Christianity For Dummies: The Sin of Partiality
James 2:1-13
I. Introduction
A. I trust you have your Bible this AM...go ahead and turn to James Chpt 2. We are continuing in our series "Christianity for Dummies" based on the Book of James.
B. So far, we have examined How to Respond to Trials, How to Understand & Defeat Temptation and The Man In The Mirror. Last time, our discussion centered on what does the life of one who professes to have been born again by the gospel look like? Doers of the Word and not just Hearers! James, and so we, comes to a problem area when it comes to being Doers of the Word and not just Hearers. And that is The Sin of Partiality.
C. Context/Background = In the first century, A.D., polarized conditions governed society; people were either rich or poor, slaves or free, Jew or Gentile, Greek or barbarian. However, part of the good news of the gospel was that in Christ Jesus social barriers lost much of their strength:
- As Paul wrote to the Galatians: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Ga 3:28)
- Again, in writing to the Colossians: "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond [nor] free: but Christ [is] all, and in all." (Col 3:11)
D. The problem? It took a while for this truth to sink into the hearts of those who were Christians; even the apostle Peter had to be told this truth through a vision and then a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit - cf. Ac 10:34-35.
E. From the second chapter of the epistle of James, it is apparent that showing partiality was still being practiced in the 1st century church and its sinfulness needed to be pointed out. Guess what? Little has changed in 2000 years! "The Sin Of Partiality" is still prevalent in some forms today, and indeed alive and well in Baptist churches across the Big Hatchie Association. So let's examine James 2:1-13 and consider what James has to say on this subject.
II. Scripture Reading & Prayer
A. Read James 2:1-13.
B. Pray - Father, we come into your house today desiring to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to you; desperately wanting to be transformed by the renewal of our minds through your Word. Reveal to us how we are guilty of the Sin of Partiality.
III. The Sin of Partiality
A. Read and Discuss James 2:1a. My brothers = pastoral concern, loving admonition. Show no partiality = exactly what is the Sin of Partiality?
B. This word "partiality" or "favoritism" is an interesting Greek word. It is a compound word "to take hold of" + "countenance, appearance." It literally means "acceptor of a face" and means making judgments and distinctions based on external considerations, such as physical appearance, social status or race. Dr. Constable defines it as "the fault of one who when called on to requite or to give judgment has respect to the outward circumstances of men and not to their intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high-born, or powerful, to another who is destitute of such gifts."
B. As Manifested in James' Day
- Read James 2:2-3. Some interpreters believe this was a hypothetical situation that James constructed. Others believe it was a real situation that he knew about. There is no way of knowing now, and which is the case is insignificant. The problem was one of showing partiality between the rich & poor.
- Rich man: "gold ring" = While Jews commonly wore rings, few could afford gold ones. There are some reports that the most ostentatious people wore rings on every finger but the middle to show off their economic status. Also some ancient sources indicate there were even ring rental businesses.
"fine clothing" = Greek word "lampros" meaning radiant, magnificent, brightly shining. "You sit here in a good place" = given the best seat in the house! Why? Simply because he's rich!
- Poor man: "poor" = beggar (Greek) "shabby clothing" = dirty, filthy, culturally the opposite of the finely dressed man. "You stand over there" or "sit down at my feet" - place of a servant. Why? Simply because he's poor!
- Barclay notes "...in its early days the Church was predominantly poor and humble; and therefore if a rich man was converted, and did come to the Christian fellowship, there must have been a very real temptation to make a fuss of him, and to treat him as a special trophy for Christ."
C. As Manifested in Our Day
- Between rich and poor = same as in James' day; preferential treatment to visitors based on apparel; Greg at Central Baptist comments about visitationn night, no poor peeps...church needs $; hospitality towards our rich friends; sometimes it's the poor who despise the rich!
- Between people of different races = preferential treatment or scorn to visitors based on color of skin; Discuss blacks and Africa mission trip comments; Discuss blacks and death stares at LBC during Fall Festival, Colliar; again this can and does go both ways.
- Between friends and visitors = Crossway needs to be THE friendliest, warmest and most loving place on Mt. Carmel!
D. A Timeless Command
- Read James 2:1a. This word "show" is a present active imperative with a negative particle meaning STOP an act that is already in process! James' readers were guilty of the Sin of Partiality! Guess what? Many sitting in Baptist churches this AM are as well...maybe someone here at Crossway Baptist in fact! I myself have been at times! Probably you too! This fact makes the words of James a timeless command, very revelant and worth our consideration. But what's all the fuss?!
IV. Why Christians Can't Show Partiality
A. James points out seven reasons why Christians can't show partiality!
#1 = We Lose Grip of the Faith - Read James 2:1a-b.
Scripture repeatedly attests that God never shows partiality! Read Leviticus 19:15, Deut. 10:17, Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Galatians 2:6, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25. As God's people, we are called to imitate Him...thus, we too should show no partiality!
#2 = We Taint Our Lord's Glory - Read James 2:1c.
Jesus in His birth, life and death exemplified NO partiality!
- BIRTH = Consider the people in His genealogy (cf. Matt. 1) - Tamar (Canaanite women who posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah), Rahab (Gentile and a prostitute), Ruth (Moabite and idol worshiper). Consider to whom his birth was announed - discuss 1st century shepherds.
- LIFE = Willing to minister in Galilee and Samaria, both regions held in contempt by 1st century Jews. Discuss woman at the well - John 4:4. Not only that but he hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors and risked ceremonial uncleanness by touching lepers and scorn by healing on the Sabbath.
- DEATH = Read Revelation 7:9-10.
Ill. Discuss what I tell the kids - remember who's you are! As Cristians, we profess to be Christ's disciples, or followers, whose goal is to imitate Him. As such, our actions are likely to be considered by others as a reflection of what Christ teaches. If we show partiality as Christians, we leave the impression that Jesus Himself is partial (prejudiced, biased, racist). Therefore, if we are not careful, the glory of the Lord can be tainted by OUR partiality!
#3 = We Become Judges With Evil Thoughts - Read James 2:3-4.
Jesus warned about: a) the dangers of judging (cf. Matthew 7:1), b) the need to make righteous judgment (cf. John 7:24).
"Not only have they arrogated to themselves the role of judges; worse, they render their decision according to un-Christian, worldly standards." (Moo)
Greek word for "evil" = "poneros," root meaning pain-ridden; emphasizes the inevitable agonies that come with such conclusions or opinions.
#4 = We Despise Those God Has Honored - Read James 2:5-6a.
The poor have a special place in God's economy of salvation! Read 1 Cor. 1:27, Matt. 5:3, Luke 6:20. Jesus Himself became poor that we ALL might become rich - Read 2 Cor. 8:9. The ground is level for EVERYBODY at the foot of the Cross...Jesus nor James taught the poor are promised the kingdom simply because they are poor, likewise neither excludes rich people from the kingdom. "James does not say that ONLY poor people are chosen; his point is to remind his readers that MANY are, and that this fact implicitly condemns Christian discrimination against them." (Moo)
The root of this Greek word for despise literally means without honor. 1 Peter 2:17 says to "Honor everyone." When we despise the poor simply for being poor, we are failing to show them the honor God says is due everyone. Rich, poor, black, white, tattooed, no tattooes, Democrat, Republican.
Both then and today, God has chosen to honor ALL men - Acts 10:34-35.
#5 = We Honor Those Most Capable & Likely Of Oppressing Us - Read James 2:6b-7.
It is frequently recorded in the OT that the wealthy often used the court system to steal from the poor - cf. Amos 4:1, Habakkuk 1:4, Malachi 3:5.
Things had not changed by the 1st century. James points out 3 ways the rich were treating the poor: 1) ones who oppress you, 2) ones who drag you into court Listen to the MSG: "Isn't it the high and mighty who expolit you, who use the courts to rob you blind?" James expounds on this situation in Chpt. 5, speaking directly to the rich - "Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you." 3) ones who blaspheme the honorable name
The worst part? The rich in James' Day were blaspheming the name of Christ. Strong's defines this Greek word, "blasphemeo," as "to speak evil against, blaspheme, use abusive or scurrilous language about."
Why in the world would you honor people who are illegitimately dragging you into court, withholding your paycheck, and blaspheming the name of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? How inconsistent it is to despise one's friends and honor one's foes!!!
And yet, 2000 years later, this kind of behavior continues. Think about it? Who are the ones most likely to oppress Christians today? The rich or the poor? Who are the ones most likely to blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ today? The rich or poor? Why would we ever give special honor to them in place of our friends - no matter the balance in their checking account?! James as he's about to point out does not mean we should avoid honoring the rich (we should not give them preferential treatment just because they can single handedly foot the church's finances) but that we should love everyone and treat EVERY individual as we would treat ourselves.
#6 = We Break "The Royal Law" - Read James 2:8-11.
1st - IF you fulfill the royal law...you are doing well What is this royal law? The Greek word, "basilikos," means "regal, belonging to a king." The royal law is royal in that it is the law of the King who heads the Kingdom that you and I will inherit. It is also royal in that it is primary - it is the apex of kingdom rules for ethical conduct. Jesus, Himself, declared such - Read Matthew 22:36-40. Paul, likewise, taught such - Read Romans 13:8-10. Put the two together and it is "conduct of a high order that is worthy of a king." (Hodges)
2nd - IF you show partiality...you are committing sin Favoritism = S-I-N! James doesn't mince any words! He calls a spade a spade. Discuss SIN not being a very popular word nowadays!
"Discriminating against people, whether on the basis of their dress, nationality, social class or race, is a clear violation of the unbounded love to which Jesus calls us. And since the command to love is at the very heart of the 'royal law', we become transgressors of that law when we show partiality." (Moo)
"The passage calls us to consistent love, not just polite ushering. People of low income are to be fully welcomed into the life of the church. The passage calls us to be blind to economic differences in how we offer our ministries. The poor person is as worthy of our discipling and pastoral care and love as the person who has the means to rescue our church from its budget crisis." (Stulac)
3rd - IF you show partiality...you are convicted by the law Why do you think James included this point about keeping the whole law but failing in one point is to become accountable for all of it? Same reason as it's applicable today! Discuss Moment of Truth -"I'm a good person!" We are apt to say, "Big deal I laugh at black jokes, call people the N word, shun the poor, scream at a homosexual just because they're homosexual, give a tattoed guy/girl the cold shoulder - I ain't killed nobody!!!"
James anticipated that some of his readers, just as today 2013, might feel that preferential treatment was not very important! So he calls a spade a spade. Barclay notes, "The Jew was very apt to regard the law as a series of detached injunctions. To keep one of these injunctions was to gain credit; to break one was to incur debt. Therefore, a man could add up the ones he kept and substract the ones he broke, and, as it were emerge with a credit or a debit balance." The same continues to hold true of people today. Discuss lightbulb analogy - 25, 50, 200 watts of holiness; comparisons are trite in presence of sun! Progressive sanctification - God is still working on ALL of us!
4th - I thought we were under grace? We are! Nothing you can do to gain one iota of justification by keeping the law. Recite Ephesians 2:8. But the other side of the coin is what Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20 (read those verses). The royal law -"Love God, Love People" - and obedience to it continues to be God's will for our lives. We violate that when we show partiality. Further, we can't cherry pick parts of God's Word to obey and disobey just because we think showing partiality makes me a good person and Joe over there is BAD, BAD because he has committed a more "heinous" sin in my eyes - adultery or murder. Discuss Jesus' teaching - murder (angry), adultery (lust).
"Our obedience to God's will cannot be on a selective basis; we cannot choose that part that is to our liking and disregard the rest. God's will is not fragmentary; the entire law is the expression of His will for His people; it constitutes a grand unity. To break out one corner of a window pane is to become guilty of breaking the whole pane. He who crosses a forbidden boundary at one point or another is guilty of having crossed the boundary." (Hiebert)
#7 = We Will One Day Be Judged By "The Law of Liberty" - Read James 2:12-13.
So speak and so act - imperatives! Practice what you preach - "salvation in shoe leather," "belief with legs on it" = major theme of James! Speak and act in accordance with the law of liberty and with a view to the coming judgment!
The law of liberty is the law of God that liberates us now. It is the same as the law of Christ (cf. Galatians 6:2) in contrast to the Mosaic Law. Though we are free of Jewish ceremonial laws, we are not free from all of God's moral requirements. The "law of Christ" means the entire body of ethical teaching that Jesus gave and endorsed. It is also the "law of liberty" because Christ has freed and empowered us through the Holy Spirit to obey God and do what pleases Him.
"God's gracious acceptance of us does not end our obligation to obey him; it sets it on a new footing. No longer is God's law a threatening, confining burden. For the will of God now confronts us a law of liberty - an obligation that is discharged in the joyful knowledge that God has both 'liberated' us from the penalty of sin and given us, in His Spirit, the power to obey his will." (Moo)
As free as we are under the law of Christ, the law of liberty, we need to remember that God will judge us! Read Romans 14:10-13, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10. Though justification is by faith alone, what Christians do will affect God's evaluation of their service to Him and the rewards they will receive.
James ends with a warning - show mercy, expect to receive mercy at the judgment; act unmercifully, expect the same when God deals with you at the judgment! Spiritual principle = reap what you sow. Finally, Mercy triumphs over judgment!
V. Conclusion
A. In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. "If Christians have caste differences also," he said, "I might as well remain a Hindu." That usher's pride, prejudice, and partiality not only betrayed Jesus, but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior - Read quote on Power Point.
B. Who's light are you shining when it comes to partiality? Yours or your Christ's?
VI. Invitation & Benediction
