James 2:18

2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” ¹  Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by ²  my works.

Galatians 5:6

5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love. ³ 

Hebrews 11:17-19

11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, ⁴  yet he was ready to offer up ⁵  his only son. 11:18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” ⁶  11:19 and he reasoned ⁷  that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense ⁸  he received him back from there.

¹ tn There is considerable doubt about where the words of the “someone” end and where James’ reply begins. Some see the quotation running to the end of v. 18; others to the end of v. 19. But most punctuate as shown above. The “someone” is then an objector, and the sense of his words is something like, “Some have faith; others have works; don’t expect everyone to have both.” James’ reply is that faith cannot exist or be seen without works.

² tn Or “from.”

³ tn Grk “but faith working through love.”

⁴ tn Here “received the promises” refers to the pledges themselves, not to the things God promised.

⁵ tn Grk “he was offering up.” The tense of this verb indicates the attempt or readiness to sacrifice Isaac without the actual completion of the deed.

⁶ tn Grk “in Isaac seed will be named for you.”

⁷ tn Grk “having reasoned,” continuing the ideas of v. 17.

⁸ tn Grk “in/by a symbol.”