The Book of James

2:1. do not hold [it] with partiality. – When James was writing his letter to the scattered tribes he had no chapter divisions. Instead he kept writing on about the Christian’s behaviour in his response to God’s word. The previous two verses of the first chapter follow on very closely with this new chapter. Instead of focusing on the new nature of being a Christian, a shift occurs and James now writes on the fruits produced by being a Christian.

The Authorised Version of this verse is read as, “have not the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, with respect to persons.” The Greek word for that phrase is captured in prosopolepsia. (Strong’s # 4382). Various dictionaries give a greater insight into the meaning of the word partiality.

Thayer
The fault of one who when called on to give judgment has respect of the outward circumstances of man and not to their intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high born, or powerful, to another who does not have these qualities”

Webster
Inclination to favour one party or one side of a question more than the other; an undue bias of mind towards one party or side, which is apt to warp the judgment. Partiality springs from the will and affections, rather than from a love of truth and justice.

Respect of persons – to show unfair and undue favour and acceptance to a person because of their influence, status, wealth or resources.

Jesus, ever the one to lead by example, showed us in Mark 12:14 that he was not a respecter of persons. The problem many Jews faced was a selfishness that they, and they alone, should be the rightful children of God. Jesus came preaching a new Gospel, that all were loved and accepted by God – both Jew and Gentile as preached by Peter (Acts 10:34; see also Eph 6:8; Col 3:25). Galatians 3:27-29 shows that all who have been baptised in Christ and heirs according to the promise given to Abraham.

Jesus is in fact expanding on the old law of the Mosaic covenant where partiality was forbidden (Duet 1:17). Jesus, establishing the new royal law of love, has turned it around so that no longer should the Jew be non-partial with another Jew but that everyone who is a Christian should not show partiality to anyone, Christian or not.