Already the Jewish Christians were in peril from this evil. It is, in
particular, a sin of ushers who show respect of persons in seating
strangers. But pastors are in constant danger of the same sin in general
church relations. The word here for synagogue may mean place of worship
or the assembly itself, as in Hebrews 10:25, “the assembling of
yourselves together.” The word for church does not occur in the
apostolic period (Hort) for place of meeting, but synagogue was already
in common use in both senses. But it is not necessary to suppose that
James has in mind simply a Jewish synagogue, though it is quite possible
that the Jewish Christians still attended worship and heard Moses read
in the synagogue (Acts 15:21), as Christians belonged to the synagogue
of the Libertines (Acts 6:9) and the early Christians worshiped still in
the Temple.
The use of “your” seems to mean that it is at least a Christian
gathering that James refers to, whether meeting in the Jewish synagogue
or elsewhere. “The growth of the Gentile element in the church excited
the active hostility of the Jews against the whole body of Christians,
as it troubled the Jewish converts themselves” (Westcott on Hebrews, p.
xxxviii). Finally the Christians had to set up for themselves, as in
Corinth (Acts 18:7) and in Ephesus (Acts 19:8 f.). We do not know the
precise stage reached by the Jewish Christians here. James may mean some
particular instance of trouble in the dispersion that came to his
notice, or he may have in mind any Christian gathering in the
dispersion. The Gentiles often attended the worship of the Jews in the
synagogues (Acts 13:16, 43). The use of “synagogue” for Christian
worship occurs rarely, as in Hermas, _Mand._ xi. 9. The time came when
synagogue was used only for Jews or heretics. Epiphanius (_Haer._ xxx.
18) says that the Ebionites call their meeting “synagogue,” not
“church.” One may note also John’s use of the term “synagogue of Satan”
(Rev. 2:9; 3:9).
The picture of the two strangers at church is drawn with bold lines and
in few words by James; yet it is remarkably clear and picturesque. The
man with a gold ring probably makes a display of his ring. If he
preached, he would make most of his gestures with that hand. The word
occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Mayor quotes Epictetus
(_Diss._ 1. 22) as speaking of an “old man with gold fingers.” The “fine
clothing” is literally “brilliant clothing,” “new glossy clothes”
(Hort), “the fine white garment worn by wealthy Jews” (Oesterley), like
that in which Herod Antipas clad Jesus when he sent him back to Pilate.
One can easily see the distinguished-looking stranger as he steps in at
the same time as “a poor man in vile clothing,” “in dirty clothes”
(Moffatt), “old shabby clothes” (Hort). See Revelation 22:11 for the
same adjective for “filthy.” In James 1:21 we had “filthiness.”
We have no means of knowing whether these two men who suddenly enter
church are Christians or simply Jews. Both seem to be strangers. The
courtesies extended are based purely on the appearance of these two as
to dress, not on race or ecclesiastical standing.
The poor man may be one reduced to beggary—a tramp or hobo. He may be a
poor working man. He stands in marked contrast with the rich man, as in
1:9-11. Probably the poor man had on the best clothes that he had.
Should a man like that come to our churches? Would he be welcome in our
pews? To be sure, cases occur when a bath would help matters and when
plain, but clean, clothes could be provided by Christian people so as to
make attendance at church free from embarrassment. But there are people,
especially children, who stay away from both Sunday school and church
because they do not possess decent clothes in which to come. They fear
the critical eyes and comments of the people at church.
It is easy to say that people should rise above such unfavorable
circumstances and come on to church to worship God, who reads the heart
and does not judge men by their clothes. Yes, but a man may conclude
that he can worship God just as acceptably and more comfortably in some
other church where the usher does not seem so ashamed of his coming or
embarrassed by his presence that, in spite of plenty of empty pews in
the grand temple of worship, he finds a back seat for him under the
gallery or in the gallery on a footstool (literally, “under my
footstool,” probably “on the floor by my footstool”), in a corner, or a
place to stand against the wall. Meanwhile, the poor man has seen the
attentions paid the man in fine clothes; he is ushered to a good seat
with the air of a prince.
The soul of the poor man is all the more embittered, since he came
perhaps in a sort of desperation from the hardness of the world outside,
a world that has economic and social laws that make the battle a
difficult one. And now in the temple of God the worshipers of Jesus show
the same pride of wealth and station as at a social function. The
preacher talks of forgiveness of sins and the comfort of the Holy
Spirit; but he and the ushers keep a sharp eye upon the man who wears
the fine clothes, pompous and self-conscious as that man probably feels.
The soul of the poor man is made more bitter still as he leaves the
church of the rich and the proud to see if he can find God at home or
the devil in the saloon or other den of iniquity.
One pity of it all is that so many churches have fine, empty, cushioned
seats, while the strangers who could fill them are not sought for or not
properly welcomed if they come. It is a pathetic picture that James here
gives us—that of the stranger at the door of the church. Most strangers
pass the door of the church by with indifference or disgust. The church
must win the strangers outside unless it is to degenerate into a social
club of a few select families. A church that only holds its own will
soon lose that standing. The task of the church is to win the world to
Christ. And then when the poor of earth enter, it is worse than folly to
push them to one side and out of doors, back into the street.
This touch of life is one of many modern notes in the Epistle of James.
The embarrassment of the usher in the presence of two such incongruous
strangers at once is probably due to the fact that he knows full well
the atmosphere or tone of the church. It is aristocratic or select;
evangelical and orthodox, not evangelistic or missionary; a haven of
rest for the stately pious, not a rescue station for the lost. The
officers of the church thus make distinctions between the attendants at
church and sort out the congregation according to worldly standards.
They are “judges of evil thoughts” and act with partiality in bestowing
courtesies on strangers in the house of God. All this is in such marked
contrast to the spirit and conduct of Jesus that one can hardly credit
his eyes when he sees it happen in church. It is increasingly difficult
to get the poor to come to some of the churches. The churches themselves
may sometimes become suspicious that the very poor come to church to
receive financial help. So the breach widens.