James Chapter 2 Breakdown

1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

Do not base your faith in Yeshua on the what people in high places say concerning this Faith.  

2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

YHWH does not show partiality to some men over another. You should not do this either. All men are equal in the eyes of YHWH.

Romans 2:11

For there is no respect of persons with God.

5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Brothers, YHWH has chosen the poor from this world to be rich in faith. They will be the heirs of the kingdom promised to those who love Him.

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

Unfortunately, you have despised and treated the poor with contempt. The rich oppress you, and you oppress the those poorer than you.

7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

These rich speak evil of the name of YHWH. YHWH is the one who calls you.

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Leviticus 19:18

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

James then quotes from the Old Testament. In order to fulfill the law of YHWH, according to scripture, you should love your neighbor as yourself. That means treat all people equally, as you would treat your own self. Put no one above another person. It is interesting that this verse is pulled from the Old Testament Law of YHWH.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

This verse is used to teach against keeping the Law of YHWH. However, if we take into consideration what is actually being discussed here, James is absolutely not using it in that context and should not be. James is saying, if you keep the whole Law of YHWH to the best of your ability, but then show favor to certain people who are considered upper class or more accepted than a poor person, you are guilty of breaking all the law. The reason for this is due to the idea that you are not acting out of love, which is what the Law of YHWH is all about. Every aspect of it, concerning sin, is in direct connection with a form of loving for either your neighbor of YHWH.

11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

Exodus 20:13-14

 You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery.

Deuteronomy 5:17-18

‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery.

James further this claim up when he says you may not commit adultery, but may commit murder. Doing this still results in sin because you still broke YHWH’s law.

12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

Now, James says say and do the things that those who will be judged by YHWH’s Law would do. If we truly think about this, if a person is to be judged by YHWH’s Law, don’t you think that means that person would be following that law the best they could in order to be judged favorably by it? This is similar to your local and state laws. If you go out and break one of those laws you will be judged by that law. Therefore, you do not break those laws, meaning you follow them in order to be judged favorably, and not be found guilty of breaking the law.  

13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

If you do not show mercy to those who have wronged you or are less fortunate than you, you will receive no mercy from YHWH. However, if you do show mercy, you will also receive mercy.

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

Now James goes into this argument about having both faith and works. Basically, these two work together. You are to have faith in the promises of YHWH as well as keeping His Law. Again, every aspect of the Law is a form of love toward either YHWH or your neighbor. In order to show love toward you neighbor, you are doing the works of the Law.

15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

If you see another believer who is poor and unclothed, but instead of helping them you tell them to go away in peace and then say, “stay warm out there”, but do nothing to actually help them with anything physically, you are doing nothing. You are not keeping the Law of YHWH, you are not showing true love. That is saying only that you have faith YHWH will take care of you. However, you are missing the point that YHWH takes care of people through His people. It is up to us to be a part of the Body of Christ. This means we do the work in order to help the poor and unfortunate.

17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Faith does nothing without works. We must keep the Law of YHWH in order for faith to live. In keeping the Law, we are in fact loving our neighbor.

Deuteronomy 15:11

For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

James says outright, “I will show you my faith by my works”. Basically, your faith in YHWH should be on display through your keeping of the Law of YHWH.

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

Just having faith, having a belief in the one and only God, does not separate you from anything. Even the demons of the Earth have that same belief. The demons do not keep the Law of YHWH either.

20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Now, James asks a rhetorical question and plans to give an example of how faith without works is dead.

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

Abraham was considered righteous because of his works when he kept YHWH’s command to place Isaac on the alter as a sacrifice to YHWH.

22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

It was Abraham’s faith and works coming together, as one. It was these two things in unification that made his faith perfect.

23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

Genesis 15:6

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

See here, it was Abraham’s belief and actions that made him righteous.

24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

A man is justified, or considered righteous by both works and faith together. We cannot have one without the other, but both must be used together.

25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

James uses another example found in the Old Testament. Rahab took in the Israelite spies and helped them flee without being caught. She believed in the One True God, and showed this belief by her works to help the spies.

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

A person without the Spirit of YHWH is dead, just as faith without the works of the Law is also dead.