James 2 A Living Faith

Prayer: With expectant hearts and minds, we seek your truth, O God. In this study, help us to be attentive as we listen, careful as we speak, and awake to your wisdom. Open our hearts to your Scripture and give us the courage to change in light of what we read. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

With your group, take turns reading the introduction and text and answering the questions in each section.

Introduction

The first-century Middle East was a grueling place to be poor. Writes Douglas Moo, “Wealthy landholders were constantly increasing their land holdings at the expense of the poor. The poor, in turn, were forced to work for the rich on their own terms, a situation the rich took advantage of by suppressing wages and other unjust activities.”¹ Unlike modern-day America, wealth and class were vital in the ancient Near-Eastern social world. In this chapter, James repeatedly refers to relations between classes, both to give specific instruction and for an example of an empty faith.

James’ main point in this section is that a “faith” that is just mental assent without corresponding actions is useless and dead. To make this point, James uses the Jewish thought-world he grew up with as well as Jesus’ teachings to draw on themes we see in the Gospels and the Old Testament. For example, James says in verse 5, “Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?”² This claim should remind us of Jesus’ statement about the poor in one of his most famous sermons: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you” (Luke 6:20).

James references the Old Testament by alluding to the Shema, the core prayer that Jews would recite multiple times per day. It begins, “Hear O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is one” (Deut. 6:4). In verse 19 James writes, “You believe that God is one; well and good.”

This study will reference the Gospels and the Old Testament as we go through chapter 2 of the book of James.

Section 1

James 2:1–7
2:1 My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2:2 For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, 2:3 do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? 2:4 If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? 2:7 Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to?

The point: James says that his readers are evil judges when they favor the rich, because God has chosen the poor to promote and to love.

Question 1: These verses could describe a judicial court scene. Can you see clues to that in the text?

Question 2: James does not write the word “rich” in his comparison of the rich and the poor. Why do you think he describes the rich the way that he does?

Section 2

James 2:8–13
2:8 But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 2:9 But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. 2:10 For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 2:11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. 2:12 Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. 2:13 For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.

The point: James references a Jewish idea that to obey the Mosaic law, a Jewish person had to obey every part of it equally.³

Question: James says that if you fulfill one commandment, “you are doing well.” What is the law?

Section 3

James 2:14–19
2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 2:15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. 2:19 You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.

The point: Faith in Christ is never empty; believing in Christ leads to obeying God through loving others.

Question 1: Though today many people believe that God is three in one, James refers to God’s oneness as a central belief. How does the demons’ reaction of “trembling with fear” differ from the faith in the preceding verses?

Question 2: James asks, “can this kind of faith save him?” To what kind of faith is he referring?

Section 4

James 2:20–26
2:20 But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

The point: God counted righteous both the great forefather of Israel and a gentile (non-Israelite) prostitute when they acted.

Question: Who are the two figures compared in this section? What about this comparison might be challenging to James’ Jewish readers?

Read through the texts again below.⁴

James 2:1–7
2:1 My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2:2 For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, 2:3 do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? 2:4 If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? 2:5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? 2:7 Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to?

James 2:8–13
2:8 But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 2:9 But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators. 2:10 For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 2:11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. 2:12 Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. 2:13 For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 2:14–19
2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 2:15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. 2:19 You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.

James 2:20–26
2:20 But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Discussion and application questions

1. James opens this chapter by talking about treating people with prejudice based on what they look like on the outside. What are some of the common kinds of prejudice we see in the modern West? How can Christians stand against these prejudices?
2. Read Mark 12:28–31. What can that section tell us about why James calls, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” the royal law?
3. How do we show someone our faith by our works? Can you think of an example from your own experience of someone who demonstrated their faith through actions?
4. In verses 8 through 13, James compares the standard of “love your neighbor as yourself” to the Mosaic law (which is composed of hundreds of commandments) by giving an example from the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:1–17). From your perspective, which standard seems more difficult?

Conclusion

Challenge: Reflect this week on your own prejudices; pray to God for help disregarding people’s outsides and caring about their hearts.

Blessing:May you live out your faith by obeying God. May your faith be real and authentic as you love your neighbor as yourself.

1. Douglas J. Moo, “James,” in Hebrews to Revelation, vol. 4 of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament. ed. Clinton E. Arnold; Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 98.[↩]
2. Scripture and/or notes quoted by permission. Quotations are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.  All rights reserved.[↩]
3. See 4 Maccabees 5:20: “To transgress the law in matters either small or great is of equal seriousness.”[↩]
4. We find that rereading the text is very helpful—please don’t skip this part of the study![↩]