NOTES for Jam 2:14-26

¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

²²Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

²³And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

²⁴Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

²⁵Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

²⁶For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

When discussing whether a person is justified by faith or by works, we must clarify what we mean by faith. There is a temptation to define faith as a set of theoretical ideas detached from practice and to leave it at that. This understanding of faith appears to have become widespread, but it does not correspond to the Bible; James calls such faith dead.

Faith is not an abstract theory. It gives an impulse to action and is expressed in action; therefore, there is and can be no contradiction between faith and works. Works flow from faith and reveal it, while works in turn confirm the presence and authenticity of faith.

Other notes

For Jam 2:17

¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

The apostle James speaks of one of the fundamental truths of our faith. Several times, in different formulations, the apostle writes that faith without works is dead... Read more

The apostle James speaks of one of the fundamental truths of our faith. Several times, in different formulations, the apostle writes that faith without works is dead. First the apostle asks whether faith that is not expressed in works can save a person. Then he says that faith without works is dead; a little lower he emphasizes that faith without works is ineffective; and again, at the very end, he repeats the words that faith without works is dead. The prophet Habakkuk heard from the Lord the revelation that the righteous shall live by faith. Faith in the biblical sense of the word is, first of all, a source of life for a person, because only by faith do we enter into communion with the Creator.

The apostle James says that this faith must be expressed in life, in our actions and deeds. Otherwise it is precisely ineffective and gives us nothing for salvation from death. A person's faith must become a power acting in the world and transfiguring it. What use is it if this power does not act? The three examples the apostle James gives allow us to see exactly what expression true faith must find: mercy toward people, trust in God, and respect for the truth. As the prophet Micah said: "O man! You have been told what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love deeds of mercy, and to walk humbly before your God."

For Jam 2:1-19

¹My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

²For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

³And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

⁴Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

⁵Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

⁶But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

⁷Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

⁸If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

⁹But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

¹⁰For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

¹¹For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

¹²So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

¹³For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

¹⁴What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

¹⁵If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

¹⁶And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

The partiality of which the apostle James speaks to us today in his epistle brings into life a submission to purely earthly, human standards of honor and prestige... Read more

The partiality of which the apostle James speaks to us today in his epistle brings into life a submission to purely earthly, human standards of honor and prestige. Yet the assembly of the faithful does not belong to this world; it is a manifestation of the heavenly world of the age to come. Therefore, if we act with partiality in the Church, we violate her very nature. In the Church’s historical existence, of course, the principles of economy and strictness are always combined: Christians must simultaneously strive to preserve peace and quiet and, on the contrary, judge solely and exclusively by the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet there is one path that enables us to move beyond the narrow and contradictory confines of partiality and impartiality. The apostle James calls it royal, kingly. It is the path of mercy toward one’s neighbor, which the rich and the poor, the honored and the despised, the clean and the unclean all need in different ways but equally. It is astonishing and important that the “law” of mercy governs our relationship with each separate, unique person, rather than providing a tool for “sorting” people according to earthly or unearthly respectability.

${currentDateString}

NOTES for Jam 2:14-26

Other notes

Readings for 31 December 2018

Main news

Orthodox readings

Catholic lectionary

The Bible for beginners

Three-year Bible reading plan

Five-year Bible reading plan


	After registering, you can subscribe to any Bible reading plan. Personalized settings and other services for registered users are planned, so we recommend registering now. Registration is free.