James Chapter 2 Part 2

 

James Chapter 2 Part 2

Faith Without Works Is Dead

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? Jas 2:14

What doth it... Questions 5-7. Next, Jas. 2:20.

man say he... This refers to those who say that they have faith and the works are not necessary in Christian living. It does not say they have real and active faith, but they say they have. Can faith alone save (Jas. 2:17-18, 2:20-26)? James is not referring to initial justifying faith but to the demonstration of Christian faith before men. Christianity demands of its followers good works to all men (Mat. 5:16; 16:27; Eph. 2:10; 1Tim. 6:18; 2Tim. 3:17; Tit. 1:16; 2:7, 2:14; 3:8). One is not justified by works (Rom. 3:25-31; 4:1-6; 9:11; 11:6; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5), but justified ones must do them to prove their Christian consecration (Jas. 2:14-18, 2:20-26).

This important phrase governs the interpretation of the entire passage. James does not say that this person actually has faith, but that he claims to have it.

hath faith, and... This is best understood in a broad sense, speaking of any degree of acceptance of the truths of the gospel.

have not works... Again, the verb’s form describes someone who continually lacks any external evidence of the faith he routinely claims. This refers to all righteous behavior that confirms to God’s revealed Word, but specifically, in the context, to acts of compassion (verse 15).

can faith save... Better translated, “Can that kind of faith save?” James is not disputing the importance of faith. Rather, he is opposing the notion that saving faith can be a mere intellectual exercise void of a commitment to active obedience (Matt. 7: 16-18). The grammatical form of the question demands a negative answer.

We all know the answer to this is, that we are saved by faith and faith alone, but if we are saved, we will have works showing our faith. The works are a manifestation of our faith.

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

The works of a Christian speak to the world of the faith he has.

Assist others

Just as the law of love gives no excuse for respect of persons, so the possession of faith gives no license to dispense with good works. A believer must not only demonstrate his love by ready acceptance of others, but he must also demonstrate his faith by responsible aid to others. James went on in his letter to emphasize the expression of true faith, to outline the evidence of true faith, and finally to cite examples of true faith.

Expression Of True Faith

Another shift in the argument of the epistle can be seen by James’ use of my brothers. He introduced this paragraph with a rhetorical question, What good is it… if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? The emphasis is not on the true nature of faith but on the false claim of faith. It is the spurious boast of faith that James condemned. Such “faith” does no “good”; there is no “profit” (ophelos, used in the NT only here and in Jas. 2:16; 1Cor. 15:32). It is worthless because it is all talk with no walk. It is only a habitual empty boast (“claims” is in the pres. tense). Can such faith save him? A negative answer is anticipated in the Greek. Merely claiming to have faith is not enough. Genuine faith is evidenced by works.

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, Jas 2:15

In the last passage, we learned that works do not save you, but you will have good works, if you are saved. The brother and sister here, are not brothers and sisters in the flesh, but in the faith. This is speaking of those who are Christians. This is not speaking of wants in their lives; this is speaking of their needs.

The rhetorical question is followed by a hypothetical but realistic illustration: Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. (James frequently wrote about the poor: Jas. 1:9, 1:27; 2:2-6, 2:15.)

And 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? Jas 2:16

James is saying in this, that just telling them to be filled will not fill that empty place in their stomach. To wish them well, without giving them a coat to warm with will not keep them warm. We must put action to our wishes. Feed them and clothe them, and then wish them well, and you will have done something.

Mat. 25:42-43 “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:” “I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

Be doers of the Word, and not just hearers. Be a sermon by the actions you take toward others.

For one in need of the basics of life, sentimental good wishes do little good, like the common Jewish farewell, Go, I wish you well (lit., “Go in peace,” Jdg. 18:6; 1Sam. 1:17; 2Sam. 15:9; Mar. 5:34; Luke 7:50). If nothing is done to fill the pressing need for warm clothes and satisfying food, what good is it? The same phrase that James used to introduce this paragraph (Jas. 2:14) is repeated for emphasis.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Jas 2:17

Even so faith… Just as professed compassion without action is phony, the kind of faith that is without works is mere empty profession, not genuine saving faith.

We can say we have faith, but we will not be believed, unless we have works to match up with our faith. The faith of Abraham was put into action when Abraham was about to offer his son, Isaac, as sacrifice to God.

dead, being alone... Faith without works is dead; works without faith is dead (Jas. 2:17, 2:20, 2:26). Neither is complete in itself. It is like fire burning without fuel and fuel burning without fire. One can say that this is possible, but it is not; it is contrary to the creative makeup and the laws that govern fire and fuel.

Faith brings results. Faith causes us to step out and do things we would not think of trying otherwise.

The vain boast, faith by itself, or faith in and of itself with no evidence of action, is dead. Work-less faith is worthless faith; it is unproductive, sterile, barren, dead! Great claims may be made about a corpse that is supposed to have come to life, but if it does not move, if there are no vital signs, no heartbeat, no perceptible pulse, it is still dead. The false claims are silenced by the evidence.

Yea, 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. Jas 2:18

Yea, a man... Interpreters disagree on whether

(1) “A man” is James humble way of referring to himself or whether it refers to one of James’ antagonists who objected to his teaching; and

(2) how much of the following passage should be attributed to this antagonist as opposed to James himself.

Regardless, James’ main point is the same: the only possible evidence of true faith is works (2 Pet. 1:3-11).

Look with me, at faith in action.

Heb. 11:7-8 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

Heb. 11:29 “By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.”

All of these Scriptures show faith in action, or faith acted upon. We must do the things of God, if we are of faith. One of the very best examples of this is the parable about the 3 men who received talents from the Lord. Two of them acted in faith and earned more for the master. The third was afraid and hid his talent. His Lord was angry and took it away from him.

Fear is the opposite of faith. To be truly faithful, we must act upon our faith. Just to sit down and say you have faith, without doing something about it, actually shows lack of faith.

Evidence Of True Faith

This may be one of the most misunderstood sections of the entire epistle. But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds. An imaginary respondent, “someone,” was introduced. He did not object to James’ conclusion. He agreed that faith without works is dead. But he wrongly disparaged faith while stressing works (see Jas. 2:19).

What follows, Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do, may be the continuation of the respondent’s words. If so, they should be included within quotation marks. (If this were James’ response to a contender’s “I have deeds,” James would have written, “Show me your deeds without faith.”) Though recent translations do not include the second half of Jas. 2:18 in the quotation of the respondent (e.g., NEB, NIV, RSV), the NASB correctly considers this entire verse part of his remarks. The Greek, of course, does not include quotation marks, which accounts for the variations in English. It seems, however, that the respondent is throwing down the challenge, “Show me your faith apart from (chōris, ‘without’) works, and I will show you my faith by (ek, meaning “out of” emerging from my works”.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. Jas 2:19

Thou believest that... Believing in God is no proof that you are justified by faith alone, for even devils believe without justification. A clear reference to the passage most familiar to his Jewish readers; the Shema (Deut. 6:4-5), the most basic doctrine of the Old Testament.

Deut. 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”.

devils also believe... Even fallen angels affirm the oneness of God and tremble at its implications. Demons are essentially orthodox in their doctrine (Mat. 8:29-30; Mar. 5:7; Luke 4:41; Acts 19:15). But orthodox doctrine by itself is no proof of saving faith. They know the truth about God, Christ and the Spirit, but hate it and them.

Many believe that just to say you believe in God is enough, but without trust in God to act upon the faith, it becomes very questionable about whether you really have faith in God, or are just saying you do.

The devils believe, because they have seen God in heaven. It takes no faith at all to believe something you have seen with your own eyes. The true faith is believing in your heart in something you have not seen.

devils... here, is speaking of the angels that followed Lucifer out of heaven. They tremble, because they know the terrible fate that awaits them.

It may be well to include even Jas. 2:19 as part of the respondent’s argument: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder. If so, he may be a typical Gentile believer who attacked the creedal belief of monotheism accepted by all Jews. He was saying, to “believe” in one God may be good so far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. The demons do that. In fact not only do they believe (the same verb, pisteuō); they even “shudder,” or “bristle up” (phrissousin, an onomatopoeic verb used only here in the NT). The “belief” in one God may not be “trust” in that God. Unless it is “trust,” it is not true faith and will not be evidenced in good works.

In other words the respondent is saying, “Faith is not the key; what counts is works.” Thus the respondent has gone too far. James did not say that works are essential to faith, or that faith is unimportant. His argument was that works are evidence of faith.

Other writers understand this passage to mean that James (Jas. 2:18) challenged the “someone” to show his faith without deeds — the point being that it cannot be done! James, however, said that faith can be demonstrated (only) by what one does (Jas. 2:18). The demons’ “belief” in God is inadequate. Such a so-called but unreal faith is obviously unaccompanied by deeds on their parts.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Jas 2:20

But wilt thou... Questions 8-11. Next, Jas. 3:11. Are you willing to be instructed as to the nature of true saving faith?

O vain man... Literally empty, defective. The objector’s claim of belief is fraudulent, and his faith is a sham.

faith without works... Literally “the faith without the works.” James is not contrasting two methods of salvation (Faith versus works). Instead, he contrasts two kinds of faith: living faith that saves and dead faith that does not (1 John 3:7-10).

Faith that is not acted upon brings no fruit.

Mar. 4:8 “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Mar. 4:20 “And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive [it], and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Those who profess faith must be like this fruitful tree. Silent Christians are not fulfilling the great commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel. It is not our obligation for them to listen, but it is our obligation to tell them, if we have faith. To have faith and do absolutely nothing about it, is no faith at all.

James did not launch into a lengthy refutation of the respondent. The apostle simply addressed him forcefully, You foolish man, and returned to his original argument that faith without deeds is useless (argē, “lazy, idle, negligent”). The adjective “foolish” (kene) is usually translated “vain,” “empty,” or “hollow” (cf. mataios, “worthless, fruitless, useless,” in Jas. 1:26). Flimsy faith is dead; so are empty, faithless works. James’ argument is not pro-works/anti-faith or pro-faith/anti-works. He has simply said that genuine faith is accompanied by good works. Spiritual works are the evidence, not the energizer, of sincere faith.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Jas 2:21

justified by works... Two examples of justification by faith and works, not works only (Jas. 2:21-26):

1. Abraham (Jas. 2:21-24; Gen. 22:1-24)

2. Rahab (Jas. 2:25; Jos. 2:1-24; 6:1-27)

This does not contradict Paul’s clear teaching that Abraham was justified before God by grace alone through faith alone (Rom. 3:20; 4:1-25; Gal. 3:6, 11). For several reasons, James cannot mean that Abraham was constituted righteous before God because of his own good works:

(1) James already stressed that salvation is a gracious gift (1:17-18): and

(2) In the middle of this disputed passage (verse 23). James quoted (Gen. 15:6), which forcefully claims that God credited righteousness to Abraham solely on the basis of his faith; and

(3) The work that James said justified Abraham was his offering up of Isaac (Gen. 22:9, 12), an event that occurred many years after he first exercised faith and was declared righteous before God (Gen. 12:1-7; 15:6). Instead, Abraham’s offering of Isaac demonstrated the genuineness of his faith and the reality of his justification before God.

James is emphasizing the vindication before others of a person’s claim to salvation. James’ teaching perfectly complements Paul’s writing, salvation is determined by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9), and demonstrated by faithfulness to obey God’s will alone (Eph. 2:10).

Abraham’s faith was tested to see if it was really faith, or just talk. He acted upon his faith, and God saved his son Isaac. Abraham had great faith. His faith had grown into complete trust in God. He knew in his heart, God could raise him from the dead.

Heb. 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son],” “Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:” “Accounting that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

when he had.... It is clear from Gen. 22:1-24 that Abraham proved his faith in God when he was asked to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. It was faith that led him to this act of obedience (Jas. 2:23). Had he refused to obey, it would have demonstrated that he had no faith in God or His Word. It is also clear that this act of faith and works was not his initial justification by faith. That was at least 40 to 50 years before offering Isaac (Gen. 12:1-4; Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1-6).

Abraham’s faith was strong enough to stand the test.

Examples Of True Faith

As a final proof of his thesis, James gave two biblical examples: Abraham, the revered patriarch, and Rahab, the redeemed prostitute. He presented each example in the form of a question, anticipating the reader’s ready agreement.

Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? This question is often held to be directly opposed to Paul’s statement that Abraham’s faith, not his works, caused God to declare him righteous (Rom. 4:1-5). Paul, however, was arguing for the priority of faith. James argued for the proof of faith. Paul declared that Abraham had faith, and was therefore justified, or declared righteous (Gen. 15:6), prior to circumcision (Gen. 17:11; cf. Rom. 4:9). James explained that Abraham’s faith was evident in his practice of Isaac’s sacrifice (Gen. 22:12), and he was therefore justified, or declared righteous. Works serve as the barometer of justification, while faith is the basis for justification.

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? Jas 2:22

faith made perfect... This refers to bringing something to its end, or to its fullness. Just as a fruit tree has not arrived at its goal until it bears fruit, faith has not reached its end until it demonstrates itself in a righteous life.

The faith of Abraham was made perfect in the action he took. He proclaimed his perfect faith and trust in God by his actions. Had the test of offering his son for sacrifice to God never arisen, we would not have realized how great faith Abraham had in God. His act of faith helps us in difficult situations to act upon our faith.

We might be like the man who brought his son to Jesus for healing. He said he believed, but help his unbelief. Each person has a portion of faith, but to let it grow, we must use it. Our faith grows with every use.

James emphasized the joint role of faith and… actions… working together. Faith is the force behind the deed. The deed is the finality of the faith. The verb translated was made complete (eteleiōthē) means to “carry to the end.” Faith finds fulfillment in action.

And 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. Jas 2:23

Abraham believed God,... Quoted from Gen. 15:6 which was many years before offering Isaac as in Gen. 22:1-24. Thus, every act of obedience is an act of faith and works combined to maintain justification before God.

the Friend of... The greatest blessing possible is to be a friend of God. Abraham is so called (in 2 Chr. 20:7 and Isa. 41:8), because of his obedience (John 15:14-15).

it was imputed... The belief of Abraham was counted unto him for righteousness. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without acting upon the faith that we have, it is not faith at all. To be the Friend of God would be the highest honor we could be paid. God had great regard for Abraham.

So it was with Abraham.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Jas 2:24

not by faith... The whole passage emphasizes faith with works—not faith only or works only. Even Paul did not teach justification by faith only, for he also taught works whereby Christians should demonstrate their faith (see, Jas. 2:14).

The works spoken of here, are an evidence of the faith the person has. Faith saves us, but the works are a by-product of our faith. When we stand before Jesus on judgment day, He will say to His own, well done, thy good and faithful servant. Servants serve.

James and Paul quoted the same passage — Gen. 15:6 — to prove their points (cf. Rom. 4:3). Paul said that Abraham was justified by faith, and James said that Abraham was justified by faith evidenced by what he did.

Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? Jas 2:25

Rahab the harlot... Rahab was also justified by her works and her faith when she hid the spies with peace (Jos. 2:1-24; Heb. 11:31). The Old Testament records the content of her faith, which was the basis of her justification before God. She demonstrated the reality of her saving faith when, at great personal risk she protected the messengers of God (Jos. 2:4, 15; 6:17; Heb. 11:31). James did not intend however, for those words to be a commendation of her occupation or her lying.

Just as James presents two examples of spurious faith (verses 16, 19), he concludes with two examples of genuine faith: Abraham and Rahab. One was a Jewish patriarch of great sanctity, whose faith was perfected by his works. The other was the lowest citizen of a condemned Gentile city, whose newfound faith was dramatized by her works. No matter whether one has the mature faith of an Abraham or the baby-like faith of a Rahab, there must be evidence of that faith.

The actions that Rahab took revealed that she had faith in God. She helped the messengers, because her faith in God was greater than her fear of men.

In the same way (lit., “and likewise also”; homoiōs de kai) was not even Rahab declared righteous for her actions in welcoming the spies (angelous, “messengers”) and helping them escape? (Jos. 2:1-24; 6:1-27)

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Jas 2:26

body without the... Only the body dies at the time of physical death. This is caused by the soul and spirit leaving the body. The body returns to dust and the soul and spirit of the righteous go to heaven to await the resurrection (2Co. 5:8; Phlp. 1:21-24; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11). The soul and spirit of the wicked go to hell to await the resurrection (Luke 16:19-31; Isa. 14:9; Rev. 20:11-15). The soul and spirit are spiritual and immortal. They cannot go back to dust.

so faith without... Just as surely as the inner man leaves the body at physical death and is no longer with the body, so faith without works is dead (separated) and is powerless.

The point of this analogy between the body and one’s faith is that both require an energizing element. The absence of that element renders the other component dead.

The spirit within the body is the real you. It is the spirit that is alive, quickened by the Lord Jesus Christ. The body is just the house that the spirit lives in here on the earth. When a person’s spirit leaves the body, the body is dead. Jesus dismissed His Spirit from His body, and the body died on the cross.

The spiritual body that lives within this body of flesh is the part of us that will live on. When the spirit leaves the body, the life is gone. Faith that is not acted upon is like this empty shell of the body. Faith is not real, until the actions show the faith of the person.

The conclusion is most clear. Faith and deeds are as essential to each other as the body and the spirit. Apart from (chōris) the spirit, or the “breath” (pneumatos) of life, the body is dead. Apart from (chōris) the evidence of works, faith may be deemed dead. It is not the real thing. True faith continually contributes to spiritual growth and development.

Not only is a believer to stand confidently on God’s Word even in the midst of trials and temptations (Jas. 1:1-27), but also he must serve his brothers and sisters in Christ (Jas. 2:1-26). He is to accept all members of God’s family without favoritism (Jas. 2:1-13) and to aid the family with a working faith (Jas. 2:14-26). To gain spiritual maturity a believer must be what God wants him to be and do what God wants him to do.