a man with a gold ring and a poor man who enter the assembly (literally "synagogue") and are given different seats, James forbids showing respect of persons.
• Verses 5–7 James rebukes his readers because, although God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith, they despise the poor and show favor to the rich who oppress them.
• Verses 8–13 Citing the royal law, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," James says that whoever offends in one point of the law is guilty of all. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
• Verses 14–17 Using the example of someone who offers only words to a brother or sister who is naked and hungry, James declares that faith without works is dead.
• Verses 18–20 Faith is shown by works, and even the devils believe that God is one, and tremble.
• Verses 21–24 Pointing to Abraham's offering of Isaac on the altar, James says that faith worked together with works and was made perfect by works.
• Verses 25–26 Citing Rahab, who hid the messengers and sent them out another way, James concludes that as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.

Key Verses

• James 2:8 "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" — a quotation of Leviticus 19:18, used as the basis for forbidding partiality.
• James 2:17 "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" — the central claim of the chapter. See James 2:15–17.
• James 2:24 "By works a man is justified, and not by faith only" — the verse most frequently discussed in relation to the Pauline epistles.

People and Places

• Abraham: The forefather of Israel, described as having been called "the Friend of God."
• Isaac: The son of Abraham. His being offered on the altar is the account of the burnt offering on Mount Moriah.
• Rahab: A harlot of Jericho who hid the Israelite spies.
• Synagogue: A term for a Jewish place of assembly; many interpreters take it here to refer to a Christian gathering.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 21–24 appear to contradict Romans 3:28 and Galatians 2:16, which address justification, and this apparent tension has long been debated. Both James and Paul cite Genesis 15:1–6: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."
• Reformation traditions such as the Lutheran and Presbyterian churches harmonize the two by holding that Paul speaks of the ground on which a person is justified before God, while James speaks of true faith being evidenced by works. Martin Luther is reported to have called this letter an "epistle of straw."
• The Wesleyan tradition, including Methodism, emphasizes this chapter in terms of faith which worketh by love (Galatians 5:6) and sanctification.
• The Catholic Church, at the Council of Trent, cited this chapter as one of the grounds for its teaching that good works accompany justification (for which Korean Catholic usage employs a distinct term, uihwa).
• Rahab's faith is also mentioned in Hebrews 11:31.

In the Korean Church

This chapter is frequently used as a sermon text on themes such as faith accompanied by works, almsgiving and service, and the prohibition against discriminating between rich and poor within the church.