However, he is saying that there is an equally severe penalty for Christians, who sin by breaking one part of God's Royal Law (the Law of the Spirit of Life), just as there were penalties for Israel who broke any part of the Mosaic Law. He expects us to give them forbearance, patience, and help when needed. "Commentary on James 2:10". This is a simple principle which is everywhere recognised, and the apostle means no more by it than occurs every day. Trans. All rights reserved. In Matthew 22:37-39, Christ tells us how we can fulfill His royal law—by keeping the two great commandments: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. The Protestant churches' justification is to argue around it on twisted technical, legal grounds, but they ultimately reduce it to being merely ceremonial in nature. fol. Matthew 26:66. Thank You that I am not in bondage to the Law of Moses, but am free to live in the liberty of the Law of the Spirit of God, in Christ Jesus. Comp. The word “whoever” indicates that there is no exception to the following principle – any and every person is guilty. Charles Schribner's Sons. James 2:10 (New International Version,) 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. Our Price: $16.99 Save: $8.00 (32%) Buy Now. 1832. James is known for his succinct, relevant, and pointed teaching. But thank You that Christ's sacrifice for me was made once and for all, and that if I confess those times I fall into sin, You are faithful to forgive me and return me into sweet communion with Yourself. 1. 17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? That is the way of God"s law. BibliographyTrapp, John. James 2:10. 1878. νόμων) ἔνοχος, James declares the transgressor of one commandment to be guilty of the transgression of all. We are reminded here of God’s perfect standard, which is why Paul can declare, ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Proverbs 13:6 Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. On the other hand Wetstein ad loc. James also refers to the royal law as being the law of liberty. Break one and you are guilty of all. "The Jew was very apt to regard the law as a series of detached injunctions. Keep me from sinning, for I know that sin, in thought, word, or deed, will remove me from the fellowship I enjoy with You. Barclay notes, "The Jew was very apt to regard the law as a series of detached injunctions. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfu/james-2.html. Amplified® "They believed that if they kept as many laws as they broke, they were righteous before the law" (Draper p. 79). Copyright StatementThe text of this work is public domain. In order to back his argument up against anyone who might say that this behaviour is so human that it is not really all that bad James then points out a cardinal principle, and that is that ‘whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all,’ That is, he has become a lawbreaker. The Law of Moses was in place until the Cross, when it was superseded by the post-Cross Royal Law of Christ, which is given to the redeemed Church of God, for Christ paid the sacrifice for our inherent sin, and also for the many sins we commit individually. he is guilty of all: that is, although respect of persons may appear to be the violation only of a single precept, yet it is a transgression of the whole law. A person who “keeps the whole law” yet offends in one point is guilty of all. If we put our trust in the finished work of Christ, we accept the fact that God put Him under the curse. 229]). He that repents with a contradiction (saith Tertullian) God will pardon him with contradiction. 2; R. Johanan: Quodsi faciat omnia, unum vero omittat, omnium est singulorum reus; see Wolf.(126). Yet, people constantly are trying to do so. James speaks of the "royal law," meaning the Ten Commandments, since he cites the specific requirement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." We are not to choose out parts of the law to keep, which suit our whim, while we neglect others. 20. 3. "keeps the whole law"-James is obviously not teaching that Christians are still under the Law of Moses (; 1:25). We are given the Holy Spirit's power to live a righteous life, and not to be tempted into sinning - for we have received the life of Christ and His indwelling Spirit - and we are enabled to abide in Him and He in us, through the power of the Spirit. 192. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ain/james-2.html. Conjunctively or copulatively; he is guilty of not keeping the whole law, though not of breaking each particular command; he breaks the whole law, though not the whole of the law: as he that wounds a man’s arm wounds the whole man, though not the whole of the man; he that breaks one link breaks the whole chain, and he that fails in one musical note spoils the whole harmony. He cannot, therefore, be considered as really obeying at all.