Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
The worthy name by which believers are called is the name Christian, marking those joined to Christ as children of God's royal family, and in its setting it is blasphemed by rich oppressors who afflict believers and drag them before courts and judgment seats. Showing favoritism to the rich while slighting and neglecting the poor dishonors that name, for to slight those in need is to slight Christ in His people, so the poor are to receive as much interest and attention as the rich. God Himself shows no respect of persons by rank, wealth, learning, or social standing, but values men by character and oneness with Christ, and in the final judgment they will be judged by purity, nobility, and love for Christ. Contempt and discrimination because of color or skin, and shutting out colored believers who accept the truth from worship and full church membership, likewise blaspheme the worthy name, since the religion of the Bible recognizes no caste or color and they are Christ's property as much as white believers. The name is hallowed only when the lives, characters, conduct, words, and thoughts of those who bear it represent God and reflect Christ, which requires distinct separation from selfishness, love of earthly things, luxury, oppression, and partiality, and allows no spirit of caste or unkind judgment.
The Worthy Name and Context
The worthy name by which believers are called is Christian, a royal name given to those who join themselves to Christ. It marks them as children belonging to God's royal family, whose honor is to be upheld in word and action. In its immediate setting the verse points to rich people who oppress believers and drag them before judgment seats and courts, and it is they who blaspheme that worthy name. To blaspheme it is to dishonor Christ, while to bear it rightly is to make Christ's life and work the central theme of preaching, teaching, conversation, and prayer, and to represent Him in thought, word, and deed.
The verse also rebukes hindering God's appointed work in the South with Nashville as its center. That hindering is done by acting as critics who increase discouragement, by refusing to help, and by zealously keeping back or turning into other channels through circulating reports the means that ought to go to Nashville. God calls such withholding robbery and will judge it, and He is displeased with that work. Those guilty must without delay reform by doing for themselves the work they need to do, by looking closely into the divine mirror and not forgetting what manner of person they are, by reading the Word to a purpose and acting out its instruction instead of tearing to pieces the work given to their brethren, by reasoning from cause to effect and showing greater wisdom, and by having nothing to do with the Southern work if they cannot help rather than hindering it.
James 2 presents true religion as putting away all that hinders brethren from coming together in unity. It calls for seeking most earnestly to make right every wrong between brethren and leaving no sins unconfessed. This seeking is to be especially earnest during the week of prayer.
Dishonoring the Name by Partiality
Favoring the rich while slighting and neglecting the poor dishonors the worthy name by which believers are called. Contempt for poor or humble people is displeasing to God, for to slight those in need is to slight Jesus in His poor saints and to neglect Christ in His people. The poor should therefore receive as much interest and attention as the rich.
God shows no respect of persons and makes no distinction by rank, wealth, learning, or social standing. He estimates men as men and values them by character and by their oneness with Christ, to whom the name of Christ belongs. A rich man is not counted of one jot or tittle more value for his riches, position, talent, or education, which weigh with God only when all are brought as tribute laid at His feet and the whole being is surrendered to cooperate with divine agencies to become a vessel unto honor. In the final judgment people are judged by purity, nobility, and love for Christ, without regard to wealth and social position, so men are to regard themselves as part of the great web of humanity and to help, pity, sympathize with, and love one another.
Contempt and discrimination because of color or skin dishonors the name of Christ that Christians bear. The religion of the Bible recognizes no caste or color and ignores rank, wealth, and worldly honor, and racial discrimination and oppression of the poor with social distinctions of caste and racial prejudice are unchristian evils and sin and an offense against Christ. Skin is God's workmanship, and to despise people because of their skin is contempt toward those who belong to God and a reproach to God. Believers must treat every person respectfully as one brotherhood in which all men are free and equal, recognizing the Spirit of Christ in whomever it is revealed, whether white man or black man, without shame to speak with an honest black man in any place or to shake him by the hand even though it is black, and refusing neglect, insult, oppression, and disrespect.
Showing respect of persons against colored people in matters of salvation, worship, and church membership blasphemes the worthy name. Colored people who accept the truth are Christ's property just as much as white people and are to be treated as such, with no license to exclude them from places of worship and with full membership in the church together with white brethren, without racial prejudice. Failure to make greater missionary effort for their salvation and the terrible wrong done to them is sin resting upon the church and an offense to God, to be placed on the ground of principle and wiped out by earnest work, including helping them through education and restoring what they have lost through deprivation and slavery. Carrying the question to fanatical extremes by throwing down every partition wall and teaching and practicing intermarriage is not required and is not right.
Bearing the Name Honorably
The worthy name is hallowed when the lives and characters of those called by it represent God to the world, which can be done only through Christ's grace and righteousness. Those who bear Christ's worthy name must live so as not to dishonor it, with conduct, words, and thoughts reflecting Christ, avoiding even the appearance of evil and anything that stains the conscience. Words and actions are to uphold the honor of belonging to God's royal family as His children.
To blaspheme that name dishonors Christ, while to make Christ's life and work the central theme of preaching, teaching, conversation, and prayer honors Him. Bearing Christ's name allows no spirit of caste, partiality, or unkind judgment. Christ's religion does not make people coarse or unkind toward those for whom He died.
Strength and spirituality are seen in distinct separation from a world marked by love for earthly things and selfish action without regard for the principles Christ set forth in His life. Those who bear His name must manifest His self-sacrificing spirit in connection with every branch of the work, heartily and not by halves. This means seeking no personal aggrandizement and showing no respect of persons, refusing to live in luxury and self-indulgence while suffering ones are around, and refusing by practice to sanction any oppression or injustice to the least child of humanity. It means being like Christ by relinquishing all selfish delights, unholy passions, and love of applause, being willing to be humble and unknown and even to sacrifice life for His sake, and by a well-ordered life and godly conversation condemning the folly, impenitence, idolatry, and iniquitous practices of the world, with failure in this blaspheming the name by which they are called.
Those who have received many favors from God must live in the light of His countenance and treat the less favored from the Bible standpoint and not from the world's standpoint. Showing partiality between white and black dishonors the name of Christ that Christians bear, so conceding to prejudice of color in neglect, insult, oppression, and disrespect is forbidden, and the colored man is to be treated just as respectfully as the white man, as one brotherhood in which all men are free and equal. What is required is courageous and noble action regardless of gain or loss, without cowardice before the world and before heavenly intelligences, resisting prevailing customs, elevating the standard of character, exemplifying the spirit of Christ, and winning others by precept and example to the same course.
The worthy name by which believers are called is the name Christian, marking those joined to Christ as children of God's royal family, and in its setting it is blasphemed by rich oppressors who afflict believers and drag them before courts and judgment seats. Showing favoritism to the rich while slighting and neglecting the poor dishonors that name, for to slight those in need is to slight Christ in His people, so the poor are to receive as much interest and attention as the rich. God Himself shows no respect of persons by rank, wealth, learning, or social standing, but values men by character and oneness with Christ, and in the final judgment they will be judged by purity, nobility, and love for Christ. Contempt and discrimination because of color or skin, and shutting out colored believers who accept the truth from worship and full church membership, likewise blaspheme the worthy name, since the religion of the Bible recognizes no caste or color and they are Christ's property as much as white believers. The name is hallowed only when the lives, characters, conduct, words, and thoughts of those who bear it represent God and reflect Christ, which requires distinct separation from selfishness, love of earthly things, luxury, oppression, and partiality, and allows no spirit of caste or unkind judgment.
The Worthy Name and Context
The worthy name by which believers are called is Christian, a royal name given to those who join themselves to Christ. It marks them as children belonging to God's royal family, whose honor is to be upheld in word and action. In its immediate setting the verse points to rich people who oppress believers and drag them before judgment seats and courts, and it is they who blaspheme that worthy name. To blaspheme it is to dishonor Christ, while to bear it rightly is to make Christ's life and work the central theme of preaching, teaching, conversation, and prayer, and to represent Him in thought, word, and deed.
The verse also rebukes hindering God's appointed work in the South with Nashville as its center. That hindering is done by acting as critics who increase discouragement, by refusing to help, and by zealously keeping back or turning into other channels through circulating reports the means that ought to go to Nashville. God calls such withholding robbery and will judge it, and He is displeased with that work. Those guilty must without delay reform by doing for themselves the work they need to do, by looking closely into the divine mirror and not forgetting what manner of person they are, by reading the Word to a purpose and acting out its instruction instead of tearing to pieces the work given to their brethren, by reasoning from cause to effect and showing greater wisdom, and by having nothing to do with the Southern work if they cannot help rather than hindering it.
James 2 presents true religion as putting away all that hinders brethren from coming together in unity. It calls for seeking most earnestly to make right every wrong between brethren and leaving no sins unconfessed. This seeking is to be especially earnest during the week of prayer.
Dishonoring the Name by Partiality
Favoring the rich while slighting and neglecting the poor dishonors the worthy name by which believers are called. Contempt for poor or humble people is displeasing to God, for to slight those in need is to slight Jesus in His poor saints and to neglect Christ in His people. The poor should therefore receive as much interest and attention as the rich.
God shows no respect of persons and makes no distinction by rank, wealth, learning, or social standing. He estimates men as men and values them by character and by their oneness with Christ, to whom the name of Christ belongs. A rich man is not counted of one jot or tittle more value for his riches, position, talent, or education, which weigh with God only when all are brought as tribute laid at His feet and the whole being is surrendered to cooperate with divine agencies to become a vessel unto honor. In the final judgment people are judged by purity, nobility, and love for Christ, without regard to wealth and social position, so men are to regard themselves as part of the great web of humanity and to help, pity, sympathize with, and love one another.
Contempt and discrimination because of color or skin dishonors the name of Christ that Christians bear. The religion of the Bible recognizes no caste or color and ignores rank, wealth, and worldly honor, and racial discrimination and oppression of the poor with social distinctions of caste and racial prejudice are unchristian evils and sin and an offense against Christ. Skin is God's workmanship, and to despise people because of their skin is contempt toward those who belong to God and a reproach to God. Believers must treat every person respectfully as one brotherhood in which all men are free and equal, recognizing the Spirit of Christ in whomever it is revealed, whether white man or black man, without shame to speak with an honest black man in any place or to shake him by the hand even though it is black, and refusing neglect, insult, oppression, and disrespect.
Showing respect of persons against colored people in matters of salvation, worship, and church membership blasphemes the worthy name. Colored people who accept the truth are Christ's property just as much as white people and are to be treated as such, with no license to exclude them from places of worship and with full membership in the church together with white brethren, without racial prejudice. Failure to make greater missionary effort for their salvation and the terrible wrong done to them is sin resting upon the church and an offense to God, to be placed on the ground of principle and wiped out by earnest work, including helping them through education and restoring what they have lost through deprivation and slavery. Carrying the question to fanatical extremes by throwing down every partition wall and teaching and practicing intermarriage is not required and is not right.
Bearing the Name Honorably
The worthy name is hallowed when the lives and characters of those called by it represent God to the world, which can be done only through Christ's grace and righteousness. Those who bear Christ's worthy name must live so as not to dishonor it, with conduct, words, and thoughts reflecting Christ, avoiding even the appearance of evil and anything that stains the conscience. Words and actions are to uphold the honor of belonging to God's royal family as His children.
To blaspheme that name dishonors Christ, while to make Christ's life and work the central theme of preaching, teaching, conversation, and prayer honors Him. Bearing Christ's name allows no spirit of caste, partiality, or unkind judgment. Christ's religion does not make people coarse or unkind toward those for whom He died.
Strength and spirituality are seen in distinct separation from a world marked by love for earthly things and selfish action without regard for the principles Christ set forth in His life. Those who bear His name must manifest His self-sacrificing spirit in connection with every branch of the work, heartily and not by halves. This means seeking no personal aggrandizement and showing no respect of persons, refusing to live in luxury and self-indulgence while suffering ones are around, and refusing by practice to sanction any oppression or injustice to the least child of humanity. It means being like Christ by relinquishing all selfish delights, unholy passions, and love of applause, being willing to be humble and unknown and even to sacrifice life for His sake, and by a well-ordered life and godly conversation condemning the folly, impenitence, idolatry, and iniquitous practices of the world, with failure in this blaspheming the name by which they are called.
Those who have received many favors from God must live in the light of His countenance and treat the less favored from the Bible standpoint and not from the world's standpoint. Showing partiality between white and black dishonors the name of Christ that Christians bear, so conceding to prejudice of color in neglect, insult, oppression, and disrespect is forbidden, and the colored man is to be treated just as respectfully as the white man, as one brotherhood in which all men are free and equal. What is required is courageous and noble action regardless of gain or loss, without cowardice before the world and before heavenly intelligences, resisting prevailing customs, elevating the standard of character, exemplifying the spirit of Christ, and winning others by precept and example to the same course.