JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q3. The Royal Law - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q3. (2:9-11) Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the “Royal Law”? How is it more “royal” than the Mosaic Law? How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the “Royal Law” towards that rich person? How does it break the “Royal Law” in regard to a poor person?

It's royal because all the laws and prophets hinge on it. It is the supreme law. If we obey it, we're obeying every aspect of all the other laws. If we do love our neighbor, we won't steal, lie, covet or murder him or his family.

Showing favoritism isn't love at all but rather selfish motives. True love is irrespective of position and appearance. We must look at them in a spiritual light to overcome the physical aspects. To love some over all makes us guilty because we're to love all. God made us all. We are all special to Him. If we love Him, we will love all that He created. Jesus didn't say" Love some of your neighbors as yourself ".

Q3. (2:9-11) Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the "Royal Law"?

Because it is the highest law that there is. Paul tells us that if we don't have love, we have nothing.

How is it more "royal" than the Mosaic Law?

Because the Mosaid Law stems off of it. If we go around stealing, murdering, etc. it shows we have no love.

How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the "Royal Law" towards that rich person?

Because if we show favoritism toward a rich person just because they are rich, we are not loving them at all.

How does it break the "Royal Law" in regard to a poor person?

Because it's not loving the poor person.

Q3. (2:9-11) Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the “Royal Law”? How is it more “royal” than the Mosaic Law? How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the “Royal Law” towards that rich person? How does it break the “Royal Law” in regard to a poor person?

The "royal law" obviously fulfills all the Mosaic Law. Jesus said we are to "love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves." He says if we do that, we will keep the whole law! Thus, this law is higher--is more royal--than any other.
Favoring someone just for what you can gain from him/her is not "love"! It is selfishness--which plainly is sin!
Looking down on a poor person, or treating him/her as of no value is not love! Again, it is sin!

God, No Respecter of Person

James 2:1---My brethren, have not the faith---Jesus was no respecter of persons and He ministered to the needs of all who sought Him. Just as readily and willingly did He restore sight to the blind beggar., Bartimaeus, as He did turn water into wine for the ruler of the feast at the marriage in Cana of Galilee.

Verse 2---A man with a gold ring--- The gold ring and goodly apparel is an indication of material prosperity but has no indication of the prosperity of the man on the inside, or the soul, which is the all important things in the sight of God. The man in the vile raiment might have had a soul that was fat and flourishing, having been fed bountifully at the Master's table.

Verse 3---And ye have respect to him---To give the prosperous looking fellow a desirable seat and tell the other one to stand in an undesirable place is indeed a very good way to show partiality and so offend God. If the poor man were a Christian, he would accept the undesirable place and give thanks to God being allowed to be accorded standing room. "Great peace have they which love thy law" and nothing shall offend them."

Verse 4---Are ye not then partial---It is the way of the world to show favor to the rich and to ignore the poor. The children of God are not of the world to show favor to the rich and to ignore the poor. The children of God are not of the world, and they are not led by its ways; but they are a peculiar people, zealous of good works-works that are pleasing in the sight of God, but not necessarily pleasing in the eyes of the world.

the mosiach law was written in a way to suit the writers.example GOD said that when you leave your parents and get married then the 2 of you are now one. and will be together forever. yet in the mosiach laws the people haunted moses long enough until he wrote that you can get a divorce if your spouse is commiting adultry. made to order. "The Royal Law" are the 10 commandments peroid. no if ands and buts.

Q3. James 2:9-11 Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the "Royal Law?" Why is it more "Royal" than the mosaic law? How does showing favoritism towards a rich person break the "Royal Law" towards that rich person? How does it break the "Royal Law" in regard to a poor person?

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The Great Commandment is the "Royal Law because Jesus is the one who gave it to us. Moses gave us the mosaic law. While both came from God, Jesus was in fact God in person. This was the word of law out of the very mouth of God. When you show favoritism towards a rich person you are breaking the "Royal Law" because you are not treating everyone the same. You are not loving everyone as yourself. You are leaving out the poor person. The poor are to be treated just the same as the rich. Jesus said that even as we do to the least of these we are doing to him. So if we want to be good to Jesus we had better be good to the poor and downcast.

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[color=blue]3a.) Checking the greek, the "love" James is speaking about is agape - the self giving love, the love that God shows toward His Son and us. [/color]
3b.) (2:9-11) How is it more “royal” than the Mosaic Law?
[color=blue]3b.) If the creator is love (agape) 1 John4:16; we are acting as our King.[/color]
3c.) James 2:9-11 How does showing favoritism towards a rich person break the "Royal Law" towards that rich person?
[color=blue]3c.) The "love" is not genuine, but with a hidden or selfish motive. Not selfless.[/color]
3d.) James 2:9-11 How does it break the "Royal Law" in regard to a poor person?
[color=blue]3d.) A "love" shown with a selfish motive is not agape - selfless.[/color]

Because Christ is self giving and cares about the needs of others. Loving others more than ourselves should be the center of our ministry. Same law must apply to alien born and native born alike. No partiality shown, no injustice or judgement to the poor of the land.
By breaking one law, it is like breaking them all. Favoritism is sin, as is partiality and prejudice. We can not make excuses and expect to be blessed. God views all as evil practices and wants us to repent from them.

Q3. (2:9-11) Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the “Royal Law”?

I like how KAS put it .. all the laws (Mosaic) hinge on this one law .. If this 'royal law' is kept, then no laws will or can be broken. One can lie and not cheat .. one can steal and not commit adultery .. however to keep the 'royal law', all laws will be kept. We just cannot go wrong with the 'royal law'.

How is it more “royal” than the Mosaic Law?

The Mosaic law was in parts .. not just one law. There were many laws to keep. However the 'royal law' is one law only .. to love God with all our might .. this will aid us in keeping all laws.


How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the “Royal Law” towards that rich person?

God loves all equally .. we must follow suit. Showing favoritism will result in loving unequally.


How does it break the “Royal Law” in regard to a poor person?

It is the same .. unequal love.

We do not treat anyone in a way that we would not want to be treated. Jesus said love your neighbor as your self. John tells us that others will know that you are my disciples in that you have love one for another. Love is the true measuring stick of your "religion." That makes this the golden or royal law.

For it is the law of love, it is the highest commandment with the exception of loving God which is the first commmmandment, it fulfills the law, for if you do not love, you cannot fulfil the other commandments. All the laws hang on this commandment. If we show favoritism toward anyone we break the Royal law for we are not showing love, for this is not they way we would want to be treated so we are not loving others as ourselves.

Q3. (2:9-11) Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the “Royal Law”? How is it more “royal” than the Mosaic Law? How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the “Royal Law” towards that rich person? How does it break the “Royal Law” in regard to a poor person?


[color=blue]The Great Commandment is the royal law as it was given by the Law Maker Himself. It combines all laws put together. Love is the answer. By loving God and our neighbour as ourself, we can surmount all problems regarding laws. Moses gave the Mosaic law which was a set of dos and donts. But the royal law was given by Jesus, a personification of love. Jesus proved what love is and so conquers over Moses' laws.[/color]

[color=green]Showing favoritism for the rich and disregard for the poor puts us in a spot. We will become law breakers. When we break one law, we are guilty of breaking all laws. But the royal law will cover everything if we follow it carefully and love as Jesus loved us. [/color]

Q3. (2:9-11) Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the “Royal Law”? How is it more “royal” than the Mosaic Law? How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the “Royal Law” towards that rich person? How does it break the “Royal Law” in regard to a poor person?

[color=purple]I personally think it's because it's just talking about "love" rather than "you should not's". [/color]

Why does James refer to the Great commandment as the Royal Law? How is it more royal than the Mosaic Law. How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the royal law toward that rich person? How does it break the Royal Law in regard to a poor person?

To me the great commandment is the culmination of all the commandments. It is the Royal Law. God is love and He showed us His love by dying for us while we were yet sinners.
"Amazing love how can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me". The Bible says Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Cor. 16:14. This is one verse that I like to use with some non believers because it is nonthreatening because we all like to be treated with love.
If we were to give undue favoritism to the rich and not to the poor we would be discrimminating against our Lord "for though He was rich yet He became poor".
We are to be honest with all and love all regardless of their status in life. This is a comfort to the rich and poor because the poor are held in the same regard as the rich in God's eyes and if the rich enters misfortune He is stilll held in the same regard in God's eyes. It is the worth of the eternal soul that God values not a persons money and all we own really belongs to Him anyway. So to show favoritism towards a rich person is not to be honest with Him about the true nature of God's love for Him. Ditto for the poor person.

God Bless
Jen
Numbers 6:24-26

[font="Geneva"]The Great Commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the “Royal Law”. As the Geneva Bible notes explain “The law is said to be royal and like the king's highway, in that it is simple and without changes, and that the law calls everyone our neighbour without respect, whom we may help by any kind of duty.”

Many of God’s commandments flow from the “Royal Law”. Since the objective of the Mosaic Law was to ensure obedience to the Ten Commandments, the Great Commandment holds prominence over the Mosaic Law.

When we show favoritism towards the rich, we break the “Royal Law” as our interest is in how we can benefit from their riches—our love is insincere. At the same time we ignore the poor—whether through embarrassment or fear that they will take advantage of our resources. In either situation, we treasure worldly values.

When we fail to love all God’s children, we fail to love God. [color=green]“Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.” (Joh 8:19b)[/color]
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1. If I may take from the lesson out line, "The Royal Law of love capsulizes and condenses the spirit of the Mosaic Law.

2. The Mosaic Law brings with it "punishment." The Roysl Law brings "life and mercy."

3. Showing favoritism toward a rich person is a sin. Just as being prejudice to a poor person is sin.

I have learned this favoritism and prejudice is a sin. It doesn't make any difference which way it goes. Therefore, since showing favoritism and being prejudice is a sin we need to repent of them.

The royal law is from the King of Kings. It encompases the whole law to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. The basis must be love - - it has always been steeped in love. We must love our neighbors, not by our strength but by the power of God. Our goal should be to love - not because we get something in return - but because we want to honor God because we love Him.

We should love all people the same. If we love only the rich, we are probably doing so because we thing our reward will be greater. Jesus never sees a difference between people - all created equally - loved by God equally - - our job is to mirror Jesus.

Q3. (2:9-11) Why does James refer to the Great Commandment as the “Royal Law”? How is it more “royal” than the Mosaic Law? How does showing favoritism toward a rich person break the “Royal Law” towards that rich person? How does it break the “Royal Law” in regard to a poor person?

"Love your neighbor as yourself" would be royal because it came from Jesus who is our King of kings and because by obeying this one law we would be obeying all the law. And by breaking this one law we'd be breaking all the law. By showing favoritism toward a rich person or by showing discrimination or prejudice toward a poor person we break the royal law because we are not loving them. We favor or prejudice out of our own selfishness, not out of love for God and our neighbor.

I thinkit is royal because it is more effective in making our lives pleasing to God.It does not rely on human effort. Favouritism to the rich breaks the royal law in that it makes our wealth the basis of our salvation and it willmake the poor feel left out.