James 2:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By this condescension he gained their attention for his own words. Little by little he persuades them to abandon the rites under the Law as useless, and as leading to slavery rather than to the freedom given in Christ.

Thus, wisely using small concessions, he set before them what is fitting for Christians precisely when they were listening to his words without hindrance.

In other words, this is the court or Sanhedrin, as Metrophanes explains. If, I say, there enters your court some rich man wearing a gold ring and bright clothing, and after him some poor man enters in stained clothing, and you look upon the one wearing bright clothing and prefer him. Saying, “You sit here in a good and high place,” while to the poor man you say, “You stand there,” or, “Sit below at my feet,” then, I say, if you speak thus, there is no good discernment in you.

Citing this saying, the divine Cyril of Alexandria says that those Christians deserve much condemnation who praise and exalt men not for inward virtues, but for having outwardly bright garments or wealth.

Costly garments and wealth are a false and unreal clothing of man. For this reason the virtuous man must be honored more.

He says literally: “The disciple of the Savior quite justly mocks such people in the words, ‘You hypocrites, for if there should enter your assembly a man with a gold ring, in rich,’ that is, bright, ‘clothing,’ and so on.

“From this one may see what just reproach is owed to those who honor a man according to his outward garments and not according to inward worth.

“For wealth and the splendor that comes from wealth can naturally bring their possessors only an alien and counterfeit glory. But the brightness of the heart, and its radiance through good works, will be true and natural wealth for those who possess it.

“It does not remain with the body and rot away with it. Rather, it dwells with the soul while the soul is still in this earthly life. When the soul departs, it also flies away together with it.

“Therefore honor must certainly, indeed necessarily, be given not to the one who is glorious by wealth and, as in a painting, adorned with little earthly glory. Rather, it must be given to those for whom the splendor of deeds, with God’s help, produces unfading glory.

“Their inward beauty sets them forth in radiant light through every kind of good” (book 4 on John, ch. 1).

Thus we read that the patriarch Judah, son of Jacob, wore a ring on his hand when Tamar said to him, “Give me your ring, cord, and staff that is in your hand” (Gen 38:18).

In general, all the Jews wore rings at the construction of the Tabernacle, as it is written (Ex 35:22). Isaiah also writes of Hebrew women that they wore rings (Isa 3:20).

Likewise, the parable of the prodigal son says that the servants gave him a ring on his hand. This was according to the custom which the Jews had (Lk 15:22).

But other peoples also wore rings: Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. Thus it is written of Pharaoh: “Pharaoh took his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand” (Gen 41:42).

And of Cyrus the king it is written: “They went out, shut the doors, and sealed them with the king’s ring” (Dan 14:14).

This fact seems unimportant, yet the Apostle regards it as a very important expression of a spiritual disposition contrary to the perfect law. It is an expression of partiality. Therefore he strictly condemns or rebukes those who think and act this way toward the rich and the poor.

He sees in this an instability of faith in the community which thinks and acts so, and a spirit of false judgment toward neighbors.

That wealth often does not lead to the glory of God is shown quite often by examples in Scripture (see Lk 12:21; 1 Tim 6:9). The Apostle James shows that even among Christians there were rich people unworthy of the name of Christian.

Yet it was precisely to such persons that preference was often shown, and even in assemblies. Truly, this was an action done neither according to conscience nor according to discernment.

A man enters the church in rich clothing and with a gold ring on his hand. You obligingly offer him a special seat in some visible place, where he may sit comfortably throughout the service, or at least during the readings and instructions.

But when a poor Christian enters the church assembly, you place him somewhere far from the place where the divine service is celebrated. When sitting is permitted during the service, you seat him on the floor at your footstool.

Such discrimination in dealing with rich and poor was observed in Jewish synagogues. Christians from among the Jews could not at once detach themselves from Jewish customs. They continued to follow them in the places of their church assemblies, which the Apostle therefore calls synagogues.