Discovery BoxJames 2:14-26
Context2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, 1 if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith 2 save him? 3 2:15 If a brother or sister 4 is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, 5 what good is it? 2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” 6 Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by 7 my works. 2:19 You believe that God is one; well and good. 8 Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear. 9
2:20 But would you like evidence, 10 you empty fellow, 11 that faith without works is useless? 12 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” 13 and he was called God’s friend. 14 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Jeremiah 44:16
Context44:16 “We will not listen to what you claim the Lord has spoken to us! 15
Ezekiel 33:31-32
Context33:31 They come to you in crowds, 16 and they sit in front of you as 17 my people. They hear your words, but do not obey 18 them. For they talk lustfully, 19 and their heart is set on 20 their own advantage. 21 33:32 Realize 22 that to them you are like a sensual song, a beautiful voice and skilled musician. 23 They hear your words, but they do not obey them. 24
Matthew 7:26-27
Context7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” 25
Luke 6:47--7:16
Context6:47 “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice 26 – I will show you what he is like: 6:48 He is like a man 27 building a house, who dug down deep, 28 and laid the foundation on bedrock. When 29 a flood came, the river 30 burst against that house but 31 could not shake it, because it had been well built. 32 6:49 But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice 33 is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When 34 the river burst against that house, 35 it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!” 36
7:1 After Jesus 37 had finished teaching all this to the people, 38 he entered Capernaum. 39 7:2 A centurion 40 there 41 had a slave 42 who was highly regarded, 43 but who was sick and at the point of death. 7:3 When the centurion 44 heard 45 about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders 46 to him, asking him to come 47 and heal his slave. 7:4 When 48 they came 49 to Jesus, they urged 50 him earnestly, 51 “He is worthy 52 to have you do this for him, 7:5 because he loves our nation, 53 and even 54 built our synagogue.” 55 7:6 So 56 Jesus went with them. When 57 he was not far from the house, the centurion 58 sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, 59 for I am not worthy 60 to have you come under my roof. 7:7 That is why 61 I did not presume 62 to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. 63 7:8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. 64 I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, 65 and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 66 7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed 67 at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!” 68 7:10 So 69 when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave 70 well.
7:11 Soon 71 afterward 72 Jesus 73 went to a town 74 called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 7:12 As he approached the town gate, a man 75 who had died was being carried out, 76 the only son of his mother (who 77 was a widow 78 ), and a large crowd from the town 79 was with her. 7:13 When 80 the Lord saw her, he had compassion 81 for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 82 7:14 Then 83 he came up 84 and touched 85 the bier, 86 and those who carried it stood still. He 87 said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 7:15 So 88 the dead man 89 sat up and began to speak, and Jesus 90 gave him back 91 to his mother. 7:16 Fear 92 seized them all, and they began to glorify 93 God, saying, “A great prophet 94 has appeared 95 among us!” and “God has come to help 96 his people!”
[2:14] 1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
[2:14] 2 tn Grk “the faith,” referring to the kind of faith just described: faith without works. The article here is anaphoric, referring to the previous mention of the noun πίστις (pisti") in the verse. See ExSyn 219.
[2:14] 3 sn The form of the question in Greek expects a negative answer.
[2:15] 4 tn It is important to note that the words ἀδελφός (adelfos) and ἀδελφή (adelfh) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on “someone” in 2:2.
[2:16] 5 tn Grk “what is necessary for the body.”
[2:18] 6 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.
[2:19] 8 tn Grk “you do well.”
[2:19] 9 tn Grk “believe and tremble.” The words “with fear” are implied.
[2:20] 10 tn Grk “do you want to know.”
[2:20] 11 tn Grk “O empty man.” Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε (anqrwpe, “man”) means “person” or even “fellow.” Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).
[2:20] 12 tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א A C2 P Ψ 33 Ï sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, “dead”) here, while Ì74 reads κενή (kenh, “empty”). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argh, “useless”). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì74’s reading picks up on κενέ (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.
[2:23] 13 sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
[2:23] 14 sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called God’s “beloved.”
[44:16] 15 tn Heb “the word [or message] you have spoken to us in the name of the
[33:31] 16 tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.
[33:31] 17 tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.
[33:31] 19 tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”
[33:31] 20 tn Heb “goes after.”
[33:31] 21 tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term which can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.
[33:32] 22 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
[33:32] 23 tn Heb “one who makes playing music well.”
[33:32] 24 sn Similar responses are found in Isa 29:13; Matt 21:28-32; James 1:22-25.
[7:27] 25 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”
[6:47] 26 tn Grk “and does them.”
[6:48] 27 tn Here and in v. 49 the Greek text reads ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), while the parallel account in Matt 7:24-27 uses ἀνήρ (anhr) in vv. 24 and 26.
[6:48] 28 tn There are actually two different Greek verbs used here: “who dug (ἔσκαψεν, eskayen) and dug deep (ἐβάθυνεν, ebaqunen).” Jesus is placing emphasis on the effort to which the man went to prepare his foundation.
[6:48] 29 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:48] 30 sn The picture here is of a river overflowing its banks and causing flooding and chaos.
[6:48] 31 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
[6:48] 32 tc Most
[6:49] 33 tn Grk “does not do [them].”
[6:49] 34 tn Grk “against which”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative clause was converted to a temporal clause in the translation and a new sentence started here.
[6:49] 35 tn Grk “it”; the referent (that house) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:49] 36 tn Grk “and its crash was great.”
[7:1] 37 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:1] 38 tn Grk “After he had completed all his sayings in the hearing of the people.”
[7:1] 39 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
[7:2] 40 sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like Paul.
[7:2] 41 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[7:2] 42 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times… in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v. 1). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. In addition, the parallel passage in Matt 8:6 uses the Greek term παῖς (pais), to refer to the centurion’s slave. This was a term often used of a slave who was regarded with some degree of affection, possibly a personal servant.
[7:2] 43 tn The term ἔντιμος (entimos) could mean “highly valued,” but this sounds too much like the slave was seen as an asset, while the text suggests a genuine care for the person. More archaically, it could be said the centurion was fond of this slave.
[7:3] 44 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the centurion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:3] 45 tn The participle ἀκούσας (akousas) has been taken temporally.
[7:3] 46 sn Why some Jewish elders are sent as emissaries is not entirely clear, but the centurion was probably respecting ethnic boundaries, which were important in ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish culture. The parallel account in Matt 8:5-13 does not mention the emissaries.
[7:3] 47 tn The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as an infinitive in parallel with διασώσῃ (diaswsh) due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[7:4] 48 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[7:4] 49 tn Although the participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) is preceded by the Greek article (οἱ, Joi) which would normally cause it to be regarded as an adjectival or substantival participle, most modern translations, probably as a result of the necessities of contemporary English style, render it as a temporal participle (“when they came”).
[7:4] 51 tn Grk “urged him earnestly, saying”; the participle λέγοντες (legontes) is pleonastic (redundant) and has not been translated.
[7:4] 52 tn Grk “Worthy is he to have you do this”; the term “worthy” comes first in the direct discourse and is emphatic.
[7:5] 53 tn Or “people.” The use of ἔθνος (eqnos, “nation”) here instead of “God” probably meant the man was not a full proselyte, but that he had simply been supportive of the Jews and their culture. He could have been a God-fearer. The Romans saw a stable religious community as politically helpful and often supported it (Josephus, Ant. 16.6.2 [16.162-165], 19.6.3 [19.300-311]).
[7:5] 54 tn In the Greek text, the pronoun αὐτός (autos) is included, making this emphatic. Naturally the force of this statement is causative, meaning the centurion either had the synagogue built or donated the cost of its construction.
[7:5] 55 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:15.
[7:6] 56 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the resultative action.
[7:6] 57 tn The participle ἀπέχοντος (apeconto") has been taken temporally.
[7:6] 58 sn See the note on the word centurion in 7:2.
[7:6] 59 tn Or “do not be bothered.”
[7:6] 60 sn Note the humility in the centurion’s statement I am not worthy in light of what others think (as v. 4 notes). See Luke 5:8 for a similar example of humility.
[7:7] 61 tn Or “roof; therefore.”
[7:7] 62 tn Grk “I did not consider myself worthy to come to you.” See BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 1. “Presume” assumes this and expresses the idea in terms of offense.
[7:7] 63 tc The aorist imperative ἰαθήτω (iaqhtw, “must be healed”) is found in Ì75vid B L 1241 sa. Most
[7:8] 64 tn Grk “having soldiers under me.”
[7:8] 65 sn I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes. The illustrations highlight the view of authority the soldier sees in the word of one who has authority. Since the centurion was a commander of a hundred soldiers, he understood what it was both to command others and to be obeyed.
[7:8] 66 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[7:9] 67 tn Or “pleased with him and amazed.” The expanded translation brings out both Jesus’ sense of wonder at the deep insight of the soldier and the pleasure he had that he could present the man as an example of faith.
[7:9] 68 sn There are two elements to the faith that Jesus commended: The man’s humility and his sense of Jesus’ authority which recognized that only Jesus’ word, not his physical presence, were required.
[7:10] 69 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the summarization at the end of the account.
[7:10] 70 tc Most
[7:11] 71 tn Grk “And it happened that soon.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[7:11] 72 tc Several variants to ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ (egeneto en tw) are found before the adverb ἑξῆς (Jexh"), all of them clarifying by the use of the feminine article that the next day is meant (τῇ [th] in D; ἐγένετο τῇ in W; ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ in א* C K 565 892 1424 pm). But these readings are decidedly secondary, for they are more specific than Luke usually is, and involve an unparalleled construction (viz., article + ἡμέρα [Jhmera] + ἑξῆς; elsewhere, when Luke uses this adverb, the noun it modifies is either implied or after the adverb [cf. Luke 9:37; Acts 21:1; 25:17; 27:18)]. The reading adopted for the translation is a more general time indicator; the article τῷ modifies an implied χρόνῳ (cronw), with the general sense of “soon afterward.”
[7:11] 73 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:11] 74 tn The term πόλις (polis) can refer to a small town, which is what Nain was. It was about six miles southeast of Nazareth.
[7:12] 75 tn Grk “behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
[7:12] 76 tn That is, carried out for burial. This was a funeral procession.
[7:12] 77 tn Grk “and she.” The clause introduced by καί (kai) has been translated as a relative clause for the sake of English style.
[7:12] 78 sn The description of the woman as a widow would mean that she was now socially alone and without protection in 1st century Jewish culture.
[7:13] 80 tn Grk “And seeing her, the Lord.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The participle ἰδών (idwn) has been taken temporally.
[7:13] 81 sn He had compassion. It is unusual for Luke to note such emotion by Jesus, though the other Synoptics tend to mention it (Matt 14:14; Mark 6:34; Matt 15:32; Mark 8:2).
[7:13] 82 tn The verb κλαίω (klaiw) denotes the loud wailing or lamenting typical of 1st century Jewish mourning.
[7:14] 83 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[7:14] 84 tn Grk “coming up, he touched.” The participle προσελθών (proselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[7:14] 85 sn The act of having touched the bier would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean, but it did not matter to him, since he was expressing his personal concern (Num 19:11, 16).
[7:14] 86 sn Although sometimes translated “coffin,” the bier was actually a stretcher or wooden plank on which the corpse was transported to the place of burial. See L&N 6.109.
[7:14] 87 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[7:15] 88 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of Jesus’ command.
[7:15] 89 tn Or “the deceased.”
[7:15] 90 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:15] 91 tn In the context, the verb δίδωμι (didwmi) has been translated “gave back” rather than simply “gave.”
[7:16] 92 tn Or “Awe.” Grk “fear,” but the context and the following remark show that it is mixed with wonder; see L&N 53.59. This is a reaction to God’s work; see Luke 5:9.
[7:16] 93 tn This imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[7:16] 94 sn That Jesus was a great prophet was a natural conclusion for the crowd to make, given the healing; but Jesus is more than this. See Luke 9:8, 19-20.
[7:16] 96 tn Grk “visited,” but this conveys a different impression to a modern reader. L&N 85.11 renders the verb, “to be present, with the implication of concern – ‘to be present to help, to be on hand to aid.’ … ‘God has come to help his people’ Lk 7:16.” The language recalls Luke 1:68, 78.
