JAMES Chapter 2 (GNB)

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2:1   My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.

2:2   Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.

2:3   If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,"

2:4   then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.

2:5   Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

2:6   But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!

2:7   They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.

2:8   You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."

2:9   But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.

2:10   Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all.

2:11   For the same one who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder.

2:12   Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.

2:13   For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.

2:14   My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?

2:15   Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat.

2:16   What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!"---if you don't give them the necessities of life?

2:17   So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.

2:18   But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions."

2:19   Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe---and tremble with fear.

2:20   You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?

2:21   How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.

2:22   Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.

2:23   And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend.

2:24   You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.

2:25   It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.

2:26   So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.

CHAPTER ENDS