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JAKOBUS 2

Moenie mense volgens die uiterlike oordeel nie

1 My broers en susters, hoe kan julle beweer julle glo in ons Here Jesus Christus aan wie die heerlikheid behoort, terwyl julle sommer so op die uiterlike af tussen mense diskrimineer?2 Gestel daar kom iemand in julle samekoms in met duur juwele en baie mooi klere aan, en daar kom terselfdertyd ook iemand in wat brandarm is en verslete klere aanhet.3 As julle dan 'n ophef maak van die persoon met die deftige klere, en julle sê vir hom: "U moet asseblief hier gemaklik kom sit," maar vir die arm man sê julle: "Jy kan maar daar anderkant gaan sit," of: "Kom sit hier op die vloer,"

4 sal julle nie toegee dat julle diskrimineer en mense op grond van verkeerde oorwegings beoordeel nie?
5 Luister, my geliefde broers en susters! Kies God nie juis dié uit wat in die oë van die wêreld arm is, om ryk te wees in die geloof nie? Is dit nie húlle wat die erfgename is van die koninkryk wat Hy belowe het aan dié wat Hom liefhet nie?6 En tog beledig julle die arm persoon! Is dit nie juis die rykes wat julle onderdruk nie, en is dit nie húlle wat julle voor die hof sleep nie?

7 Is dit nie juis hulle wat Christus, wie se Naam julle as Christene dra, belaster nie?
8 Julle doen inderdaad die regte ding as julle God se koninklike wet uitleef soos dit in die Skrif staan: "Jy moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself."

9 Maar as julle teen mense diskrimineer, doen julle sonde, want juis hierdie wet brandmerk julle dan as oortreders.
10 Julle weet mos: iemand wat al die gebooie onderhou behalwe één, is net so skuldig as iemand wat ál die gebooie oortree.

11 Want dieselfde God wat gesê het: "Jy mag nie egbreuk pleeg nie," het ook gesê: "Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie." As jy dan nou aan jou huweliksmaat getrou is, maar tog moord pleeg, het jy mos al die gebooie oortree.
12 Sorg dus dat jou woorde en dade wys dat jy iemand is wat weet dat jy beoordeel gaan word deur die wet wat vrymaak, die wet van liefde.

13 Wie sonder ontferming optree, sal sonder ontferming geoordeel word. God se ontferming is sterker as sy oordeel.

Jou geloof moet dáde word

14 My broers en susters, wat help dit as 'n mens sê jy het geloof, maar jou lewe wys dit nie? Só 'n geloof kan jou nie verlos nie.15 Sê nou jy sien 'n Christenbroer of -suster wat kos en klere nodig het,

16 en jy sê: "Ek hoop dit gaan goed met jou; sorg dat jy warm aantrek en genoeg eet," maar jy gee nie vir daardie persoon kos of klere nie. Wat help dit dan?
17 Dis duidelik: Om net te sê jy glo, is nie genoeg nie. Geloof wat nie dade word nie, is eintlik glad nie geloof nie - sulke geloof is dood en help niks.

18 Maar iemand sou kon redeneer: "Party mense het geloof, en ander het dade." Ek sê: "Wys my jou geloof wat sonder dade is. Maar juis uit my dade sal ek jou my geloof wys."
19 Jy glo dat daar net een God is. Die demone glo dit ook - en hulle sidder, so bang is hulle!

20 Jou dwaas! Soek jy 'n bewys dat geloof sonder dade dood is?
21 Ons voorvader Abraham se geloof het dade geword: Hy het sy seun Isak op die altaar gelê en God het hom vrygespreek.22 Jy sien dus dat sy geloof gepaardgegaan het met sy dade, en die geloof uit die dade volmaak geword het.23 Dit het dus presies gebeur soos dit in die Skrif staan: "Abraham het tot geloof in God gekom, en God het hom vrygespreek." Hy is selfs "vriend van God" genoem.24 Julle sien dus dat 'n mens óók op grond van sy dade vrygespreek word en nie net op grond van sy geloof nie.25 Ragab die prostituut is nog 'n voorbeeld. God het haar vrygespreek op grond van haar dade toe sy die verkenners weggesteek en hulle met 'n ander pad laat wegkom het.

26 'n Liggaam wat nie asemhaal nie, is 'n lyk. So is geloof wat nie dade word nie, ook dood.

JAMES 2

Warning against Having //Favorites

1 My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some people better than others. 2 Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. 3 You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor.

4 This is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
5 My dear friends, pay attention. God has given a lot of faith to the poor people in this world. God has also promised them a share in his kingdom that he will give to everyone who loves him. 6 You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court?

7 Aren't they the ones who make fun of your Lord?
8  t You will do all right, if you obey the most important lawt in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us to love others as much as we love ourselves.

9 But if you treat some people better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach that you have sinned.
10  t If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all.

11 t The same God who told us to be faithful in marriage also told us not to murder. So even if you are faithful in marriage, but murder someone, you still have broken God's Law.
12 Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.

13 Do this, because on the day of judgment there will be no pity for those who have not had pity on others. But even in judgment, God is merciful!t

Faith and Works

14 My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? 15 If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, 16 you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help?

17 Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

18 Suppose someone disagrees and says, “It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds.”
I would answer, “Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them.”

19 You surely believe there is only one God. That's fine. Even demons believe this, and it makes them shake with fear.
20 Does some stupid person want proof that faith without deeds is useless? 21 t Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. 22 Now you see how Abraham's faith and deeds worked together. He proved his faith was real by what he did.

23 t This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God accepted him.” That's how Abraham became God's friend.
24 You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe.

25 t For example, Rahab had been a prostitute. But she pleased God when she welcomed the spies and sent them home by another way.
26 Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead!