Manton / McGrath James

1. Auflage 1995
ISBN: 978-1-4335-1763-1
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, Band 9, 368 Seiten

Reihe: Crossway Classic Commentaries

For hundreds of years Christendom has been blessed with Bible commentaries written by great men of God highly respected for their godly walk and their insight into spiritual truth. The Crossway Classic Commentaries series presents the very best work on individual Bible books, carefully adapted for maximum understanding and usefulness for today's believers. The epistle of James abounds with punch and clarity. Amazingly relevant and practical for our age, it continues to be a popular New Testament book for followers of Christ. Its themes, which include good works issuing out of genuine faith, equal treatment of the rich and poor, taming the tongue, heavenly wisdom, and patience in the midst of suffering, have brought great encouragement to God's people. This enlightening commentary puts these important issues in perspective and reveals the full content of this noteworthy Bible book.

THOMAS MANTON (1620-1677) played a prominent role in the Savoy Conference and the drafting of the Westminster Confession. He was pastor of a noted Puritan congregation in London but was later ejected from the official church for nonconformity, though he continued to preach wherever and whenever he had opportunity. Archbishop Ussher called him 'one of the great preachers in England.' His sermons formed the basis of his published commentaries.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Manton, Thomas

McGrath, Alister

Leseproben

James
Chapter 2

Commentary on Verse 1

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.

This chapter has two special admonitions, which were very necessary then. The first is against favoritism because of outward advantages, especially in church matters. The other is against ostentatious faith. He deals with the first admonition in verses 1-13, and with the second in verses 14-26. In this first verse he tells them to avoid showing favoritism because of some outward excellence that has no affinity at all with religion.

My brothers. A name used throughout the letter. Some people think he chiefly means the presbyters and deacons, who were responsible for allocating the seating. But I see no reason to restrict it to them, as it applies in all the other passages of the letter to all those to whom he wrote.

As believers. The word believers generally applies to the profession of the Christian religion or the manifestations of the grace of Christ in the souls of his people.

In our . . . Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is here called our . . . Lord because it is the correct term for him as mediator and head of the Church, and because of our interest in him: the head is dishonored through the disrespect of the members.

Glorious. Christianity is related to the Lord of glory. He gives honor to men, who otherwise would be poor and despised. If men believed Christ was glorious, they would not so easily despise those who have the least.

Show favoritism. Favoritism occurs when we give more respect to one person than to another for no good reason. The word signifies accepting someone’s outside and respecting them for the external glory we find in them. The phrase, when it is used in the Old Testament, means wondering at a man’s face, being overcome and dazzled at its beauty. Civility calls for outward respect and reverence to those who excel in the world. To give respect to a rich man is not evil. If all distinction between people were sinful, there would be no place for governments.

Notes on Verse 1

Note 1. Showing favoritism to people in religious matters is a sin. We may be guilty of it in many ways:

(1) By making external things, not religion, the ground of our respect and affection. The apostle says, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer” (2 Corinthians 5:16). Viewing anyone from a worldly viewpoint is to love and esteem them from a secular motivation. Paul, when a Pharisee, looked for a Messiah coming in outward pomp and glory. Once converted, he set aside those worldly thoughts. Tertullian said, “We must not judge faith by people, but people by faith.”

(2) When we do not give the proportion of affection according to the proportion of grace. Those who have the least worldly pomp, if they excel in Christ, should have the most Christian respect and honor.

(3) We can easily make greatness a cloak for baseness and excuse sin by honor. It is good to note how freely the Scriptures speak about wicked people being given the highest honor. The Turkish empire, great as it was, Luther said, was “only a morsel which the master of the house throws to dogs.”

(4) When we give religious respect and serve men for base motives. “They . . . flatter others for their own advantage” (Jude 16).

(5) When church affairs are not carried on impartially toward the rich and the poor. Christ died for both rich and poor, and we must care for both (see Exodus 30:15). The poor and the rich had to give the same atonement for their souls; the souls of the poor were as precious to Christ as those who glitter most in outward pomp. The apostle Paul says, “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks” (Romans 1:14). The Pharisees gave Christ an excellent commendation in Mark 12:14—“Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” We should learn from our Lord and Master. We are never true ministers of Jesus Christ until we deal in the same way with people who are the same in themselves.

(6) When we hold the truths of God in contempt because of the people who bring them to us. Usually we pay attention to the man rather than the matter, and not the golden treasure so much as the clay pot. Out of prejudice it was said of Christ, “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” Matheo Langi, Archbishop of Salzburg, told everyone that the reformation of the mass was necessary, but that it was unendurable that a poor monk (referring to Luther) would make all these reforms. Similarly, in Christ’s time a common question was, “Do any of the rulers believe in him?” Solomon says, “A man poor but wise . . . saved the city. . . . But nobody remembered that poor man” (Ecclesiastes 9:15-16). Erasmus observed that what was taken as orthodox in the Fathers was condemned as heretical in Luther.

Thus you see in how many ways we may be guilty of respect of people in religious matters.

Application. Consider these things. It is a heinous evil and a natural evil. We think that nothing counts but outward greatness. This is to devalue the members of Christ—indeed, to devalue Christ himself. “He who mocks the poor,” even if they are only the common poor, “shows contempt for their maker” (Proverbs 17:5). But to despise poor Christians who have been renewed in the image of God is even worse. And it is worst of all when a Christian despises a Christian.

Note 2. Jesus Christ is a glorious Lord in his own person, which is “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3), and in regard to his present exaltation as he has a “name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). He will give you as much glory as your heart desires. If he does not make your enemies bow before you, he will still give you honor among his people, for he has promised to honor those who honor him (see 1 Samuel 2:30). So then, consider your thoughts about Christ. How do you consider him? Do you think of him as a Lord of glory? The apostle Peter says, “To you who believe, this stone [Christ] is precious” (1 Peter 2:7); the original Greek says, “honor.” We account no honor like the honor of being related to Christ. You will know this disposition by two signs:

(1) All other excellencies will be as nothing. Not birth (“a Hebrew of Hebrews”), position (“a Pharisee”), moral accomplishments (“as for legalistic righteousness, faultless”), esteem in the world (“if anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more”); “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (see Philippians 3:4-8).

(2) Being held in contempt will be nothing. The brother in humble circumstances may regard his humble position for Christ as a promotion; let him take pride in his high position (1:9). It is said of Moses that “he regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt” (Hebrews 11:26). Note that he did not only endure the reproaches for Christ’s sake but counted them as treasures, to be thought of as honors. Thuanus tells a story of Ludovicus Marsacus, a knight of France who was led to execution with other martyrs who were tied with cords. Out of respect for his position, he had not been bound; but he cried, “Give me my chains too; let me be a knight of the same order.”

Note 3. Those who think Christ is glorious will think of Christianity and faith as glorious. A Christian is known by what he esteems. What, then, do you reckon as most excellent in yourselves and in others?

(1) In yourselves. What is your greatest honor and treasure? What do you desire for yourselves and for others? What would you part with first? Theodosius valued his Christianity above his empire. Luther said he would rather be “a Christian clown than a pagan emperor.”

(2) In others. Who are most precious to you? Those in whom you see most clearly the image of Christ? Do not despise those jewels of Christ that lie in the dirt.

Commentary on Verses 2-4

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

I have put all these verses together because they are one sentence. The apostle reveals how guilty they were of the evil he warns them against by mentioning a normal practice of theirs in their church conventions.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting. In the original this is, “into your synagogue,” by which some people understand their Christian assembly for worship. But that is not probable, because the Christian assembly is nowhere referred to as a “synagogue” but only as a “church.” In the church-meeting there may be, without sin, several seats and places appointed for men of various ranks and dignities in the world; and it is a mistake to...