James 2:9

But if you are good to some people but hard on other people, you are doing the wrong thing. You are not following that law.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

In Context

8You know, there is a really important law in God’s book. It says, “Love other people, just like you love yourself.” If you do that, you are doing the right thing.

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.

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Cross References

John 8:9Those men heard his words, and then the oldest man turned around and walked away. Then the next oldest man went away too, and the other men followed one by one. Soon they were all gone, and the woman was the only one standing in front of Jesus.

John 16:8After he comes, he will show people in the world that they go against God and do bad things. And he will show people that they don’t live the right way. And he will show people that one day God will judge everyone.

Romans 7:7Some people might reckon that the old law is no good because it made us go wrong, but that’s not true. The law is good. You see, God gave people the law to clearly show them what is right and what is wrong. For example, a part of that law says, “If something belongs to somebody else, don’t think about getting it for yourself.” Now think about this. If somebody doesn’t know that law, they don’t know that it is wrong to want to get other people’s things.

Galatians 2:19You see, I used to try to follow that law, so that law controlled me. I tried to do everything in that law, but I couldn’t do it, so the law said that I had to die. But then I stopped thinking about that law, and I turned around to follow Jesus, and now he controls me, and God makes me properly alive. And you know that Jesus died on a cross. Well, I believe in Jesus, so it is like I died there too. But Jesus is alive now, so I’m alive now too. You see, Jesus lives inside me, right here in my body. And he gets me to do the things that God wants me to do. He is God’s son. He loved me, and he gave up his life and died for me.

1 John 3:4You know that God’s law tells people the right way to live. So if anyone keeps on doing bad things, they are going against God’s law. That’s right. People that do bad things, they break God’s law.

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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