雅各書 第二章

Three topics in Chapter 2 –

V 1-9 － Favoritism

V 10-13 － Law

V 14-26 － Faith vs. Work

Favoritism

- continue from 1:27, social circle

- rich vs. poor (social status, class)

* We have a tendency to judge people’s characters/spiritual condition by outward appearances.

* We play favoritism based on education, race, ability, power, wealth, status…

 

Why we need to avoid favoritism –

1.     Our God does not have favoritism (太5:45-46, 利19:15)

2.     Favoritism is sin. It violates God’s law. (雅2:9, 路10:27, 太22:36-40, 林前13: 1-8,

羅13:10, 利19:18)

3.     To obey God’s command.  (約14:15)

4.     Favoritism creates division in church. (腓2:3-4, 彼前3:8, 5:5, 西3:14)

 

The Great Command  (路10:27, 太22:36-40)

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Law

Throughout the Old Testament, God instructed the Jewish nation to follow laws that would eventually prepare them to understand His spiritual laws, revealed in Christ.

Read:  申 4-6, 來 8-10

Covenant (contract)

1.     Two equal parties – exchange sandals, shed blood…

2.     Superior à inferior (one side only) – taxes, homeowner association

3.     Superior obligates to provide to inferior – God to Jewish; king to his subjects.

Covenant
Old Testament	New Testament
Covenant of the Law	Covenant of Christ
Laws written on tablets of stone	Laws written on our hearts
Temporary	Everlasting
Many sacrifices	One sacrifice is enough

The New Covenant has:

Better hope (來7:19)

Better promise (來8:6)

Better country: heaven, not Canaan (來11:35)

Better resurrection: never to die again (來11:35)

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” (加5:1)

“…though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law.” (林前9:21)

信心若沒有行為就是死的

Faith (pistis, Greek #4102) – a conviction based upon hearing

Faith (Aman, Hebrew #539) – to be certain, enduring to trust, believe.

Four kinds of faith in James Chapter 2.

(1)  Useless faith (2:14, 20) – Can not save  (太7:19-23)

(2)  Demonic faith (2:19) – just intellect knowledge about God, no relationship (路 4:34)

(3)  Dead faith (2:15-18) – just emotion/words, no actions (雅1:22, 約壹3:17-18)

(4)  True faith (2:21-25) – back up with action

True faith in Chris will bring good fruit of deeds.  (加5:6, 22, 帖後1:11, 門6)

Our faith is shown by our action. (來11:1)

  

因信稱義 (羅4:1-11)	因行為稱義  (雅2:21-25)
人得以稱義是神的恩典 不是靠自己做好事積功德 是神的救恩使我們無可誇口 藉信靠主耶穌基督而得	亞伯拉罕因著信 但有行為並行 所以稱義
弗 2:8-9	來11:1-34
Paul also talked about deeds – 約壹 3:7, 林前3:8, 林後5:9-10

* Abraham (創17),  Rahab (書2:1-24, 6:22-25)

因信稱義與因行為稱義並行.

信心是種子, 是根基.

行為是果子, 是工程.

 

基督徒的好行為，和不信的人的好行為有什麼不同?

基督徒不需靠好行為去天國, 是靠神的救恩, 行為乃是信心的實踐.

Motive: 作主耶穌的見證 (約14:15, 15:8, 羅13:14)  
Motive: 為自己與蒙召的恩相稱 (弗4:1)

信心要怎樣才能成全？這成全是指的什麼？

Faith needs to be completed with action (雅2:22)

(來11:1-2, 7) Noah -> his deed reflected his faith.

(來6:1-8)  Faith without deed is like a body without soul.

Read: 羅 6:4 -> 新生的樣式

弗 2:10 -> 得救為要叫我們行善

腓 2:12-13 -> 作成得救的工夫

雅各書 2:1-26 問題討論

1.  我們如何避免待人有偏頗?

2.   雅各書第二章21-26節講到 ” 因行為稱義”

  與保羅在羅馬書說的 ”因信稱義”有沒有衝突?

3.  基督徒的好行為，和不信的人的好行為有什麼不同？

4. 信心要怎樣才能成全？這成全是指的什麼？

“經上記著說 [要愛人如己 ]” (2:8)

“信心若沒有行為就是死的” (2:17, 26)