Montgomery - James - 2

2:1  My brothers, do not hold the faith of the Lord Jesus, the Lord of Glory, in a spirit of caste.

2:2  Suppose a man comes into your synagogue with a gold ring and dazzling clothes, and suppose a poor man comes in, also, in shabby clothes,

2:3  and you look up to him who wears the fine clothing, and say to him, "Sit here in this fine place!" and to the poor man you say, "Stand there!" or "Sit on the floor at my feet!"

2:4  are you not drawing distinctions among yourselves, and have you not become judges with evil thoughts?

2:5  Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?

2:6  But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you to court?

2:7  Are they not blaspheming that glorious Name by which you are called?

2:8  If you are keeping the royal law, which says, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself, you are doing well.

2:9  If you have the spirit of caste you are committing sin, and are convicted by the Law as transgressors.

2:10  For if a man keeps the whole of the Law, and yet stumbles in one point, he is guilty of all.

2:11  For he who said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not Kill. Now if you do not commit adultery, but if you do kill, you have transgressed the Law.

2:12  So speak and act like men who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

2:13  For judgment is without mercy to the man who has showed no mercy. but mercy glories in the face of judgment.

2:14  My brothers, what good is it if any one says that he has faith, if he has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

2:15  If a brother or sister be naked and in need of daily food,

2:16  and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, find warmth and food for yourselves," but at the same time you do not give the necessaries of the body, what good would that do them?

2:17  In just the same way faith, if it have not deeds, is by itself a lifeless thing.

2:18  Some one indeed may say, "You have faith, and I have deeds." "Then show me your faith," I answer, "apart from any deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."

2:19  You believe that God is one? You do well; even the demons believe, and they shudder.

2:20  But do you want to be convinced, O foolish man, that faith apart from deeds is barren?

2:21  Was not Abraham our ancestor justified by deeds, in that he offered up Isaac, his son, upon the altar?

2:22  You see how faith was cooperating with deeds, and faith was made perfect by deeds.

2:23  And the Scripture was fulfilled which said, And Abraham believed God, and this was imputed to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.

2:24  You see, then, that it is by his deeds a man is justified, and not simply by his faith.

2:25  In like manner was not Rahab, the harlot, justified by her deeds, in the fact that she received the messengers and sent them forth by another way?

2:26  So just as the body without a spirit is dead, so faith is dead without deeds.