The impact of Roman law on ancient society, and therefore on the emerging Christian church, is not sufficiently appreciated today, but it was enormous, and it is not always possible to grasp what was really going on in the New Testament churches without taking the law into account and its intrusive impact on all aspects of daily life.
It was a fact that you were what you wore in Roman law. Indeed, everyone in Roman society could be identified by what they wore; whether it was a person walking into a gathering or someone in the street, the way they dressed was an indication of their class. This was true of both men and women.
In the Roman empire, a man’s rank and status could be determined by what he wore. Fine clothes, sandals and a gold ring immediately signalled that the wearer was a senator; and so the rank and status of the man ‘wearing a gold ring and fine clothing’ who entered the church in James 2.2-3 was obvious to all present.
