But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Parallel translations
- WEB But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
- KJV But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
- NKJV but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
- NASB But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.
- NLT But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
But to show partiality is to commit sin and stand convicted by the law as a transgressor. Favoritism is a clear breach of God's command to love.
Overview
James draws the verdict: partiality violates the law of love and so is genuine sin, convicting the offender as a lawbreaker. There is no neutral favoritism; it directly contradicts the command just cited. This sets up the following verses' teaching that any single violation makes one guilty before the whole law.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Lev 19:15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
- Jas 2:1–4My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
- John 8:9When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.
- 1 Jn 3:4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.
- Rom 3:20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
- John 16:8And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
- John 8:46Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?
- Gal 2:19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God.
- Jude 1:15to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”
- 1 Cor 14:24But if an unbeliever or uninstructed person comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convicted and called to account by all,
- Rom 7:7–13What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The wisdom from above and the royal law of love are the life of those who belong to 'our glorious Lord Jesus Christ' — faith in him made visible in works.
How James 2:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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