The Sin Beneath the Surface | James 2:1-13

James continues his argument against partiality by giving us a vivid illustration. This is not a hypothetical story. It is exactly what was happening in the churches James was addressing. A wealthy visitor would be honored with the best seat, while a poor man would be dishonored with a place at the floor. James exposes this for what it really is: evil thoughts and evil judgment.


The Gold-Fingered Man
The phrase James uses is literally “a gold-fingered man.” In that culture, the wealthy displayed their status by wearing multiple rings, sometimes renting them just to show off. To the world, these rings signaled prestige, power, and influence. Fine clothing reinforced the impression—silks, costly fabrics, colors reserved for the rich.

And when such a man entered the synagogue, all eyes turned to him. People rushed to honor him, eager to seat him in a place of prominence. Why? Because human hearts are prone to respect wealth, to honor status, to hope that influence will somehow rub off.
But James says this is not merely bad etiquette—it is sin.


The Poor Man in Shabby Clothes
Now picture the second visitor: a poor man dressed in “shabby clothing.” The word James uses suggests filthy, tattered garments, clothes that revealed his poverty and perhaps even his shame.

The reaction was opposite. No rush to welcome. No honor given. Instead, he was told to stand in the back or to sit at someone’s feet, treated as less valuable, less worthy of dignity.

Notice: James does not condemn sitting on the floor or standing in worship. Those were common in the synagogue. Nor is the problem giving someone a seat of honor. The sin is in making a distinction—elevating one person over another based solely on appearance.


Where Is the Sin?
This is crucial: the sin is not in arranging chairs. The sin is in the heart.

James asks, “Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (v. 4). The issue is evil judgment. It is not discernment according to righteousness; it is judgment according to appearances.

• God’s judgment is holy and impartial (Deut. 10:17).
• Our judgment, when based on externals, is evil.

To elevate the wealthy man because of his wealth, while degrading the poor man because of his poverty, is to take the place of God as judge—and to judge with corrupt motives.


Judgment vs. Unrighteous Judgment
It’s important to clarify: judgment itself is not sin. The Bible commands Christians to exercise discernment, to hold one another accountable, to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).

The sin is not judgment—it is unrighteous judgment. To prefer one person over another because of externals is to judge with “evil thoughts.” It is evil because it contradicts the nature of God, who sees the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). It is evil because it forgets that every soul stands equal before the cross.


The Danger of Distinctions
This passage cuts to the core of human pride. We love to make distinctions.

• We evaluate worth by appearance.
• We gauge status by possessions.
• We assume spirituality by presentation.
• We show favoritism based on utility—what someone can offer us.

But James calls this evil.

Matthew Henry explains: “Riches and fine apparel are apt to gain men’s esteem, and poverty and shabby clothes to cause contempt. But to value men by these outward things is wrong and very sinful.”

In other words, when we play favorites in the house of God, we betray the gospel itself.


A Real-Life Warning
It is easy to nod along with James’ illustration, but partiality is subtle. We do it without realizing. We notice the car someone drives, the house they live in, the brand of their clothes, the number of their followers online—and our hearts instantly assign value.

I recently had a conversation with someone who judged a family’s wealth based on the vehicle they drove. What he didn’t know was that this family had been gifted that vehicle by their church because of financial hardship. His snap judgment was evil—not because he assessed a fact, but because he presumed status without knowing the heart. That is exactly the kind of distinction James condemns.


The Impossibility of Favoritism and Faith
This passage drives us back to the opening verse: faith and favoritism cannot coexist. You cannot hold the faith of Christ and at the same time judge others by appearances.

To prefer the wealthy over the poor is to despise the gospel. For Christ Himself embraced the lowly. He came to the poor, the broken, the despised. He made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7).

John Calvin is blunt: “They who honor the rich for their riches rob God of his honor, since they prefer men to him.”

To exalt a wealthy man for his wealth is to dethrone God. To despise the poor for their poverty is to despise the very ones Christ calls “blessed” (Luke 6:20).


Application: Examining the Heart
James forces us to ask: do I make distinctions?

• Do I esteem someone more because of their wealth or talent?
• Do I treat others with less dignity because of their poverty or weakness?
• Do I subtly prefer those who can benefit me over those who cannot?

Partiality is not just a social mistake—it is sin. It reveals evil thoughts. It betrays a heart that has not fully grasped the impartiality of God.

Instead, we are called to reflect God’s own character. To love without distinction. To honor without favoritism. To see hearts, not faces.


Conclusion
The sin beneath the surface of partiality is not in chairs or seats—it is in the heart. It is the evil of judging by appearances. It is the arrogance of making distinctions God Himself does not make.

James reminds us: God is impartial. He looks at the heart. And if we hold the faith of Christ, we must do the same.

So let us put away favoritism, repent of distinctions, and honor one another as equal image-bearers and fellow heirs of grace. Anything less is evil in God’s sight.