James 2:15-17

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 filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself.

Queries

134.

Just what is dead in James 2:17?

135.

Is the brother or sister of James 2:15 a Christian? Would this question have any bearing on the point of the illustration?

136.

Do you think that helping the hungry or naked is the only kind of works intended to here be coupled with faith?

137.

What is the obvious expected answer to the question in James 2:16?

138.

Is James arguing that people who say faith alone is enough for salvation will act this way?

139.

Do you think the person was absolutely naked when he was sent away?

140.

Explain how the action of the person who sent them away illustrates faith. (i.e. faith without works).

141.

Is James contrasting faith and works here? What is he contrasting?

142.

What doth it profit? What does the it refer to?

143.

How would we properly express Go in peace today?

Paraphrases

A. James 2:15

If a Christian comes to you in threadbare clothing and hungry.

16.

and you say to him: Goodbye. I hope you find something to wear and something to eat! And yet you do not give him anything to wear or eat, have you helped him?

17.

In the same way your belief in Jesus, if it is not coupled with obedience, is a dead faith.

B.*James 2:15

If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing

16.

And you say to him, Well, goodbye, and God bless you stay warm and eat hearty, and then don-'t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?

17.

So you see, it isn-'t enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have faith. Faith without good deeds is dead and useless.

Comment

So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith. Galatians 6:10. In James 2:16 James makes the same emphasis in his illustration regarding the necessity for good works. For a Christian not to do good to members of his own family (or faith), is unthinkable. Thus, the absurdity of faith without works (i.e., compassion without mercy, James 2:13) is made all the clearer. He has chosen for the illustration the one we would love the most (the Christian) and placed him in a position of most dire necessity. The naked refers to scanty clothing, or clothing which is so threadbare that it could hardly be counted as clothing. It does not mean absolutely no clothing (see margin John 21:3 ASV).

The phrase go in peace is an expression of genuine concern for the needy, and is not intended to sound hollow or mocking. Rather the genuineness of the expression stands in sharp contrast with the lack of action to bring the wish about.
It may be proper here to point out the possible argument in favor of the church's caring for its own needy. This seems to be the assumption of the context. And if intended, seems in contrast with the church's practice of releasing its members to the government relief rolls. This is not suggesting that the man should be a cold ward of the church budget, but the help comes of genuine compassion of one brother for another.
The possibility of faith without works is made clear; but how is this faith different from the faith that does have works? James seems to indicate that the only difference is in the possession of works, (and of course the results are different). A great many seem to prefer to emphasize a kind of faith, rather than the absence of presence of works. They would seem to infer that the presence of the works is of no importance, but rather the genuineness of the faith. They would claim that it is a genuine and a sham faith that is contrasted, rather than a faith with works and a faith without works. In the next illustration James clears up the question when he affirms the devils really do believe, even to the extent of trembling!

When James 2:17 points to the deadness of the faith, it is not to say the faith is non-existent; but rather it is dead and profitless as far as results are concerned. Perhaps it could be best said this way: we have no right to accuse a man of lying who said he believed but did nothing about the belief. But rather, as does James, we should encourage that man to do something about that which he professes to believe. The trouble may not be with his belief, but rather with his will-power, with his commitment, and, possibly, his love of sin.

But there is a difference in the kind of faith, for James himself says that one is a dead faith within itself, you may argue. To keep the thought in harmony with the rest of his teaching, we might put it this way: Faith, if it have not works, is dead being by itself. What is James really comparing? He is not comparing faith, with works. Nor is he really comparing two different kinds of faith, but rather he seems to be comparing a faith only (faith that is not accompanied by works) with the same faith that is not alone (faith with works). It seems to be the works that makes one dead (fruitless) and one alive (with results).

Among the faculties of the inner man (Spiritual man) are man's intellect, his will, and his emotion. With the intellect man believes, (faith). With the will man determines that which he should do, (choice). Which the emotion man is motivated to act, (deeds). Faith, if it is to bring profit must go all the way... from belief, to choice, to action. If your conviction goes no further than your intellect, you may have faith, but you are not a Christian! And because this faith, being alone, does not bring the hoped-for results of salvation, James calls it a dead faith.