The Sin Of Partiality

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 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, 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,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

James 2.1-4

James 2:8–9 NASB95

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

James 1:8–9 NASB95

being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

James 1.8

James’ Arguments

Partiality between the rich and the poor was common among these Jewish Christians

This partiality is commonly practiced by the rich ones.

Partiality (grk. prosopolemsia) an inclination to favor one group, view, or opinion, resulting in injustice.

God’s Command to Fairness

Justice must be fair to everyone

Deuteronomy 1:17 NASB95

‘You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

Deuteronomy 1.17

Deuteronomy 10:17 NASB95

“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

Deuteronomy 10.17

Leviticus 19:15 NASB95

‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.

Justice is a hallmark of the Living God

Deuteronomy 10:17 NASB95

“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

Exodus 30:15 NASB95

“The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.

Job 34:17–19 NASB95

“Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One, Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’; Who shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands?

Job

Proverbs 22:2 NASB95

The rich and the poor have a common bond, The Lord is the maker of them all.

Partiality is not to be practiced by Christians

James 2:1–4 NASB95

James 2.1

partiality is sin

James 2:8–9 NASB95

Partiality, especially in judgment, was often practiced by those who can afford to bribe the judges.

The “rich” often bribed the system to their favor

The “poor” usually became the victim of injustice

The Gospel and the Poor

The Gospel is originally intended for the “poor”

Luke 4:17–18 NASB95

And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,

Luke 4.17-18

The “poor” - (1) financially impoverished, and (2) the humbled ones due to their physical, emotional and spiritual afflictions

The “gospel” was, in a sense, God’s justice in behalf of the poor.

James 2:5 NASB95

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?

The Gospel is ‘biased against” the rich

The parables of Christ projected the rich as sinful and worldly

Luke 12:16–21 NASB95

And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 18:23–27 NASB95

But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Luke 18.23-

The rich are often seen as not doing their fair share in the economy

Luke 21:1–4 NASB95

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

Luke 21.1-4

The Gospel warns against riches

James 5:1–6 NASB95

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

1 Timothy 6:17–18 NASB95

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

Why is the gospel biased against riches?

The problems with material riches

Wealth can enslave a person

Matthew 6:24 NASB95

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Wealth can corrupt a person’s character

1 Timothy 6.9-

1 Timothy 6:9–11 NASB95

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Wealth comes with great responsibilities

Luke 12:48 NASB95

but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Christ’s Condescension

Jesus became “poor”

2 Corinthians 8:9 NASB95

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

“He was rich” - in glory, not in material things

“He became poor” - He identified with the poor, the afflicted, less fortunate

Philippians 2:5–7 NASB95

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2.

The Gospel teaches us to “condescend”

Romans 12:16 NASB95

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

Romans 12.

Romans 12:16 KJV 1900

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Paul exhorts the “rich” believers to “level down” to the lowly ones

Note - we cannot find one verse that exhorts the poor to level up with the rich

Conclusion

What is the connection with spiritual maturity?

“Love your neighbor as yourself”

James 2:8 NASB95

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

James 2.8

Love - expressed in compassion, concern, favor

God’s Word commands us to give to all people the same compassion, concern and care we give to ourselves.

Luke 14:12–14 NASB95

And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 14.12-14

The spiritually mature person treats his/her brothers and sisters the same he/she treats himself/herself.

Related Media

Related Sermons