The entire second chapter of James addresses two areas: the hypocrisy of partiality or prejudice (James 2:1-13) and the life-altering alliance between faith and works  (James 2:14-26). In the first area, using a real-life incident between a rich and poor man, James disassembles the sin of prejudice, as it existed among the congregation. In today’s post, we are going to answer several questions from the early part of James chapter 2. Among these questions, who is the gold-fingered man?

James 2:2–4 (KJV)
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

Was the Rich Man a Real Person or was James Using an Illustration?

• A reading of verses six and seven show the rich man was as real as the prejudice flourishing in the congregation.

James 2:6–7 (KJV)
⁶ But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? ⁷ Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

• Pastor James aims to bring the congregation back into balance.
• He does so with the corrective fervor of a parent.

Who Is This ‘Gold-fingered’ Man?

• The words ‘with a gold ring’ mean gold-fingered.
• It points to a man with many rings, not just a single ring.
• The rings reveal a 1st-century man of wealth and status.
• This guy had tons of money.
• He had rings on all his fingers.
• He wanted you to know it, also.
• The prodigal son’s father was a man who believed in rings.
• He puts a ring on his returning son’s hand.

Luke 15:22–23 (KJV)
²² But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: ²³ And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

• There are commentators who believe the rings show a wealth level like Forbes Billionaires List.

What about the Rich Man’s Clothes? 

• The King James says the rich man wore ‘goodly apparel’.
• What clothes are goodly clothes?
• You get a clue by looking at the word goodly throughout the New Testament.
• During Jesus trial, Herod put a goodly or bright and shining robe on Him.
  • He did this to mock him (Luke 23:11).
• An angel appeared before Cornelius wearing the same garment (Acts 10:30).
• The saints of God (Revelation 19:8) and His angels (Revelation 15:6) have this adjective linked to their garments.
• Finally, the river flowing out from God’s Throne has this brilliance.
• The garments the rich man wore are bright, shining and magnificent.
• Head of the class stuff.
• Knockout Wall Street Fashion duds.

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What does ‘you have respect’ mean in the phrase ‘you have respect unto him that weareth the gay clothing’?’

• 1 Samuel 16:7 mirrors the happenings within the walls of this church.

1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)
⁷ But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

• The men of the church were looking at the outward appearance, the wealthy man’s clothes.
• They were not looking at his heart but staring at his wallet.
• What does ‘respect for him that wears the gay clothing’ mean?
  • It means seats for suits.
  • It means maneuvering for money.
  • It means giving the rich man ‘the big seat’ so he will give ‘the big offering’.
• What a natural way to think.
• After all, isn’t it cost-effective to have a rich man in your hip pocket?
• No need to trust God for anything, then.
• Why you can pull him out when you need him.
• It’s like having a Jack-in-the-Box. Just wind him up.
• Can you hear the song? “Oh we need some money – Oh we need some money – up pops the rich man – up pops the rich man.”
• Not having to trust God is what makes filthy lucre filthy.

1 Timothy 3:3 (KJV)
³ Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

• It gets worse. There’s a steep cost for self-dependence.
• The jockeying seen in this example is nothing more than do-it-yourself, self-help religion. A version as old as Cain.

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The Rich Man Was Asked to Sit in a Good Place. What Place is That?

• The word ‘good place’ is an adjective meaning an excellent place.
• Matthew 23:6 says, it is the best seat in the synagogue.
• Luke 11:43 calls these seats, the uppermost seats.
• These were special chairs set in front of the Holy Torah Ark and facing the congregation.
• The teachers of the law sat in these seats. ¹
• The Holy Ark contained the holy Torah scrolls making it the holiest place in the building.
• It sat on the east wall so the congregation faced Jerusalem.
• According to the saints, the rich man deserved to sit there.
• What image does that conjure, money mixing with the Word of the Most High God?
• Maybe Ichabod?
• The glory has left (1 Sam. 4:19-22).
• This has an icky feel to it, doesn’t it?

Call to Action:

Who are you trying to impress? Are there people you are currying favor with while excluding a brother in Christ? Are you esteeming an unsaved person over a saved one for gain sake? Have we discarded our family in Christ because they don’t have deep pockets?

Question: What are your thoughts about the questions above? Please leave your comments in the comments section below.