Warning against Partiality

21 My brethren , do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism . 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes , and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes , 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes , and say , "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man , "You stand over there , or sit down by my footstool ," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves , and become judges with evil motives ? 5 Listen , my beloved brethren : did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man . Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court ? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called ?

8 If , however , you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture , " YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF ," you are doing well . 9 But if you show partiality , you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors . 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all . 11 For He who said , " DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY ," also said , " DO NOT COMMIT MURDER ." Now if you do not commit adultery , but do commit murder , you have become a transgressor of the law . 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty . 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy ; mercy triumphs over judgment .

Faith without Works Is Dead

14 What use is it, my brethren , if someone says he has faith but he has no works ? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food , 16 and one of you says to them, " Go in peace , be warmed and be filled ," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body , what use is that? 17 Even so faith , if it has no works , is dead , being by itself . 18 But someone may well say , "You have faith and I have works ; show me your faith without the works , and I will show you my faith by my works ." 19 You believe that God is one . You do well ; the demons also believe , and shudder . 20 But are you willing to recognize , you foolish fellow , that faith without works is useless ? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar ? 22 You see that faith was working with his works , and as a result of the works , faith was perfected ; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says , " AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD , AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS ," and he was called the friend of God . 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone . 25 In the same way , was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way ? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead , so also faith without works is dead .

The Tongue

31 Let not many of you become teachers , my brethren , knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment . 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says , he is a perfect man , able to bridle the whole body as well . 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well . 4 Look at the ships also , though they are so great and are driven by strong winds , are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires . 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things . See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire ! 6 And the tongue is a fire , the very world of iniquity ; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body , and sets on fire the course of our life , and is set on fire by hell . 7 For every species of beasts and birds , of reptiles and creatures of the sea , is tamed and has been tamed by the human race . 8 But no one e can tame the tongue ; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison . 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father , and with it we curse men , who have been made in the likeness of God ; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing . My brethren , these things ought not to be this way . 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree , my brethren , produce olives , or a vine produce figs ? Nor can salt water produce fresh .

The Wisdom from Above

13 Who among you is wise and understanding ? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom . 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart , do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth . 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above , but is earthly , natural , demonic . 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing . 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure , then peaceable , gentle , reasonable , full of mercy and good fruits , unwavering , without hypocrisy . 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace .