James 2:14-26

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith 1but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15 2If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
16 3and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that?
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith 4apart from your works, and I will show you my faith 5by my works.
19 6You believe that God is one; you do well. Even 7the demons believe--and shudder!
20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
21 8Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that 9faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed 10by his works;
23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 11"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a 12friend of God.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 And in the same way was not also 13Rahab the prostitute justified by works 14when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Images for James 2:14-26

James 2:14-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JAMES 2

In this chapter the apostle dissuades from a respect of persons, on account of outward circumstances; shows that the law is to be fulfilled, and that mercy is to be exercised, as well as justice done; and exposes the folly of such who boast of faith without works: he dissuades the saints from all partiality to the rich and poor, from their relation to one another, as brethren, and from their common faith, of which Christ, the Lord of glory, is the object, Jas 2:1 supposes an instance of it, either in a court of judicature, or a religious assembly, Jas 2:2,3 and then makes an appeal unto them, and expostulates with them about it, Jas 2:4 and makes use of an argument against it, taken from the divine conduct, and an instance of his grace in the choice of persons to eternal life, Jas 2:5 a conduct very different from some persons here blamed, Jas 2:6, and other arguments follow, dissuading from a respect of persons, taken from the characters of rich men, as oppressors of the poor, litigious and quarrelsome with their neighbours, and blasphemers of the name of God, Jas 2:7 and from the law of God, which requires the love of the neighbour, and which to fulfil is to do well, Jas 2:8 and from the breach of it, by having respect to persons, whereby its penalty is incurred, Jas 2:9 for which a reason is given; because whoever offends in one point of the law, is guilty of the whole, Jas 2:10 as is a clear case, since the same lawgiver that forbids one sin, forbids another; so that he that is guilty of either of them is a transgressor of the law, Jas 2:11 wherefore it is right both to speak and act according to it, since men will be judged by it, Jas 2:12 and he will have no mercy shown him that has shown none to the poor, but merciful ones will escape damnation, Jas 2:13 and then the apostle argues from the unprofitableness of faith itself without works, Jas 2:14 and which he exemplifies in the case of a poor brother or sister who are wished well, but nothing given them; which good words, without deeds, are of no profit, Jas 2:15,16 so in like manner, faith without works is a dead faith, Jas 2:17 nor indeed can it be made out that a man has faith, if he has not works, Jas 2:18 at least such a faith as has justification and salvation connected with it; his faith, at most, is no better than that of the devils, who are damned, Jas 2:19 and that such a faith is a dead faith, Jas 2:2 and that true faith is attended with, and evidenced by works, the apostle proves by two instances; the one is that of Abraham, whose faith appeared to be genuine, and he to be a justified person, by the works he did; particularly by offering up his son Isaac; in which way his faith operated, and showed itself to be sincere and hearty; and the Scripture was fulfilled that Abraham was a believer; and had righteousness imputed to him, and was a friend of God, and a justified person, Jas 2:21-24 and the other instance is that of Rahab, whose faith was also shown by her works, and so a justified person, by receiving the spies with peace, and dismissing them with safety, Jas 2:25, and then the apostle explains what he means, by saying more than once, that faith without works is dead; which he illustrates by the simile of a man's body being dead, without the spirit or soul in it, Jas 2:26.

Cross References 14

  • 1. [James 1:22]
  • 2. [Job 31:19, 20]; See Luke 3:11
  • 3. 1 John 3:17, 18
  • 4. [Romans 3:28; Romans 4:6; Hebrews 11:33]
  • 5. Matthew 7:16, 17; Galatians 5:6
  • 6. Deuteronomy 6:4; [Romans 2:17-25]
  • 7. Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24; Mark 5:7; Luke 4:33, 34; Acts 16:17; Acts 19:15
  • 8. Gen. 22:9, 12, 16-18
  • 9. Hebrews 11:17
  • 10. See 1 Thessalonians 1:3
  • 11. Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; Cited from Genesis 15:6
  • 12. 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8
  • 13. Hebrews 11:31
  • 14. Joshua 2:1-22; Joshua 6:23

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.