If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
To be a Jew in Jesus’ day meant adhering to a strict diet of “clean” foods. These laws were given through Moses which gave them serious legal weight in the eyes of the Jews. The Gentiles, all of us non-Jews, had no such restrictions. Back then and even now we eat pretty much whatever we want. This difference in diets led to a clash of cultures in the early church. Paul felt the need to write several chapters on the topic to the Corinthians in his first letter to them. (See chapters 8-10)
James is still railing against those he calls “rich people.” As we have discussed before, what he means is greedy people who put themselves before God and their neighbor. In the context of this verse, it seems that James is suggesting that these rich people know better.
Continue reading “James 4: 17 — Do It!”