A Warning against Favoritism 1 UDB My brothers and sisters, do not think of honoring some people more than others as you at the same time trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is greater than anything. BSB BSB: My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
2 UDB For example, suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby clothes also comes in. BSB BSB: Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
3 UDB And suppose that you show special attention to the one dressed in fine clothes by saying, "Please sit here in this nice seat!" and you say to the poor one, "You stand over there or sit on the floor!" BSB BSB: If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”
4 UDB You have then judged one another for wrong reasons. BSB BSB: have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 UDB Listen to me, my brothers and sisters whom I love. God has chosen poor people, who seem to have nothing of value, to trust in him very much. So he will give them great things when he rules everyone everywhere. This is what he has promised to do for everyone who loves him. BSB BSB: Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
6 UDB But you dishonor the poor people. Think about it! It is the rich people, not the poor people, who are causing you to suffer! It is the rich people who forcibly take you to court to accuse you in front of judges! BSB BSB: But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
7 UDB And they are the ones who speak evil against the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy of praise, to whom you belong! BSB BSB: Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?
8 UDB If you follow the royal law as it is written in the scriptures, you will see the command, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you love others, you are doing what is right. BSB BSB: If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
9 UDB But if you honor some people more than others, you are doing wrong. And because you do not do what God commanded us to do, he condemns you because you disobey his laws. BSB BSB: But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 UDB Those who disobey only one of God's laws, even if they obey all his other laws, God considers to be as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed all of his laws. BSB BSB: Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11 UDB For example, God said, "Do not commit adultery," but he also said, "Do not murder anyone." So if you do not commit adultery but you murder someone, you have become a person who disobeys God's laws. BSB BSB: For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 UDB Always speak and act as the people whom God will judge using his law—not the law that condemns us but the law that sets us free from being punished for our sins, BSB BSB: Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
13 UDB because when God judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But if we are merciful to others, then we will not fear God when he judges us. BSB BSB: For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Works (Galatians 3:1–9)
15 UDB To illustrate, suppose that a brother or sister is continually lacking clothes or food for each day. BSB BSB: Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 UDB And suppose one of you says to them, "Do not worry; go away, get warm, and find the food you need!" But if you do not give them the things that they need for their bodies, then that will be no help to them! BSB BSB: If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?
17 UDB Similarly, if you do not do good deeds to help others, what you say about believing in Christ is as useless as a dead person! You do not really believe in Christ. BSB BSB: So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.
18 UDB But someone may say to me, "God saves some people only because they trust in him, and he saves others because they do good deeds for people." I would answer that person, "You cannot prove to me that people truly trust in God if they do not do good deeds for others! But by doing good deeds for others I will prove to you that I truly trust in God! BSB BSB: But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
20 UDB Also, you foolish person, I will give you proof that if someone says "I trust in God" but does not do good deeds, then what that person says does not help him in any way. BSB BSB: O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
21 UDB We all honor our ancestor Abraham. He tried to obey what God told him to do; he tried to give his son Isaac to God on the altar. God considered Abraham to be a righteous person for trying to obey him. BSB BSB: Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 UDB In this way, Abraham trusted in God and obeyed him. When he obeyed him, he finished doing what he was trusting God for. BSB BSB: You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did.
23 UDB And so it happened as it is written in the scriptures, "Because Abraham truly trusted in God, God viewed him as someone who did the right thing." God also said about Abraham, "He is my friend." BSB BSB: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
25 UDB Similarly, it was certainly because of what Rahab did that God considered her to be good. Rahab had been a prostitute, but she cared for the messengers who came to spy out the land, and she helped them to escape by sending them home on a different road from the one on which they came. BSB BSB: In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route?
26 UDB Just as a person who is no longer breathing is dead and his body is useless, in the same way someone who says he trusts in God but does nothing good trusts in God uselessly. BSB BSB: As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.