Partiality

Before we were married, I visited my husband in Oklahoma. At church, he introduced me to some of the friends he had made. There was one couple in particular that my husband usually sat with. The wife was very kind in reaching out to me. She and her husband even hosted a small wedding reception in their home for us after we were married, so I could meet others in our church. The wife was gentle, soft-spoken, dressed nicely. She was a little older than I was, and she and her husband had two children. I liked her, but from the external things I knew about her, I didn’t see us becoming close friends. I liked bright, crazy clothes and loud Christian music. I don’t think kind or gentle were words people would have used to describe me. I couldn’t imagine what we had in common or how we could become close.

I initially judged this woman by outward appearances. I dismissed any close friendship with her as I didn’t see a benefit to me. I am so grateful for God’s grace. The friendship I dismissed was the friendship God knew I needed. He knew this woman’s heart. He knew her, and He knew what a blessing friendship with this woman would be to me. We have been friends for almost twenty-five years. We have prayed with and for each other every week of those twenty-five years. We have challenged and encouraged each other with God’s Word. We have laughed and cried. We have walked life together.

At the end of chapter 1, James compared worthless religion with pure and undefiled religion, true religion. In the original text, there isn’t a break between chapter 1 and 2. As we come to our text today, James continues his description of pure and undefiled religion.

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? [1]

James 2:1-7

James hits us with another command: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” As I think of behavior that is inconsistent with pure and undefiled religion, many sins come to mind. Partiality is not one of them, and yet, this is what James addresses. As Daniel Doriani captures it, “little things reveal the heart.” Little things (little only in how we perceive them) reveal pure and undefiled religion. True religion. Genuine faith. We will also see as we work through our verses that partiality contradicts God’s character and denies the Gospel. Therefore, we should take the sin of partiality seriously.

The word partiality is the Greek word prosōlēmpsia, literally meaning “lifting up [receiving] someone’s face, with the idea of judging by appearance and, on that basis, giving special favor and respect” (John MacArthur). This includes judging a person by physical appearance, ethnicity, financial status, or social status. James commands believers to show no partiality.

Verse 1 is where we have one of the few direct references to Jesus in James’ letter. James makes a clear statement of Jesus’ identity. He is Christ or the Messiah, Israel’s deliverer, and judge. He is the Lord which was used in the Old Testament of Yahweh. It highlights Jesus’ divinity and His supreme position (Psalm 110:1). Jesus is the Lord of glory. This depicts Jesus’ exaltation, and His return in glory to save and judge. Here in verse 1, James reminds us of who we are united to, who we belong to, and as such, we should show no partiality.

Next, James lays out a practical example of partiality (vs 2-3). Two men come into (or visit) an assembly. Assembly is the word synagogue which in Greek can mean “a gathering together” as well as the specific building the Jews met in. This does not mean that the Jewish Christians were meeting in the Jewish synagogue, but likely James used a term his Jewish audience would understand but in the general sense of gathering together. The idea of the synagogue would bring to mind the seating in a synagogue which consisted of a few benches or “good places” as James phrases it, while the majority of seating was on the floor or standing.

In James’ example, one man is rich noted by his gold ring (few could afford gold) and fine or shining clothing. The other man is poor noted by his shabby clothing. These are the only things we know about these men. Gold rings, fine clothes, and shabby clothes are all external. In James’ example, judgment about each man is based solely on external appearance.

When we show partiality, James teaches that we have “then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts” (vs 4). The word distinctions is the same Greek word used in 1:6 translated doubting. If you remember from our study of James 1, Douglas Moo defined doubting as “a basic conflict in loyalties.” In chapter one, the question was whether we would trust God in faith or would we doubt; were our loyalties divided between God and other things. Applying this understanding to 2:4, we divide or create a conflict when we show partiality. Showing partiality contradicts our loyalty as those who hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

James emphasizes this point by stating we “become judges with evil thoughts.” We become judges with vicious intentions and ulterior motives. We become like the world. Look back at 1:27. Pure and undefiled religion keeps oneself unstained from the world. In showing partiality, we are divided between the things of God and the things of the world. We are stained by the world when we show partiality. For those “who hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,” partiality is not congruent with who we are in Christ.

One other way we can consider verse 4 is that the sinful behavior of verses 2-3 comes from sinful motives. In contrast, right conduct comes from godly motives and right thinking. No conflict in loyalties.

Moving to verse 5, we reach the heart of partiality. “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him.” First, we know from chapter 1 that James is not condemning all rich people or holding up all poor people as righteous. In fact, Leviticus states: “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15). In verses 5-7, James is presenting general truths.

Second, partiality contradicts God’s character. “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:17-18, emphasis added). [2]

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7, emphasis added).

God is impartial, but He also has particular care for the poor because they are helpless not because they are more deserving. The majority of people in James’ time were poor. The poor were often oppressed. God commanded care for the poor like allowing them to glean in the fields (Leviticus 23:22). And, as we saw in 1:27, pure and undefiled religion cares for orphans and widows (the poor) in their affliction. So, if we want to reflect God’s character, we should be impartial, not judging based on appearance. Pure and undefiled religion will honor the poor as God does. Partiality dishonors (vs 6).

Third, partiality denies the Gospel. “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11). And, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:22b-24). We all have the same standing before God. None of us are saved (“heirs of the kingdom”) by our own merit. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Partiality denies the Gospel.

In verses 6 and 7, James calls out the foolishness in showing partiality. “But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?” James has three charges against the unbelieving rich people.

• They oppress others.

• They drag others into court. It was common at this time that the rich would force the poor to forfeit their land inheritance thus becoming richer themselves. God had forbidden this practice (Leviticus 25:35-48; Deuteronomy 15:1-11).

• They blasphemed the honorable name by which the Jewish Christians were called. We don’t know exactly how they did this, but likely it was by slandering Jesus’ name. “Which you were called” is an awkward Greek combination, but it depicts a close relationship like the relationship between Yahweh and Israel or the believers' unity with Christ.

James declares how ridiculous it is to show partiality to those who oppressed them, took them to court and slandered Jesus’ name to them.

Whether or not we are as obvious in showing partiality as in James’ example, we should not be quick to dismiss that we sin in this way. We should recognize the seriousness of partiality because it contradicts God’s character and denies the Gospel, but there is good news. Jesus was never partial. He never showed special favor based on externalities. He loved and cared for people based on His character not on anyone’s merit. He suffered, died in our place for the sin of partiality and rose to life, crediting to us His perfect record of impartiality.

Reflection

1. Have you been on the receiving end of favorable partiality? How did it feel? How did you respond? Have you been on the receiving end of hurtful, unfavorable partiality? How did it feel? How did you respond?

2. How does fear of man (valuing man’s opinion above God’s) connect to James 2:1-7? How can we guard against a fear of man that can lead to partiality?

3. When have you shown partiality to someone based on outward appearances? What were your heart motivations in doing so? How did you show partiality?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 2:1–7. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Dt 10:17–18.