2:1-5 What do we learn from this?
2:1-5 What do we learn from this?
James is warning the church here against giving preferential treatment to a wealthy man over a poor man in the assembly. But this functions as a general condemnation of any discriminatory behaviour by Christians, in any situation.
Any discrimination is incompatible with the faith of Christ, which excludes partiality in any form (CP V1 with De 10:17; Pr 28:21; Ac 10:34-35; Ro 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; 1Pe 1:17).
If Christians favour one person over another on the basis of appearance, wealth or social status, they are acting from evil motives and contravene the law of love. They are in sin, for we are all one in Christ (CP Jas 2:4, 8-9 with Lev 19:18; Mt 19:16, 19; 22:36-40; Jn 13:34-35; 15:12; Ro 13:8-10; Ga 5:13-14; Eph 5:1-2; 1Jn 3:11, 18 with Ga 3:28).
Christians cannot love their neighbours as themselves and show partiality, because the two are mutually exclusive.
The law of love is the basis for all the laws of how Christians should relate to each other (CP 1Cor 13:1-8; 1Jn 3:14-16).