James does not try to eliminate economic differences by encouraging the wealthy to give to the poor. That is not his purpose here, though the pressing need to help the poor could be inferred from elsewhere in his letter (2:15–16). He does not shame the poor brother by highlighting his poverty; nor does he condemn the rich brother for his wealth. But he points to something they both have in common, which is their faith in Jesus. This has brought them together and is now the most important factor in