Bibelkommentare

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

The Lord of glory — Or, "Have not the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus Christ," … Faith is a glorious grace indeed.

With respect of persons — i.e. Of their outward quality or conditions, as rich or poor, of this side or that, … Zanchy relates about a certain Frenchman, a friend of his, and a constant hearer of Calvin at Geneva, that being solicited by him to hear Viret, an excellent preacher, who preached at the same time that Calvin did, he answered, If St Paul himself should preach here at the same hour with Calvin, Ego, relicto Paulo, audirem Calvinum, I would not leave Calvin to hear Paul. This is not only partiality, but anthropolatry Man worship; the giving of divine honours to a human being. ŒD or man worship, saith he. Grynaeus reports a speech of George, duke of Saxony: Although I am not ignorant, saith he, that there are various errors and abuses crept into the Church, Nolo tamen amplecti Evangelium quod Lutherus annunciat, yet I will none of that gospel reformation that Luther preacheth. (Lect. in Hag.) Compertum est, it is for certain, saith Erasmus, that many things are condemned as heretical in Luther’s writings, that in Austin’s and Bernard’s books are approved for sound and pious passages. (Erasm. Epist. ad Card. Mogunt.)

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For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

For if there come, … — It is probable, saith an interpreter here, that the primitive Christians, the better to ingratiate with the richer pagans, gave them very great respect, contrary to that, Psalms 15:4 . But I rather think the apostle speaketh in this text of wealthier Christians, unworthily preferred before better but poorer persons.

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And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

That weareth the gay cloth — As Hospinian tells us of the dogs that kept Vulcan’s temple, and as others say of the Bohemian curs, that they will fawn upon a good suit, but fly upon one that is in ragged apparel. So is it with many; Vestis virum.

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Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Are ye not then partial — ου διακριθητε , or, "Are ye not for so doing condemned in your own consciences?" Or, "Neither have ye so much as once doubted or questioned the matter within yourselves, whether in so doing you have not done amiss?"

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Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Chosen the poor — This the world wonders and stumbles at. The heathen Romans would not receive Christ (though they heard of his miracles and mighty works) into the number of their gods, because he preached poverty and made use of poor persons. Aigoland, king of Saragossa in Arragon, refused to be baptized because he saw many lazars A poor and diseased person, usually one afflicted with a loathsome disease; esp. a leper. ŒD and poor people expecting alms from Charlemagne’s table; and asking what they were, was answered, that they were the messengers and servants of God. And can he keep his servants no better? said he. I will be none of his servants. (Turpine.) But what saith Christ? "I know thy poverty; but (that is nothing) thou art rich," Revelation 2:9 . And the poor are gospellized, not only receive it, but are changed by it,Matthew 11:5; Matthew 11:5 . We usually call a poor man a poor soul: a poor soul may be a rich Christian, and a rich man may have a poor soul; as he in the Gospel that had animam triticeam, a wheaten soul,Luke 12:16-21; Luke 12:16-21 , and as those other rich fools in David’s days, whose hearts were as fat as grease; they delighted not in God’s law, Psalms 119:70 .

Heirs of the kingdom — Heads destinated to the diadem, saith Tertullian.

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But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

Ye have despised the poor — Pauper ubique iacet. Zephaniah 3:12 , afflicted and poor are joined together; because poverty is an affliction, and makes a man trodden upon. Men go over the hedge where it is lowest. Therefore St Paul joins them together, "I have learned to want, and to be abased;" they that want shall be abased; Luke 15:30 ; "This thy son." He saith not, This my brother, because in poverty; which is therefore to be deprecated and prayed against, as Proverbs 30:8 ; Proverbs 1:1-33 . Propter inediam, on account of starvation, asGenesis 37:25; Genesis 37:25 ; Genesis 2:1-25 . Propter iniuriam, On account of wrongs, Psalms 10:9 ; Psalms 3:1-8 . Propter infamiam, On account of disgrace, as here. Our Saviour calls that good beggar Lazarus, that is, God help me, Luke 16:29 ; as proper a name for a beggar as could be given.

Oppress you — καταδυναστευουσιν , subjugate you, and bring your heads under their belts; trample upon you with the feet of pride and cruelty; yea, devour you, as the greater fish do the lesser. Ferae parcunt, aves pascunt, homines saeviunt, saith Cyprian. The wild beasts spare Daniel, the ravenous ravens feed Elias; only men rage and ravage, they tyranically oppress God’s poor people (as the word here imports), acting therein the devil’s part. See Acts 10:38 ; (where the same word is used); there is neither equity nor mercy to be had at their hands. Hence they are called men eaters, cannibals, Psalms 14:4 , and charged with beating God’s people to pieces, and grinding the faces of the poor, Isaiah 3:15 ; with eating their very flesh and flaying their skins from off them, and breaking off their bones, and chopping them in pieces as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron, Micah 3:3 . This is a sin against race, grace, and place.

Draw you before the judgment seats — Vex you with lawsuits, and by might rob you of your right. Cedit viribus aequum.

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Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

Do not they blaspheme — That is, cause to be blasphemed, as Romans 2:24 ; 1 Timothy 1:20 . Marcellinus, a heathen historian, taxeth the Christians of his times for their dissensions, biting and devouring one another, till they were even consumed one of another. Am. Mar. ii. 2. A sad thing that a heathen should see such hellish miscarriages among Christ’s followers.

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If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

If ye fulfil the royal law — Acknowledging God’s sovereignty, and sending a lamb to the ruler of the earth, Isaiah 16:1 , seeking the help of that free or noble spirit of his, Psalms 51:13 , that royal, ruling spirit, as the Greek version there hath it.

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