Study Desk

My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,

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;

and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,"

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:

have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

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?

But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?

Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law.

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless?

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

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

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called a friend of God.

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

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

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

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