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| 2:14 WhatR77
use is it, myR78 brethren, if someone says he has faith but
he has no works? Can thatF43 faith save him? 2:15 IfR79
a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 2:16
and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, beF44 warmed and
be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for {their}body,
what use is that? 2:17 Even so faith,R80 if it has no works,
is dead,F45 {being} by itself.
2:18 ButR81 someone mayF46 {well} say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faithR82 without the works, and I will showR83 you my faith byR84 my works." 2:19 You believe that GodF47 R85 is one. YouR86 do well; theR87 demons also believe, and shudder. 2:20 But are you willing to recognize, youR88 foolish fellow, that faithR89 without works is useless? 2:21 WasR90 not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that faithR91 was working with his works, and asF48 a result of the works,R92 faith was perfected;F49 2:23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called theR93 friend of God. 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 In the same way, was not RahabR94 the harlot also justified by works whenR95 she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without {the} spirit is dead, so also faithR96 without works is dead. FOOTNOTES: F43: Lit {the} F44: Or {warm yourselves and fill yourselves} F45: Or {dead by its own standards} F46: Lit {will} F47: One early ms reads {there is one God} F48: Or {by the deeds} F49: Or {completed} CROSS REFERENCES: R77: Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18 R78: Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17 R79: James 1:25 R80: Proverbs 21:13; Matthew 5:7; 18:32-35; Luke 6:37f R81: James 1:22ff R82: James 1:16 R83: Matthew 25:35f; Luke 3:11 R84: 1 John 3:17f R85: Galatians 5:6; James 2:20,26 R86: Romans 9:19 R87: Romans 3:28; 4:6; Hebrews 11:33 R88: James 3:13 R89: Matthew 7:16f; Galatians 5:6 R90: Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29 R91: James 2:8 R92: Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24; 5:7; Luke 4:34; Acts 19:15 R93: Romans 9:20; 1 Corinthians 15:36 R94: Galatians 5:6; James 2:17,26 R95: Genesis 22:9, 10, 12, 16-18 R96: John 6:29; Hebrews 11:17 |
2:14 What does it profit,
my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith
save him? 2:15 If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily
food, 2:16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled,"
without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?
2:17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
2:18 But some one will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe -- and shudder. 2:20 Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren? 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, 2:23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God. 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. |
2:14 Dear
brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't
prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. 2:15 Suppose
you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 2:16 and you say,
"Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well" – but then you
don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 2:17
So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show
itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless.
2:18 Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds." 2:19 Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! 2:20 Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless? 2:21 Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 2:22 You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did – by his actions. 2:23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous."F9 He was even called "the friend of God."F10 2:24 So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 2:25 Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions – when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 2:26 Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds. FOOTNOTES: F9: Gen 15:6. F10: See Isa 41:8. |
2:14 My
friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your
actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you? 2:15 Suppose there are
brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. 2:16
What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and
eat well!" — if you don't give them the necessities of life? 2:17 So it
is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
2:18 But someone will say, "One person has faith, another has actions." My answer is, "Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions." 2:19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe — and tremble with fear. 2:20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?F1 2:21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.R9 2:22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. 2:23 And the scripture came true that said, "Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous." And so Abraham was called God's friend.R10 2:24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone. 2:25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road.R11 2:26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead. FOOTNOTES: F1: useless; [some manuscripts have] dead. CROSS REFERENCES: R9: 2.21 Gn 22.1-14+2 Si 44.19-21; 1 Macc 2.52. R10: 2.23 a Gn 15.6; b 2 Ch 20.7; Is 41.8. R11: 2.25 Js 2.1-21. |
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