TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
Complete Jewish Bible
My brothers, practice the faith of our Lord Yeshua, the glorious Messiah, without showing favoritism.
Berean Standard Bible
My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
American Standard Version
My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lordof glory, with respect of persons.
World English Bible Messianic
My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah of glory with partiality.
Geneva Bible (1599)
My brethren, haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons.
Young's Literal Translation
My brethren, hold not, in respect of persons, the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,
See also
In the KJVVerse 30,295 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on James 2 verses 1–7
1 ¶ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
The apostle is here reproving a very corrupt practice. He shows how much mischief there is in the sin of prosōpolēpsia - respect of persons, which seemed to be a very growing evil in the churches of Christ even in those early ages, and which, in these after-times, has sadly corrupted and divided Christian nations and societies. Here we have,
I. A caution against this sin laid down in general: My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons, Jam 2:1. Observe here, 1. The character of Christians fully implied: they are such as have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; they embrace it; they receive it; they govern themselves by it; they entertain the doctrine, and submit to the law and government, of Christ; they have it as a trust; they have it as a treasure. 2. How honorably James speaks of Jesus Christ; he calls him the Lord of glory; for he is the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person. 3. Christ's being the Lord of glory should teach us not to respect Christians for any thing so much as their relation and conformity to Christ. You who profess to believe the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the poorest Christian shall partake of equally with the rich, and to which all worldly glory is but vanity, you should not make men's outward and worldly advantages the measure of your respect. In professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should not show respect to men, so as to cloud or lessen the glory of our glorious Lord: how ever any may think of it, this is certainly a very heinous sin.
II. We have this sin described and cautioned against, by an instance or example of it (Jam 2:2, Jam 2:3): For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, etc. Assembly here is meant of those meetings which were appointed for deciding matters of difference among the members of the church, or for determining when censures should be passed upon any, and what those censures should be; therefore the Greek word here used, sunagōgē, signifies such an assembly as that in the Jewish synagogues, when they met to do justice. Maimonides says (as I find the passage quoted by Dr. Manton) "That is was expressly provided by the Jews' constitutions that, when a poor man and a rich plead together, the rich shall not be bidden to sit down and the poor stand, or sit in a worse place, but both sit or both stand alike." To this the phrases used by the apostle have a most plain reference, and therefore the assembly here spoken of must be some such as the synagogue-assemblies of the Jews were, when they met to hear causes and to execute justice: to these the arbitrations and censures of their Christian assemblies are compared. But we must be careful not to apply what is here said to the common assemblies for worship; for in these certainly there may be appointed different places of persons according to their rank and circumstances, without sin. Those do not understand the apostle who fix his severity here upon this practice; they do not consider the word judges (used in Jam 2:4), nor what is said of their being convected as transgressors of the law, if they had such a respect of persons as is here spoken of, according to Jam 2:9. Thus, now put the case: "There comes into your assembly (when of the same nature with some of those at the synagogue) a man that is distinguished by his dress, and who makes a figure, and there comes in also a poor man in vile raiment, and you act partially, and determine wrong, merely because the one makes a better appearance, or is in better circumstances, than the other." Observe hence, 1. God has his remnant among all sorts of people, among those that wear soft and gay clothing, and among those that wear poor and vile raiment. 2. In matters of religion, rich and poor stand upon a level; no man's riches set him in the least nearer to God, nor does any man's poverty set him at a distance from God. With the Most High there is no respect of persons, and therefore in matters of conscience there should be none with us. 3. All undue honouring of worldly greatness and riches should especially be watched against in Christian societies. James does not here encourage rudeness or disorder. Civil respect must be paid, and some difference may be allowed in our carriage towards persons of different ranks; but this respect must never be such as to influence the proceedings of Christian societies in disposing of the offices of the church, or in passing the censures of the church, or in any thing that is purely a matter of religion; here we are to know no man after the flesh. It is the character of a citizen of Zion that in his eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth those that fear the Lord. If a poor man be a good man, we must not value him a whit the less for his poverty; and, if a rich man be a bad man (though he may have both gay clothing and a gay profession), we must not value him any whit the more for his riches. 4. Of what importance it is to take care what rule we go by in judging of men; if we allow ourselves commonly to judge by outward appearance, this will too much influence our spirits and our conduct in religious assemblies. There is many a man, whose wickedness renders him vile and despicable, who yet makes a figure in the world; and, on the other hand, there is many a humble, heavenly, good Christian, who is clothed meanly; but neither should he nor his Christianity be thought the worse of on this account.
III. We have the greatness of this sin set forth, Jam 2:4, Jam 2:5. It is great partiality, it is injustice, and it is to set ourselves against God, who has chosen the poor, and will honour and advance them (if good), let who will despise them. 1. In this sin there is shameful partiality: Are you not then partial in yourselves? The question is here put, as what could not fail of being answered by every man's conscience that would put it seriously to himself. According to the strict rendering of the original, the question is, "Have you not made a difference? And, in that difference, do you not judge by a false rule, and go upon false measures? And does not the charge of a partiality condemned by the law lie fully against you? Does not your own conscience tell you that you are guilty?" Appeals to conscience are of great advantage, when we have to do with such as make a profession, even though they may have fallen into a very corrupt state. 2. This respect of persons is owing to the evil and injustice of the thoughts. As the temper, conduct, and proceedings, are partial, so the heart and thoughts, from which all flows, are evil: "You have become judges of evil thoughts; that is, you are judges according to those unjust estimations and corrupt opinions which you have formed to yourselves. Trace your partiality till you come to those hidden thoughts which accompany and support it, and you will find those to be exceedingly evil. You secretly prefer outward pomp before inward grace, and the things that are seen before those which are not seen." The deformity of sin is never truly and fully discerned till the evil of our thoughts be disclosed: and it is this which highly aggravates the faults of our tempers and lives - that the imagination of the thoughts of the heart is evil, Gen 6:5. 3. This respect of persons is a heinous sin, because it is to show ourselves most directly contrary to God (Jam 2:5): "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith? etc. But you have despised them, Jam 2:6. God has made those heirs of a kingdom whom you make of no reputation, and has given very great and glorious promises to those to whom you can hardly give a good word or a respectful look. And is not this a monstrous iniquity in you who pretend to be the children of God and conformed to him? Hearken, my beloved brethren; by all the love I have for you, and all the regards you have to me, I beg you would consider these things. Take notice that many of the poor of this world are the chosen of God. Their being God's chosen does not prevent their being poor; their being poor does not at all prejudice the evidences of their being chosen. Mat 11:5, The poor are evangelized." God designed to recommend his holy religion to men's esteem and affection, not by the external advantages of gaiety and pomp, but by its intrinsic worth and excellency; and therefore chose the poor of this world. Again, take notice that many poor of the world are rich in faith; thus the poorest may become rich; and this is what they ought to be especially ambitious of. It is expected from those who have wealth and estates that they be rich in good works, because the more they have the more they have to do good with; but it is expected from the poor in the world that they be rich in faith, for the less they have here the more they may, and should, live in the believing expectation of better things in a better world. Take notice further, Believing Christians are rich in title, and in being heirs of a kingdom, though they may be very poor as to present possessions. What is laid out upon them is but little; what is laid up for them is unspeakably rich and great. Note again, Where any are rich in faith, there will be also divine love; faith working by love will be in all the heirs of glory. Note once more, under this head, Heaven is a kingdom, and a kingdom promised to those that love God. We read of the crown promised to those that love God, in the former chapter (Jam 2:12); we here find there is a kingdom too. And, as the crown is a crown of life, so the kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. All these things, laid together, show how highly the poor in this world, if rich in faith, are now honoured, and shall hereafter be advanced by God; and consequently how very sinful a thing it was for them to despise the poor. After such considerations as these, the charge is cutting indeed: But you have despised the poor, Jam 2:6. 4. Respecting persons, in the sense of this place, on account of their riches or outward figure, is shown to be a very great sin, because of the mischiefs which are owing to worldly wealth and greatness, and the folly which there is in Christians' paying undue regards to those who had so little regard either to their God or them: "Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment-seat? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called? Jam 2:7. Consider how commonly riches are the incentives of vice and mischief, of blasphemy and persecution: consider how many calamities you yourselves sustain, and how great reproaches are thrown upon your religion and your God by men of wealth, and power, and worldly greatness; and this will make your sin appear exceedingly sinful and foolish, in setting up that which tends to pull you down, and to destroy all that you are building up, and to dishonour that worthy name by which you are called." The name of Christ is a worthy name; it reflects honour, and gives worth to those who wear it.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
Copy as
John ChrysostomAD 407
CATENA
What does it matter if you think highly of yourself, when someone else despises you? Are we not all one body, both great and small? Therefore if in principle we are all one and members of each other, why do you mindlessly exalt yourself? Why do you bring shame on your brother? For just as he is a part of you, so you too are a part of him.
OecumeniusAD 990
Commentary on James
My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with bias to individuals. 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?
"with bias to individuals." For he who does something with respect to individuals fills himself with many blemishes and much reproach, afflicting his neighbor with disgrace, and also himself before him: for the treatment of a companion transmits what is done even to oneself.
"have you not shown partiality." The conjunction, “And”, abounds, that is, you have corrupted the power of judging which was in you, making no inquiry as to whether he is to be honored, the poor man who is upright and industrious, or the rich man who is lazy: but without judgment and with respect to persons, you honored the one indeed because of his riches, but you held the other in contempt because of his poverty.
“among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” That is, unjust judges, affected by jealousy out of respect for persons. In this place, the conjunction καὶ abounds, that is, “and”, as has been said, from the use of the former phrase. For since this discourse is a response to what has gone before, the conjunction is unnecessary. For the sentence should be arranged thus: For if a man wearing a gold ring, dressed in splendid clothing, enters your assembly, while a poor man in filthy clothing also enters, etc., you have not judged among yourselves and have become judges of evil thoughts: that is, corrupting the power of judging, you have chosen evil thoughts, honoring the one indeed, but holding the other in contempt: although yet the nature was the same in both.
Richard ChallonerAD 1781
With respect of persons: The meaning is, that in matters relating to faith, the administering of the sacraments, and other spiritual functions in God's church, there should be no respect of persons; but that the souls of the poor should be as much regarded as those of the rich. See Deut. 1. 17.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying James 2:1 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
CNTR CollationThe earliest Greek manuscripts of this verse, collated letter by letter.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
James 2:1 issues a profound warning against the sin of partiality within the Christian community, asserting that true faith in the glorious Lord Jesus Christ is inherently incompatible with any form of discrimination based on outward appearance or social status. This verse establishes a foundational principle for Christian conduct, demanding that believers reflect God's impartial character in their interactions, ensuring that their reverence for Christ is not contradicted by prejudiced actions.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
James employs several literary devices to convey his urgent message. The use of Imperative Mood ("have not") immediately establishes the command as a direct and non-negotiable ethical directive. There is a strong sense of Juxtaposition between "the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory" and "respect of persons." This highlights the inherent contradiction: how can one claim allegiance to a glorious, impartial God and simultaneously practice favoritism? The title "Lord of glory" functions as a form of Metonymy or Synecdoche, where "glory" represents Christ's divine nature, majesty, and inherent impartiality. By invoking Christ's glory, James appeals to the highest standard of conduct, implying that any partiality diminishes the glory of the One they profess to follow.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
James 2:1 profoundly connects the theological understanding of God's character with practical Christian ethics. It asserts that genuine faith in Jesus Christ, who is "the Lord of glory," necessitates an embrace of impartiality because God Himself shows no favoritism. This principle is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, where God's justice and righteousness are frequently linked to His equitable treatment of all people, particularly the vulnerable. The New Testament further reveals this divine impartiality in Christ's ministry, which extended to all, regardless of social standing, and in the universal offer of salvation. To show partiality, therefore, is not merely a social misstep but a theological misrepresentation of the God we claim to serve and a betrayal of the gospel's inclusive nature.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
James 2:1 calls believers to a radical re-evaluation of their attitudes and actions, challenging the subtle and overt ways favoritism can infiltrate personal interactions and communal life. It demands that our profession of faith in the "Lord of glory" be matched by a consistent practice of impartiality, treating every individual with the inherent dignity and value bestowed upon them as image-bearers of God. This means actively dismantling biases, whether conscious or unconscious, that might lead us to prefer the wealthy, the influential, or those who look like us, over the poor, the marginalized, or those who are different. For the church, this verse is a clarion call to be a truly welcoming community where every person, regardless of their background or status, feels equally valued, respected, and included, reflecting the boundless and unconditional love of God. Our hospitality, our service, and our fellowship must demonstrate that in Christ, earthly distinctions lose their power to divide.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is favoritism considered such a serious sin by James?
Answer: James considers favoritism a serious sin because it fundamentally contradicts the nature of God, the essence of the gospel, and the "royal law" of love. God Himself shows no partiality (Deuteronomy 10:17), and His Son, Jesus, embraced all people, especially the outcasts. When believers show favoritism, they not only misrepresent God's character but also violate the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" (James 2:8). Furthermore, it creates division within the body of Christ, undermines the unity of the Spirit, and demonstrates a "dead" faith—one that professes belief but fails to produce righteous actions consistent with that belief (James 2:17).
What does "the Lord of glory" mean, and how does it relate to impartiality?
Answer: "The Lord of glory" is a profound title for Jesus Christ, emphasizing His divine majesty, inherent splendor, and supreme authority. It echoes Old Testament descriptions of God's glory (e.g., Psalm 24:7-10). This title highlights that Jesus is not merely a human teacher or prophet but God incarnate, sharing in the Father's divine attributes. The connection to impartiality is crucial: a glorious God, by His very nature, is perfectly just and righteous, showing no favoritism. Therefore, to claim faith in such a glorious and impartial Lord while simultaneously practicing favoritism is a profound contradiction that dishonors His name and diminishes His glory. Our conduct must reflect the character of the One we worship.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
James 2:1 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is truly "the Lord of glory," not only in His divine nature but also in His earthly ministry, where He consistently demonstrated radical impartiality. Jesus welcomed the marginalized, dined with sinners, touched the lepers, and healed all who came to Him, regardless of their social standing, wealth, or perceived worth (e.g., Luke 15:1-2, Matthew 9:10-13). His parables, such as the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), shattered social and ethnic prejudices, redefining "neighbor" to include anyone in need. On the cross, Christ's atoning sacrifice was for "the whole world" (1 John 2:2), making salvation available to all without respect of persons (Romans 3:22-24). Believers, united with Christ, are called to embody this same impartial love, recognizing that in Him, "there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). Our faith in the glorious, impartial Lord compels us to live out His inclusive love, reflecting His character to a world desperately in need of true, unbiased grace.