"RESPECT OF PERSON"

INTRODUCTION

In Leviticus 19:1-2 we read, "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, ye shall be holy: for I the Lord, your God am holy." Moses is to set forth regulations given by God which the children of Israel were to live by. Moses sets forth that respect is to be shown for God (verses 1-4), regulations concerning sacrifices of peace offerings (verses 5-8), rations for the poor (verses 9-10) and restrictions concerning various subjects (verses 11-37).

The text for our lesson, Leviticus 19:15, deals with the fact that we are not to show respect toward the person, but to judge them in righteousness.

RESPECT OF PERSON

"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour" (Lev.19:15).¹ Respect of person literally means to receive face. It signifies to show regard for the external circumstances of another, and to exhibit favoritism on the ground of rank, wealth, social position and worldly attainment.

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men (Matt. 22:15,16).

Brethren, we need to strive to be imitators of Jesus Christ and to let people say of us that we are not receivers of face; but that we teach the way of God in truth. "To regard the person, or to respect the person, is in the Bible uniformly used to denote partiality, or being influenced in a decision, not by truth, but by previous attachment to a person, or to one of the parties—by friendship, or bias, or prejudice."² Let us remember these words found in Proverbs 24:23 " These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment."

RESPECT OF PERSON SHOWN

The scorn we feel for those of another race is fiendish pride. We feel pride regarding those who might be on a different rung of the social ladder. Pride enters when we are with someone whose dress code does not come up to our own. James addresses this problem, which arose in the assemblies of the early church.³

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors (James 2:1-9).

The brethren were judging people on the basis of outward appearances and circumstances, rather than on the condition of the heart. Many are much more interested in what people appear to be, than what they really are.

The accidental circumstances of life, including wealth, fame, social position, and the like, are to many people of greater value than the enduring qualities of the soul and of the heart. To honor one person more than another simply because one has material means, and the other does not, is to be "face-accepting," and is sinful.⁴

Favoritism is incompatible with the faith.⁵ (James 2:1)

James is telling these brethren that they are face receivers and that this is incompatible, inconsistent with the teachings of Christ. This practice of showing respect of person was sinful and James told them that they needed to stop doing it.

God judges people on their character and conduct instead of their color and circumstances. The world reverses this. They base their judgment of a person based upon his skin color and social standing. Brethren we are not to be like the world but we are to strive to be like God. "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34-35). The true church of Christ allows no discrimination. "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:27-28).

Favoritism is illustrated with finery. 2:2-4

In these verses James illustrates the fact that there was to be no favoritism on the account of wealth or apparel. Two men come into their assembly. One is elegantly dressed while the other is poorly clad. They show special favor to the rich man but assign the poor man a more humble place. They were treating the rich with distinguishing marks of respect merely because they were rich. They treated the poor without in civility at all. James asks a question "Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?" Do you not show that you are partial by treating the rich man better than the poor man. They were judging according to appearance but were not judging according to righteous judgment and thus they became judges of evil thoughts.

James told them that God had chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and by honoring the rich over the poor some of the brethren had put themselves in contrast with God. The same people they were honoring where the same people that were oppressing them, dragging them before the courts and blaspheming that worthy name by which they were called. "Faith in God the Saviour will answer more purposes, and accomplish more valuable ends for man, than the wealth of the Indies could: and this the poor may have as well as the rich."⁶

In verses 8-9, James shows them the conduct they were to have under the royal law. They were told to love their neighbor as yourselves. This law is timeless in nature, it being incorporated in the law of Moses (Lev.19:18), and confirmed, sanctioned and made a part of the New Covenant by our Lord (Luke 10:28). Jesus taught that love is at the base of every duty, whether to God or man. In Matthew 25:37 in response to the lawyer’s question," Master, which is the great commandment of the law?" Jesus answered," Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matt.22:37-40).

Let us imagine a nail driven into the wall, and a sting draped over it, the two ends hanging downward. Let one of these stings represent the command to love God supremely; the other, our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus tells us that these two commandments hold up all that is in the law and the prophets. The law comprising the five books of Moses, constitutes a vast segment of the Old Testament; and, when to this is added the prophets, major and minor, the mass is greatly enlarged; yet, the Lord declares that these two embrace the whole of the law and the prophets. The meaning is that these two duties are so comprehensive they sum up, and include, all else. He who loves God supremely will discharge fully his duty to God: he who loves his neighbor as himself will, in similar fashion, perform every obligation owed to his neighbor.⁷

Their life of love was to be based on the standard, the word of God. If they regard all others as neighbors they would treat no one with neglect or contempt. James said if you do this you do well. One who properly fulfills his obligation in this area, will be blessed in the fact that in doing his duty to his neighbor he is also obeying God.

In verse 9 James said but if ye have respect to persons, you trangress the plain law of God and do commit sin, literally, "Ye work sin," you practice habitually in it. It was not an occasional lapse into the very human weaknesses, of which James deals; it was a deliberate and calculated course of action which these disciples followed in fawning upon the rich and showing contempt and disregard for the poor. They were not  only committing acts of sin, but they were in sin by habitually showing respect to persons.

YE SHALL BE HOLY

In verse 2 of Leviticus 19, Moses is to tell the congregation, "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." If we truly seek to be imitators of God, we must go to His word and see how he views the person and then pattern ourselves according to His word. "For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:" (Deut. 10:17). "Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts" (2 Chr 19:7). God does not show respect of person and neither should we. It was this which impressed Peter in the incident of the great sheet that was lowered from heaven (Acts 10:11). "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34-35).

All men alike need salvation (Rom. 3:23); God loves all men and Christ died for all (John 3:16); there is the same plan of salvation for all; hence those who faithfully comply with the terms of salvation receive it. Peter now understands that the Gentiles are to enjoy salvation in Christ as are the Jews. God has sent him among the Gentiles and had prepared him by a vision for the venture, and he had learned that he, a Jew, had not defiled himself in God’s sight. Peter had also learned that the Gentile was the same in the sight of God as the Jew, and that God would treat him in the same way.

Clearly, one lives unfaithful to the Lord if he resorts to worldly conduct and his treatment of people. God’s judgment of people is based on their character rather than their nationality, language, or skin color.

CONCLUSION

Our Lord not only showed that he was no respecter of person during His ministry but in His death upon the cross as well. Jesus did not die for a particular race, nor a particular sex, nor a particular social status, nor a particular educational background; but brethren He died for all (John 3:16,17). All who are willing to obey the Gospel can place themselves in fellowship with God. Brethren, let us remember what Peter learned and be able to say as he did, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him (Acts 10:34-35).

ENDNOTES

1. All Scripture references are from the King James Version.

2. Albert Barnes, The Gospels, in Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Grands Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1996), p. 233.

3. " Pride: The sin back of all sins," Truth For Today June 1989: p. 16.

4. Guy N. Woods, James (Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate Company, 1991) pp. 121,122.

5. James Rogers, Alliteration on Favoritism, General Epistles class handouts, E.T.S.O.P.M., 1997.

6. Albert Barnes, Hebrews to Jude, in Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1996), pp. 37,38.

7. Woods, op. Cit., p.120.

Mike Gurganus
PO Box 916
Henderson, NC 27536