Tiago 2
R.C.H. Lenski · Citado em PreceptAustin
Tiago 2
Lenski - For, certainly, that last judgment is without mercy for him who did not exercise mercy. Has Jesus himself not said so in describing this judgment (Matt. 25:41-45)? What is all this about letting Jesus be hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, in prison, and doing nothing for him, but failure to exercise mercy?...Yes, these people will say what Jesus states in Matt. 7:22+; but see what an answer they have already received (ED: cf Mt 7:23+). Even doing the greatest works without faith in the gospel will leave them guilty in all points of the law. (Borrow James Commentary) If one does not show mercy, he thereby shows that he has no vital connection with God. Curtis Vaughan agrees writing "We should be very careful in interpreting this statement. James surely does not mean that by showing mercy to man we procure mercy from God. That would make salvation a matter of human merit and would contradict the whole tenor of Scripture. What James means is that by failing to show compassion on our fellow men we prove ourselves to be utterly destitute of Christian character. Christian people are the children of God. They bear his image; they copy His example. It is therefore impossible for them to fail to share in his compassion, to fail to reflect His spirit of mercy. If one does not show mercy, he thereby shows that he has no vital connection with God. (James: Bible Study Commentary - Page 54) But unbelievers (the ones not showing mercy at all) can look forward only to their just condemnation. Craig Blomberg: Martin warns against diminishing “the severity of this verse,” because “those who fail to demonstrate a living and consistent faith are in danger of facing harsh judgment at the end, for they live as though ethical issues were of no consequence.” (James- Page 72) True believers (the ones showing mercy to others) will find God’s mercy in Christ annuls the condemnation they otherwise would have received. The mercy in view in this verse is thus both human and divine. But unbelievers (the ones not showing mercy at all) can look forward only to their just condemnation. (James - Page 120) Let me be clear that while several of the preceding commentaries speak of eternal punishment for those who never show mercy, not all commentators agree with this interpretation and feel that since James began by addressing believers, the merciless person in this case is one whose rewards will be affected, but not their eternal destiny. Here are the two interpretations For genuine believers, James 2:12 points to the judgment of rewards where the believer’s works being evaluated by Christ. For false professors, it warns of the judgment of condemnation where there will be exposure of a dead faith that never truly saved. I favor this two-fold approach because in the following context (Jas 2:14ff) clearly James is addressing those who are simply professing faith but whose works (e.g., never showing mercy) fail to show their faith is genuine saving faith. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT This phrase is not easy to interpret, so several commentaries are quoted. Michael Andrus - James concludes with an interesting comment: “mercy triumphs over judgment!” Some liberal commentators suggest this means that God’s mercy will triumph over His threatened judgment and in the end, all will be saved. I think that is completely extraneous to the passage and clearly contradictory to the rest of Scripture. What it probably means is that if we show mercy to the downtrodden, that will be used in our defense at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Instead of being judged we will be rewarded. C. Leslie Mitton: It may, however, well be that though James has felt it necessary to stress the reality of God's judgment, yet he feels compelled to conclude with a glad acknowledgement that in the end it is God's mercy which has the last word: It triumphs over judgment. Ronald Blue writes that "Just as love triumphs over prejudice, mercy triumphs over judgment." (Bible Knowledge Commentary - Page 825) Grant Osborne comments on mercy triumphs over judgment - There is some question as to whether the "mercy" is God's or ours. If it is God's, it is saying that the mercy of God will predominate in the end and provide forgiveness for our shortcomings (Adamson, Hort, Martin). If it is human mercy, it means that by the grace of God people can overcome their prejudices and find mercy toward the less fortunate (Laws, Hiebert, Moo). Both aspects have their strengths, and both fit the context. Thus, it is best to see a "both-and" here. As McCartney (2009:150) states, this "specifically shows the relation between God's mercy in judgment toward people and the mercy of those people, who will be judged." "True believers (the ones showing mercy to others) will find God's mercy in Christ annuls the condemnation they otherwise would have received" (Blomberg and Kamell 2008:120). The NLT captures this well = "There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you." (James, 1-2 Peter, Jude, Revelation - Page 55) John
Tiago 2
Lenski explains mercy triumphs over judgment beautifully writing "James closes most effectively: "Mercy boasts against judgment." The unmerciful shall not find mercy in the judgment; the merciful shall boast even in the face of judgment. This is not the language of legalism, which would be farcical in view of James 2:9 plus James 3:2; it is the language of Christ and of the gospel (Mt. 5:7; Mt 25:40). "Mercy" is to be understood in the same sense as it was in the previous sentence, the mercy produced in the believer's heart and life by the mercy of God, the evidence of true faith. Jesus will publicly acknowledge this mercy as an evidence of faith, and so it may indeed "boast against judgment," no judgment condemns the man who has this evidence." (Borrow James Commentary) R Kent