Listen: James uses this rhetorical device for emphasis (see Deuteronomy 6:3; Amos 3:1; Matt 13:18; Acts 15:13). James presents his argument against favoring the rich.
Has not God chosen the poor: God cares deeply for the poor, as shown in the Old Testament (Exodus 23:11; 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 12:5). It is also shown in the ministries of Jesus and Paul (Luke 4:18; 6:20; 1 Corinthians 1:26–28). The Jerusalem church, led by James, also emphasized this concern (Galatians 2:9–10).
inherit the kingdom: The kingdom of God was central to the teachings of Jesus (Matthew 12:8; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:21). Christ already rules from the right hand of the Father, but his kingdom will be fully realized when he returns in his glory (Matthew 25:31, 34; 1 Corinthians 15:24–28).