Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

Returning now to James, the present section does not simply indict “the audience’s
paradoxical preference of the rich (vv. 6-7) to a crusade on behalf of
the poor” (Martin, 58). Neither is it merely a “powerful statement of the social
dimension of the Christian life,” or a “commitment to a theology of justice”
(Martin, 73). By defining the preferential treatment found in the Church
at bottom as murder, James ups the ante considerably. He tackles the sin in its
spiritual depth, and must have left his readers aghast. Mercilessly merciful he
goes for the jugular. There is much more at stake than social indecency or inappropriate
injustice that required some knuckle rapping, and therefore could
be fixed by a more or less indignant crusade. James does not address simply a
“no,-no,” a “No-No” or even a “NO-NO!” Frankly, no commentary seems to
reach the profundity of the original. The religious depth of James’ indictment
is awesome. A seemingly insignificant item proves to be a world of iniquity.
Furthermore, James is not a one-track, one-theme, rich versus poor, author.
This would have turned him into a crusader, all right! The thesis of this
Commentary is that he uses the issue of “partiality” as a “sample” to show
methodologically how to deal with any and all problems in the Church. In
short, James starts out by holding forth love as the summary, the long and the
short, of the law (Jam. 2:8), proceeds by plumbing the awesome depth and
breadth of the law (Jam. 2:9-11), continues by warning that everyone will
have to pass the bar of the law (Jam. 2:12), and concludes by implying that it
is the better part of wisdom to opt for a type of conduct that secures mercy
from the Giver of the law (Jam. 2:13) (See also Blanchard, 139-147; 148-
158). In doing all this, James as “God’s Statesman” as well as God’s
Spokesman fleshes out and lights up Isaiah’s word that God resides in this
those “who tremble at his Word” (Is. 65:2, 5). This is, and should be, the response
of all those who read James at this point of his letter, as well as at
many other points for that matter, in 3-D, not only with their minds, but also
with their hearts and lives. Incidentally, Isaiah’s statement that God dwells in
the heart of those who tremble at his Word receives depth perspective when
he contrasts it with God’s non-residence: not in the universe that cannot contain
him (1 Ki. 8:27), and not on the earth, which is only a footstool (Is. 66:1).
The infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God (!) seeks to live in
the heart of man (Ps. 34:18; 51:17; Is. 57:15; 66:2; John 14:17; Eph. 3:17, 19;
Col. 1:27). This is sufficient to tremble and listen!
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