James 2:11

It is like this. One of God’s laws is, “Don’t sleep with anyone that is not your wife or your husband, as if you are married to them.” And another law is, “Don’t kill anybody.” Suppose you didn’t sleep with the wrong person, but you did kill somebody, you are guilty anyway, because you didn’t follow all of God’s laws.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

In Context

10Now think about God’s laws. If you don’t follow all of God’s laws, you are guilty. Suppose one man does everything in those laws except that he breaks one law, that man is guilty. Suppose another man breaks all those laws, he is guilty too. They are both guilty.

12God will judge us, and he will use the law that tells us to love other people. So before you say anything, and before you do anything, you have to think about that law from God. That is the law that makes us free so that we can do whatever is right.

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Cross References

Matthew 5:21Jesus said, “You know, the teachers of God’s law tell you what God told the people, a long time ago. They say, ‘Don’t murder anybody. If you murder somebody, then you have to go to court, and the judge will punish you.’

Mark 10:19You know God’s laws, – Don’t murder anyone. – Don’t sleep with a woman that is not your wife, as if you are married to her. – Don’t steal things that belong to other people. – Don’t tell lies about anybody. – Don’t trick people to get something from them. – You always have to respect your father and your mother.”

Romans 13:9God’s law says, “Love other people just as much as you love yourself.” You know there are lots of other laws too, like, “Don’t sleep with somebody that you are not married to, as if they are your wife or husband,” and, “Don’t murder anybody,” and, “Don’t steal anything,” and, “If something belongs to somebody else, don’t think about getting it for yourself.” But if you really love other people, you will not do any of those wrong things anyway. So that law that says to love people, it says what all the other laws say when you listen to them all together.

Matthew Henry on James 2:9-14

The Christian Law. ( a. d. 61.) 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so… Read the whole commentary →

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