James 2:2–3

In James 2:2 the word "assembly" is really the synagogue, or place of meeting… The Greek word used in Acts 19:32 and similar places is ekklesia, the word the New Testament often gives as "church." It means "called out." The church is a people God has called out to Himself from the mass of mankind.

It is easy to understand why the writer used "synagogue" for the people he addressed. He did not mean an actual synagogue. He carried the word over to a Christian company. So it is rendered here as "meeting," the nearest equivalent we have. No one would be surprised at such a worldly spirit in a real synagogue. It was a grief when it passed into a Christian gathering.

In the main, the world estimates men not by their moral worth, but by their social position and outward adorning. Those who have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, are not to judge one another this way. The man of the world will pay respect to the well-born man with riches and social position; but faith puts us in touch with the Lord of glory. In His presence all men, however high in worldly position, become very small.

What was less fitting to Christ than a gold-ringed man in splendid clothing? He was never dressed up in finery, except in the bitter mockery of those about to crucify Him. Yet He could have called all the wealth and grandeur of the world to Himself in a moment, had that suited Him or those who represent Him here below. On high He is crowned with glory and honour, as they will be at His coming. But faith sees the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though He was rich, for our sake He became poor, so that we by His poverty might become rich.

The testing of this may seem at times minute. If you put the poor man in a poor place in your synagogue, how can you have recognised the glory of the Lord of glory? It is a question of faith, and where does faith see poverty or riches?

In the world, wealth and standing always win a person special treatment. It must not be so among those who know the Lord Jesus Christ. It is still a test for us today: what would we do if a rich-looking visitor and a poor-looking one came into a meeting? Would we be as considerate of the one as of the other? And is it so in our daily relationships with people?

It is useless to pretend to know our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, when our conduct does not match that confession… James by no means levels all ranks. What he demands is that one should have no preference for the rich.

Scripture does not approve a spirit of disrespect towards the noble or the high-placed. Paul says: pay to all what you owe them — taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honour to whom honour is owed… But among all who bear the Lord's name, we owe one another love. We owe tender compassion to those whom trials and poverty may trap. Contempt for the poor Christian is as far from the mind that was in Christ as anything could be.

An ark was placed at one end, holding the sacred books. Near this was the place of honour — the "chief seats" that some people wanted for themselves (Matthew 23:6; James 2:2-3, where the word translated "assembly" is "synagogue").

So a rich Jew would enter their "assembly" or "synagogue" full of self-importance and dressed in all his finery — "synagogue" is the right word. Everyone gave him fawning attention, apparently the Christians as much as the non-Christians. When a poor man entered, they put him in an obscure place without any ceremony.

What was less in keeping with Christ than a man with gold rings in splendid clothing? He was never decked out in such things, except in the bitter mockery of those about to crucify Him. Yet in a moment He could have summoned all the wealth and grandeur of the world around Him — if that had been fitting for Himself, or for those who represent Him here below.

The testing of this may seem at times very small. If you put the poor man in a poor place in your synagogue, how can you have recognised the glory of the Lord of glory? It is a question of faith, and where does faith see poverty or riches?

Yet James by no means levels all ranks. What he demands is that no one should have a preference for the rich.

Not that Scripture allows a spirit of disrespect toward the noble or the exalted. "Pay to all what is owed to them," says the apostle Paul, "taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed"... But all who bear the Lord's name owe love to one another. They owe tender compassion to those whose trials and poverty put them in danger of being trapped.

Dr. Whitby and others work hard to explain this as the judicial assemblies the Jews held in their synagogues... That reduces the rebuke to partiality in a trial between a poor man and a rich one. Instead, we have here a great principle that applies everywhere, all the more necessary when ease and wealth and luxury began to flow in among professing Christians... What is really meant is an evil moral state, out of all sympathy with our Lord. They made a difference among themselves and became judges of evil thoughts — marked by having evil thoughts, instead of weighing and feeling things in the light of God and His love by faith. It was a worldly mind.

Most of these weak Jewish believers were poor. They had so far forgotten the early fervour of faith that they cringed before the wealthy — even in their assemblies, if a rich man came in. Yet were they not rich in faith, the poorest of them? Were they not heirs of the kingdom which He who chose them promised to those that love Him?

In the world, the look of dignity and wealth always wins a person preferential treatment. It must not be so among those who know the Lord Jesus Christ. It is still a test for us today. What would we do if one clearly wealthy person and one clearly poor person came into a meeting? Would we be as considerate of the one as of the other? And is it so in our daily dealings with people?