Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
James 2:20
Verse 20. But wilt thou know] Art thou willing to be instructed in the nature of true saving faith? Then attend to the following examples.
Verse 20. But wilt thou know] Art thou willing to be instructed in the nature of true saving faith? Then attend to the following examples.
JAMES 2:20 avrgh, {B} Instead of avrgh, the Textus Receptus reads nekra,, with a A C2 K P Y 614 1241 _Byz Lect_ syrp, h copbo _al_. Since there is considerable suspicion that sc...
BUT WILT THOU KNOW - Will you have a full demonstration of it; will you have the clearest proof in the case. The apostle evidently felt that the instances to which he was about to refer, those of Abra...
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...
Do you wish for proof, you empty creature, that faith without deeds is ineffective? Our father Abraham was proved righteous in consequence of deeds, when he was ready to offer Isaac his son upon the a...
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...
WILT. App-102. KNOW. App-132. DEAD. In the _Textus Receptus_ the same as James 2:17, but the texts read _argos,_ idle or barren. See Matthew 12:36 and 2 Peter 1:8....
_wilt thou know, O vain man_ The term, as applied to men, is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, but is used with something of the same significance in the LXX. of Judges 9:4. The idea is primar...
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...
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...
ἀργή, supported by BC*, some cursives, O. L. (_vacua_) and some other versions. On the other hand νεκρά is read in אActs 2, later uncials, the Vulgate and several other versions. But the tendency to b...
_GOD ILLUSTRATED SAVING FAITH -- JAMES 2:19-26:_ The demons prove that a faith that does not reflect itself in works cannot save. "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils als...
ΘΈΛΕΙΣ _praes. ind. act. от_ ΘΈΛΩ (G2309) желать, ΓΝΏΝΑΙ _aor. act. inf. от_ ΓΙΝΏΣΚΩ (G1079) знать. Инфинитив как дополнение к основному гл. ΆΝΘΡΩΠΕ _voc. sing. от_ ΆΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ (G444) человек. Используе...
O VAIN MAN!— The word Κενε answers to the Syriac word _Raca,_ Matthew 5:22 which is there condemned, when it proceeded from unjust anger, and was used by way of insult and reproach; but here it is use...
GODLY FAITH VS. THE DEVIL'S FAITH _Text 2:18-20_ James 2:18 Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee _my_ fai...
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...
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? WILT [ theleis (G2309 )] THOU KNOW. "Vain" men are not willing to know, since they have no wish to do the WILT [ theleis (G2309 )]...
VERSE 20 BUT WILT THOU. KNOW, 0 VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? From the foregoing reasoning and illustrations are you willing to understand that faith apart from works is useless, unavail...
20 The case of Abraham is most helpful in further defining the distinct viewpoints of Paul and James. The former refers us to the fifteenth chapter of Genesis, the latter to the twenty-second. In the...
2:20 dead? (e-13) Or as some MSS. 'fruitless and inoperative.'...
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...
BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? — “Vain,” _i.e._, empty and useless. Some copies have a word which means idle, fruitless, workless, in place of that translated “dead”...
(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...
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...
The words of this and the following verses, to the end of James 2:23, belong to the argument commenced by a supposed speaker ἀλλʼ ἐρεῖ τις; it is all represented as being conducted by one man addressi...
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...
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD James wanted his objectors to acknowledge the obvious truth that faith without works is dead. Woods says "foolish man" literally means "an empty-headed fellow" (James 2:20)...
(11) But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (11) The third reason from the example of Abraham, who no doubt had a true faith: but he in offering his son, showed himself to...
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...
20_But wilt thou know_. We must understand the state of the question, for the dispute here is not respecting the cause of justification, but only what avails a profession of faith without works, and w...
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...
BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN,.... These are the words of the apostle reassuming the argument, that faith without works is dead, useless, and unprofitable; and the man that boasts of his faith, and h...
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Ver. 20. _But wilt thou know_] _Interrogatio doeturientis, _ saith Piscator. A question made by one that is desirous to teach. _ Tho...
_Yea, a man_ Who judges better; _may say_ To such a vain talker, in order to bring matters to a short issue; _thou hast faith_ Thou sayest; _and I_ make it appear by my life and conversation that I _h...
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS; is not the kind which Abraham had, and by which he was justified. His faith led him to obey God, even His most difficult and trying commands. Genesis 22:9; Genesis 22:12. Justifyi...
Proof of faith demanded in brotherly love:...
BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? This passage is not opposed to Romans 3:21, but offers the opposite side of the question, the key to the entire discussion being given...
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...
Who is a foolish man? Are men foolish or is it their actions? Is this information important to you? Does it make a difference if our faith is dead or not?...
"But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?" "But are you willing to recognize" -Inferring the previous truths had been clear, plain and simple to under...
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,...
BUT WILT THOU KNOW? Either this question is in order to teaching, as 1 THESSALONIANS 13:12 ROMANS 13:3; and then the sense is: If thou hast a mind to know, I shall instruct thee: or, it is a teaching...
James 2:20 But G1161 want G2309 (G5719) know G1097 (G5629) O G5599 foolish G2756 man G444 that...
‘But will you know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren?' Thus he needs to recognise that he is living in vain and for nothing, because his faith is barren. Unless he does works and fulf...
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 2:14-26. 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...
James 2:20. BUT WILT THOU KNOW, or rather, ‘Art thou willing to know,' to recognise this truth? implying that such knowledge was not palatable to him. O VAIN MAN; that is, O empty man, puffed up wit...
BUT WILT THOU KNOW? (θελεις δε γνωναι?). "But dost thou wish to know?" Ingressive aorist active infinitive of γινοσκω (come to know). James here introduces a new argument like Romans 13:3.O VAIN MA...
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...
YOU FOOL! [This is not the same word translated _worthless fool_ in Matthew 5:22. KENOS = empty, to no purpose, foolish, senseless.] "Faith without actions cannot put anyone right with God!" We _reach...
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......
_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 15:35; 1 Corinthians 15:36; 1 Timothy 1:6; Colossians 2:8;...
Vain [κ ε ν ε]. Lit., empty, without spiritual life. Dead [ν ε κ ρ α]. But the best texts read ajrgh, idle; as of money which yields no interest, or of land lying fallow....
But art than willing to know — Indeed thou art not: thou wouldest fain be ignorant of it. O empty man — Empty of all goodness. That the faith which is without works is dead — And so is not properly fa...
Our apostle here goes on to prove, that. person is justified by works, that is, by. working faith, from the example of Abraham; and the argument lies thus: "If Abraham of old was justified by. working...