James 2:1

ἀδελφοί μου, the name itself is a protest against the sin of προσωπολημψία.

μὴ … ἔχετε is pointed interrogatively by Westcott and Hort. This construction however is regularly used only where a negative answer is expected, and even if there are exceptions to the rule, the imperative is more forcible and more characteristic of St James’ style. See Winer, III. 67, 3 b.

ἐν προσωπολημψίαις, with respect of persons. Do not let those personal distinctions and differences continue to find a place in religious life. The plural denotes the different ways in which προσωπολημψία shews itself, the various acts and instances of deference to persons. See note James 1:17. The compounds προσωπολημψία, προσωπολημπτεῖν, προσωπολήμπτης are first found in the N.T. They are among the earliest purely Christian words.—πρόσωπον λαμβάνειν is a Hebraism נָשָׂא פָּנִים, lit. to lift the face (opposed to making the countenance fall); hence to be favourable to: translated by ἐθαύμασά σου τὸ πρόσωπον, Genesis 19:21 : hence in N.T. always in a bad sense of shewing favour or preference to persons on account of external advantages, rank, wealth, power: οὐ λαμβάνεις πρόσωπον οὐδενός, Luke 20:21, in parallels οὐ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον�, Matthew 22:16; Mark 12:14; comp. οὐ γὰρ προσωπολήμπτης ὁ θεός, Acts 10:34; θαυμάζοντες πρόσωπα, Jude 1:16. For προσωπολημψία itself, see Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25.

τὴν πίστιν τοῦ κυρίου κ.τ.λ., the faith in the Lord Jesus, that faith of which He is the object, in virtue of which the disciples were called οἱ πιστεύοντες.

τῆς δόξης. Comp. Hebrews 12:11 where δικαιοσύνης has the same emphatic position qualifying the whole phrase. For the expression see 1 Corinthians 2:8 οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν, and comp. John 1:14 ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρός. See also John 2:11; John 17:5; John 17:22; John 17:24. In the LXX. δόξα is used of the Shekinah or glorious manifestation of Jehovah in the tabernacle, e.g. καὶ δόξης Κυρίου ἐπλήσθη ἡ σκηνή, Exodus 40:35—a signification closely connected with the use of the word by St John: see Bp Westcott on John 1:14 and comp. Book of Enoch, ch. xli, ‘my eyes beheld all the sinners who denied the Lord of glory.’ The construction of τῆς δόξης with πίστιν, which is possibly suggested by the marginal reading in W. H., has the support of some interpreters, who render: (a) belief in the glory of the Lord Jesus or (b) faith proceeding from the Lord Jesus in the glory (about to be revealed). The expression however of πίστις Ἰησ. Χρ. varied sometimes by the construction of εἰς or ἐν is so usual (see Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16; Colossians 2:5) that it is natural to take these words together and to regard τῆς δόξης as added with special reference to the subject under discussion.