Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
To be partial in yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts is to give the honored seat to the rich or well-dressed while telling the poor to stand aside or take an inferior place. God makes no such distinction of rank, wealth, talent, or education, but values people simply as people and judges by character, purity, and love for Christ. In Christ all are alike objects of divine love, bought by the same sacrifice, prepared for the same heaven, with the same Father and Redeemer, so earthly distinctions lose their force. The verse therefore forbids favoring the rich, the learned, the well-dressed, friends, or one race or color over another in worship, care, and daily work, and requires treating the poor and despised with the same interest, welcome, and tender consideration as the wealthy.
Nature of Partial Judgment
To be partial in oneself and to become a judge guided by evil thoughts is to give the rich or well-dressed person a good, honored seat while telling the poor person to stand aside or sit in an inferior place, even under a footstool. Wealth and fine clothing or outward appearance must not determine a person's welcome or regard, for the poor person set aside may have greater moral worth before God. In Christian institutions this means every hand employed is to be treated as purchased by Christ's blood under the command to love one's neighbor as oneself, without forming a confederacy to bestow favors on a select number who are no more highly regarded by God than those neglected, set aside, and assigned to hard places with grieved and wounded spirits. God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom promised to those who love Him, so despising the poor is the evil judged here, and the temptations that come to those unjustly treated will be charged to those who dealt partially with them; the cross teaches that human worth is not measured by wealth, since God gives His blessings and mercies to rich and poor alike.
The same partial, evil-thought judging includes favoring people for wealth, rank, learning, social standing, outward appearance, clothing, and for being relatives or friends. It includes a proud, exclusive spirit that favors only a few, in contrast with pure religion which makes God's children one family in Christ and welcomes suffering people of every class. It includes treating one person kindly while treating another harshly, with caste feeling and unkind judgment that leads to self-exaltation, whereas faith in Jesus does not make people unkind in thought or feeling toward those for whom Christ died. A person's worth does not depend on rank, wealth, learning, or social standing but on oneness with Christ, in whom all are alike objects of divine love purchased by the same sacrifice so that earthly distinctions lose their force; therefore to refuse the companionship of a humble believer for lacking worldly honor brings divine rebuke.
Making distinctions by color of skin, caste, or nationality is forbidden partiality and proud, haughty judging with evil thoughts. Examples are seating those of lighter skin in front and those of darker skin behind in worship, drawing a curtain between white and colored believers, separating people by race or nationality, assigning them different places, or turning away from anyone who loves God or for whom Christ died. Color of skin is no measure of the value of a soul, for God estimates people simply as people and character, purity of heart, and integrity decide worth with Him. Such partiality grieves the Spirit of God and the heart of Christ and refuses souls for whom Christ died, since all have the same heavenly Father and the same Redeemer who gave Himself for all without distinction, all have been quarried out of the world by truth to be prepared for the same heaven and temple, and with God there is no caste or nationality and no divisions or parties.
The religion of the Bible recognizes no caste or color and ignores rank, wealth, and worldly honor, requiring believers to recognize the Spirit of Christ in whomever it is revealed, whether white or black, with no shame in speaking with an honest black person in any place or in shaking even a black person's hand, and to honor and help those they are tempted to despise. It requires leaving the world's standpoint, customs, and practices of racial prejudice and acting from the Bible standpoint in the light of God's countenance, treating white and black as free and equal in one brotherhood in Christ, using influence against prejudice where it is most needed, elevating character, and holding to equality whatever the gain or loss. Partiality springs from selfish preferences and corrupt motives, while a heart purified through obedience to truth shows no partiality. This applies to health institutions, where sentimental attachment must not be allowed to corrupt the work.
God's Impartial Valuation
God recognizes no distinction of rank or caste, and wealth, position, possessions, real estate, bank stock, talent, learning, education, worldly honor, or outward appearance add nothing to a person's value before Him. A rich man is worth not one jot or tittle more to Him for his riches, position, talent, or education, and these weigh nothing in His scale unless laid as tribute at His feet with the whole being surrendered to cooperate with divine agencies to become a vessel unto honor. He estimates men simply as men, and character decides worth with Him. With Him a person's worth and the final judgment do not depend on outward honor, rank, wealth, learning, or social standing, but on purity, integrity, nobility of character, contriteness of heart, oneness with Christ, and love for Christ. By that standard He has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom and of the immortal inheritance promised to those who love Him. Refusing the companionship of a humble believer for lack of worldly honor therefore brings divine rebuke.
In Christ all people are alike objects of divine love, purchased by the same sacrifice and taught by the cross that human worth is not measured by wealth. All have the same heavenly Father and the same Redeemer who gave Himself for all without distinction, all have been quarried out of the world by truth and brought into His worship to be prepared for the same heaven and His temple, so earthly distinctions lose their force and pure religion brings people together in oneness. He gives His blessings and mercies to rich and poor alike, and color of skin is no measure of the value of a soul, for with Him there is no caste or nationality and no divisions or parties. Jesus corrected the world's false standard of judging by outward appearance, wealth, or position by His own life. He sought no admiration or applause of the world, commanded no army, ruled no earthly kingdom, passed by the wealthy and honored of the world, did not associate with the leaders of the nation, and dwelt among the lowly of the earth as a humble man with few friends.
Honoring the rich while slighting, despising, or neglecting the poor and needy followers of Christ is partiality that is displeasing to God and a crime in His sight. Those worn by one long struggle with poverty have but little in this life to make them happy or cheerful, and therefore especially feel the need of sympathy and tender consideration and will appreciate sympathy and love, while those surrounded with all the comforts of life and petted and pampered by the world because they are rich do not feel that need in the same way. To neglect the poor is to neglect Christ in the person of His saints and to slight Christ in the person of poor believers. For such favoritism toward the wealthy and socially important, which makes men partial judges, God’s displeasure rests upon them and they will themselves be judged.
Impartial Life and Witness
The verse requires giving the poor as much interest, attention, and care as the rich, with no neglect, oppression, or slighting of the poor in deference to the wealthy. Those worn by a long struggle with poverty feel the need of sympathy and tender consideration more deeply than those surrounded with comforts and pampered because they are rich, and they will appreciate sympathy and love. For physicians, helpers, and medical institutions this forbids giving the rich better attention than the poor, forbids neglecting the poor in any case, and forbids letting sentimental attachment corrupt the work, since partiality springs from selfish preferences and corrupt motives while a heart purified by obedience to truth shows none. To neglect the poor in this way is to neglect Christ in the person of His saints and to slight Christ in His needy followers, which is displeasing to God and a crime in His sight.
In gathering for worship no distinction of caste, nationality, or color is to be made, such as seating lighter-skinned people in front and darker-skinned people behind or drawing a curtain between believers. Black believers are Christ's property as much as white believers and Christ died for them, so they are to be received on principle, welcomed into the same worship and into full church membership alongside white believers, helped and comforted when in need, with every effort made to wipe out and correct the wrong done to them. Failure to work for their salvation brings guilt and sin upon the church. The equality required does not teach throwing down every partition wall or intermarriage, and carrying equality to that extreme is fanaticism.
Racial impartiality requires leaving the world's standpoint, customs, and practices of prejudice and acting from the Bible standpoint in the light of God's countenance. It means recognizing the Spirit of Christ in whomever it is revealed without shame, speaking with an honest Black man in any place and shaking even a Black person's hand, and honoring and helping those who are tempted to be despised, since God values purity of heart and not complexion. White and Black are free and equal in one brotherhood in Christ, so the colored man is to be treated just as respectfully as the white man. Those who have received many favors from God must use Christian effort and influence against prejudice where it is most needed, elevating character and teaching how Christians should live by exemplifying Christ's spirit nobly and courageously without cowardice, holding to equality whatever the gain or loss and winning others by precept and example.
In positions of responsibility and in Christian institutions every worker is to be treated as purchased by Christ's blood under the command to love one's neighbor, with no confederacy to bestow favors on a select few who are no more highly regarded by God than those neglected. There is to be no favoring of a few while neglecting faithful and capable workers, and no special attention to forward persons while passing by worthy sufferers in need. Acting as critics who league together to discourage and tear down brethren's God-appointed work, and withholding and turning aside means that should go to hard fields such as Nashville and the South, is robbery in God's sight that will be judged. Such partiality harms those under its influence, displeases God, and makes a person unfit for responsibility, so the guilty must look into the divine mirror and reform without delay, since the temptations that come to those unjustly treated will be charged to those who dealt partially with them.
The verse is practical instruction in righteousness for daily life and character building and part of God's great remedy and health prescription for body and soul. Heeded day by day with grace in large measure, it brings prosperity, brings heaven very near, makes the workplace a place where angels delight to come, brings happiness of spirit, gives sight of God's salvation, gives an experience that is a tower of strength, and leads to triumph at last. It belongs to true, pure religion that puts away the proud, exclusive spirit favoring only a few and all that hinders unity, makes every wrong right between brethren, leaves no sins unconfessed, and makes God's children one family welcoming sufferers of every class.
The verse forbids respect of persons and self-aggrandizement and requires a self-sacrificing life distinct from a selfish world that loves earthly things and acts regardless of Christ's principles. It requires manifesting Christ's self-sacrificing spirit heartily and not by halves in every branch of work, relinquishing luxury, self-indulgence, selfish delights, unholy passions, and love of applause, being willing to be humble and unknown and even to sacrifice life, and by a well-ordered life condemning worldly folly and iniquity. It condemns slavery, the caste system, unjust racial prejudice, oppression of the poor, and neglect of the unfortunate as evils menacing human well-being that the church is appointed to overthrow, and Christians cannot by practice sanction any oppression or injustice to the least child of humanity.
To be partial in yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts is to give the honored seat to the rich or well-dressed while telling the poor to stand aside or take an inferior place. God makes no such distinction of rank, wealth, talent, or education, but values people simply as people and judges by character, purity, and love for Christ. In Christ all are alike objects of divine love, bought by the same sacrifice, prepared for the same heaven, with the same Father and Redeemer, so earthly distinctions lose their force. The verse therefore forbids favoring the rich, the learned, the well-dressed, friends, or one race or color over another in worship, care, and daily work, and requires treating the poor and despised with the same interest, welcome, and tender consideration as the wealthy.
Nature of Partial Judgment
To be partial in oneself and to become a judge guided by evil thoughts is to give the rich or well-dressed person a good, honored seat while telling the poor person to stand aside or sit in an inferior place, even under a footstool. Wealth and fine clothing or outward appearance must not determine a person's welcome or regard, for the poor person set aside may have greater moral worth before God. In Christian institutions this means every hand employed is to be treated as purchased by Christ's blood under the command to love one's neighbor as oneself, without forming a confederacy to bestow favors on a select number who are no more highly regarded by God than those neglected, set aside, and assigned to hard places with grieved and wounded spirits. God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom promised to those who love Him, so despising the poor is the evil judged here, and the temptations that come to those unjustly treated will be charged to those who dealt partially with them; the cross teaches that human worth is not measured by wealth, since God gives His blessings and mercies to rich and poor alike.
The same partial, evil-thought judging includes favoring people for wealth, rank, learning, social standing, outward appearance, clothing, and for being relatives or friends. It includes a proud, exclusive spirit that favors only a few, in contrast with pure religion which makes God's children one family in Christ and welcomes suffering people of every class. It includes treating one person kindly while treating another harshly, with caste feeling and unkind judgment that leads to self-exaltation, whereas faith in Jesus does not make people unkind in thought or feeling toward those for whom Christ died. A person's worth does not depend on rank, wealth, learning, or social standing but on oneness with Christ, in whom all are alike objects of divine love purchased by the same sacrifice so that earthly distinctions lose their force; therefore to refuse the companionship of a humble believer for lacking worldly honor brings divine rebuke.
Making distinctions by color of skin, caste, or nationality is forbidden partiality and proud, haughty judging with evil thoughts. Examples are seating those of lighter skin in front and those of darker skin behind in worship, drawing a curtain between white and colored believers, separating people by race or nationality, assigning them different places, or turning away from anyone who loves God or for whom Christ died. Color of skin is no measure of the value of a soul, for God estimates people simply as people and character, purity of heart, and integrity decide worth with Him. Such partiality grieves the Spirit of God and the heart of Christ and refuses souls for whom Christ died, since all have the same heavenly Father and the same Redeemer who gave Himself for all without distinction, all have been quarried out of the world by truth to be prepared for the same heaven and temple, and with God there is no caste or nationality and no divisions or parties.
The religion of the Bible recognizes no caste or color and ignores rank, wealth, and worldly honor, requiring believers to recognize the Spirit of Christ in whomever it is revealed, whether white or black, with no shame in speaking with an honest black person in any place or in shaking even a black person's hand, and to honor and help those they are tempted to despise. It requires leaving the world's standpoint, customs, and practices of racial prejudice and acting from the Bible standpoint in the light of God's countenance, treating white and black as free and equal in one brotherhood in Christ, using influence against prejudice where it is most needed, elevating character, and holding to equality whatever the gain or loss. Partiality springs from selfish preferences and corrupt motives, while a heart purified through obedience to truth shows no partiality. This applies to health institutions, where sentimental attachment must not be allowed to corrupt the work.
God's Impartial Valuation
God recognizes no distinction of rank or caste, and wealth, position, possessions, real estate, bank stock, talent, learning, education, worldly honor, or outward appearance add nothing to a person's value before Him. A rich man is worth not one jot or tittle more to Him for his riches, position, talent, or education, and these weigh nothing in His scale unless laid as tribute at His feet with the whole being surrendered to cooperate with divine agencies to become a vessel unto honor. He estimates men simply as men, and character decides worth with Him. With Him a person's worth and the final judgment do not depend on outward honor, rank, wealth, learning, or social standing, but on purity, integrity, nobility of character, contriteness of heart, oneness with Christ, and love for Christ. By that standard He has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom and of the immortal inheritance promised to those who love Him. Refusing the companionship of a humble believer for lack of worldly honor therefore brings divine rebuke.
In Christ all people are alike objects of divine love, purchased by the same sacrifice and taught by the cross that human worth is not measured by wealth. All have the same heavenly Father and the same Redeemer who gave Himself for all without distinction, all have been quarried out of the world by truth and brought into His worship to be prepared for the same heaven and His temple, so earthly distinctions lose their force and pure religion brings people together in oneness. He gives His blessings and mercies to rich and poor alike, and color of skin is no measure of the value of a soul, for with Him there is no caste or nationality and no divisions or parties. Jesus corrected the world's false standard of judging by outward appearance, wealth, or position by His own life. He sought no admiration or applause of the world, commanded no army, ruled no earthly kingdom, passed by the wealthy and honored of the world, did not associate with the leaders of the nation, and dwelt among the lowly of the earth as a humble man with few friends.
Honoring the rich while slighting, despising, or neglecting the poor and needy followers of Christ is partiality that is displeasing to God and a crime in His sight. Those worn by one long struggle with poverty have but little in this life to make them happy or cheerful, and therefore especially feel the need of sympathy and tender consideration and will appreciate sympathy and love, while those surrounded with all the comforts of life and petted and pampered by the world because they are rich do not feel that need in the same way. To neglect the poor is to neglect Christ in the person of His saints and to slight Christ in the person of poor believers. For such favoritism toward the wealthy and socially important, which makes men partial judges, God’s displeasure rests upon them and they will themselves be judged.
Impartial Life and Witness
The verse requires giving the poor as much interest, attention, and care as the rich, with no neglect, oppression, or slighting of the poor in deference to the wealthy. Those worn by a long struggle with poverty feel the need of sympathy and tender consideration more deeply than those surrounded with comforts and pampered because they are rich, and they will appreciate sympathy and love. For physicians, helpers, and medical institutions this forbids giving the rich better attention than the poor, forbids neglecting the poor in any case, and forbids letting sentimental attachment corrupt the work, since partiality springs from selfish preferences and corrupt motives while a heart purified by obedience to truth shows none. To neglect the poor in this way is to neglect Christ in the person of His saints and to slight Christ in His needy followers, which is displeasing to God and a crime in His sight.
In gathering for worship no distinction of caste, nationality, or color is to be made, such as seating lighter-skinned people in front and darker-skinned people behind or drawing a curtain between believers. Black believers are Christ's property as much as white believers and Christ died for them, so they are to be received on principle, welcomed into the same worship and into full church membership alongside white believers, helped and comforted when in need, with every effort made to wipe out and correct the wrong done to them. Failure to work for their salvation brings guilt and sin upon the church. The equality required does not teach throwing down every partition wall or intermarriage, and carrying equality to that extreme is fanaticism.
Racial impartiality requires leaving the world's standpoint, customs, and practices of prejudice and acting from the Bible standpoint in the light of God's countenance. It means recognizing the Spirit of Christ in whomever it is revealed without shame, speaking with an honest Black man in any place and shaking even a Black person's hand, and honoring and helping those who are tempted to be despised, since God values purity of heart and not complexion. White and Black are free and equal in one brotherhood in Christ, so the colored man is to be treated just as respectfully as the white man. Those who have received many favors from God must use Christian effort and influence against prejudice where it is most needed, elevating character and teaching how Christians should live by exemplifying Christ's spirit nobly and courageously without cowardice, holding to equality whatever the gain or loss and winning others by precept and example.
In positions of responsibility and in Christian institutions every worker is to be treated as purchased by Christ's blood under the command to love one's neighbor, with no confederacy to bestow favors on a select few who are no more highly regarded by God than those neglected. There is to be no favoring of a few while neglecting faithful and capable workers, and no special attention to forward persons while passing by worthy sufferers in need. Acting as critics who league together to discourage and tear down brethren's God-appointed work, and withholding and turning aside means that should go to hard fields such as Nashville and the South, is robbery in God's sight that will be judged. Such partiality harms those under its influence, displeases God, and makes a person unfit for responsibility, so the guilty must look into the divine mirror and reform without delay, since the temptations that come to those unjustly treated will be charged to those who dealt partially with them.
The verse is practical instruction in righteousness for daily life and character building and part of God's great remedy and health prescription for body and soul. Heeded day by day with grace in large measure, it brings prosperity, brings heaven very near, makes the workplace a place where angels delight to come, brings happiness of spirit, gives sight of God's salvation, gives an experience that is a tower of strength, and leads to triumph at last. It belongs to true, pure religion that puts away the proud, exclusive spirit favoring only a few and all that hinders unity, makes every wrong right between brethren, leaves no sins unconfessed, and makes God's children one family welcoming sufferers of every class.
The verse forbids respect of persons and self-aggrandizement and requires a self-sacrificing life distinct from a selfish world that loves earthly things and acts regardless of Christ's principles. It requires manifesting Christ's self-sacrificing spirit heartily and not by halves in every branch of work, relinquishing luxury, self-indulgence, selfish delights, unholy passions, and love of applause, being willing to be humble and unknown and even to sacrifice life, and by a well-ordered life condemning worldly folly and iniquity. It condemns slavery, the caste system, unjust racial prejudice, oppression of the poor, and neglect of the unfortunate as evils menacing human well-being that the church is appointed to overthrow, and Christians cannot by practice sanction any oppression or injustice to the least child of humanity.