James 2:2 (ASV)

Passage

For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;

Nearby Context

James 2:1 My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons.

James 2:2 For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing;

James 2:3 and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool;

James 2:4 Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "come", "synagogue", "gold", "ring", "fine", "clothing", and "poor". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "come" and "synagogue", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "My brethren hold not the faith of..." into verse 3's "and ye have regard to him that...", so "come" and "synagogue" belong inside that flow. In James context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "come" and "synagogue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.