James 2:9 (KJV)

Passage

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Nearby Context

James 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

James 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

James 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "respect", "persons", "commit", "convinced", and "transgressors". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "respect" and "persons", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "If ye fulfil the royal law according..." into verse 10's "For whosoever shall keep the whole law...", so "respect" and "persons" 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 "respect" and "persons" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.