Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
My brethren (adelfoi mou). Transition to a new topic as in James 1:19; James 2:5, James 2:14; James 3:1; James 5:7.
Hold not (mh exete). Present active imperative of exw with negative mh, exhortation to stop holding or not to have the habit of holding in the fashion condemned.
The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ (thn pistin tou kuriou hmwn Ihsou Xristou). Clearly objective genitive, not subjective (faith of), but "faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," like exete pistin qeou (Mark 11:22), "have faith in God." See the same objective genitive with pistiv in Acts 3:6; Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:22; Revelation 14:12. Note also the same combination as in James 1:1 "our Lord Jesus Christ" (there on a par with God).
The Lord of Glory (thv dochv). Simply "the Glory." No word for "Lord" (kuriou) in the Greek text. Thv dochv clearly in apposition with tou kuriou Ihsou Xristou. James thus terms "our Lord Jesus Christ" the Shekinah Glory of God. See Hebrews 9:5 for "the cherubim of Glory." Other New Testament passages where Jesus is pictured as the Glory are Romans 9:4; II Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3. Cf. II Corinthians 8:9; Philippians 2:5-11.
With respect of persons (en proswpolhmyiaiv). A Christian word, like proswpolhmpthv (Acts 10:34) and proswpolhmpteite (James 2:9), not in LXX or any previous Greek, but made from proswpon lambanein (Luke 20:21; Galatians 2:6), which is a Hebrew idiom for panim nasa, "to lift up the face on a person," to be favorable and so partial to him. See proswpolhmyia in this sense of partiality (respect of persons) in Romans 2:11; Colossians 3:25; Ephesians 6:9 (nowhere else in N.T.). Do not show partiality.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing James 2:1:
Matthew 22:16
Luke 20:21
John 1:14
Acts 7:2
Acts 10:34
Romans 9:4
1 Corinthians 2:8
1 Corinthians 15:41
Ephesians 1:17
Colossians 3:25
James 1:1
James 1:3
James 2:9
James 5:1
Jude 1:16
Revelation 14:12
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