James 2:1-13 - Partiality Forbidden

¹ My brothers, as you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Glory, pay no servile regard to people. ² Suppose there comes into your meeting a man who wears gold rings and handsome clothes, and also a poor man in dirty clothes; ³ if you attend to the wearer of the handsome clothes and say to him, "Sit here, this is a good place," and tell the poor man, "You can stand," or "Sit there at my feet," ⁴ are you not drawing distinctions in your own minds and proving that you judge people with partiality?

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers; has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the realm which he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ Now you insult the poor. Is it not the rich who lord it over you and drag you to court? ⁷ Is it not they who scoff at the noble Name you bear?

⁸ If you really fulfil the royal law laid down by scripture, You must love your neighbour as yourself, well and good; ⁹ but if you pay servile regard to people, you commit a sin, and the Law convicts you of transgression. ¹⁰ For whoever obeys the whole of the Law and only makes a single slip, is guilty of everything. ¹¹ He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not kill. Now if you do not commit adultery but if you kill, you have transgressed the Law.

¹² Speak, act, as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom; ¹³ for the judgment will be merciless to the man who has shown no mercy ??whereas the merciful life will triumph in the face of judgment.