Verse 5— Hearken, my beloved brethren. That is, listen to me. Give heed to what I say, my beloved brethren, while I show you the evil there is in the conduct which I so sharply, yet tenderly, rebuke. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world? The apostle assumes that the Christians he addresses knew of a certainty that God had chosen many that were poor in this world's goods to be heirs of the kingdom that he had promised to those that love and obey him. Such were rich in faith. Now, he argues if you are so informed and know that God esteems these poor, and has promoted them to be sons of God and heirs of the kingdom— if you know that the Lord himself preached to the poor, who heard him gladly, as did also his apostles— why, then, should you despise them, or treat them amiss or in any other way or manner than you freely and willingly accord to the rich?