Wesley's Explanatory Notes
James 2:17
So likewise that faith which hath not works is a mere dead, empty notion; of no more profit to him that hath it, than the bidding the naked be clothed is to him.
So likewise that faith which hath not works is a mere dead, empty notion; of no more profit to him that hath it, than the bidding the naked be clothed is to him.
Verse 17. _IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD_] The faith that does not produce works of charity and mercy is without the living principle which animates all true faith, that is, _love to God_ and _love t...
IF A BROTHER OR SISTER BE NAKED ... - The comparison in these verses is very obvious and striking. The sense is, that faith in itself, without the acts that correspond to it, and to which it would pro...
II. THE ROYAL LAW: FAITH AND WORKS CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The faith of Christ with respect to persons (James 2:1)_ 2. The royal law (James 2:6) 3. Faith must be manifested by works (James 2:14)...
The surface contradiction between James and Paul, which made Luther call this an epistle of straw, and the Tü bingen critics hail it as a Judaist's attack upon Paulinism, troubles no one now, simply b...
My brothers, what use is it if a man claims to have faith and has no deeds to show? Are you going to claim that his faith is able to save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear, and if they h...
My brothers, what use is it, if a man claims to have faith and has no deeds to show? Are you going to claim that his faith is able to save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and if they h...
RESPECT OF PERSONS (James 2:1) _ 2:1 My brothers, you cannot really believe that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, and yet continue to have respect of persons._ Respect of persons is...
DEAD. Greek. _nekros._ Compare App-139. ALONE. by (App-104.) itself....
_Even so faith, if it hath not works_ This then is St James's objection to the faith of which he speaks. It is, while alone (literally, BY ITSELF), with no promise or potency of life, and it is, there...
Justification by Faith and Works 14. _though a man say he hath faith_ The section on which we now enter has been the battle-field of almost endless controversies. It led Luther in the boldness of a ze...
ΟὝΤΩΣ ΚΑῚ Ἡ ΠΊΣΤΙΣ Κ.Τ.Λ. The conclusion is drawn by analogy. It is inconceivable that ἔλεος, pity, or compassion, can exist without results, so is the conception of faith without works an impossible...
14–26. THE RELATION BETWEEN ΠΊΣΤΙΣ AND ἜΡΓΑ:—a subject suggested by the preceding paragraph, but also probably by one of the questions referred to St James for solution. Such questions were frequently...
_GOD STATES THE MESSAGE CLEARLY -- JAMES 2:14-18:_ The heart of the message of the book of James is "Faith in Action." James teaches that faith without works is barren or dead. Saving faith demands wo...
ΟΫΤΩΣ (G3779) подобным образом. Здесь применяется сравнение (Ropes), ΚΑΘ' ΈΑΥΤΉΝ (G2596; G1438) в себе, по отношению к себе, внутри (Dibelius; Mayor; Adamson)....
EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, &C.— See the preceding note. St. Paul (says Dr. Heylin,) had used the term _faith_ as it was understood in the Jewish schools; (and still in our own schools, where...
CHAPTER V. _THE DEVIL'S FAITH_ James 2:14-26 _Introduction_ Faith has come to mean some kind of magic word by which men shall do the impossible, even to the acquisition of heaven. The word really m...
FAITH-ONLY IS DEAD, BEING ALONE (EXAMPLE NO. 1) _Text 2:15-17_ James 2:15. If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of food, 16. and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and fil...
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. FAITH ... BEING ALONE. Alford joins, 'is dead in itself.' Bengel, 'If the works which living faith produces have no existence, it is a pro...
VERSE 17 EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. Now, if your simple statement to the distressed brother or sister did not clothe them, did not feed them, just that certain it is th...
26 The outward form of divine service, the rites and ceremonies of the sacerdotal system of Moses, was but the exterior shell of truth. It was the letter: truth was the spirit. The ritual was full of...
WARNINGS AGAINST RESPECT OF PERSONS. BELIEF AND PRACTICE 1. Another instance of inconsistency. JESUS CHRIST _the Lord_ OF GLORY] better, 'Jesus Christ the glory,' or 'the glorious one,' One of the ra...
WHAT *FAITH SHOULD DO JAMES _IAN MACKERVOY_ The word list at the end explains words with a *star by them. CHAPTER 2 RESPECT OF PERSONS 2:1-7 V1 My Christian brothers and sisters, you trust th...
(14-26) FAITH AND WORKS. — We now enter on the most debatable ground of the Epistle; a battle-field strewn with the bones and weapons of countless adversaries. It is an easy thing to shoot “arrows, ev...
EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. — Better, like the margin, _is dead in its own self._ If to be childless among women were a curse in Israel, so to be barren among God’s grac...
CHAPTER 12 FAITH AND WORKS: THREE VIEWS OF THE RELATION, OF THE TEACHING OF ST. JAMES TO THE TEACHING OF ST. PAUL-THE RELATION OF LUTHER TO BOTH. James 2:14 "What doth it profit, my brethren, if a m...
οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις …: just as faith without works is dead, so this spurious, quiescent charity, which is content to leave all to God without any attempt at individual effort, is worthless. καθʼ ἑαυτήν...
On this section see Introduction IV., § 2. There are a few points worth drawing attention to, in connection with the subject treated of in these verses, before we come to deal with the passage in deta...
DEEDS THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH James 2:14 The Apostle is speaking here of a faith that does not result in a changed life. It is the faith which believes _about_ Jesus Christ, as distinguished from that...
Proceeding, James dealt with the effect of faith on conduct. It makes it impossible to show any respect of persons on the ground of the possession of worldly wealth. To show such respect shows that th...
A FAITH THAT DOES NOT WORK IS USELESS Those who claimed to have faith but failed to be fair in their treatment of the poor, as well as rich, had a faith that would not save them. James does not say th...
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, (16) And one of you say unt...
To the reader who enters on the consideration of the epistle of James from the epistles of Paul, the change is great and sudden, and by no means least of all from the epistle to the Hebrews, which, in...
17_Is dead, being alone_. He says that faith is dead, being by itself, that is, when destitute of good works. We hence conclude that it is indeed no faith, for when dead, it does not properly retain t...
The apostle now enters on the subject of those who professed to believe that Jesus was Christ the Lord. Before, in Chapter 1, he had spoken of the new nature in connection with God: here the professio...
EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE. It is like a lifeless carcass, a body without a soul, James 2:26 for as works, without faith, are dead works, so faith, without works, is a d...
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Ver. 17. _Is dead, being alone_] That is, being workless; for life discovers itself by action; so doth true faith by trust in God and love t...
_What doth it profit_ From James 1:22, the apostle has been enforcing Christian practice; he now applies to those who neglected this under the pretence of faith. St. Paul had taught, that _a man is ju...
IS DEAD; it is not the kind of faith which justifies the soul: that is, a living, operative faith, which works by love, purifies the heart, overcomes the world, and produces good works....
Proof of faith demanded in brotherly love:...
EVEN SO FAITH, IF IT HATH NOT WORKS, IS DEAD, BEING ALONE....
The first 13 verses of this chapter form a second division of the book, dealing with the faith of Christ as being above all personal considerations, perfectly true and impartial. To mix the faith of C...
Can our faith be dead? Explain how faith saves. Are we saved by faith? What is faith by itself? What are the “works” mentioned in this verse? Can our faith go up and down, have highs and lows? Can our...
ALONE: _ Gr._ by itself...
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself"."Even so" -Just like mere words directed at. Christian in need are completely worthless, so faith that isn't active is completely worthles...
14-26 Those are wrong who put a mere notional belief of the gospel for the whole of evangelical religion, as many now do. No doubt, true faith alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness,...
EVEN SO FAITH; that which they boasted of, and called faith. IS DEAD; void of that life, in which the very essence of faith consists, and which always discovers itself in vital actings and good fruits...
James 2:17 Thus G2532 also G3779 faith G4102 itself G2596 G1438 if G3362 does G2192 not G3362 have...
‘Even so faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.' And that is why he can say that such faith is dead. It is unresponsive, it fails to act, and it reveals a closed mind and a closed heart...
The Reply Comes, ‘But Surely If We Have Faith That Is Enough. Will We Not Be Seen To Be Righteous Because We Have Faith In Christ? Then Surely It Does Not Really Matter How We Behave Towards Others'....
James 2:17. Now follows the application of this illustration. As this love, which merely expends itself in kind words and wishes, is of no value; so neither is the faith of him who professes to believ...
James 2:14-26. In this passage James continues to enforce practical religion. He tells his readers that faith destitute of works is of no avail to the saving of the soul, and is as useless as a charit...
IF IT HAVE NOT WORKS (εαν μη εχη εργα). Another condition of the third class with εαν and μη and the present active subjunctive of εχω, "if it keep on not having works."IN ITSELF (καθ' εαυτην). In...
CONTENTS: The tests of brotherly love and good words. Justification before men by our works. CHARACTERS: Christ, James, Abraham, Isaac, Rahab. CONCLUSION: Those who are possessors of Christ's salvat...
James 2:1. _Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons._ See James 1:1. The whole of this chapter turns on charity, which is the excellence of pure religio...
SO IT IS WITH FAITH. "Faith which does not prove itself by actions is as worthless as good wishes to the poor without food and clothing....
JAMES 2:14 Faith without Works Is Dead. James continues the theme that hearing/faith must lead to doing/works. It may seem that James contradicts Paul’s “by grace you have been saved through faith......
JAMES—NOTE ON JAMES 2:17 DEAD. Useless, with no life at all. It cannot lead to salvation (v. James 2:14). True faith will produce WORKS....
_CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ James 2:14. SAY.—Or, “make profession.” The man may really have the faith, but it cannot be an _effective_ faith if it finds no expression in actions. “Faith, without a...
EXPOSITION JAMES 2:1 WARNING AGAINST RESPECT OF PERSONS. JAMES 2:1 The translation is doubtful, two renderings being possible. (1) That of the A.V. and R.
Now my brothers, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons (James 2:1). This is so difficult. It is so easy for us to fall in the trap of respecting pers...
1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 Corinthians 13:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:5;...
Being alone [κ α θ ε α υ τ η ν]. Wrong. Rev., correctly, in itself. The phrase belongs to dead. It is dead, not merely in reference to something else, but absolutely....