James 2

     2:1-7.  The insight that all men are equal in the eyes of God has become such an ideal in the thought (if not the practice) of western civilization, that it may seem obvious to those ignorant of the real history of the world and actual human behavior.  The fact that one man is inherently as worthy of respect as another is really quite revolutionary, and therefore threatening to those holding power over others.  Yet such equality of persons does not, as many think, destroy the necessary submission called for toward those in proper superior roles (cf. Eph. 5:21 ff.), a fact demonstrated even by the co-equal persons of the Trinity.  The Son always submits to the Father’s will (John 6:38).  But the fact that the grace of God was as necessary to one sinner as another makes partiality toward those of means repugnant to the gospel, and unacceptable among the members of Christ’s body (cf. Acts 10:34).

     2:8.  The royal law; i.e., the law of our King (cf. Mt. 22:37-40), as far as it pertains to how we are to treat each other, is first given in Lev. 19:18.  No one can plead ignorance of it at the judgment, because everyone knows how they wish to be treated.  Do the same to others (Mt. 7:12).  Self-love is written on the heart.  Don’t apply a self-centered double standard to others.

     2:9-11.  Such partiality breaks the spirit of the second table of the law, and in fact, since the law is a whole, breaking one commandment makes us guilty of all.  A covenant is either broken or secured.  It can’t be broken in part.  Thus Moses smashed the whole law when the people made the golden calf and danced before it (Ex. 32:19).

     2:12-13.  Looked at as a restrainer of evil, the law is good, but prohibitive laws are not made for the righteous man (1 Tim. 1:9 ff.).  But the royal law (8) is called a law of liberty (12; 1:25).  Why?  Because it sets us free from the merciless justice condemning those who show no mercy to others (cf. Mt. 7:2).  “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law” (Ro. 13:10; see Ro. 7:6; 13:8-10).  Love is a law of liberty, because it is a law of mercy, and “mercy triumphs over judgment” (13).

     2:14-26.  When we don’t act on our faith, we prove our faith false.  Faith and works are inseparable.  Remember that James is not describing how a lost sinner is brought to salvation by the unseen act of the Holy Spirit in the heart.  That is justification, the new birth, the sovereign creation of faith by God’s free grace.  V.24 may sound like a contradiction of this, but it is not.   James is speaking to those who say they have such faith, and he is merely saying, “You will know them by their fruits” (Mt. 7:20).  It is obedient faith, or works, which gives assurance that faith is real, just as a breath and a pulse shows that a body is alive (26).

     2:19.  Faith includes the will, the desire to obey.

     2:22.  The works of obedience faith produces will perfect faith, that is, make it grow in strength to maturity (cf. Ps. 84:7).

     2:25.  Rahab; see notes at Heb. 11:31.  The messengers; the word messenger in the original language often means angel (cf. Heb. 13:2 and notes), but often, as here, the messengers are men.

     On the necessity for faith to be shown in works, Paul, the champion of salvation by faith alone agrees, as do others (e.g., cf. Ro. 2:6-13; Gal. 5:6; Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 11:8; 2 Pet. 1:5-11).