Trailblazin Ministries

Favoritism: Part 12 - James 2:9

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Wednesday, 10 October 2007

Today, we're continuing our look at James' summary of showing partiality, as he uses the Law as a means of driving home his point. In verse 8, James was able to show that we do well by abiding by the Law that God has given us, especially ones that require us to show love and kindness towards our neighbors, regardless of who they are. All in all, it sounds good and many people would think that they are abiding by the Law and loving their neighbors as they love themselves; in other words, they thought they were good people. It is with this thinking in mind that James quickly flips the script on his readers and presents them with the shocking truth that they are not good people who are loving their neighbors like they love themselves. This is what we find in James 2:9, so let us examine the Scripture.

James 2:9 (NASB95) - But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

This is a particularly interesting passage, especially when you see the striking contrast that comes from viewing this passage in the English versus the Greek text. The contrast and meaning of this passage comes in one word, and this word, in the English, is "if." In just about every English translation you will find the word "if," but that is so far from what the Greek text actually says in regard to us having a proper understanding of this passage. When we think of the word "if" in English, we generally think of an either-or possibility, where it could be one way or the other. This is not the case with the Greek text; the word in Greek is ei (Strong's #G1487) and generally has an interpretation of "are" or "being." Knowing this, the text brings about an entirely different meaning; instead of it being a possibility that they are showing favoritism, James is insisting that they are showing favoritism towards the wealthy and neglecting the poor. Reading this passage, we now know that possibilities are out the window, as may have been assumed in prior verses, it is now clearly confirmed that this is taking place among this congregation of believers.

Moving forward with the passage, knowing that this is a fact, instead of a possibility, James goes on to say that they are committing a sin by doing this and that the Law will convict them as someone who has broken the Law. The word used here for "transgressors" is the Greek term parabatēs (Strong's #G3848) and is used only five times in the entire New Testament, all of which exclusively refer to the breaking of God's Law (and not the laws of man). This is interesting to note because it gives us a direct reference as to what and whose law is being broken, in this case God's Laws. Knowing Scripture, we can undoubtedly say that breaking God's Law is sin, which is exactly what James is saying here in this passage. Anyone who breaks the Law is guilty in the eyes of God, and this is what happens when favoritism is being shown towards others. If we journey to the Old Testament, we will see quite a few instances where God clearly commands that we do not show favoritism: Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; 16:19.

It is clear from Scripture that breaking God's Law is sin, and showing favoritism is a sin in the eyes of God. The rest of this passage (vv. 10-13) really break this down into detail, showing how this sin is just as gross as any other in the sight of God. With that in mind, let us remember that this passage is a reminder of how much of a sinner we are, and how we are to be holy just as God is holy. Let us allow the Law to convict us, knowing that is only through the work of the Holy Spirit within us that we are able to live a life that mimics how Christ lived on this earth.