The Pulpit Commentary — James — Section 40

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1--7.-Respect of persons. In the closing sentences of the preceding chapter James has been speaking of the true rultus or ritual of the Church ; and here he warns his readers against a violation of it which they were in danger of committing, and of which indeed they had· been already guilty, even when assembled for public worship. I. Tm: EVIL HERE CONDEMNED. (Ver. 1.) It is that of Pharisaic contempt of the poor. The apostle does not, of course, mean that social distinctions are nowhere to be recognized by God's people. The Scriptures tea.eh no such doctrine. Rather they enjoin Christians to "render honour to whom honour is due" (Rom, xiii. 7). In ordinary society we a.re to a.et with manly deference towards our superiors, whether they be such in age, rank, office, knowledge, wealth, or influence. ·The apostle refers in this exhortation to the spiritual sphere. He urges that within the sacred circle of our Church life respect is to be pa.id to religious character, and not to material wealth. A true pure faith in "the Lord of glory" is incompatible with the entire spirit of snobbery, and especially with the maintenance of unchristian distinctions of caste within the Church. The British Churches of the nineteenth century unhappily need the warning of this passage almost as much as the congregations of the Dispersion in the apostolic age (see Kitto's 'Daily Bible illustrations,' vol. i. twelfth week, first day). II. A PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION OF THE EVIL. (Vers. 2, 3.) The case supposed is in all respects an extreme one; yet how correctly it depicts human nature! It presents the thought of "the influences of clothes," or that "society is founded upon cloth" (Carlyle). The deference paid to the gold-ringed man in presence of the congregation is described with dramatic realism. A cordial welcome greets him when he enters, and he is conducted. fussily to a. principal seat; while the poor man in the squalid clothing is coldly pointed to a place where he may stand, or at most is permitted to sit in an uncomfortable comer. The apostle's graphic picture suggests to the thoughtful reader other examples of the same sin. We shall mention only one or two. 'l'he arrangements for seating a congregation amongst ourselves sometimes show "respect of persons," as in the case of an elevated and luxurious pew for the lord of the ma.nor. Ministers in the pulpit are tempted to avoid enforcing practical duties too pointedly, lest their exhorta- tions and reproofs should be unpa.lr.ta.ble to influential families. (Yet how ma.uy exam pies of ministerial fidelity may be readily recalled! N umeroua cases a.re historical: Elijah, Mica.iah, John the Baptist, Knox, Howe, Massillon, etc.) Church courts a.re sometimes prone to mete out different measures to different classes of uJfonders. Congregations have been known to elect men of substance to spiritual office, rather than those who possessed the requisite qualifications of mind and cha.- racte:r ; and, on the other band, members of Churches are sometimes actuated by mean j,:alousy of a wealthy fellow-worshipper, even to such an extent that they would fa.in, Oil, II. 1-26.] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. 35