James 2:1-17
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- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible - KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- Similitude II, Similitude VIII.6, Shepherd of Hermas. (c.145)
- IV.10, IV.11, VI.18, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- II.2, On The Apparel of Women, Tertullian (c. 202)
- From the Geneva Notes.
- From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
- From Wesley's Notes.
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
- Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- Commentary,
James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17, Margaret Aymer, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2018.
- "James 2:1-17 invites believers to examine their relationships with one another, particularly along class lines, their understanding of the role of the Torah in the Christian life..."
- Center for Excellence in Preaching, Doug Bratt, 2018.
- A Plain Account, Tyler Boyer, 2018.
- Commentary,
James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17, A.K.M. Adam, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2015.
- "The last paragraph of today's reading thus sums up James's point that faith involves more than affirming theological formulas, but a thorough reorientation of one's life."
- "Sowing Justice," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2015.
- "Jesus' whole life was one of sowing justice. Jesus' life was dedicated to caring for those who were the least and the left out and the passed over and the shut out. As we follow his example, we will sow justice, and hopefully bring healing to ourselves and to those around us."
- Commentary,
James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17, Sandra Hack Polaski, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2012.
- "The second chapter of James opens with an illustration that is as relevant in the contemporary church as it must have been to James's first readers."
- "Poverty, Wealth, and Equality?" Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer, ON Scripture, Odyssey Networks, 2012.
- "...James is making himself quite clear: Christians, both individually and collectively, have a moral responsibility to the poor."
- "Playing Favorites: What Will Campbell Learned," The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey
with Jesus Foundation, 2012.
- "We judge, discriminate, and play favorites for many reasons — race, religion, gender, intelligence, politics, and nationality all come to mind. James uses the example of Christians who favored the rich over the poor."
- "The One Hundred Percent," Sharron R Blezard, Stewardship of Life, 2012.
- "In your preaching and teaching this week, consider lifting up Jesus’ alternative path where the ninety-nine and the one percent become the one hundred percent, held together in love and grace and walking toward a better way. What might it look like to walk that path deliberately in your context?"
- "Follow the Royal Law," Rick Morley, 2012.
- "James wasn’t telling the church to be good to the poor and thereby earn salvation. He was saying that if their faith was genuine, they’d actually be loving their neighbors as themselves."
- Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
- "Is the Book of James Proto-Marxist?" Carl Gregg, The Hardest Question, 2012.
- "Luther was wrong; behavior is believable"
- "Overcoming Labeling," "Where Is God? With the Poor," "Faith in Action," compiled by Lisa Ann Moss Degreia, 2012.
- Commentary,
James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17, Craig R. Koester, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2009.
- "James wants the good news to be experienced?by each believer and through each believer to the many others who need a tangible expression of grace."
- "Mercy Triumphs," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2009.
- "From Genesis to Revelation, God's call is one of justice, a justice defined by compassion and mercy toward others, especially the least and the lost and the left out. There is simply no way around it. So the question we have to ask is this: 'When will we stop ignoring the central teaching of Scripture and start walking humbly with our God?'"
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- "First
Thoughts on Passages on Year B Epistle Passages in the Lectionary," Pentecost 15, William
Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
- "Social justice christology is 'in' at the moment - but like the term, social justice, itself, can die of its popularity as our fascination with it innoculates us against engagement and the vision dies to become just an idea and a good concept to include in our strategic plans and visions."
- "Favoritism Forbidden," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
-
Join the Feast,
James 2:1-13, Frances Taylor Gench, Union PSCE,
2009.
- "Clearly, James has much to contribute to our thinking about acts and experiences of discrimination. Indeed, Cain Hope Felder observes that James 2:1-13 provides what is perhaps the strongest castigation of class discrimination in the New Testament -- or for that matter, any discrimination based on outward appearance -- and that these words have particular pertinence for African-Americans who still experience such discrimination daily."
- "James's Theological Grammar," study guide for adults, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "The Letter of James," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2012. Focus article: "James's Theological Grammar," by Robert W. Wall.
- "The Wisdom of James," Robert W. Wall, Baylor University Christian Ethics, 2009. Section on this text, "The Wise Community Walks the Talk," begins on p. 31.
-
"Flattering the Rich, Exploiting the Poor: Labor Day, 2006,"
The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself, Daniel B. Clendenin, Journey with
Jesus Foundation.
- "How can Christians best help the poor?"
- Adultery: "Fire in the Bosom," from And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible by Ronald L. Ecker.
- Commentary,
James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17, Margaret Aymer, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2018.
-
Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
-
Birch, Bruce C.,
"Hunger, Poverty and Biblical Religion,"
The
Christian Century, 1975.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Brown, Jeannine K., "James 2:1-13," Interpretation,
2008.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Dowd, Sharyn,
"Faith That Works: James 2:14-26," Review and Expositor, 2000.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Duncan, Graham,
"Practical Theology: 'Faith apart from Works Is Dead'," Journal of
Theology for Southern Africa, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Flesher, LeAnn Snow, "Mercy triumphs over judgment: James as social gospel," Review and Expositor, 2014.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Fowl, Stephen, "God's Choice," The
Christian Century, 2006.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Fritsche, Joel P., "Homiletical Helps on
LW Series B," Concordia Journal, 2006. (Section on this text begins
on p. 326)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Goetz, Ronald,
"Evangelism by Works Alone," The Christian Century, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hiebert, D. Edmond,
"The Unifying Theme of the Epistle of James," Bibliotheca Sacra,
1978.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Hughes, David M.,
"The Best Seat in the House: James 2:1-10, 14-17," Review and
Expositor, 2000.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Jenkins, C. Ryan,
"Faith and Works in Paul and James," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Macarthur, John F.,
"Faith according to the Apostle James," Journal of the Evangelical
Theological Society, 1990.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Maxwell, David R., "Justified by Works and Not by
Faith Alone: Reconciling Paul and James," Concordia Journal,
2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerial - Polhill, John B.,
"Prejudice, Partiality, and Faith: James 2," Review and Expositor,
1986.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Porter, Virgil V., Jr.,
"The Sermon on the Mount in the Book of James, Part 1," Bibliotheca
Sacra, 2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Porter, Virgil V., Jr.,
"The Sermon on the Mount in the Book of James, Part 2," Bibliotheca
Sacra, 2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Powery, Emerson, "Under the Gaze of the
Empire: Who Is My Neighbor?" Interpretation, 2008.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Saleska, Timothy, "The Two Kinds of Righteousness!:
What's a Preacher to Do?" Concordia Journal, 2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Sider, Ronald J., "An Evangelical Theology of Liberation,"
The
Christian Century, 1980.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Smit, D.J.,
"Exegesis and Proclamation: 'Show No Partiality...' (James 2:1-13),"
Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, 1990.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Talbert, Charles H.,
"James: Teaching Outlines and Selected Sermon Seeds," Review and
Expositor, 2000.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Ward, Roy Bowen, "Partiality in the Assembly: James
2:2-4," Harvard Theological Review, 1969.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASe - Ward, Roy Bowen, "Works of Abraham: James 2:14-26,"
Harvard Theological Review, 1968.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerial - Warden,
"The Rich and the Poor in James: Implications for Institutionalized
Partiality," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society,
2000.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
-
Birch, Bruce C.,
"Hunger, Poverty and Biblical Religion,"
The
Christian Century, 1975.
- Sermons:
- "Standing in the Tragic Gap," the Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn, Day 1, 2009.
- "James: Clothes Talk! Money Talks!" Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.
- With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Proper 18B, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2012.
- "Faith that Works," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com.
- "Faith without Works Is Dead," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
- Drama:
- "Shaylen," Hannah M., dramatix.
- "Extreme Makeover," Melinda Cousins, dramatix.
- Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Commercial Site: "Faith By Itself Is Dead," (James 2) Visual Liturgy/Film, The Work of the People.
- Hymns and Music:
- “Be Doers of the Word of God” is Carolyn Winfrey Gillette’s hymn, based on the Letter of James, that calls Christians to care for the poor and to put faith into action. Tune: ELLACOMBE 8.6.8.6 D (“I Sing the Mighty Power of God”).
- “O Lord, May All We Say and Do” is Carolyn Winfrey Gillette’s hymn based on the themes found in the five chapters of the Letter of James. Tune: TALLIS' CANON 8.8.8.8 (“All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night”). Published in Baylor University's Christian Reflection journal.
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Hymns with Scripture Allusions: James 2:16. The Cyber Hymnal.
- At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of James
