A Warning against Favoritism
1My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christthe Lord of glory, with respect of persons.2For, if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in splendid apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile apparel;3and ye show regard to him who is wearing the splendid apparel, and say, "Sit here in a good place"; and say to the poor man, "Stand, or sit under my footstool";4do ye not make a distinction among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?5Hearken, my beloved brethren, did not God choose the poor of the worldto be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love Him?6But ye dishonored the poor man! Do not the rich oppress you, and do they not drag you before the judgment-seats?7Do they not blaspheme the worthy name by which ye were called?
8If, however, ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," ye do well;9but, if ye show respect to persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.10For whosoever keeps the whole law, but stumbles in onepoint, has become guilty of all.11For He Who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not kill." Now, if you do not commit adultery, but kill, you have become a transgressor ofthe law.12So speak, and so do, as those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty.13For the judgment is without mercy to him who showed no mercy: mercy exults over judgment.
Faith and Works
(Galatians 3:1–9)
14What profitis it, my brethren, if anyone says he has faith, but has not works; cansuch faith save him?15If a brother or a sister be naked, and in want of daily food,16and one of you say to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," but ye give them not the things needful for the body, what does it profit?17Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.
18But some one will say, "You have faith, and I have works": show me your faith apart fromyour works, and I will show youmy faith bymy works.19You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder!20But are you willing to know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is worthless?21Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?22You see that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith perfected;23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness"; and he was called "God's Friend."24Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.25And, in like manner, was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out by another way?26For as the body apart fromthe spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
