Jam 2:5 | TNotes | STEP | 2:5 Listen to me: Employing this rhetorical device for emphasis (see Deut 6:3 ; Amos 3:1 ; Matt 13:18 ; Acts 15:13 ), James presents his argument against favoring the rich. • Hasn’t God chosen the poor? God’s special concern for the poor is reflected in the Old Testament (Exod 23:11 ; 1 Sam 2:8 ; Ps 12:5 ) and in the ministries of Jesus and Paul (Luke 4:18 ; 6:20 ; 1 Cor 1:26-28 ). This concern was emphasized by the Jerusalem church (Gal 2:9-10 ), of which James was the leader. • inherit the Kingdom: The Kingdom of God was central to the teaching of Jesus (Matt 12:8 ; Mark 1:15 ; Luke 17:21 ). Christ already rules from his place at the right hand of the Father, yet his Kingdom will be fully realized only when the Son of Man comes (Matt 25:31 , 34 ; 1 Cor 15:24-28 ).

2:5 ^a Listen to me: Employing this rhetorical device for emphasis (see Deut 6:3 ^b; Amos 3:1 ^c; Matt 13:18 ^d; Acts 15:13 ^e), James presents his argument against favoring the rich.

• Hasn’t God chosen the poor? God’s special concern for the poor is reflected in the Old Testament (Exod 23:11 ^f; 1 Sam 2:8 ^g; Ps 12:5 ^h) and in the ministries of Jesus and Paul (Luke 4:18 ⁱ; 6:20 ^j; 1 Cor 1:26-28 ^k). This concern was emphasized by the Jerusalem church (Gal 2:9-10 ^l), of which James was the leader.

• inherit the Kingdom: The Kingdom of God was central to the teaching of Jesus (Matt 12:8 ^m; Mark 1:15 ⁿ; Luke 17:21 ^o). Christ already rules from his place at the right hand of the Father, yet his Kingdom will be fully realized only when the Son of Man comes (Matt 25:31 ^p, 34 ^q; 1 Cor 15:24-28 ^r).